Did anyone else catch this odd little nugget from Dr. Funkenberry's July 26 post-spreecast post?

Lastly, while talking about the panel, I brought up Susannah Melvoin and said that Prince wrote songs such as The Beautiful Ones" about her. The following day, I had this sent to me by someone:

""the beautiful ones" is soooo not about wendy's sister. sheesh! in fact NO song is. we all wish people would stop saying this. They should listen closely 2 the wordz."

This is the second time I have been told this. Years of years of being told otherwise, I will just have to unlearn that is not about Wendy's sister.

http://www.drfunkenberry.com/2013/07/26/prince-spreecast-recap-questlove-a-panel-the-beautiful-ones/

I bring this up for two reasons:

1. So we are now to understand Prince wrote no songs are about her, despite so many people, including Prince and Susannah saying otherwise over the years? How does listening to "the wordz" illuminate things?

2. Does Susannah Melvoin no longer even have a name? Seems an awfully rude tone.

Maybe I'm reaching here, but in the wake of the Serpan bullying episode, this makes me think someone at "the organization" is in a bad mood, perhaps post-Montruex and in the wake of the mixed reviews and limited press on those three shows.

limoncello said:

Did anyone else catch this odd little nugget from Dr. Funkenberry's July 26 post-spreecast post?

Lastly, while talking about the panel, I brought up Susannah Melvoin and said that Prince wrote songs such as The Beautiful Ones" about her. The following day, I had this sent to me by someone:

""the beautiful ones" is soooo not about wendy's sister. sheesh! in fact NO song is. we all wish people would stop saying this. They should listen closely 2 the wordz."

This is the second time I have been told this. Years of years of being told otherwise, I will just have to unlearn that is not about Wendy's sister.

http://www.drfunkenberry.com/2013/07/26/prince-spreecast-recap-questlove-a-panel-the-beautiful-ones/

I bring this up for two reasons:

1. So we are now to understand Prince wrote no songs are about her, despite so many people, including Prince and Susannah saying otherwise over the years? How does listening to "the wordz" illuminate things?

2. Does Susannah Melvoin no longer even have a name? Seems an awfully rude tone.

Maybe I'm reaching here, but in the wake of the Serpan bullying episode, this makes me think someone at "the organization" is in a bad mood, perhaps post-Montruex and in the wake of the mixed reviews and limited press on those three shows.

The first point is interesting. The second not.

That seems pretty questionable.

I believe lyrics in "Big Tall Wall" reference a building that Susannah moved to after she moved out of P's place.

But hey, whatever.

paulludvig said:

limoncello said:

Did anyone else catch this odd little nugget from Dr. Funkenberry's July 26 post-spreecast post?

http://www.drfunkenberry.com/2013/07/26/prince-spreecast-recap-questlove-a-panel-the-beautiful-ones/

I bring this up for two reasons:

1. So we are now to understand Prince wrote no songs are about her, despite so many people, including Prince and Susannah saying otherwise over the years? How does listening to "the wordz" illuminate things?

2. Does Susannah Melvoin no longer even have a name? Seems an awfully rude tone.

Maybe I'm reaching here, but in the wake of the Serpan bullying episode, this makes me think someone at "the organization" is in a bad mood, perhaps post-Montruex and in the wake of the mixed reviews and limited press on those three shows.

The first point is interesting. The second not.

Thanks for sorting that out for me. Almost had a brain of my own for a second.

This is just Prince's little trip at this moment. He re-writes history to suit whatever end he sees fit at that particular time. It's funny though seeing people in the other threads parroting his doublespeak when it's pretty well established that quite a few tracks are directly inspired by Susannah. As for not calling her by name, it's a childish snub probably down to fDeluxe's interviews (and other behind the scenes stuff we probably don't even know about). Like W&L have said in the past, the Revolution was their history too, they are allowed to discuss it in interviews. Tough shit little man.

I guess no one can say who Prince wrote a song for or about, except Prince.

However, I had heard he wrote several songs about or for her from other people.

I thought BO's was written for the movie, but what do I know.

so ... susannahs pajamahs is not about her either .. oh good jw style point .. it's about her pj's .. my bad .. who is forever in my life about?

