In an interview Left Eye said they went broke cause TLC had to pay for everything. Concerts,videos,etc. Didn't know artists had to pay. The split it which also left each on with less. Prince shouldn't have to pay much cause his concerts and videos are never extrvagant. No extensive lighting or pyro. That seemed to be left to Michael. Seems P spends all his money on his clothes makeup and hair. Purple Rain and Lovesexy were the only extravagant tours he did. I'd like to see him do a video like Michael with a theme big set and dancers. Only time latley I recall him getting hi-tech was at the Superbowl. Funny he's one of the biggest artists with the mos tmoney but spends very little on his work. Then there are other artists. Do you know their expendetures on vids, concerts and whatever else? Only Gaga seems expensive.

Its not that they nessisarily have to pay for it all, for example someone might get a £1m recording contract, the £1m would generally be to cover costs for Videos, Recording, promotion etc.... rather than the fact they get £1m to pocket.

The larger more profitable artists will get a bigger "budget" so to speak or more money put into them for promotion, tours and things

fluid said:

Prince shouldn't have to pay much cause his concerts and videos are never extrvagant.

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Bwahahaha. How can anyone say this? Have you not paid attention? Watch the Lovesexy gigs. Go read on Prince's demands for the Nude Tour. Just think about the hundreds of videos he filmed and just put in his vault.

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Hell, just watch the Partyman video.

fnksoul said:

BartVanHemelen said:

ladychel61 said:

fnksoul said:

Its not that they nessisarily have to pay for it all, for example someone might get a £1m recording contract, the £1m would generally be to cover costs for Videos, Recording, promotion etc.... rather than the fact they get £1m to pocket.

The larger more profitable artists will get a bigger "budget" so to speak or more money put into them for promotion, tours and things

The music business isn't everything that the public imagine. It's the commercial world! I've just recently heard of some experiences of entertainers not getting paid for their hard work!

The industry is ruthless, especially these days, sales drop and artists are just dropped from labels and forgotten with the next one already groomed and waiting.

Unless you are a well established artist its tough. And the Execs at labels couldnt care less about them. A shame but its a harsh truth.

BartVanHemelen said:

fluid said:

Prince shouldn't have to pay much cause his concerts and videos are never extrvagant.

.

Bwahahaha. How can anyone say this? Have you not paid attention? Watch the Lovesexy gigs. Go read on Prince's demands for the Nude Tour. Just think about the hundreds of videos he filmed and just put in his vault.

.

Hell, just watch the Partyman video.

Ironically YOU didn't pay attention. If you did you'd see I said the Purple Rain and Lovesexy tours were extravagant.

As for The partyman video I'd describe it as nice. Sleek ,clean, luxurious looking lik e Prince is. But he doesn't use effects, lasers, hi-end lighting, and Pyro. Michael would take you too a majical world and use computer graphics. He never had a set that was creative with it's own design.

I saw him on The Musicology Tour. Not jaw dropping. It was a basic open design. No hi-end lighting or even plasma screens. He just used projectors. Welcome 2 wasn't all that nice.

The 1999 tour was nice but didn't have many effects. WHile The Nude Tour was in stadiums, don't recall it being all out. Nude doesn't have many vids or come to AMerica so I really don't know.

He needs to do a hi concept video with Mark Romanek or something. Like Screa(MJ). WHile not nice or complex it was hi-tech.

fnksoul said:

ladychel61 said:

fnksoul said: The music business isn't everything that the public imagine. It's the commercial world! I've just recently heard of some experiences of entertainers not getting paid for their hard work!

The industry is ruthless, especially these days, sales drop and artists are just dropped from labels and forgotten with the next one already groomed and waiting.

Unless you are a well established artist its tough. And the Execs at labels couldnt care less about them. A shame but its a harsh truth.

So true, and with people selling the artist music on the low dosen't help!

fluid said:

As for The partyman video I'd describe it as nice. Sleek ,clean, luxurious looking lik e Prince is.

