thedance said:

KingSausage said:

I'm a big fan of AOA, so I really appreciate the new sounds that Josh helped Prince create.

Well said.

We can agree on that..........but how can u know exactly what that contribution really is?

Joshua and Hannah Welton are Christian

fundamentalists.I think it's more about being with'

other religious nuts than worrying about a younger audience.

I wish for P to work with someone talented closer

to his level,mr Welton just brings more crap and confusion

to the mix.(Sorry,just so tired of 3EG and that fucking guys

nothingness).

Graycap23 said:

SignOthetimes1987 said:

No, the "first undeniable indication that Prince is worried about the younger audience" would be Diamonds and Pearls in 1991 But AOA is similar, in that regard. Only difference is it failed commercially, whereas D&P hit the goldmine.

[Edited 5/31/15 22:06pm]

thedance said:

Militant said:

P already worked with Orbit.

William Orbit and Mark Moore (S'Express) did the official remix of "The Future" from the Batman soundtrack.

And he also did the Batdance (Batmix) or am I wrong?

I love the remix of The Future...

Agreed. Orbit's remixes to the Batman singles were amazing. I'd LOVE if he and Prince were to work together

CharismaDove said:

KingSausage said:

CharismaDove said:

Agreed. Orbit's remixes to the Batman singles were amazing. I'd LOVE if he and Prince were to work together

I don't know if I've ever heard any of those remixes. Or at least knew they were done by Orbit. Shit.

Orbit also did a remix of Electric Chair.

that would have been the GameBoyz in the early 90s

FUNKYNESS said:

I dont like the idea of Joshua Welton - lets get that out of the way right now. I have been with Prince since the first record. The greatest aspect of his artistry that made me a devoted fan over 35 years ago was the fact that Prince was the most self contained musical genius that we had ever seen - period. Even in accounting for all of his early collaborators and associates - from the mythical glorified (ie.Wendy and Lisa) to the undeservedly forgotten (ie.Dez Dickerson, Eric Leeds), it always came down to pure Prince - out front and fearless - doing what no one else had the imagination, talent, or the balls to do. He didnt really need anyone but chose to share certain parts on certain projects (The Time, Madhouse, The Family, Sheila E, Jill Jones, etc). His reliance on them was merely to be alternate faces and voices for him to forge his genius into several categories and directions at once. He always took some heat for that but his legendary cutting edge prolificacy was relentless - you didn't have to like it because in 6 months there would be something new that you would.

But that was then. Prince doesnt seem to do that anymore. Or at least not like he did through those vaunted Paisley Park Records era. Now it could be said that he is the venerable legend who has surrounded himself with youngsters of limited ability and charisma (at least in comparison to those early proteges of the 80s) in order to maintain some appeal in a business that worships youth - no matter how inferior and unsubstantial (I refrain from listing the many popular "artists" who fall into this category - I am sure you know who they are). Regardless of what you think of 3rdEyeGirl, if you have been an informed Prince fan for the last 20 years or so, you cant honestly name a prior Prince band that isnt better than them. That is not to say they have no skill and cant play.

I have yet to identify what Welton brings to Prince music other than his wife. There again, that is not to say he has no skill or talent. However, for me, it does raise a question: why? Why is he needed and what is it that he is supposed to bring to the table? Why does he get a credit next to Prince on a Prince album - an honor that no single person has ever had.

That is my question and that is also my rant, I suppose. Tired of typing now so there you go

daingermouz2020 said:

I think Prince should just call up Dez Dickerson, Wendy and Lisa, Fink,Leeds, Jessie Johnson, and get Brent Fisher on strings and Produce like he use to. Not necessarily trying to cater to the younger crowd of today

Yeah, but if he called them in the middle of the night to come to the studio they would probably not answer or just hang up on him. The 3rdeyegirls and Josh are young so they can deal with the schedule and are probably thanking their lucky stars every day that they are a part of Prince's world right now.

.

[Edited 6/2/15 4:20am]

prince collaborations, credited and uncredited are the major source for his best work .. prince on his own is often stale safe and boring and it literally killed his recording career .. hannah is easily prince worse drummer ever ... josh on the other hand, managed to bring out some decent prince on aoa .. fnr, time, way back home and breakdown are his best songs in a long time .. again the collaborations with both josh and andy allo really brought something good to the mix .. aoa mastering and sounds are not great but still better than a few handfuls of prince records .. prince would be nothing without his collaborators and his music only rises with the quality of talent he works with .. he is out of ideas but can still hear and use a good idea he gets from someone else .. its too bad his pool is so limited due to his rediculous religious beliefs and sheltered and superficial lifestyle .. i dont think he is worried about the younger audience .. i think he just wants a credibly good album again and he's throwing whatever he can at the wall to hope it sticks .. and some of it has lately .. which is good ... but please give credit where credit is due ... josh got credit likely as a small step towards prince giving proper production credits

I was scared about who this Joshua A.M. guy was when I first heard that he was affiliated with Deadmau5 who is the biggest fraud and button pusher in EDM. I would presume they met through Toronto music and religious circles or vice versa. I wholeheartedly agree with the remark that his 'pool is so limited due to his ridiculous religious beliefs'. Its hard to imagine any session musician (well not that hard) that would put up with the hours and ludicrousness that are involved with working with Prince. Something tells me from everything we know that only a young person caught up with idol worship or looking for an opportunity of a lifetime would put up with his shit. Conversely I do sort of like the effect that a 'pure' band - a band chosen for right rather than 'wrong' living- has on the music. Except Hannah Welton who is, as someone else said, the worst drummer he has ever had.

