Recording dates are unknown, but the track was likely recorded at 77 Beverly Park, Hollywood, CA, USA, Prince's home and home studio from early 2008 until mid-2009. The track's echoed beginning is most likely the end of the recording of the album's previous track, Love Like Jazz, for which recording details are listed in its respective song entry.

77 Beverley Park

photos taken by Prince

Better With Time

[img:$uid]http://i.imgur..../img:$uid]

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

I saw that image, is it really how it looks?
Is that really Prince sitting inside?

What prompted the flashy, eccentric persona that helped make Prince a king of the music world? The singer reveals he was compensating for a painful childhood struggle with epilepsy.

"I've never spoken about this before but I was born epileptic," the reclusive singer told PBS's Tavis Smiley in an interview Monday night. "I used to have seizures when I was young. My mother and father didn't know what to do or how to handle it but they did the best they could with what little they had."

Prince also cites divine intervention for helping him cope with his epilepsy. "My mother told me one day I walked in to her and said, 'Mom, I'm not going to be sick anymore,' and she said 'Why?' and I said 'Because an angel told me so.' Now, I don't remember saying it, that's just what she told me."

But his struggle didn't end there. "From that point on, I've been having to deal with a lot of things, getting teased a lot in school," he said. "And early in my career I tried to compensate by being as flashy as I could and as noisy as I could."

The singer, who is promoting his latest album, the three-disc set LotusFlow3r, concludes his two-part Tavis Smiley interview tonight.
http://www.people.com/peo...84,00.html

OldFriends4Sale said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

I saw that image, is it really how it looks?
Is that really Prince sitting inside?

It's the same house. renovated it, to his liking... Eye don't know if that is really him in the pic. It may have been photoshopped . The place is immaculate! It is still the talk of the muziq industry, by every celebrity that attended those legendary parties. That is still, what eye feel, is the best idea ever came up with.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I saw that image, is it really how it looks?
Is that really Prince sitting inside?

It's the same house. renovated it, to his liking... Eye don't know if that is really him in the pic. It may have been photoshopped . The place is immaculate! It is still the talk of the muziq industry, by every celebrity that attended those legendary parties. That is still, what eye feel, is the best idea ever came up with.

Yes it was a good residency period. Only think he owed a lot of back money when he left.

But yeah there are a few 'after parties' he held here during the LotusFlow3r period I'm going to post

Definately fits the utopia escape of Prince

OldFriends4Sale said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

It's the same house. renovated it, to his liking... Eye don't know if that is really him in the pic. It may have been photoshopped . The place is immaculate! It is still the talk of the muziq industry, by every celebrity that attended those legendary parties. That is still, what eye feel, is the best idea ever came up with.

Yes it was a good residency period. Only think he owed a lot of back money when he left.

But yeah there are a few 'after parties' he held here during the LotusFlow3r period I'm going to post

Definately fits the utopia escape of Prince

Only because he renovated the house without the owners permission. You're not suppose to do that when U rent out a home. He was only charged 4 doing that. Out of his $150,000 deposit the Landlords were allowed to keep $83,481. So it was not like he had to fork up any money out of pocket. It was just taken out of his deposit.

Plus took the owner out to dinner & later issued him an additional check that more than covered the damages(it was over a million dollar check) is obviously not hurting 4 cash . The owner was very thrilled by 's generous contribution..

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I saw that image, is it really how it looks?
Is that really Prince sitting inside?

It's the same house. renovated it, to his liking... Eye don't know if that is really him in the pic. It may have been photoshopped . The place is immaculate! It is still the talk of the muziq industry, by every celebrity that attended those legendary parties. That is still, what eye feel, is the best idea ever came up with.

.

STOP. That is a shot from NPG Music Club's website, circa 2002.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

October 11, 2009 at the Grand Palais in Paris ALL DAY,

The idea came to him when he attended the Chanel fashion show on October 6. He was so impressed by the splendour of the Nave that he came back the next day for a closer look and spontaneously decided to put on two concerts entitled "All day", at 5:00 pm and "All night" at 10:00 pm.
While backstage work went ahead at full speed, loyal Purple Rain fans snapped up the 11,000 tickets for this outstanding event in just 77 minutes.
Both Prince's sets ─ by natural daylight or night light magnified by the glass roof ─ were high octane throughout. Arriving spectacularly in a jet black sedan, he rolled off his biggest hits, improvising on the guitar with his trademark funk and jazz licks. .. At 51, Prince is still a musical genius and an incomparably talented showman. Add a legendary artist to a magical setting and you have an unforgettable experience.