Prince to the best of my knowledge has never said that ANY song in his catalogue was written about a girlfriend. I know in "DMSR" by Per Nilsen and "Possessed" by Alex Hahn, that certain songs was written about Susannah, Sheila E, Vanity, Anna Garcia etc., but it seems like Prince is firing a shot across the bow, that only HE KNOWS the motivations behind the lyrics of his songs. Nothing wrong with it. Associates have claimed to be the subjects of songs, and he has the right to dispute those claims.

bashraka said:

Prince to the best of my knowledge has never said that ANY song in his catalogue was written about a girlfriend. I know in "DMSR" by Per Nilsen and "Possessed" by Alex Hahn, that certain songs was written about Susannah, Sheila E, Vanity, Anna Garcia etc., but it seems like Prince is firing a shot across the bow, that only HE KNOWS the motivations behind the lyrics of his songs. Nothing wrong with it. Associates have claimed to be the subjects of songs, and he has the right to dispute those claims.

Of course there's nothing wrong with it--unless he's lying. If he's shared with others information about the inspirations/meanings/motivations, and they've made statements based on that sharing, then disputing those claims is not honest--though he may have the right to dispute them. We don't know whether he did or not. There are no tapes of him saying what his motivations were at the time (or now, for that matter). Kind of like no one can ever really prove what he says at interviews now. If there's no record, he can deny anything anyone says. And as long as his name isn't directly attached to anything coming out of his camp, he can deny responsibility for that too.

Now, if everyone whose ever said any of these things is just making guesses--well, they're still guesses based on a much more intimate knowledge of what was going on with Prince at the time in question than probably anyone here on the .org has, and they are thus to be considered as more than just shots in the dark. Yes, perhaps only Prince really knows what his motivations were--but he can certainly bend the truth or just plain lie about them based on what he wants people to think about him or the people making claims. Just like they can.

Of course, it's possible that what the note means is that the songs aren't about anyone, regardless of their connections to real life events or people, but rather about themselves, and are to be judged as works of art separate from their real world referents. Okay, fine.

But does anyone, even Prince, really talk like this. Even if, as is always possible, it isn't him but some sort of group representative (who obviously wouldn't have any real connection to the time in question, since no one around Prince now was around in the 80's): ""the beautiful ones" is soooo not about wendy's sister. sheesh! in fact NO song is. we all wish people would stop saying this. They should listen closely 2 the wordz."

bashraka said:

Prince to the best of my knowledge has never said that ANY song in his catalogue was written about a girlfriend. I know in "DMSR" by Per Nilsen and "Possessed" by Alex Hahn, that certain songs was written about Susannah, Sheila E, Vanity, Anna Garcia etc., but it seems like Prince is firing a shot across the bow, that only HE KNOWS the motivations behind the lyrics of his songs. Nothing wrong with it. Associates have claimed to be the subjects of songs, and he has the right to dispute those claims.

Agreed

The idea that songs were written about or for specific people is silly and an overly romantic view of the creative process. The idea often comes from the so called muses themselves who like to think that they are intergral to Prince's work. The Beautiful Ones was written for a movie and a particular scene in that movie.

paulludvig said:

The idea that songs were written about or for specific people is silly and an overly romantic view of the creative process. The idea often comes from the so called muses themselves who like to think that they are intergral to Prince's work. The Beautiful Ones was written for a movie and a particular scene in that movie.

What you say is true--but it doesn't change the fact that even artists sometimes say they write "for" or "about" someone (just as, when it suits them, they claim art comes to them from "somewhere", and neglect to mention all the revising or re-arranging nuts-and-bolts work of getting a rough idea into a final product). I suspect that Prince did just that (for any number of reasons), and is now (for any number of reasons) choosing to distance himself from either that whole idea--because it leads to outside interest in his "personal life," which has always been off-limits to the public-at-large and which he generally seems to deny anyone was ever part of once they leave his circle, or because he's annoyed with Susannah and or others connected with her, or, simply, because he doesn't want the focus to be on that whole time in his career/life.

I don't have time or the inclination to dig through materials to try to find where Prince says or doesn't say that any songs are for or about real things or people, and even if I found citations where he does--there's usually the built-in deniability that comes from his general practice of not allowing recording devices when he's doing interviews. There's even deniablilty here--a secondhand report of a message from "someone," speaking in the plural. Not "I didn't write any songs about her" but "No song is. We all wish people would stop saying this." Funkenberry might know who is really responsible for the message, but almost certainly is catching on that he can't be too explicit in repeating even what he's intended to repeat.

Good lord, P--release something already!! Preferably just a good tune with no relevance to anything real. Please not a "people on the Web poking into my affairs/building reputations on my intimate shares/trading stock on the marketplace, pimping my glyph/mamma jammas want some funk? Here, take a whiff!!"

