HonestMan13 said:

bashraka said:

I was shocked when Doc said Prince wants Questlove involved in writing about his life. Questlove's problem is that he seems like TOO MUCH OF A FAN and has an inflated sense of importance especially when it comes to P's career. Alan Leeds would be a better author and his personality is cool and collected and doesn't have an agenda.

Unlike every orger who feels they should have input on band lineups, setlists, wardrobe, hair, girlfriends, financial matters, etc.

touche

link to spreecast....?

luvsexy4all said:

link to spreecast....?

http://www.spreecast.com/...ince-ology

..

[Edited 7/28/13 1:32am]

purpleshadow said:

Questlove is one of those guys who thinks Prince hasn't put out much to check for after 1988..

I remember reading a questlove post about Prince saying that ever since Prince let hip hop get to him his music hasn't been the same..

so I don't think he'll be able to be 100% honest

if he writes a book on Prince..

The music from Prince that he loves is from the 80s..

he dosen't really praise anything Prince has done after that decade..

[Edited 7/25/13 8:09am]

Which is all the more reason I'm surprised Prince even made the suggestion. That was also the crux of the spreecast that so many writers and former associates think that P's music in the nineties are so par. I hope this is just a short lived whim and nothing comes of it.

I'm amazed that many think that Alan Leeds would be the right man to write a Prince bio. Alan Leeds is a disgruntled former employee. His brother is a disgruntled former employee, who plays in a band with disgruntled former employees, who's close family includes even more disgruntled former employees.

[Edited 7/25/13 8:37am]

[Edited 7/25/13 8:55am]

[Edited 7/25/13 8:56am]

[Edited 7/28/13 15:54pm]

If Prince is going to make himself available for fact-checking, anectdotes, inside information, etc. then I don't care who writes the book - it will be a page-turner!

Funkenberry...write a book?! [img:$uid]http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g216/rebecca8273/emoticon/0002.gif[/img:$uid]

I mean...do I really have to say it? His blog is barely intelligible. But, hey - if Prince wants a fawning biography, who better to write it than those two. I doubt I'd read it, though.

paulludvig said:

For example - if someone claims that Eric Leeds introduced Prince to jazz, you have to ask the obvious question how is that possible when Prince's father was a jazz musician, a self styled Thelonious Monk? If someone wants you to believe that W&L introduced Prince to Joni Mitchell, despite Chris Moon's wife saying she let Prince listen to albums of female singer-songwriters as Janis Ian and Joni Mitchell in the late 70's, then you need to at least try to check the facts. If someone has the idea that Susannah came up with the idea to use Fishers strings on the Family album, you have to at least acknowledge that Prince already was a huge Chaka Khan and Rufus fan. And if Susannah mistakenly believes that Strange Realationship was written for her, why not try to find out when the song was actually written, and you'll find that it was written before he even met her. The list goes on.

A book about Prince from his own perspective?

That is l o n g overdue but having 2 fans write this might not be such a good idea.

paulludvig said:

I'm amazed that many think that Alan Leeds would be the right man to write a Prince bio. Alan Leeds is a disgruntled former employee. His brother is a disgruntled former employee, who plays in a band with disgruntled former employees, who's close family includes even more disgruntled former employees.

All of these disgruntled former employees have been the main source for all the books written about Prince to date. The book some of you are asking for has therefore already been written. We don't need yet another book based on stories told by disgruntled former employees.

These guys - the Leeds, The Melvoins, Coleman and a few others seem like a tight knit group. They speak with the same voice, and they have played their cards well. By making themself available to biographers, journalists and fans they have been able to control the narrative. The narrative being that Prince was a rather ignorant, but ambitious young man from the backwaters, semi-talented and hard working, helped along by his more sophisticated and talented friends from the big city. They have used their position to systematically undermine Prince as a musician and composer, to the point where many people today believe that they, and not Prince, were responible for the great work that Prince put out in the 80's.

Reading through interviews given by these folks at various times, you would be hard pressed to find any instances were they actually praise Prince as a musician, produser or composer, other than by backhanded compliments. They talk about his work ethic and ambission, they always give him that (maybe to downplay his talent), but rearly do you hear about his musical prowess.

Maybe they actually don't think his any good as a musicians, songwriter, producer and performer. Fair enough. Opinions differ. but should that be the final word on his talent.

