Graycap23 said:

JoshuaWho said:

I would not call TTD a Prince rip off. THere was a way to be influenced while being original without being a rip off. If there wasnt, you could call Prince a James Brown/Sly Stone/Jimi Hendrix/Little Richard rip off...and we all know nothing could be further fromt he truth.

TTD was the one Prince contemporary in the 80s that could even dream of being close to him as far as musical talent, showmanship, and overall artistic ability was concerned.

Yep.

Guys, I only said parts of TTD could be Prince like. I mean some of the racists who assume all black peoplewho don't rap are like Prince would put TTD in that box. I know he was not a Prince rip off, but at least there were some Prince elements in the first two albums, the singing, the drum kicks etc. But TTD was too much of an original and in my opinion was a much better singer than Prince, he had a much better soul/gospel voice and I don't think Prince ever had dreadlocks (Except possibly a few clean ones around Rave era).

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No one has really mentioned Oh Sheila or Living Colour much. The latter at least borrowed a lot of their wardrobe off Prince and the whole Black rock group concept of the 80s is pure Prince. Listen to the song Glamour Boys and I really do think Sign era Prince, a la I could never take the place of your man.

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Exotic storm, though, wow what a discovery, that shit was funny, even their song titles remind you of Prince - I've got to be your lover = I wanna be your lover.

JoshuaWho said:

I am old enough to remember the early 80s and how everyone was ripping off Prince and the Minneapolis Sound. It was blatant and comical. These greasy little jheri curled R&B bands in cheap Merry Go Round suits would pop up on BET (back when it was actually black and played music videos) every couple of months with some flimsy ditty that sounded like so much lame pablum from 1999 or Purple Rain. My underground new wave buddies and I were so addicted to Prince that we actually hunt through the shopping mall record stores (remember those?) for the cassettes (remember those?) of these bands before they disappeared in a poof of purple smoke and returned to oblivion.

In retrospect, there were a few of these arbitrary singles that managed to kick up some dust and actually get some airplay for a hot minute. A number of them were actually fun. One that comes to mind is Dancing in the Sheets by Shalamar. I remember hearing the first time and thinking how did they think they could get away that keyboard riff that is dam near identical to the one in 1999 - which was already a huge crossover hit (back then that meant a black artist actually got a video played on MTV). I laughed out loud whe I saw their video and there was an actual Prince clone on guitar named Micki Free - even his name sounded like the title of a Prince song!

Where are the old heads out there with a deep knowledge of Prince history? Do you have old Prince rip-off song that you have fond memroies of?

Bro, there is a lot more to Shalamar than that song "Dancing in the Sheets" which was actually their last big hit. Rather than be Johnny come latelies riding the Prince Bandwagon, Shalamar go back to 1977 with the disco hits Uptown Festival and then in 1978, Take that to the bank.

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The classic line up was Howard Hewitt - Vocals, Jody Watley Vocals and Dance and Jeffrey Daniels - vocals and dancing. They had a series of moderately successful albums for Solar records between 1979 (Big Fun, the one with the dolphins) and 1982 - The one that had "A night to remember". Jeffrey Daniels was an amazing dancer who taught MJ how to moonwalk (He had a step called the Robot). Ironically Daniels kept his afro until 1982 and then shaved it off for a flat top thing in that year, did the robot and on the British Show Top of the Pops demonstrated the robot to a group of British teens who were awestruck, while Night to remember played in the background. Yet why does MJ get all the credit.

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However Solar records paid poorly if at all and in 1983 both Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniels left. They were replaced by Melissa on keys and vocals and Micki Free on Guitar. Hewitt kept his spot as lead vocalist. Yes Micki Free looked a bit like Prince (He was actually Native American and played mean guitar) and well we all know about Jody Watley hooking up with Andre.

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The new line up only worked briefly when Hewitt left in 1985 and the group split up. They were definitiely not Prince clones or riding the Prince train. Prince was not the only guy wearing makeup, bright clothes or having a Jheri Curl in the mid 80s. His fashion was more derived off New Romantics/New Wave group. Prince did not invent and sure was not the only one using it. Unlike today, the looks transcended race and gender.

My favorite blatant 80's Prince-inspired/ripoff at the moment is this one:



Though you could argue musically it's more of a ripoff of Jam and Lewis and maybe the look is Prince, idk. Whatever though, Prince is a blatant JIMI HENDRIX copycat, so I can't hate on anybody who followed in Prince's footsteps for a minute.

JoshuaWho said:

SoulAlive said:

also,in 1985,there was a band called Exotic Storm.I've never heard their record,but I read a very negative review that said it was truly a Prince rip-off....