1.1999

2. I Feel 4 U

3. Controversy/Sexy Dancer(LeFreak)

4. Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad?

5. Take Me With U

6. AnotherLoerHolenYoHea

7. Guitar

8. Raspberry Beret

9. All Day, All Night *

10 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

11. The One U Wanna C

12. Sometimes It Snows In April

13. Mountains

14. Shake Your Body(the Jacksons cover)

15. Everyday People (Sly cover)

16. I Want to Take You Higher (cover)

17. Long Train Running (Doobie Brothers cover Shelby J)

18. Play That Funky Music (cover)

19. Purple Rain

20. Kiss / Miss You

21. Honky Tonk Woman (cover)

22. All the Critics Love U in Paris

23. A Love Bizarre

24. Girl / All Day All Night

25. Play that Funky Music

26. What Have You Done For Me Lately (Janet cover)

27. Partyman

28. Uptown

29. Let's Work

30. Cool

31. Cream

32. U Got the Look

10.6.2009 @ the Fendi Party in Paris

* fan single cover art

(There'll Never B) Another Like Me

It really don't matter who you get with
Cuz it just ain't meant 2 b

It really don't matter
Cuz you never shoulda woulda,
Even coulda been like me

Eye can get you what you want anything
At all girl all you gotta say is please
Ask ur mother ur sister ur brotha
There'll never b another
Never b another like me

Late afternoon slipped outta my bed
Turned up the stereo
About 2 raise the dead

Slipped in the bathroom
Put some olive oil in my hair
Walked in the closet
Tryin' 2 find something 2 wear

Then I check my emale
2 c where the party b
Change the names 2 protect the guilty
And get ready 2 creep
Should eye bring somebody
Or dance alone?
It don't matter 2 me u'all
Cuz 2nite is on

[Chorus]

Bout a half past ten and eye'm on my way
Heard you had a fine little puerto rican dj
If she ain't got prince's new song
There is gonna b a scene
Cuz eye can't stand nobody cussin'
At me when I'm clean

Arms all around me
Soon as eye hit the door
Good thing I ate my spinach
U're thicker than b4
Oh what's this boy doing
Y he makin' that face
Don't he know eye have crazy friends with me
Ready 2 tear up this place?

[Chorus]

Can't you c this is inevitable
What's the use in wastin' time?
U and me we could be com4table
All that takes is 4 you 2 make up ur mind
So now what's the matter?
U and me, we both dimes
Said we were
All them other pennies should scatter
We ought not waste this time
That's y...

the Chanel fashion show on October 6, 2009

Prince en concert au Grand Palais,à Paris, en 2009 , ALL NIGHT

The idea came to him when he attended the Chanel fashion show on October 6. He was so impressed by the splendour of the Nave that he came back the next day for a closer look and spontaneously decided to put on two concerts entitled "All day", at 5:00 pm and "All night" at 10:00 pm.
While backstage work went ahead at full speed, loyal Purple Rain fans snapped up the 11,000 tickets for this outstanding event in just 77 minutes.
Both Prince's sets ─ by natural daylight or night light magnified by the glass roof ─ were high octane throughout. Arriving spectacularly in a jet black sedan, he rolled off his biggest hits, improvising on the guitar with his trademark funk and jazz licks. .. At 51, Prince is still a musical genius and an incomparably talented showman. Add a legendary artist to a magical setting and you have an unforgettable experience.

1.1999

2. I Feel 4 U

3. Controversy/Sexy Dancer(LeFreak)

4. Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad?

