Well it's pretty much all in the thread's title. I discovered P in 89, so I wasn't around when The Revolution disbanded, but I really wonder how fans reacted, cuz it must have been pretty big for P fans when it happened. Do u remember where u were when u learned that and how u felt? Were u sad? Were u angry? Were some of u happy? Did u learn it at the same time u learned who was in the SOTT band or did u have time 2 try and guess what the next band could b? Do u remeber other fans' reactions?

Thanks 4 sharing ur memories

[Edited 10/21/13 5:42am]

Can't say I remember giving a shit, to be honest. When they disbanded the album Sign O' The Times was coming out and I LOVED that album...played it to death. The Revolution didn't play too large a part in that album so them disbanding didn't really effect me. Plus, the video for "U Got The Look" introduced his new band--with Sheila E. looking fiiiine lol --and Dr. Fink was still there...it was a cool transition.

As for other fans' reactions, there was no interwebs at the time so I never got into discussions with Prince fans about anything, other than with a few of my friends. I don't think they gave a shit, either lol...

Prince is a solo act to me, anyway.

Yeah, I'm with Byron. I don't remember thinking anything much, since a new album had just come out and obviously Prince hadn't actually retired to look for the ladder.

I was a relatively new convert myself when it happened. Actually, now that I think about it, the breakup of the band happened *before* I drank the purple Kool-Aid. I had been aware of Prince since "1999" blew up on MTV, but it wasn't until an ex-friend sat me down and made me listen to most of "Sign 'O' The Times" during the summer of 1987 that I was hooked. And this same friend told me later that year that The Revolution were no more. So I was interested, but it didn't break my heart.

There was touch of silence between last hearings of anything Prince & the Revolution & SOTT, so when SOTT(single) started playing I didn't know that the Revolution was disbanded.

I believe late 1986 (even after the disbanding) Prince & Wendy performed Manic Monday with the Bangles, so I wasn't aware of anything

Shocked basically. It was bittersweet for me, I was also interested in what Sheila E was doing/going to do with her 3rd album etc and since I've followed the 'whole' Prince camp(proteges) I wondered how was this going to change the scene.

My 1st understanding of a new band came from 'Interview' Magazine about a 1st show in Europe describing people in the band and how the show went.

the 1st review I read of the Sign “☮” the Times show

PRINCE IN EUROPE: A PREVIEW OF HIS NEW SHOW

BY KURT LODER [Interview Magazine]

I remember being a very little kid and seeing Kurt Loder mention it on MTV News. I was actually kind of excited because he mentioned Sheila E. would be his new drummer. I didn't fully appreciate the Revolution until I was an adult. I was all about the SOTT/Lovesexy band.

I really thought the revolution was just his back-up band so I wasn't too upset when he dumped them.

I was interested in what Wendy & Lisa would be doing but didn't really have any interest in what the rest of the band did. I thought of Prince as a powerhouse & figured that who had as his band was up to him.

Because I had been into him before The Revolution,

Because my favorite album was 1999,

Because I knew that many of the tracks on the 3 Revolution album were Prince alone,

...I wasn't worried.

Then I heard Sign O The Times and loved it.

After seeing the Sign O The Times movie and the Lovesexy Tour, I never thought much about the Revolution again...

Until the internet happened.

That's when I realized that many fans were living in the past.

Now I'm living in the past...

I miss the NPG of 94-95.

at the time I didn't give it much thought - they were around for 3 albums, there had been 4 solo albums before that and I think I was more interested in hearing what his 'solo' work would sound like again (then we got Sign 'O The Times )

I think technically 1999 was a Prince and the noituloveR album lol

most of the band members outside of Wendy was there since Controversy or before, and he started using the band on the albums and protege work starting with Dirty Mind

Even Prince said by Controversy he was using the band a lot more on the albums as well as in a late 1980 early 1990 interview that a lot of times 'credits' weren't given

also yeeaars later realizing that SOTT music overall was a part of a collective work of music for an album called Dream Factory

but...man all that unreleased music from 1982-1986

Somehow I think Prince himself regrets the whole concept of the "official" backup band, or at least the importance that W&D acquired (the original NPG was mostly anonymous and lacked importance, Tony M being the unfortunate exception); similarly I alsot think that Bowie doesn't truly care about the Spiders from Mars; in fact, I'm sure both are pissed about the overrated importance of those backup bands...