I have this album and it is probably the worst Prince rip album ever made that I like to play for its cheesiness. The single "I Know You Got A Crush On Me" isnt half bad and the video is unintentionally hilarious.

For these reasons

1. Lead singer with the Morris Day voice and Brown Mark looks does a Aoww!!! at the start and it just comes off all wrong like a badly timed meow!!!

2. That weird ass creeping scene in the shadows and with the light coming down.

3. The synths and drum track full stop.

4. The playing is actually quite good, especially the creepy looking white cat doing his sax solo.

5. They can actually step and play, sometimes I wonder if this was actually a group of Prince proteges forced to remain secret, but the weak song construction lets them down.

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That picture was on the inside of their album "In the Beginning" from 1986 and the guitarist has the same pose as Prince on the 1999 single cover, the look and the hands draped on the guitar.

[Edited 1/16/15 13:08pm]

funksterr said:

My favorite blatant 80's Prince-inspired/ripoff at the moment is this one:



Though you could argue musically it's more of a ripoff of Jam and Lewis and maybe the look is Prince, idk. Whatever though, Prince is a blatant JIMI HENDRIX copycat, so I can't hate on anybody who followed in Prince's footsteps for a minute.

Love that song!!!!! He was following big brother El, but yeah the look is totally Prince. He had a hit in 98 as well called Iggin U, which was totally a R Kelly ripoff.

And of course - JAK who had an album called I Go wild, one of the songs called 69 was a pure Do Me Baby rip off. Apparently him and Exotic Storm were signed by a guy called Arnold Larkin at Epic Records as he wanted a piece of the Minneapolis sound.

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The lead singer of Exotic Storm was a guy called Derrick "Dezarae" Moore who apparently produced, arranged, composed and performed everything on the album. This guy really sounds like he loved Prince just a bit too much.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned "Do Anything" by Natural Selection...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNl3fegO4Os

[Edited 1/16/15 14:04pm]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Sussudio" by Phil Collins...

GiggityGoo said:

I'm surprised no one's mentioned "Do Anything" by Natural Selection...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNl3fegO4Os

[Edited 1/16/15 14:04pm]

Oh wow. I remember hearing that on the radio... AND the video.

[Edited 1/16/15 14:55pm]

This song certainly vibes like a Prince track

https://www.youtube.com/w...DG2nFADk-A

squish said:

That's my jam

JoshuaWho said:

SoulAlive said:

Ready For The World

Dreamboy

Sexual Harrassment

also,look at Rick James' "Glow" video,and The System's "Pleasure Seekers" video

THe concept for Rick James' Glow video is a blantant rip off of Purple Rain. I laughed out loud during the opening sequence - it even looked like they tried to get the same backstage extras litering in the hallway outside the dressing room. Rick has a white guitar and a ruffled shirt - scandalous!

don't forget rick james wonderful album in 88.

Just watched Georgio, that was dreadful, a Jill Jones lookalike crawling, girls in fishnet, sex in a car, Lovesexy like hairdos. It's not even a good Prince rip off, its a bad Tony Le Mans Ripoff, yet apparently its 1987 making it pre Lovesexy and pre Tony Le Mans.

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Still that song - Sex appeal or something was dreadful, yuk!!!!!! And it was Motown, a company that by 1987 was totally bereft of any ideas, although the end part of him using that chicks back as a keytar is pretty funny though

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http://youtu.be/p8I58EtRMNk

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Slightly Bobby Brown vocals and Janet Jackson beats too.I think they sampled the girl moans for Me So Horny as well and I am sure this guy must be on the downlow, cause he is pretty gay acting.

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Apparently half Italian, this article mentions some more about Georgio Allentini

http://www.radiofacts.com/one-hit-wonders-week-georgio-allentini-sex-appeal/

A funny article which uses the line "Deeeee ropped his ass"

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Also too he was apparently nearly signed to Paisley Park and Prince and Brownmark had almost overwrote his album. However Georgio had a mammoth ego which stopped things from going forward.

[Edited 1/16/15 16:11pm]

Adorecream said:

Just watched Georgio, that was dreadful, a Jill Jones lookalike crawling, girls in fishnet, sex in a car, Lovesexy like hairdos. It's not even a good Prince rip off, its a bad Tony Le Mans Ripoff, yet apparently its 1987 making it pre Lovesexy and pre Tony Le Mans.