5. Take Me With U

6. AnotherLoerHolenYoHea

7. Guitar

8. Raspberry Beret

9. All Day, All Night *

10 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

11. The One U Wanna C

12. Sometimes It Snows In April

13. Mountains

14. Shake Your Body(the Jacksons cover)

15. Everyday People (Sly cover)

16. I Want to Take You Higher (cover)

17. Long Train Running (Shelby J)

18. Play That Funky Music (cover)

19. All the Critics Love U in Paris

20. Dance 4 Me

21. No More Candy 4 U

22. Honky Tonk Woman (cover)

23. Purple Rain

another 4shadowing of 3rd Eye...

http://www.willardswormho...hives/5305

1st Show
When Eye Lay My Hands On U (6:33)
Little Red Corvette (6:13)
Somewhere Here On Earth (5:10)
When The Lights Go Down (6:40)
Willing & Able (2:45)
Eye Love U But Eye Don’t Trust U Anymore (5:07)
She Spoke 2 Me (6:25)
Love Like Jazz (3:06)
All This Love (8:36)
Empty Room (5:35)
Elixer (5:09)
In A Large Room With No Light (8:21)
Insatiable (3:28)
Scandalous (3:13)
The Beautiful Ones (3:47)
Nothing Compares 2 U (6:40)
Claude Nobs Speech (1:03)

2nd Show
Band Introduction (1:04)
When Eye Lay My Hands On U (6:34)
Stratus/That’s It (3:32)
Drums Solo (1:51)
Stratus (reprise) (0:47)
All Shook Up (4:14)
Peach (5:25)
Spanish Castle Magic (3:01)
When U Were Mine (4:21)
Little Red Corvette (6:15)
Somewhere Here On Earth (5:02)
She Spoke 2 Me (6:08)
Eye Love U But Eye Don’t Trust U Anymore (5:57)
Love Like Jazz (3:19)
All The Critics Love U In Montreux (11:23)
In A Large Room With No Light (8:33)
Purple Rain (10:33)
Claude Nobs Speech (2:39)

Wall of Berlin

Where am eye?
In a universe of paradoxical design
Reality o merely in the mind
In my head or in some german town
She said "u want a 4 leaf clover
In the round?"
Ain't superstitious
And eye don't believe in luck
But eye heard the thunder
B4 the lightning struck
Couldn't read the writing
Cuz it was so small
But according 2 the document she got on the wall

She gets down like the wall of berlin
Eye come round about a quarter 2 ten
We just met or at least we pretend
It's so fresh knockin' down
The wall of berlin

Where am eye?
A galaxy of monumental delight
Or parallel hologram copyright
The call comes unexpected
Like a mugger in a park
And the sound of the train interrupts the ?

Is that the queen of sheba
Or an alien dream?
The marks on the table say
Somewhere in between
Not one 4 rituals
But one thing eye have found
Everything's better when you come around

She gets down like the wall of berlin
Eye come round about a quarter 2 ten
We just met or at least we pretend
It's so fresh knockin' down
The wall of berlin

Recording dates and studio are unknown. Prince has stated that some tracks on the Lotusflow3r date back to 3121 recording sessions - as this song features Michael B. and Sonny T., it is possible that at least the musical backdrop of this track comes from their late 2005 recording session, or one of the subsequent sessions, but no information has been verified. The phrase used in the title, "wall of Berlin", was also used in the track 3121, also recorded with Michael B. and Sonny T., so it is possible these tracks were recorded during the same set of sessions. The track was premiered on Los Angeles radio station Indie 103 on 18 December, 2008, along with Crimson And Clover, Colonized Mind and 4ever. The party noises heard at the end of the track are, in fact, the beginning of the album's following track, $, for which recording details are listed in its respective song entry.

-PrinceVault

WASHINGTON POST

Prince's Triple Album Is Online, and All Over the Place

By J. Freedom du Lac
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 28, 2009; Page C01

It isn't always easy loving Prince -- which seems to be just how the brilliant but occasionally baffling musician wants it.

This week, Prince launched a splashy intergalactic Web site, LOtUSFLOW3R.com, offering his most obsessive fans a year's worth of access to various manifestations of his creative genius -- including an early crack at his new, at-times-terrific triple-titled triple album -- for $77. But before they could sign up, they had to figure out how to get past the site's instruction-free front page, a task that required the unearthing of two clues stashed like Easter eggs on the page.

Once the user registered, the Prince treasure hunt continued, with three new albums ("LOtUSFLOW3R" and "MPLSoUND," plus a new protege's project, "Elixer," co-written and co-produced by Prince) stashed in different sections of the Flash-heavy site. To access "MPLSoUND," for instance, one had to triple-click the strings of the powder-blue Fender Stratocaster that popped onto the screen only after one clicked on the white swan with a headphone jack for a head. And no, I was not dreaming when I wrote this.

