here's a nice interview on Idolator with Carmen about meeting and working with Prince

can't seem to make the link work, just type idolator carmen prince in google that'll work for you

[Edited 12/19/13 0:24am]

Here ya go:

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Carmen Electra is best known for her stint on Baywatch and eye-popping workout DVDs but the enduring sex symbol is also a trained singer/dancer. She stormed the Billboard club chart last year with “I Like It Loud” and recently released a fierce dance anthem called “Werq”.

The multi-talented diva dropped by the Idolator studio to chat about her new music last week — interview to follow shortly — but first I had to ask Carmen about her self-titled 1993 debut LP, which was written and produced by Prince. (They also dated for a while).

While Carmen didn’t receive as much attention as other Prince proteges (think Apollonia and Vanity), her album won a strong cult following — particularly for camp hip-hop adventures like “Go Go Dancer” and “Fantasia Erotica”. The triple threat opened up about the opus, her time in Minneapolis and working with the pop icon. Watch up top.

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http://www.idolator.com/7498837/carmen-electra-prince-debut-album-interview

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Video at link.

"He wrote almost evry song"

She doesn't mention writing any lyrics herself so that seems to corroborate my suspition that he wrote all the lyrics and gave her royalties in the end. So bad the journalist didn't ask her straight forward if she did write them lyrics...

NouveauDance said:

errant said:

NouveauDance said:

Here ya go:

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http://www.idolator.com/7498837/carmen-electra-prince-debut-album-interview

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Video at link.

Laying it on a bit thick, aren't they?

Bit like her make up!

Count how many times she says "um, ya know."

databank said:

"He wrote almost evry song"

She doesn't mention writing any lyrics herself so that seems to corroborate my suspition that he wrote all the lyrics and gave her royalties in the end. So bad the journalist didn't ask her straight forward if she did write them lyrics...

She might have said she contributed a title or concept--that's as much as a lot of writing credits mean outside of Prince world. But I doubt much else.

EddieC said:

databank said:

"He wrote almost evry song"

She doesn't mention writing any lyrics herself so that seems to corroborate my suspition that he wrote all the lyrics and gave her royalties in the end. So bad the journalist didn't ask her straight forward if she did write them lyrics...

She might have said she contributed a title or concept--that's as much as a lot of writing credits mean outside of Prince world. But I doubt much else.

Well when she says that Carmen On Top was her favorite and didn't make the album and that... she doesn't even know why ( ) it says how much of a say she had in the whole project. Basically she discovered the final tracklist the same day we did or so

wow, she doesn't help but the dumb blond myth to rest. or maybe this is the first time she's been asked about him and that process to that degree and she really was at a loss for words. in spite of all the criticism he gets about his proteges, if he truly lets them collect all the royalties for what he wrote, that's pretty generous.

Seriously, Carmen could've went there, but she didnt and that's very respectful. Yeah she said a few words repeatedly but maybe she was nervous. Prince must used that "you deserve your own album" line alot

[Edited 12/19/13 20:55pm]

nursev said:

She could've poured some serious tea on his ass

Since when do they start calling it tea?

FragileUndertow said:

nursev said:

She could've poured some serious tea on his ass

Since when do they start calling it tea?

u know...gossip I think that's RuPaul's fav word

nursev said:

u know...gossip I think that's RuPaul's fav word

Never seen his show

datdude said:

wow, she doesn't help but the dumb blond myth to rest. or maybe this is the first time she's been asked about him and that process to that degree and she really was at a loss for words. in spite of all the criticism he gets about his proteges, if he truly lets them collect all the royalties for what he wrote, that's pretty generous.

It is but he's far from doing it with every one. He's only given royalties in a few occasions:

- Romance 1600 (given to Sheila).

- Carmen Electra (given to Carmen, confirmed only with Good Judy Girlfriend but likely for every song she "wrote").

- Gold Nigga and Exodus: royalties shared with the whole band in both cases even though they didn't compose much if anything at all.

- Milk & Honey: Tamar was reported telling a fan that she hadn't wrote a thing and that P had given her credits and royaties, but it hasn't been confirmed but the fact that Kept Woman has been copyrighted twice (once with Tamar royalties and once without them) seems to go in that way

- Some think it happened again with Andy Allo but I'd be tempted to give her credit for everything she's supposed to have written.

All the other protégés received credits but no royalties.

errant said:

He gave Tamar royalties on an album that was never released. LOL And didn't Tony and Levi sue him for not paying paying royalties? And those would be the 2 NPG members that did actually write stuff in their time with him.

Some tracks from Milk & Honey were released.

As for Tony and Levi they weren't given royalties for Exodus, so I think it has more to do with the tracks they co-wrote on and D&P, because what did they get out of the few hundred copies of Gold Nigga ever sold: 100 bucks each ?