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Still that song - Sex appeal or something was dreadful, yuk!!!!!! And it was Motown, a company that by 1987 was totally bereft of any ideas, although the end part of him using that chicks back as a keytar is pretty funny though

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http://youtu.be/p8I58EtRMNk

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Slightly Bobby Brown vocals and Janet Jackson beats too.I think they sampled the girl moans for Me So Horny as well and I am sure this guy must be on the downlow, cause he is pretty gay acting.

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Apparently half Italian, this article mentions some more about Georgio Allentini

http://www.radiofacts.com/one-hit-wonders-week-georgio-allentini-sex-appeal/

A funny article which uses the line "Deeeee ropped his ass"

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Also too he was apparently nearly signed to Paisley Park and Prince and Brownmark had almost overwrote his album. However Georgio had a mammoth ego which stopped things from going forward.

[Edited 1/16/15 16:11pm]

Georgio was a big deal back in the day. I don't know if he was gay or not, but one of the funniest things about guys trying to be the next Prince was that they often wore makeup and seemed effeminate.

He influenced the music and fashion of his time, perhaps I have a special dislike for Susudio or whatever that awful song is spelled.

Ready for The World were prefab imitators, still Oh Sheila isn't that bad, it's a literal, but sincere imitation (AKA the greatest homage). Everyone from George Michael to Janet Jackson and Jody Watley (AC) could be as guilty of ripping off Prince as Ready for the World.

Jessy Johnson's first record was probably the one so-called "rip off" moment for me -- he's great but I was expecting something that wasn't almost a carbon copy of an underdeveloped Prince track somewhere in the vault. Obviously he thought so too because he reached out to Sly Stone and appeared in a video with him.

[Edited 1/16/15 16:49pm]

BartVanHemelen said:

tatocorcu said:

BartVanHemelen said:

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And yet this thread hasn't even got more than a dozen examples, most of them utterly obscure.

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"Everyone" my ass.

Always bringing a little bit of happiness to the people in your life...

Well Prince was an acquired taste and quite hard to imitate. Plus he was releasing so much of his own and protege music in the 80s, it was not like there was a dying need for more of it by a pack of wannabes.

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Plus most of the wannabes had limited talent and exposure (Exotic Storm, Jak, Georgio, RFTW etc) and many established artists had only one or two Minneapolis sounding tracks before moving on to the next fad.

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Plus after the Minneapolis sound fad of c.1985-86, rap and new jack swing really took off. At most it was a passing fancy to record companies and these people.

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And most Prince fans would be satisfied with the real thing, all the 12 inch singles, mixes and bootlegs floating around. If they wanted soundalikes they could always get the latest Sheila E or Jesse Johnson single. I guess the soundalikes would be for amusement value only. I mean Oh Sheila was #1 for a week, but no more Prince soundalikes did more than bother the R and B charts.

I had that Jesse Johnson album too, it's banging, definitely Minneapolis sound but not totally Prince, the wardrobe is another matter.

[img:$uid]http://i1081.ph.../img:$uid]

[Edited 1/16/15 18:05pm]

Georgio was a joke He wasn't even much of a singer.He tried to become the "new Prince" but it didn't work.His songs are lame.

Other considerations:

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It would be nearly impossible to take that title away from 'Oh Sheila' (or, maybe, 'What Have You Done for Me Lately').

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'It's So Delicious' by Starpoint (1983) is a good candidate. Or perhaps as a pseudo-Vanity 6 entry.

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And I would be obliged to mention the moderate hit 'Object of My Desire' (1985) by the same group, even though I don't believe Prince was ever so pop-Minneapolis in any of his offerings. It's a little more Kool and the Gang/Klymaxxy take on Prince.

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'Sixty-Nine' by Jak (1985) is a passable mid-80s reinterpretation of elements of 'When We're Dancing Close and Slow' and 'Do Me Baby'.

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'Do Anything' by Natural Selection (1991) is a nice little post-SOTT Prince/'Camille'-inspired rip-off.

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Then there's the un-Prince-rip-off (and possibly a fertile seedbed for P's post-1981 sound) Robert Palmer version of 'Some Guys Have All the Luck' (1982).

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[Edited 1/16/15 21:09pm]

yeah,that song definitely borrows heavily from the Minneapolis sound.....it sounds just like the Vanity 6 album.

imprimis said:

'It's So Delicious' by Starpoint (1983) is a good candidate. Or perhaps as a pseudo-Vanity 6 entry.

A funny story about "Do Anything" by Natural Selection.....

It was the fall of '91 and I was eagerly awaiting Prince's new Diamonds and Pearls album.One day,my sister upstairs,calls me,saying "They're playing the new Prince song right now!" I rushed upstairs and it was "Do Anything" by Natural Selection....LMAO....my sister seriously thought it was a new Prince single!

