takenb from Essence mag

He picks up a butter knife and starts cutting the air with it. 'That's what I used The Revolution for,' he says, making a cutting motion. The implication being, they were sharp. Fearless. The baddest, best-rehearsed band in the land.

'But ask them to do what we did tonight? To improvise? There would be a problem. That's what I love about this new arrangement. The energy. They're in the moment.'

He pauses. 'I'm not putting down The Revolution, even though people would love to see us together again. I owe a great debt to them. But I'm doing something else.'"

He's talking about them pretty directly. It sounds like he's considering it.

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As for improvising, Prince was the band leader, if he wanted them to improvise, they could have. Instead they wrote in breakdowns to the songs (like Computer Blue). It's kind of hard to improvise to a drum machine. Also....America.

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I know what Prince is saying, but that's more because he's working with musicians now that play pretty minimal, and that was probably freeing for him.

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Maybe he can do a Jack White thing, and tour with two bands, and two different sets. We've seen the movie so we know who wins in a battle of the bands.

Here's a link to the source for the quotation:

http://www.essence.com/20...june-cover

What I get from the quote is that it ain't gonna happen.

purplethunder3121 said:

What I get from the quote is that it ain't gonna happen.

exactly...larry bird is not walkign back into the Garden @ Rick Pitino

robertgeorgeakabob said:

Those well rehearsed, sharp, fearless shows were pretty fucking spectacular!

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That reminds me that the PR era shows involved a lot of filler when Prince wasn't on stage. Intros would go on until Prince was ready.

Prince is weird, the band did what he want them to do. I thought it was because Prince needed to be in control of what happened on stage so it went the way he wanted. Prince didn't give much room to much live improvision. Yet it did happen at times.

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Even if you listen to a lot of the live SOTT/Lovesexy shows it was very much by the book, no improvision because the show was put together the same way as the previous bands.

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Thing is back then they performed most of the material from the albums. In the last 10+ years Prince rarely performed the album not even most of the album. So just jamming was what they did. Also he does a lot of covers now, vs then all Prince material.

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In 1998/99 He wanted a reunion for Roadhouse Garden, did he have this issue then?

He's performed with Bobby Z, BrownMark & Dr Fink and Wendy & Lisa from 1999-2007

I hope he doesn't use 3rd Eye Girl or NPG to (Celebrate the remasters and 30th ann of Purple Rain)

OldFriends4Sale said:

He's just making excuses. Actually the same old excuses we've heard for 20 years. Prince isn't doing ANYTHING artisticaly with 3EG or anyone else to the level that justifies denying fans a Revolution reunion and tour so those comments are just absurd. No matter how much his new album and tour grosses the numbers would be alot higher if we were talking Prince and The Revolution. That brand means something to the fanbase, but oh well. The promotion is in full swing. It is already waay too late to launch a Revolution reunion to support the remasters so that ship has sailed. Maybe he will do a one off show or something.

treehouse said:

He's talking about them pretty directly. It sounds like he's considering it.

I'm just curious where are you getting this from out of that? To me it sounded like a no way in hell a reunion is going happen.

the concept that prince can improvise these days is garbage .. prince cant improvise at all .. he barely even plays a different guitar solo from one song to another .. his version of improvising his having his band hold one note while he makes up stupid chants .. that is not improvising .. dumbest excuse ever for the lack of revolution .. maybe the revolution should improvise by what? removing the guitar solo from purple rain .. f u prince .. i can already tell he will butcher this remaster .. saying stupid shit like this ..

[Edited 5/5/14 20:06pm]

trax said:

treehouse said:

He's talking about them pretty directly. It sounds like he's considering it.

I'm just curious where are you getting this from out of that? To me it sounded like a no way in hell a reunion is going happen.

The fact that he's bringing it up at all and publicly weighing his thoughts suggests it's in his head, and more than just fan talk. It's something he's considered. We know creative input was an issue at some point with the Revolution, so this quote is sort of ironic anyway. It sounds to me more like he just had an invigorating show, and it reminded him why he's not commited to reaching back. But hasn't Prince telegraphed some of his choices, even as denials before?

He's just mentioning it to dangle the carrot. The reissue, a new album - it's all promotion, business as usual.

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And I have no interest either way tbh.

The Revolution were all talented but it's true they were more known for their precision than their respective musical chops. Together they did incredible work live and in the studio, and no Prince band ever contibuted as originally to his compositions, but you gotta agree a reunion would be more for sentimental -- rather than musical -- value.

