Hi there all!

After being a lurker for about six months I finally decided to join the org. I just turned 21 and am from Australia.

I thought I'd share my experience discovering Prince. I think it's pretty evident to many here that Princes' obscurity from the limelight and regimen of getting pretty much everything removed from YouTube really hasn't helped with bringing in younger fans especially when they are so used to getting everything from the push of a button but I digress.

So I hadn't known very much about Prince a year ago, Raspberry Beret was pretty much the only song I was familiar with (I had seen the video to WDC before when I was in my early teens but didn't really think much of it) and it wasn't till I went to a local record store about a year ago that I saw a vinyl cover that immediately caught my eye. I loved everything about the cover, the black and white, the simple white background and a familiar looking guy on the front posing "vogue" style with his hands in the air in an effort less position. Prince and the Revolution: Parade was on the cover. Suffice to say I loved the cover that much that I bought the vinyl. (I was wanting to introduce myself to Prince as well, to see if I like his music.) I got home, put the vinyl on. I remember liking Christopher Tracy's Parade and loving the funk in New Position but it was track 4 Under The Cherry Moon that instantly determined to me anyway that I may be onto something truly wonderful. The imagery of this song really was magical to me (I hadn't seen the film yet) and reminded me of an 1940's film noir taking place in the shadows of unrequited love. Then to follow that up with the fantastic Girls & Boys which is still in my top 50 Prince songs completely sold me. Mountains again was another highlight (to think I couldn't love this song anymore, I heard the 12" and its now the definitive version to me) and to end with the haunting Sometimes It Snows In April was just astounding.

Parade had me sold, I acquired all the album's and went on that magical whirlwind, listening in chronological order like I always try to do with artists I fall in love with. Now, I'd put Parade as my 4th favourite Prince album behind Sign O The Times, 1999 and Purple Rain, but it will always have a special part to me for introducing me to Princes' discography in such spectacular fashion.

Cool stuff!

You should check out the documentary I made about Parade for XFM, one of the biggest radio stations here in the UK. I interviewed Dr. Fink, Clare Fischer and others for it. You will probably dig it!

http://www.mixcloud.com/X...de-april/

Thanks guys. I hardly listen to current music save a few artists that I love. There's such a wealth of amazing music from the past.
I'll have a listen to that interview tonight. Thanks!

Nice! Thanks for sharing your story.

Great story, thanks for sharing. Did u already had the chance to see him live?

cool introduction! thanks for posting. one day whilst in the library, despite my myopia, i felt a face staring at me from a shelf across the room. i drew nearer to find that it was that same parade cover on the front of some new prince bio. it was funny.

GetOfFunk said:

Nah I haven't. He was here for the Welcome 2 Australia tour a few years ago but I hadn't listened to his music then. Such a shame. Hopefully at some point he comes here again.

Yeah, it's my favourite Prince album cover.