[Edited 1/17/15 0:17am]

MTume's 1984 album 'You, Me, and He' borrows heavily from Minneapolis. It is almost a quasi-Jam and Lewis production throughout on many of the tracks.

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'Cry Baby' on Sheila E's 'Sex Cymbal' does a fine job of reinterpreting 'Noon Rendezvous' in a late-1980s/very early 1990s sound.

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And maybe Levi's 'Hon E Man' on her 1987 album? Too many of the same personnel or hands to count?

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[Edited 1/16/15 21:32pm]

I loved that Natural Selection song, and the follow up, "Hearts don't think, they feel". By the time it came out (1992 here in NZ) I never associated it with Prince, only afew years discovering they came out of Minneapolis and were signed by SBK records, the label behind tragic Prince wannabes Color Me Badd!!

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Color me Badd guys and they had a lot of Prince like songs off the first album, which I played to death, I really loved it. Songs like I wanna sex you up, I ador me amor, All 4 Love, Roll the Dice, they could all be Prince ballads c.1991/92. The group was a record companies marketing dream, a handsome Jewish lead singer, a white boy with a Bryan May hairdo, a sexy Hispanic and a Black guy with dreadlocks who also happened to be the bass. Plus they came out of Oklahoma, well no need for a gimmick then and they had 2 #1's and a number #2 hit. They then faded into obscurity after the second album flopped.

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Since we mention Natural Selection, what about Charles and Eddie and their hit "Would I lie 2 u" about 1992 as well. That has Prince harmonies and melody as well.

[Edited 1/17/15 0:08am]

Yes. Prince and The Time Rip-Off Some ppl argue you can hear The Jacksons in there.. I said No right away but after listening times over and waiting later and listening I say 'maybe" I hear The Time the most with a mix of a few different Prince songs 80's era also James Brown

kape said:

Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars...Even the title is a wee bit Princey. 'Uptown Funk'its called.

(The Time video won't post)

Adorecream said:

What about the Deele, they had a Prince like dude on their album cover. A lot of these groups played their own shit and had their own look until Prince came along, and then every group had its dudes with black eyeliner, quiffed Jheri Curls, technicolour zoot suits, columns, marbled backings, and jagged guitars. Truly Prince started an industry, I think Linn saw a 4000% increase in drum machine sales in 1985 alone and Maybelline ran out of Black magic and mysterious nights eye liner.

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Fishnets and camisoles became the must have accesory and of course activator sales went through the roof. Probably the worst imitators were people like Rick James who's albums the Flag and Beautiful were clearly Prince based rip offs in sound and looks. Even George Michael could be accussed being like Prince for songs like "I want your sex" and TTD with "Sign your name" and "Wishing well" all those these were the best Prince rip offs, yet with enough original sauce of their own.

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My choice - Ready for the World - Oh Sheila as that group probably had no reason to exist before Prince. Followed closely by a song by the Brakays which I have forgot (Midnight loving?) and Mr Operator by Midnight Star sounds Prince/New Edition like, but I lovedMidnight Star and "No Parking on the Dancefloor" alone gives them a pass.

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Outside of the USA, I think System Addict by Fivestar is pretty bad Prince rip off and Rocket 2 U by the Jetts (Tongans in the USA), although that song is at least decent, so yeah Oh Sheila.

I really love George Michael. Although I've gotta admit when I hear and watch "I Want Your Sex" I am sure that he was influenced by Prince. It's obvious.

It's a good thing for some songs that's out there. The two I've quoted here are no where near the worst! I think Mark Ronson - Bruno Mars and George Michael were inspired by Prince ...The Time ( The Minneapolis Sound) I also think George Michael was just truly inspired and out came IWYS

Prince changed the Game it really was a Sign O' The Times

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but clones kind of get it wrong because we are promoting individuality and being proud of being yourself.

[Edited 1/17/15 19:58pm]

I'm gonna make me a cdr with all those songs. although this one is much more recent and intentionally 80's, it goes on my cdr as well:

https://www.youtube.com/w...JJC1gKwgxU

A Homage to an early eighties Prince sound?

I remember him talking about this in a 1987 Black Beat article.He said that he was gonna sign with Paisley Park Records,but didn't do it because "Prince and BrownMark were gonna take all the credit for my album.Now I understand how Prince's thing works.He finds people who would do anything to become a star.I'm not one of those people"

Adorecream said:

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Also too he was apparently nearly signed to Paisley Park and Prince and Brownmark had almost overwrote his album. However Georgio had a mammoth ego which stopped things from going forward.