Let's not forget that once deposited at ASCAP a song is theirs forever, so the fact that they actually wrote something or not doesn't matter, legally they are entitled to royalties until the day of their death.

errant said:

He gave Tamar royalties on an album that was never released. LOL And didn't Tony and Levi sue him for not paying paying royalties? And those would be the 2 NPG members that did actually write stuff in their time with him.

Why Tony would sue for anything with his tired ass "raps" I don't know.

Levi sued for his solo on Sexy MF then settled out of court for a fee between 20 and 50 grand. Which, after taxes and legal fees is around .... $200 or so(being funny). But he basically sued for recognition not royalties.

dseann said:

errant said:

He gave Tamar royalties on an album that was never released. LOL And didn't Tony and Levi sue him for not paying paying royalties? And those would be the 2 NPG members that did actually write stuff in their time with him.

Why Tony would sue for anything with his tired ass "raps" I don't know.

Levi sued for his solo on Sexy MF then settled out of court for a fee between 20 and 50 grand. Which, after taxes and legal fees is around .... $200 or so(being funny). But he basically sued for recognition not royalties.

Well Tony and Levi both received co-writers credits on Sexy MF so I'm not even sure why they sued, because obviously if u're registered at ASCAP or BMI then ASCAP or BMI pay the fee directly to you so I ain't sure what P had to do with this in the first place, it's not like ASCAP is gonna give him the money to redistribute ^^

databank said:

dseann said:

Why Tony would sue for anything with his tired ass "raps" I don't know.

Levi sued for his solo on Sexy MF then settled out of court for a fee between 20 and 50 grand. Which, after taxes and legal fees is around .... $200 or so(being funny). But he basically sued for recognition not royalties.

Well Tony and Levi both received co-writers credits on Sexy MF so I'm not even sure why they sued, because obviously if u're registered at ASCAP or BMI then ASCAP or BMI pay the fee directly to you so I ain't sure what P had to do with this in the first place, it's not like ASCAP is gonna give him the money to redistribute ^^

Yeah that. But wouldn't Levi give up his share of the loot by settling out of court?

I think Carmen just set a new record for the amount of "you knows" in a single interview....who knew!!

She comes across well, apart from all the 'you knows'

It's odd as I've been rediscovering this era recently, so prescient to see the interview.

I always felt that the best songs from those sessions were left off the album, she even mentions Carmen On Top (got an amazing beat). But I also think Powerline and Power from Above were also much stronger than many of the songs that actually went out on the album - love Prince's redneck impression on that song too!

[Edited 12/20/13 12:49pm]

TheFreakerFantastic said:

She comes across well, apart from all the 'you knows'

It's odd as I've been rediscovering this era recently, so prescient to see the interview.

I always felt that the best songs from those sessions were left off the album, she even mentions Carmen On Top (got an amazing beat). But I also think Powerline and Power from Above were also much stronger than many of the songs that actually went out on the album - love Prince's redneck impression on that song too!

[Edited 12/20/13 12:49pm]

I take it you really were into Carmen musically. I saw her in a music video back in the early 90's doing a song I can't remember because I didn't think it was anything worth remembering. Props to you for having the stomach to listen to an entire album of hers(even the left off material) and rating them.

databank said:

errant said:

databank said:

Well Tony and Levi both received co-writers credits on Sexy MF so I'm not even sure why they sued, because obviously if u're registered at ASCAP or BMI then ASCAP or BMI pay the fee directly to you so I ain't sure what P had to do with this in the first place, it's not like ASCAP is gonna give him the money to redistribute ^^

ASCAP and BMI would pay the publishing company, right? And then the publishing company would distribute, I think. Guess whose company it was published through

Interesting point. Tony went thru "NPG Publishing" which obvioulsy was owned by P, but Levi had his own "Michael Anthony Music", so no Prince intermediate

databank said:

errant said:

databank said: ASCAP and BMI would pay the publishing company, right? And then the publishing company would distribute, I think. Guess whose company it was published through

Interesting point. Tony went thru "NPG Publishing" which obvioulsy was owned by P, but Levi had his own "Michael Anthony Music", so no Prince intermediate

Very interesting!

databank said:

errant said:

databank said: ASCAP and BMI would pay the publishing company, right? And then the publishing company would distribute, I think. Guess whose company it was published through

Interesting point. Tony went thru "NPG Publishing" which obvioulsy was owned by P, but Levi had his own "Michael Anthony Music", so no Prince intermediate

I believe ASCAP and BMI are for airplay royalties only. Mechanicals paid for record sales are different and likely went directly to P. His publishing company would then pay the % to each of the co-writers as agreed to. Levi and Tony's lawsuit likely came out of this payment not being made.