[Edited 7/30/13 5:05am]

[Edited 7/30/13 5:06am]

paulludvig said:

The idea that songs were written about or for specific people is silly and an overly romantic view of the creative process. The idea often comes from the so called muses themselves who like to think that they are intergral to Prince's work. The Beautiful Ones was written for a movie and a particular scene in that movie.

No, it isn't. People write songs in that manner all the time.

novabrkr said:

paulludvig said:

The idea that songs were written about or for specific people is silly and an overly romantic view of the creative process. The idea often comes from the so called muses themselves who like to think that they are intergral to Prince's work. The Beautiful Ones was written for a movie and a particular scene in that movie.

No, it isn't. People write songs in that manner all the time.

Well maybe P is not one of those people. It is so obvious that is sick and tired of Susan and her nosense. Since he has never said the songs were written about her to the public we really do not know the truth and we really do not need to know the truth. Fiction or real they are great songs and nothing Susan, Wendy or any one else has to say will change that. They are all stuck in the past and gleeming on to Prince and they need to move on. He is so making it clear that he wants to go away.

bashraka said:

purple1968 said:

novabrkr said:

No, it isn't. People write songs in that manner all the time.

Well maybe P is not one of those people. It is so obvious that is sick and tired of Susan and her nosense. Since he has never said the songs were written about her to the public we really do not know the truth and we really do not need to know the truth. Fiction or real they are great songs and nothing Susan, Wendy or any one else has to say will change that. They are all stuck in the past and gleeming on to Prince and they need to move on. He is so making it clear that he wants to go away.

Good point, but some people think telling former Prince associates to 'move on' is the worst suggestion in the world, when it's really the best advice for them because it gives their fans a chance to see their individual talent as musicians/artists, post-Prince.

Stymie said:

limoncello said:

Did anyone else catch this odd little nugget from Dr. Funkenberry's July 26 post-spreecast post?

Lastly, while talking about the panel, I brought up Susannah Melvoin and said that Prince wrote songs such as The Beautiful Ones" about her. The following day, I had this sent to me by someone:

""the beautiful ones" is soooo not about wendy's sister. sheesh! in fact NO song is. we all wish people would stop saying this. They should listen closely 2 the wordz."

This is the second time I have been told this. Years of years of being told otherwise, I will just have to unlearn that is not about Wendy's sister.

http://www.drfunkenberry.com/2013/07/26/prince-spreecast-recap-questlove-a-panel-the-beautiful-ones/

I bring this up for two reasons:

1. So we are now to understand Prince wrote no songs are about her, despite so many people, including Prince and Susannah saying otherwise over the years? How does listening to "the wordz" illuminate things?

2. Does Susannah Melvoin no longer even have a name? Seems an awfully rude tone.

Maybe I'm reaching here, but in the wake of the Serpan bullying episode, this makes me think someone at "the organization" is in a bad mood, perhaps post-Montruex and in the wake of the mixed reviews and limited press on those three shows.

1. I love this song, no matter who it's about. What was interesting in the spreecast was

that DrFB revealed that back in 2009 or 2010 Prince was interested in writing a book

explaining his songs. That would certainly be very interesting reading if it wasn't

revisionist.

2. As for the comments about Susannah...yeah they're deliberately cold and dehumanising.

Though is that any different from any us, most of us don't really give a stuff about our Exes either.

She has been on the record in recent times saying things that would not ingratiate her to Prince,

but a more probable motivation would be getting a shot across the bow to question her

credibilty as a panellist for the forthcoming Toure Prince event in LA.

At the NY event they deconstructed Prince songs, I would think this event would be no different...and which song would they be asking Susannah about...

These comments paradoxically have made this event much more interesting.

At the end of the day.........why does it matter whom the songs were written about?

Graycap23 said:

At the end of the day.........why does it matter whom the songs were written about?

It really doesn't--but it seems to matter to the person who sent the message to Dr. F.

teiemka said:

limoncello said:

1. I love this song, no matter who it's about. What was interesting in the spreecast was

that DrFB revealed that back in 2009 or 2010 Prince was interested in writing a book

explaining his songs. That would certainly be very interesting reading if it wasn't

revisionist.

2. As for the comments about Susannah...yeah they're deliberately cold and dehumanising.

Though is that any different from any us, most of us don't really give a stuff about our Exes either.