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And you think that it wasn't expensive?

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But he doesn't use effects, lasers, hi-end lighting, and Pyro.

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Except when he does.

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WHile The Nude Tour was in stadiums, don't recall it being all out.

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That's because they talked him down from initial wish: a waterfall on stage.

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Nude doesn't have many vids

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There's an almost complete Japan gig that gets shown on TV every couple of years.

Oh yes the Nude Tour in Japan. I didn't say The Partyman Video was inexpensive. As I said I don't recall P using any effects. Even on The Purple Rain Tour there was just a giant screen.

As Derrick May put it Michael is The Entertainer, pulling out all stops, lights, pyro,elves, huge stage.

Prince is The Artist. More concerned about the small things...how he looks,his makeup,his hair. He'd rather do a 2,000 seat gig than a 100,000 one. He's more about the music not concerned about big flashy things.

I do agree, PRInce needs an high tech video. Actually, that already happened with CHOCOLTAE BOX, IIRC, but it wasn't intented to be played on TV.

Now that Prince gets a lot of attention, he need a real video, not a BCW bis, neither a video a la ROCK N ROLL LOVE AFFAIR, where he's on stage. Not that again.

fluid said:

Oh yes the Nude Tour in Japan. I didn't say The Partyman Video was inexpensive. As I said I don't recall P using any effects. Even on The Purple Rain Tour there was just a giant screen.

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Lemme quote YOUR words from the very first post: "Funny he's one of the biggest artists with the mos tmoney but spends very little on his work." Prince spends tons of money, usually on idiotic stuff (filming videos that never will be seen). Back in the day dude had an entire wardrobe department making custom outfits.

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Though it looks like he's more frugal these days, I guess being in the news every couple of months because you've failed to pay a bill starts to get annoying after a while.

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But simply running PP costs plenty of money.

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Or read this: http://princetext.tripod...._1995.html

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Since soaring to multimillion-dollar fame with the "Purple Rain" film and soundtrack in 1984, Prince has operated as if money is no object, according to interviews with nearly 30 former employees and business associates. Despite earnings that easily top $150 million since then, the 36-year-old Minneapolis native has twice found himself in severe financial disarray -- first in 1989, and again today.

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WRT:

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As Derrick May put it Michael is The Entertainer, pulling out all stops, lights, pyro,elves, huge stage.Prince is The Artist. More concerned about the small things...how he looks,his makeup,his hair. He'd rather do a 2,000 seat gig than a 100,000 one. He's more about the music not concerned about big flashy things.

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Pur-lease. You're talking about a man who once employed the fucking GameBoyz. Prince would love to do such lavish shows, he just cannot find anyone who'll pay for it.

BartVanHemelen said:

Go read on Prince's demands for the Nude Tour.

Just out of curiosity, where can I read this? I love reading stuff like that, lol.

Angelsoncrack said:

Re the OP, remember that TLC was in a somewhat unusual situation where the expenses ALL came from their royalty percentage, which was already pitifully low. The management got to pocket most of what they took in.

If Prince puts on a show, he does have to pay the expenses of band, stage and crew before he turns a profit. But it's not like he's making Ida, Donna and Hannah pay for his stage out of their salaries, which is closer to the deal TLC had.

BartVanHemelen said:

fluid said:

Prince shouldn't have to pay much cause his concerts and videos are never extrvagant.

.

Bwahahaha. How can anyone say this? Have you not paid attention? Watch the Lovesexy gigs. Go read on Prince's demands for the Nude Tour. Just think about the hundreds of videos he filmed and just put in his vault.

.

Hell, just watch the Partyman video.

Y'all do realize that Prince's expenses and business model must necessarily be quite different as an indie artist than when he was under contract to a record label?

Angelsoncrack said:

BartVanHemelen said:

Go read on Prince's demands for the Nude Tour.