This is how Prince treats his most devoted fans?

After running the digital gantlet, though, there was a real reward, not just in the archival videos and other extras that were pulled from Prince's vaults and splashed throughout the site, but also in some of the new music, too.

The guitar-heavy "LOtUSFLOW3R" and the funked-up "MPLSoUND" are not exactly all-time Prince classics, but they're filled with enough standout musical moments to keep discerning musicologists happy. (As always, they're also filled with titles that look like typos -- further evidence that the unspoken life's mission of His Royal Badness is to drive copy editors crazy.) The generally strong quality comes as something of a relief, given some of his earlier, execrable efforts, from "The Rainbow Children" to "Come."

The sprawling three-album set will be available exclusively at Target stores and on the company's no-Easter-eggs-required Web site beginning tomorrow for $11.98. Including the tracks from "Elixer" -- a limpid, fairly generic set of airy, cooing soul by Bria Valente, who is Prince's new Tamar (who was supposed to be his new Apollonia) -- that works out to roughly 4 cents per song.

Call it the Prince stimulus package! And don't bother with the double-entendre: The formerly freak-nasty singer scraped his dirty mind -- and music -- out of the gutter when he became a Jehovah's Witness. One reminder comes on "Love Like Jazz," a snoozy "LOtUSFLOW3R" song on which Prince, now 50, sounds downright tame as he sings about the female form over some Esquivel-style lounge music.

Prince could have easily cut this and several other duds (helter-skelter surf-pop song "No More Candy 4 U," the cranky hip-hop rant "Ol' Skool Company") to make a single, superlative disc out of the project. But he'd apparently rather leave the editing to others. That, and he opted to keep his musical personalities separate.

"LOtUSFLOW3R" is a moody, meandering, esoteric psychedelic-rock album on which the little purple polyglot gets in touch with his inner "Purple Haze" and pays homage to Jimi Hendrix via liberal use of Hendrix's sonic signatures, from the wah-wah that opens "Dreamer" to the driving fuzztone chords of the explosive workout "Wall of Berlin."

It's one guitar virtuoso feting another, with Prince turning in dazzling instrumental performances on track (the simmering statement song "Colonized Mind") after track (the tender but blistering "Boom"). Occasionally, though, the instrumental prowess simply sounds self-indulgent, as on the New Age almost-instrumental "Back 2 the Lotus," whose shifty, spacey jazz chords suggest Prince trying out for Phish.

Prince turns his funkier side loose on "MPLSoUND" (short for Minneapolis Sound), which is full of frisky club songs that tend to blend the musician's vintage synth-and-drums sound with some modern twists, most notably the Auto-Tune vocal effect. Whereas Auto-Tune can be a dangerous weapon in the hands of some artists, Prince uses it sparingly to add to the giddy feel of club jams such as the boastful "(There'll Never B) Another Like Me" and the high-octane standout "Chocolate Box." It's thrilling stuff that serves as a reminder of why we loved Prince in the first place.

DOWNLOAD THESE: "Chocolate Box," "(There'll Never B) Another Like Me," "Wall of Berlin”

(wearing Prince's shirt from the Coachella show)

Everytime

Lights in the shadow of a darkened room
His face lit under the glow of the moon
Fingers windin' circles in my hair
Holdin' me in his penetratin' stare
I ain't goin' nowhere

Just one touch and I'm runnin' hot
I'm about to die but I don't wanna stop
I breathe in your sweet love satisfied
Then we kiss and it's so divine everytime

He takes my breath 'cause he takes his time
He takes my soul, body and mind
He takes what he wants and that's just fine
He takes my breath everytime

He slides his fingers cross my lips
Like drawin' a map into his kiss
Divine, so fine everytime

He takes my breath 'cause he takes his time
He takes my soul, body and mind
He takes what he wants and that's just fine
He takes my breath everytime, everytime