JoeTyler said:

Somehow I think Prince himself regrets the whole concept of the "official" backup band, or at least the importance that W&D acquired (the original NPG was mostly anonymous and lacked importance, Tony M being the unfortunate exception); similarly I alsot think that Bowie doesn't truly care about the Spiders from Mars; in fact, I'm sure both are pissed about the overrated importance of those backup bands...

so why in 2013 is he still promoting NPG and newly 3rd Eye Girl saying it's time for their legacy etc

Byron said:

Can't say I remember giving a shit, to be honest. When they disbanded the album Sign O' The Times was coming out and I LOVED that album...played it to death. The Revolution didn't play too large a part in that album so them disbanding didn't really effect me. Plus, the video for "U Got The Look" introduced his new band--with Sheila E. looking fiiiine lol --and Dr. Fink was still there...it was a cool transition.

As for other fans' reactions, there was no interwebs at the time so I never got into discussions with Prince fans about anything, other than with a few of my friends. I don't think they gave a shit, either lol...

Prince is a solo act to me, anyway.

This right here.

OldFriends4Sale said:

JoeTyler said:

Somehow I think Prince himself regrets the whole concept of the "official" backup band, or at least the importance that W&D acquired (the original NPG was mostly anonymous and lacked importance, Tony M being the unfortunate exception); similarly I alsot think that Bowie doesn't truly care about the Spiders from Mars; in fact, I'm sure both are pissed about the overrated importance of those backup bands...

so why in 2013 is he still promoting NPG and newly 3rd Eye Girl saying it's time for their legacy etc

I absolutely have no idea what the hell Prince is doing this 2013 I still play 20Ten though, good album

JoeTyler said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

so why in 2013 is he still promoting NPG and newly 3rd Eye Girl saying it's time for their legacy etc

I absolutely have no idea what the hell Prince is doing this 2013 I still play 20Ten though, good album

lol

OldFriends4Sale said:

I think technically 1999 was a Prince and the noituloveR album lol

most of the band members outside of Wendy was there since Controversy or before, and he started using the band on the albums and protege work starting with Dirty Mind

Even Prince said by Controversy he was using the band a lot more on the albums as well as in a late 1980 early 1990 interview that a lot of times 'credits' weren't given

also yeeaars later realizing that SOTT music overall was a part of a collective work of music for an album called Dream Factory

but...man all that unreleased music from 1982-1986

Which songs do you have in mimd?

Err Sign O the Times came out and the tour - and hence it all made sense, he'd out grown them and replaced them with more versatile musicians such as Shiela and Levi and vocalists such as Cat and Boni B.

Anyone who's listened to the 86 rehearsal and aftershow tapes could hear how limiting Bobby, Lisa and Wendy were to the funk that was needing to be released. The introduction of Miko, Atlanta and Eric further highlighted that.

awwfrack said:

Err Sign O the Times came out and the tour - and hence it all made sense, he'd out grown them and replaced them with more versatile musicians such as Shiela and Levi and vocalists such as Cat and Boni B.

Anyone who's listened to the 86 rehearsal and aftershow tapes could hear how limiting Bobby, Lisa and Wendy were to the funk that was needing to be released. The introduction of Miko, Atlanta and Eric further highlighted that.

that's not why at all, it was more driven by emotion/relationship issue

.

And Levi was a last min choice since he wanted BrownMark to stay, BrownMark chose to leave

.

I don't think Cat is that much of a better vocalist and he never had the chemistry espcially in the area of composing that the did with Lisa Coleman, Boni never came close to Lisa's classic & jazz training

.

And barely 2 yrs later Eric Sheila Atlanta Boni & Cat were gone

I was ambivalent. I loved Parade and the accompanying tour, but at the same time I felt SOTT (album and tour) represented artistic growth.

OldFriends4Sale said:

I did not find out about it until after the SOTT album was released.

It was before the internet, and I did not hear about it - but I was surprised Wendy & Lisa was fired and wasn't on the SOTT album.

It was a little shocking to be honest.

I just W & L's input in P's music.

.