Just out of curiosity, where can I read this? I love reading stuff like that, lol.

.

Probably in Alex Hahn's book. Can't recall exactly anymore, was a couple of years ago. They really had to talk down Prince from that idea, really stressing with him that combining water and electricity wasn't a good idea. Plus: this was supposed to be a low cost tour.

heard that in the mid 90ties he almost got bankrupt by spending too much

How much you think a symbol shaped stage costs?

fluid said:

In an interview Left Eye said they went broke cause TLC had to pay for everything. Concerts,videos,etc. Didn't know artists had to pay. The split it which also left each on with less. Prince shouldn't have to pay much cause his concerts and videos are never extrvagant. No extensive lighting or pyro. That seemed to be left to Michael. Seems P spends all his money on his clothes makeup and hair. Purple Rain and Lovesexy were the only extravagant tours he did. I'd like to see him do a video like Michael with a theme big set and dancers. Only time latley I recall him getting hi-tech was at the Superbowl. Funny he's one of the biggest artists with the mos tmoney but spends very little on his work. Then there are other artists. Do you know their expendetures on vids, concerts and whatever else? Only Gaga seems expensive.

Did you miss out on the whole Batdance thing?

Fhunkin said:

popgodazipa said:

fluid said:

In an interview Left Eye said they went broke cause TLC had to pay for everything. Concerts,videos,etc. Didn't know artists had to pay. The split it which also left each on with less. Prince shouldn't have to pay much cause his concerts and videos are never extrvagant. No extensive lighting or pyro. That seemed to be left to Michael. Seems P spends all his money on his clothes makeup and hair. Purple Rain and Lovesexy were the only extravagant tours he did. I'd like to see him do a video like Michael with a theme big set and dancers. Only time latley I recall him getting hi-tech was at the Superbowl. Funny he's one of the biggest artists with the mos tmoney but spends very little on his work. Then there are other artists. Do you know their expendetures on vids, concerts and whatever else? Only Gaga seems expensive.

Did you miss out on the whole Batdance thing?

Like I said Partyman video was luxurious but not hi-tech.

WHile The Nude Tour was in stadiums, don't recall it being all out.

.

That's because they talked him down from initial wish: a waterfall on stage.

.

So you're saying the Nude Tour was all out because of what they didn't do.

Nude doesn't have many vids

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There's an almost complete Japan gig that gets shown on TV every couple of years.

One incomplete video is not many videos.

You are a walnut, Bart.

fluid said:

Seems P spends all his money on his clothes makeup and hair.

Costs of videos and other promotions created interest in his current music, and after billing him for the services mostly benefitted the record company. Prince's investment in his one-of-a-kind looks and clothes exclusively create interest in him, and his future music. Seems like a smart investment from a business perspective.

[Edited 9/12/14 18:07pm]

Well I guess if you have checked out the various biographies of late, as well as some older threads (although I've noticed since I returned that there's not a lot of older threads left), you'd discover just how complicated Prince's business life has been in respect of videos and stage-sets. There was the guy seeking very overdue payment for a lot of in-house work at Paisley Park as a contractor in the early nineties and Prince's adventures with the Lovesexy set and the Sign O The Times movie were, some say, saved from bankruptcy by a japanese tour and the advance for the Batman soundtrack.

I don't know if today's chart stars have learned any lessons as they still seem to be trying to emulate the notorious eighties big-budget joints although technolog at least is no longer the most expensive part but those like TLC (many many artists) who signed contracts which allowed the record companies to spend extravagantly without approval and bill the artists later are a case study in what a record 'deal' can end up being.
Prince's overspending is legendary although not very publicly known but he was cushioned by early huge profits from Purple Rain and wise investment in his own facilities house. It doesn't seem like he talked to his accountants much but who does?

[Edited 9/14/14 16:09pm]

CORRECTION: I JUST FOUND ALL THE OLD THREADS! YAY

[Edited 9/14/14 16:14pm]