Prince en concert au Grand Palais,à Paris, en 2009 , ALL NIGHT

The idea came to him when he attended the Chanel fashion show on October 6. He was so impressed by the splendour of the Nave that he came back the next day for a closer look and spontaneously decided to put on two concerts entitled "All day", at 5:00 pm and "All night" at 10:00 pm.
While backstage work went ahead at full speed, loyal Purple Rain fans snapped up the 11,000 tickets for this outstanding event in just 77 minutes.
Both Prince's sets ─ by natural daylight or night light magnified by the glass roof ─ were high octane throughout. Arriving spectacularly in a jet black sedan, he rolled off his biggest hits, improvising on the guitar with his trademark funk and jazz licks. .. At 51, Prince is still a musical genius and an incomparably talented showman. Add a legendary artist to a magical setting and you have an unforgettable experience.

1.1999

2. I Feel 4 U

3. Controversy/Sexy Dancer(LeFreak)

4. Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad?

5. Take Me With U

6. AnotherLoerHolenYoHea

7. Guitar

8. Raspberry Beret

9. All Day, All Night *

10 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

11. The One U Wanna C

12. Sometimes It Snows In April

13. Mountains

14. Shake Your Body(the Jacksons cover)

15. Everyday People (Sly cover)

16. I Want to Take You Higher (cover)

17. Long Train Running (Shelby J)

18. Play That Funky Music (cover)

19. All the Critics Love U in Paris

20. Dance 4 Me

21. No More Candy 4 U

22. Honky Tonk Woman (cover)

23. Purple Rain

i doubt the concerts were spontaneous, everything he does is planned.

Where is My Mind?: Meeting Prince

A monthly Web in Front column by KROQ Locals Only DJ Kat Corbett, Where is My Mind? features Kat’s musings about, rants on, and love letters to music–local, national, world, whatever.

By Kat Corbett

So, there I was, trapped in Prince’s bathroom while the sound of his band kicking into “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 pumped through the space between the door and the floor. I frantically twisted the lock and turned the knob trying to get out in time to witness the magic but the door wouldn’t budge. I checked my cell phone—no service—no chance for a 911 rescue call. What would I say anyway? “Um, yeah hi, I’m trapped in Prince’s bathroom on the bottom floor of his house and I’m going to miss him sing one of my favorite Jackson 5 songs, so could you bring a crowbar to Beverly Park?” Another minute of twisting the door handle only lead to red fingers and I pictured myself stuck in his bathroom for days surviving on gobs of cherry lip-gloss and two sticks of Juicy Fruit. I pounded my fists on the door and shouted for help but the music was too loud and I realized that no one could hear my screams. This was not a dream, this was really happening. Last Saturday night at 1am I was being held captive by Prince’s bathroom.

.
Let me start at the beginning and please forgive me if this entry sounds like a twelve-year writing in her diary but what do you expect after spending a night at Prince’s house?
.

It all started with a cryptic email inviting me to Prince’s pad to witness the launch of his new website www.lotusflow3r.com with a live performance to follow. I had heard whispers of these Prince gatherings before, but I was suspicious of the email as it wasn’t from prince.com. I replied saying, “Is this legit? If so, I’m in.” I was instructed to wait for further instructions—very hush hush. At that point, I assumed I was actually going to Prince’s house or being shipped off to Russia and sold into the sex trade—either way it was important to shave my legs.
.

At 9:45 pm I stood at Prince’s front door, an hour and a half late and couldn’t find the doorbell. I thought of knocking but with a house of that size, who would hear my puny knuckles hitting the glass? I took a deep breath, opened the door and walked inside. I expected everything to be purple but there wasn’t even a hint of plum in the grand space that seemed to go on for miles. I entered a spacious kitchen busy with a small group eating hors d’oeuvres and enjoying cocktails. One of the first people I met was Steve Appleford, a writer for Rolling Stone—confirmation that I was in fact in Prince’s house and not headed to the Ukraine. I ordered a whiskey and immediately locked eyes on Prince’s black Schimmel piano just steps away from the kitchen island. This gorgeous instrument was just sitting there in the middle of the room. It should have been behind a velvet rope on a revolving stage under a spotlight but there it was by the bathroom and I touched it. My hands were on the black lacquer before I could stop myself and I ran my fingers over the keys where he probably works out new songs during breakfast. The top of the grand piano was flipped open with a gold Prince symbol hood ornament. It looked like a spaceship and I didn’t know whether to play it or drive it. As the others snacked, I fantasized about eating Cheerios in the morning by the kitchen island while Prince played “When You Were Mine” and “I Want to Be Your Lover.”