We need a biographer who doesn't have an agenda. And that biographer must be someone who doesn't take everything that's being told to him at face value. For example - if someone claims that Eric Leeds introduced Prince to jazz, you have to ask the obvious question how is that possible when Prince's father was a jazz musician, a self styled Thelonious Monk? If someone wants you to believe that W&L introduced Prince to Joni Mitchell, despite Chris Moon's wife saying she let Prince listen to albums of female singer-songwriters as Janis Ian and Joni Mitchell in the late 70's, then you need to at least try to check the facts. If someone has the idea that Susannah came up with the idea to use Fishers strings on the Family album, you have to at least acknowledge that Prince already was a huge Chaka Khan and Rufus fan. And if Susannah mistakenly believes that Strange Realationship was written for her, why not try to find out when the song was actually written, and you'll find that it was written before he even met her. The list goes on.

[Edited 7/25/13 8:37am]

There may be some rabid W&L fans who claim some of the above, but everything I've read, heard or seen from W&L and Eric they are very clear that they think P is extremely talented and give him credit and don't try to act like they are responsible for his success. Just watch the Purple Rain Special Edition DVD... Wendy is pretty clear..... "No we didn't write Purple Rain" etc.

Did they help out? sure. Do they take credit for his success.... no.

Your post is just as extreme as the people you are criticizing.

Jeez. If Funkenberry and Questlove are ANY kind of friends, they will kindly tell Prince to ask the best professional biographers if they would be willing to do it.

Quest and Funkberry should not even humor the nonsense. Prince merits much better. It's about time he took his legacy and work more seriously.

[Edited 7/25/13 11:23am]

paulludvig said:

I'm amazed that many think that Alan Leeds would be the right man to write a Prince bio. Alan Leeds is a disgruntled former employee. His brother is a disgruntled former employee, who plays in a band with disgruntled former employees, who's close family includes even more disgruntled former employees.

All of these disgruntled former employees have been the main source for all the books written about Prince to date. The book some of you are asking for has therefore already been written. We don't need yet another book based on stories told by disgruntled former employees.

Reading through interviews given by these folks at various times, you would be hard pressed to find any instances were they actually praise Prince as a musician, produser or composer, other than by backhanded compliments. They talk about his work ethic and ambission, they always give him that (maybe to downplay his talent), but rarely do you hear about his musical prowess.

We need a biographer who doesn't have an agenda. And that biographer must be someone who doesn't take everything that's being told to him at face value.

I think it'd it'd be fun to see a movie or read a book that correlated Prince's time line with fans time lines. To watch or read how people felt at a certain time during Prince's career as compared to hearing Prince's feelings and motivation at that time. The actions and music that Prince created, made lots of ripples in the ocean of our lives.

A true story about where Prince might be at any certain stage of his musical career compared to a fan's stage in life. Prince could reveal some of his aspirations, inspirations, emotions, struggles and so on, chronologically compared to a fan or friends' activities at that time. It'd show the many avenues that people traveled to Prince (physically or mentally) and to his music.

The impact on so many people and levels of those those who have loved the Music and the Man for years, with Prince the Genius, Creative Music Maker sharing his insights and experiences a long the way.....would be an interesting read.

RodeoSchro said:

If Prince is going to make himself available for fact-checking, anectdotes, inside information, etc. then I don't care who writes the book - it will be a page-turner!

You're right, it would be a page turner, but I think we all know that Prince will never devulge inside information. He might give a few snippets here and there, but it won't be what we want or expect. It would be written just the way he wants it to be and I have my doubts that it won't be accurate.

I agree with most of what Paulluvdig and Gary MF are saying - it's clear that some former associates and band members have their own ego's and artistic pride and thus each seem to want to suggest a greater influence on Prince than they probably really had. It seems that some think that because they once tripped over and hit their head on a tambourine whilst rehearsing that they should have been given writing credit for the song tambourine and every other song since where P used a tambourine ! Slight exaggeration, but.....

I do think they all know he is bizarrely talented but having been so close to him maybe they have become a little numbed to his greatness?? Familarity breeds contempt....

Where there have been problems / disputes - we only ever hear their side of the story which, of course, they naturally shape to make themselves appear in a better light. We never hear Prince's side of the story - what he did or said and why - he has been too private and classy to do that.

Unfortunately this leads to some people (fans, authors) totally believing everything they hear from a disgruntled fomer engineer, tour manager or band member and thus spputing things like "we all know what an ass Prince is" and "how terrible he is to work with" and such a "control freak"; how he "ruins every good working and personal relationship he ever has" etc etc - it's a nonsense - we know very little !