She has been on the record in recent times saying things that would not ingratiate her to Prince,

but a more probable motivation would be getting a shot across the bow to question her

credibilty as a panellist for the forthcoming Toure Prince event in LA.

At the NY event they deconstructed Prince songs, I would think this event would be no different...and which song would they be asking Susannah about...

These comments paradoxically have made this event much more interesting.

The song isn't necessarily written about anyone in particular. A song doesn't have to be.

Why cold and dehumanising? Because she was referred to as Wendy's sister? That's how most people know her. If they know her at all.

EddieC said:

Graycap23 said:

At the end of the day.........why does it matter whom the songs were written about?

It really doesn't--but it seems to matter to the person who sent the message to Dr. F.

Misinformation matters. Kind of.

paulludvig said:

teiemka said:

1. I love this song, no matter who it's about. What was interesting in the spreecast was

that DrFB revealed that back in 2009 or 2010 Prince was interested in writing a book

explaining his songs. That would certainly be very interesting reading if it wasn't

revisionist.

2. As for the comments about Susannah...yeah they're deliberately cold and dehumanising.

Though is that any different from any us, most of us don't really give a stuff about our Exes either.

She has been on the record in recent times saying things that would not ingratiate her to Prince,

but a more probable motivation would be getting a shot across the bow to question her

credibilty as a panellist for the forthcoming Toure Prince event in LA.

At the NY event they deconstructed Prince songs, I would think this event would be no different...and which song would they be asking Susannah about...

These comments paradoxically have made this event much more interesting.

The song isn't necessarily written about anyone in particular. A song doesn't have to be.

Why cold and dehumanising? Because she was referred to as Wendy's sister? That's how most people know her. If they know her at all.

Why cold and dehumanising? Because she was referred to as Wendy's sister? Yes

I agree that a limited group of people may know of her at all, but that same limited

group of people know that Wendy's sister is Susannah Melvoin. It's dog-whistling.

i always thought empty room was about susannah.

naffi said:

teiemka said:

She has been on the record in recent times saying things that would not ingratiate her to Prince,

but a more probable motivation would be getting a shot across the bow to question her

credibilty as a panellist for the forthcoming Toure Prince event in LA.

At the NY event they deconstructed Prince songs, I would think this event would be no different...and which song would they be asking Susannah about...

These comments paradoxically have made this event much more interesting.

Was thinking the same thing about that event! Should be quite interesting indeed.

EddieC said:

Graycap23 said:

At the end of the day.........why does it matter whom the songs were written about?

It really doesn't--but it seems to matter to the person who sent the message to Dr. F.

Exactly the point.

2elijah said:

purple1968 said:

Well maybe P is not one of those people. It is so obvious that is sick and tired of Susan and her nosense. Since he has never said the songs were written about her to the public we really do not know the truth and we really do not need to know the truth. Fiction or real they are great songs and nothing Susan, Wendy or any one else has to say will change that. They are all stuck in the past and gleeming on to Prince and they need to move on. He is so making it clear that he wants to go away.

Good point, but some people think telling former Prince associates to 'move on' is the worst suggestion in the world, when it's really the best advice for them because it gives their fans a chance to see their individual talent as musicians/artists, post-Prince.

"the best advice for them because it gives their fans a chance to see their individual talent as musicians/artists, post-Prince." Exactly, The time that Susan spends going on about Prince she could be promoting FDeluxe at this point people are just going to want to hear what she has to say about P and not what she has to say about her new project. Not to mention that you are speaking about an old boyfriend from 20 years ago.

purple1968 said:

2elijah said:

Good point, but some people think telling former Prince associates to 'move on' is the worst suggestion in the world, when it's really the best advice for them because it gives their fans a chance to see their individual talent as musicians/artists, post-Prince.

"the best advice for them because it gives their fans a chance to see their individual talent as musicians/artists, post-Prince." Exactly, The time that Susan spends going on about Prince she could be promoting FDeluxe at this point people are just going to want to hear what she has to say about P and not what she has to say about her new project. Not to mention that you are speaking about an old boyfriend from 20 years ago.

So true, Makes you wonder though, if she will clarify if any songs he wrote, were actually written about her or if she will use her presence on the discussion panel, to get any messages she wants across to Prince. Maybe some former Prince associates from the 80s era, feel that at this point in their careers, attaching their past music/working relationship with him, to their names or newly, formed group, will help them obtain more gigs.

[Edited 8/1/13 9:53am]