[Edited 10/22/13 6:44am]

Aaron6 said:

I think most fanz around here look @ Prince through a "rose tinted glass", most band members and associates alike (from 78"-86") agree that Prince IS a great musician! Even Dez, has stated that during rehearsals that they (the band) would play "musical chairs" and Prince could/can flow from drums, bass, keyboards, guitar with ease, but for US as fans to believe that Prince "Produced, Arranged, & Composed" each and every song by HIMSELF without The Revolution or The Times ideas during this time period of prolific greatness is being naive @ best!Back to my original point again, when "KEY" people were fired in 86" (and even before)the music suffered...Sheila, Levi, Miko, and Bonnie just didn't possess the wealth of talent as their predecessors before them...

Nobody believes that..

As to "Sheila, Levi, Miko, and Bonnie just didn't possess the wealth of talent as their predecessors before them" - who are you referring to?

Aaron6 said:

I think most fanz around here look @ Prince through a "rose tinted glass", most band members and associates alike (from 78"-86") agree that Prince IS a great musician! Even Dez, has stated that during rehearsals that they (the band) would play "musical chairs" and Prince could/can flow from drums, bass, keyboards, guitar with ease, but for US as fans to believe that Prince "Produced, Arranged, & Composed" each and every song by HIMSELF without The Revolution or The Times ideas during this time period of prolific greatness is being naive @ best!Back to my original point again, when "KEY" people were fired in 86" (and even before)the music suffered...Sheila, Levi, Miko, and Bonnie just didn't possess the wealth of talent as their predecessors before them...

Sheila E. didn't possess the "wealth of talent" that Bobby Z did? lol...Really?

Levi's bass & guitar playing couldn't hold a candle to Wendy in those same areas?

I think it's Wendy, Lisa and the Revolution that gets looked at through rose tinted glasses around here far more than Prince does.

[Edited 10/21/13 10:29am]

Byron said:

Aaron6 said:

I think most fanz around here look @ Prince through a "rose tinted glass", most band members and associates alike (from 78"-86") agree that Prince IS a great musician! Even Dez, has stated that during rehearsals that they (the band) would play "musical chairs" and Prince could/can flow from drums, bass, keyboards, guitar with ease, but for US as fans to believe that Prince "Produced, Arranged, & Composed" each and every song by HIMSELF without The Revolution or The Times ideas during this time period of prolific greatness is being naive @ best!Back to my original point again, when "KEY" people were fired in 86" (and even before)the music suffered...Sheila, Levi, Miko, and Bonnie just didn't possess the wealth of talent as their predecessors before them...

Sheila E. didn't possess the "wealth of talent" that Bobby Z did? lol...Really?

Levi's bass & guitar playing couldn't hold a candle to Wendy in those same areas?

I think it's Wendy, Lisa and the Revolution that gets looked at through rose tinted glasses around here far more than Prince does.

[Edited 10/21/13 10:29am]

nursev said:

I was kinda sad...it also felt weird not really knowing the band except Sheila.

I know what you mean, it definately narrowed the whole 'Paisley Park' soldiers(as he refered to them all in a 1985 interview) he couldn't really do much with Madhouse, because everyone but Dale Alexander was in his band, and Jill Jones was no where to be seen in connection with Prince.

Sheila E's album that looked like it was about to take her to another level was snipped...

.

1/2 the band was from the 1986 extended Revolution/Family, the other half from Sheila E's band

- Cat who replaced Jerome

.

Dr Fink (since 1978/79)

Atlanta Bliss (the parade Revolution)

Eric Leeds (the Family / the Revolution)

.

Mico Weaver (the Glamorous Life/ the Family guitarist/ the Revolution)

Wally Safford (the Family-Revolution 1986) also seen in Purple Rain during the Bird scene))

Gregory (the Family-Revolution 1986) also seen in Purple Rain during the Bird scene))

.

Sheila E (the Glamorous Life)

Levi jr (Romance 1600-)

Boni Boyer (Sheila E)

Ahhh, pre internet when ignorance was bliss. When I first read it in a UK newspaper I took it with a pinch of salt. The papers often got it wrong. When it was confirmed I was gutted. I though Prince had made a huge mistake and was waiting for an announcement that he had changed his mind. Of course he didn't but when SOTT dropped, nothing mattered anymore!