.
A little after ten we were instructed to go to the screening room. I was the first to leave the room and landed in the vast hallway clueless as to where to go next when out of nowhere HE appeared.
.

“Hi,” he said. “Are you looking for the screening room?”
“Hi,” I said. “Yes.”
Pointing, “Just go down those stairs and go left. I’ll see you in a bit,” Prince said.
“Thanks,” I said as if an usher at the Arclight had just shown me to my seat.
“Holy moly!” I said to Steve. “Prince just gave us directions!”

.
Prince is launching a new website in March called www.lotusflow3r.com where he will share everything including the release of three new records this year—two by Prince and one by his latest protégé, Bria Valente. This website is his new venture to deliver music, downloads, concert tickets etc. to his fans. After the website demonstration we spilled out into the hall toward a modest size rec room. Area rugs absorbed sound on the floor, a drumkit sat under the mantel where a fireplace should have been, two couches and yes, there were a few purple chairs. Female vocalists, Liv Warfield, Marva King and Shelby J stood behind their microphones ready to go, a bass player, two keyboard players, Cora Dunham on drums and no more than twenty-five people in the room (I counted) and me. I often find myself in situations and ask, “How did I get in here?” This was definitely one of those times. Prince grabbed his guitar and they kicked into “Let’s Go” by The Cars. “Crimson and Clover” followed, then Prince shouted for Frederic Yonnet to bust out his harmonica and they ripped into The Stones’ “Miss You,” and I lost my mind! Prince was ten feet away playing Rolling Stones songs. “This is really happening,” I said to myself. “This is really happening.”

.
Every time a new song began, a woman magically appeared with laminated lyric sheets that looked like IHOP menus and placed them on Prince’s music stand. When the band kicked into “Everyday People” we all let loose and began dancing—the small house party was in full effect. Prince put down the guitar and walked through the tiny dance floor. I felt totally high without any drugs, spinning on Prince’s carpet, under a cheapo disco ball (the kind you buy at Spencer’s) as Prince covered Sly and the Family Stone.




Then…




Out of the speakers I heard the sound of rain. “No, it can’t be,” I said, to the guy next to me.




Then…




The most identifiable first few notes of “Purple Rain” trickled out. Ah!




Then…




The room got quiet, Prince laughed, skipped past the song and went into a random jam. Ack! I was bummed for a second but then he launched into “I Feel For You,” made famous by Chaka Khan but written by Prince. How could I be mad? He was singing “I Feel For You” while we did the hustle. “Y’all done tore up my carpet!” Prince joked as we shook it. He threw out “Irresistible Bitch” and “Hot Thing” and when I thought I couldn’t handle anymore, he launched into “Controversy.” OH-MY-GOD. I was in Prince’s basement dancing to “Controversy” live. I was having my very own Co-AH-chella moment. At that point in the night I realized what a total music geek I truly am. It is a presumption to think that all of the women in the room either wanted to bag the purple one or become his new protégé but I think it’s a safe bet. Certainly, all of the men were hoping to catch a smidge of his mojo. I, however, stared at that man, watching his fingers glide effortlessly over the strings as if was an extension of his body and all I wanted was for Prince to give me a guitar lesson. Dork.



.
During the next jam I moved my coat from the couch so a woman could sit down. This woman turned out to be Anita Baker. I knew exactly who she was but couldn’t name one song she sang and it killed me the whole night. All I could envision was her face on a smooth jazz radio station billboard.




Sidebar: The next day I would find out from a very good source that Miss Anita was at Trashy Lingerie just hours before the Prince get together. Saucy.


.

The Doobie Brothers were next to get the Prince treatment and I couldn’t believe I knew most of the words to “Long Train Runnin.” Another jam session followed which was a perfect time to hit the ladies room. En route I caught sight of a motorcycle encased in glass. I was told it was THE motorcycle from Purple Rain and I giggled like a wee school girl as I sang “Take Me With U” all the way down the hall and that’s when I got trapped in Prince’s bathroom.