NouveauDance said:

purplethunder3121 said:

Eye'm glad he put that 2 rest. It downplays his legacy 2 me....

tab32792 said:

I'm soooo sick of this. People give the Revolution more credit than they deserve. A reunion would be super cheesy. Maybe a one off or them perform a short set...but that was 30 years ago. It would look corny now. I'm glad Prince made that point. He isn't downplaying them cause they were the baddest band in the universe at one point...then he got a better one.

AMEN!!

trax said:

tab32792 said:

I'm soooo sick of this. People give the Revolution more credit than they deserve. A reunion would be super cheesy. Maybe a one off or them perform a short set...but that was 30 years ago. It would look corny now. I'm glad Prince made that point. He isn't downplaying them cause they were the baddest band in the universe at one point...then he got a better one.

AMEN!!

I knew somebody was gonna take Prince's statement from the other thread and run with it though,

tab32792 said:

they were the baddest band in the universe at one point...then he got a better one.

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Better how? Better suited for Prince's current project maybe, and it's nice to hear fresh takes on some classics, but it's going to get old soon, and they're not making their own classics.

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I agree this sounds like Prince airing it out in the press. Didn't Wendy or one of them take a shot at the 3rdEye girls "whispering" on stage?

treehouse said:

tab32792 said:

The Lovesexy band came directly after the revolution & blew them out of the water that's how. So did the original NPG.

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Well. A couple of hold-overs from the Revolution there too, and not my preference (found them too sterile), but fair enough. He's not working with either of those bands now though.

Aerogram said:

The Revolution were all talented but it's true they were more known for their precision than their respective musical chops. Together they did incredible work live and in the studio, and no Prince band ever contibuted as originally to his compositions, but you gotta agree a reunion would be more for sentimental -- rather than musical -- value.

True. But why not get with the people you call 'friends' and celebrate that music. 3rd Eye Girl weren't even conceived in their mothers wombs when that music was made. I'm not just talking about Bobby Z(with Prince since 94 East) Dr Fink, Lisa Coleman, Brown Mark, Wendy Melvoin. Get Dez Dickerson, Gaye Chapman, Andre Cymone, Eric & Atlanta Bliss.

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And have a W2 type celebration of this music. And then go on with 3rd Eye Girl. I just don't think if he does musical renditions of this music with people who had nothing to do with that time/music, that I would be interested. Especially in any remixes. I'll just buy the remasters.

tab32792 said:

treehouse said:

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Better how? Better suited for Prince's current project maybe, and it's nice to hear fresh takes on some classics, but it's going to get old soon, and they're not making their own classics.

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I agree this sounds like Prince airing it out in the press. Didn't Wendy or one of them take a shot at the 3rdEye girls "whispering" on stage?

The Lovesexy band came directly after the revolution & blew them out of the water that's how. So did the original NPG.

Dr Fink, Eric Leeds, Atlanta Bliss (would have been Brown Mark)

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all the people in the Lovesexy band came from Prince's camp:the Revolution/Sheila E band

they had that 'purple' experience.

But the Lovesexy band had no creative flow with Prince as far as musical creativity. Prince had that with Wendy Melvoin Susannah & Lisa Coleman.
I think he should have just gotten rid of Wally & Gregory (I do like Cat) and added... who? everyone was already there, and Boni Boyer couldn't touch Lisa Coleman.

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Love the Lovesexy Band and the Revolution and the noituloveR and the Rebels and

I love the Revolution for what they were. Have no more desire to see them play together now, than I have to see how my first crush has became now... I mean, I would be curious obviously, but also prepared for a disappointment. They are all older and it would be completely pointless.

IF they could find a way to collaborate for a NEW project, maybe a once-off for example for charity (there are so many good causes that would deserve some attention, and I think he likes to be known for charity, even if he's not so blatant about it), then I'd be more interested. But the old Revolution times were just PERFECT the way they were, at least to me.

coffeebreak said:

I love the Revolution for what they were. Have no more desire to see them play together now, than I have to see how my first crush has became now... I mean, I would be curious obviously, but also prepared for a disappointment. They are all older and it would be completely pointless.

IF they could find a way to collaborate for a NEW project, maybe a once-off for example for charity (there are so many good causes that would deserve some attention, and I think he likes to be known for charity, even if he's not so blatant about it), then I'd be more interested. But the old Revolution times were just PERFECT the way they were, at least to me.

Eye agree with this! Plus after this year they will all b too old. Eye can understand Prince not wanting to go back. Its pointless! Eye would like to see him reunite with Andre instead. They were true friends b 4 it all started..But The Revolution meh...