If there is to be a book - which is fantastic - if Prince wasn't going to do it himself (in which case it'd be great if it was an accurate account of what happened in his career, why, what he was feeling at the time etc - rather than pseudo-cryptic, quasi-religious stuff about the cosmos and energy fields) then I think Bobby Z would be a great candidate !

Bobby has been there from the start and is up to date with where Prince is currently at. If Prince were to give him the scope and latitude, we'd have first hand insights to the creative process, the tours, the personnel...it'd be awesome !! From a guy who just knows how privelged he has been to have been a big part of the purple ride, rather than needing to promote his own influence and importance within the Prince world. He has no axe to grind with Prince and they are seemingly close and trust one another. They could employ a professional writer to help translate events to the page if need be.

Bobby Z it be !

FunkDr said:

I agree with most of what Paulluvdig and Gary MF are saying - i

OK but I was saying that I don't think the major associates (W&L, Eric, Sheila etc.) are disgruntled nor do they claim or take credit for his talent.

I can't trust Questlove since he said the stupid sentence: "I'm a Prince scholar and this is the best book written about Prince" (or something like that), regarding Touré's recent book. What does he want to say? He may be a "Prince scholar" (or may not), but that doesn't give him any special authority. Other "Prince scholars" may think the book, that states "Papa" was published in 1996 and that "All My Dreams" was published in the Black Album, and that derails in a weak argument about the so-called "Generation X", and that ignores completely Europe in its analysis, is quite average to say the least.

bashraka said:

Alan Leeds would be a better author and his personality is cool and collected and doesn't have an agenda.

Being fortunate to have gotten to know Alan well over the past ten years since I put together the infamous Alan Leeds Q&A, I can attest to the fact that there is nobody more qualified than Alan.

I think what Prince is...."wary" of is that Alan is shrewd enough to know his own mind and form his own opinions outside of Prince's control. So sadly, as amazing a tome as that would no doubt be, I highly doubt it will ever get to see the light of day.

Xibalba said:

bashraka said:

Alan Leeds would be a better author and his personality is cool and collected and doesn't have an agenda.

Being fortunate to have gotten to know Alan well over the past ten years since I put together the infamous Alan Leeds Q&A, I can attest to the fact that there is nobody more qualified than Alan.

I think what Prince is...."wary" of is that Alan is shrewd enough to know his own mind and form his own opinions outside of Prince's control. So sadly, as amazing a tome as that would no doubt be, I highly doubt it will ever get to see the light of day.

Alan is a great choice.

So is Nelson George.

My choice also goes to Alan, and I believe he will write one regardless. He was too close not to. We need to badger a book out of him. It would probably the most honest one. For that alone, he it is a must he write it.

Like I said on another thread, some craaaazy s**t going on here these days...

I don't bash Prince, I'm honest about him.

I am surprised that no one stated the obvious...at this point in his career the best person and the only person who should be writing about Prince right now is Prince. Prince is a prolific writer. I remember him saying at the BET Awards that he had made a lot of mistakes in his career. He needs to write them out. I do realize that he may be hindered in regards to talking specifically about the past because of JW but if he were to allow himself to be vulnerable he could reveal jewels of wisdom to younger fans and younger artist coming up. They need to see those mistakes and learn from them.

Older fans would buy the book just because he wrote it.

Plus writing about yourself allows you to pull things out that not only helps other people reading your story it also helps you reveal deeper in site about yourself. Writing your story is a very healing process. None of us are perfect. We all need healing.

I would think a book written by him would sell much better than yet another book written by someone else.

HonestMan13 said:

bashraka said:

I was shocked when Doc said Prince wants Questlove involved in writing about his life. Questlove's problem is that he seems like TOO MUCH OF A FAN and has an inflated sense of importance especially when it comes to P's career. Alan Leeds would be a better author and his personality is cool and collected and doesn't have an agenda.

Unlike every orger who feels they should have input on band lineups, setlists, wardrobe, hair, girlfriends, financial matters, etc.

Hell, I feel WE should collaboratively write the damn book, if Prince just isn't going to man up and do it himself.

Kevin Smith should write it.

why would anyone think that prince talking to someone for a biography,

anyone, would lead to good stuff? prince can't even make it through the

press release for his new album without derailing the topic.

There's a difference between Questlove and Funkenberdy. One is a unique and brilliant musician, one is a fat guy who runs a gossip blog.