.
So, there I was, the lock was stuck, The Jackson 5 was pounding on the other side of the door and I was panicking that Prince would find me five days later in the fetal position wedged against the toilet clutching a bottle of Method hand soap. I took a moment and surveyed the room as if it was an elevator and seriously looked for an escape hatch. How does one get stuck in Prince’s bathroom? Am I the only one to get stuck in Prince’s bathroom? Why does this stuff always happen to me? I focused all of my energy on one last desperate twist and the door finally opened. After seven tense minutes, I was free and booked it past the dj booth, past the purple pool table with the gold prince symbol into the small room and caught Prince performing the last minute of the Jackson Five. Little did I know we were only halfway through the night.

While the band took a break, we retreated to the kitchen for desert. Pita chips, guacamole and raspberry torts, which I kept calling “Raspberry Beret” torts, lined the granite island in the kitchen. Prince did a wardrobe change and reappeared. His platform sneakers had blinking lights on the heels like runners use at night to avoid getting creamed by passing cars. Even with Prince buzzing around the room, the vibe of the kitchen was super friendly and mellow. There was no one telling me things like, “Don’t look him in the eye,” or “Stay five paces behind him at all times.” It was as normal as that situation gets. AGAIN, WHAT WAS I DOING THERE?



.
“Have you seen the pool yet?” Prince’s web guy, Scott, asked me. Before he hit “yet” I had pushed him out the backdoor and demanded a tour. A hot tub is the first thing you see in the grand backyard then a long pool that looks like something out of a Chanel N° 5 ad. It was clear that Prince was renting this house but he had personalized it in his own way. In the distance, at the very end of the pool stood a giant metal cut out of Prince’s symbol. “I must touch it,” I squealed and made a bee-line for it with tourguide in tow. A forest of trees lined the backyard, a volleyball court was just a few yards away and then Prince’s studio. We couldn’t go in but we could see inside through the giant windows. It’s not as elaborate as I imagined. A couple of computers, a flat screen and a keyboard were the only things in the room. I’m sure Paisley Park studios are a bit more elaborate.




Back inside, I cruised past shelves of his personal pictures—shots of Dave Chappelle and Salma Hayek. Pictures of Apollonia and Mariah. Then back to the kitchen when we heard Prince say something like, “Let’s hit it again. Come on!” Back in the music room the band kicked into “Love Bizarre” and I channeled Sheila E as I sang along under the soft lights.

Then…




Prince launched into “Erotic City.” NO, NO, NO, THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING. He never does that song anymore—too many dirty words. There were only fifteen people in the room at this point.

Then…




He stopped the song just before the vocal would normally come in. My plea for him to “Do it” got a laugh but that’s all and he launched into another random jam. What a tease.




Two women emerged from behind and dramatically tossed two one-dollar bills at his feet. Prince slid off his guitar and in James Brown style got down on one knee, then another, collected the money, stood back up and said, “I haven’t seen George Washington in a long time.” Prince was totally messing around having a good time and I kept thinking, “He’s so normal right now…but he’s Prince? And he’s goofing around like a normal guy right now.”

“Anita, get up here,” Prince demanded and Anita Baker shimmied over in her very high heels and belted out an awesome jam. Prince jumped back in with a bite of “Love Rollercoaster” into The Commodores “Brick House,” into Rick James and I was “Super Freaking” out.




As we danced, Prince occasionally popped inside the group and all I kept thinking about was the security backstage at Co-AH-chella. It was Secret Service type of stuff but Saturday night he was standing in the mix with no security hovering. I’m sure his boys were there but I didn’t see or feel anyone and I am so thankful for that moment.

Prince’s web guy, Scott, was called forth and Prince pointed to the microphone. The girl came out with the lyric pages and the band busted into “Play That Funky Music” and that white boy went for it. I could tell web dude was like, “Holy shit, I am singing on Prince’s microphone and Prince is playing guitar behind me.” Holy shit, indeed.




Sometime after 3 am Prince finally called it quits and did a blow out jam. I floated out of his house and through the windy turns of Mulholland. I definitely did some damage to my hearing but I don’t care. I was at Princes’ house watching Prince play just a few feet away from me and I don’t know if anything else matters.

Yves Saint Laurent Show in Paris 10.5.2009