I don't understand why people keep calling Joshua Welton's production "contemporary."

If anything his productions are like amateur takes on circa-2005 Timbaland.

There's nothing radically different on AOA. Every single element that's on AOA has been present in various forms on previous Prince releases.

.

Similar to how Uptown Funk is a "composite" of previous R&B/Funk tracks, the same goes for AOA. It's a composite of previous Prince sounds, but put together in a refreshing new way.

.

Whether that's Joshua Welton's doing entirely, who knows.

Se7en said:

There's nothing radically different on AOA. Every single element that's on AOA has been present in various forms on previous Prince releases.

.

Similar to how Uptown Funk is a "composite" of previous R&B/Funk tracks, the same goes for AOA. It's a composite of previous Prince sounds, but put together in a refreshing new way.

.

Whether that's Joshua Welton's doing entirely, who knows.

That's basically what the NYTimes review of the album said (I think Jon Pareles wrote it). That Prince, and Welton was mentioned, basically was taken on or led a course through all the elements of his music which have become dance music. From quick scrubbed guitar lines to Linn console handclaps.

TrevorAyer said:

unusial for this guy whos gemina dichotomy vasilates betwixt .. peace loving hippy and rich bloated egomaniac condescending womanizer. he doesnt care if his audience is old .. as long as his girlfriends are fresh out of diapers

Strange that I got banned by Tony Militant when this poster actually says what I was accused of saying. Peace out, y'all!

To answer this thread main question, yes, Prince had never before worried about his younger audience:

Gohi said:

The only thing undeniable about Joshua Welton is he'll be out of Prince's good graces before too long.

As long as his wife's around, he'll be around.

I love the fact that Prince gives back. It is a beautiful thing to allow young people the opportunity to work on major projects. I think he has done this from the start, giving talent the opportunity to work on his projects. Wendy, Lisa, Morris, on and on.

The cover of Around the World in A Day was by a member of his road crew. When I heard about that I was blown away by how magnanimous that was. Giving Wendy's brother a birthday present of recording studio time. Steve Parke, on and on.
That's what humanity should be about, giving, opportunity.


When it comes to his own work, and what get's released, that's all him. All the decisions that go into a release is all him. Whatever contributions by others, it's still about him and what the artist feels reflects his vision. So whatever his current project is, it only reflects Prince himself. Good or bad,

FUNKYNESS said:

I have yet to identify what Welton brings to Prince music other than his wife. There again, that is not to say he has no skill or talent. However, for me, it does raise a question: why? Why is he needed and what is it that he is supposed to bring to the table? Why does he get a credit next to Prince on a Prince album - an honor that no single person has ever had.

That is my question and that is also my rant, I suppose. Tired of typing now so there you go

No person has ever had? What about Hans Martin Buff? KirkyJ? Michael Koppleman? Prince has worked with a few producers over the years. Few of them got on stage though so people don't view them as prominant figures.

As for Prince worrying about a younger audience. No. AOA isn't the first. If you're being cynical an argument could easily be made that the first indication was Diamonds & Pearls, he even hired Jacksons PR guy... upto RAVE where he was just desperate for a hit song.

I don't think Prince remotely cares about his audience these days. He hasn't had anything close to a hit song for over 20 years. When he plays live the tickets sell. If the only thing he wanted was a hit song, then he'd be working with Daft Punk, Pharrell, Mark Ronson etc. Instead he trauls youtube and finds what he likes.

Prince might worry about a younger audience, but he will never understand them. And because of that, they will never fully embrace him. Why?

.

Point #1: The younger generation is a not a music-buying generation. They're not even a downloading generation. They listen to music on Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, etc. CDs are dying out, and even digital downloads aren't "where it's at". Even if the younger fans are listening, they aren't buying. "Owning music" is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

.

Point #2: This is somewhat of a continuation of Point #1, but less about finances and more about being known. In today's younger generation, it's about streaming, mobile, etc. In a few cases (such as YouTube), Prince is actively against it.

.

Point #3: A lot of his work is not only not available on streaming sites, it's not available anywhere - period. I don't know anyone else in my collection whose albums go OOP so quickly. Again, for a generation who's not purchasing music, to have Prince's stuff only be available on eBay (or pirated) is a big roadblock.

.

Point #4: Prince is getting older. Yes, he looks better than most people half his age do, but the fact is that he is pushing 60. The younger generation is looking to the Chris Browns, Jason Derulos and Bruno Marses of the world to fill that R&B need. Even Usher is a bit "old" for the current music scene. Maybe the younger generation is not where Prince needs to be focusing so hard?

.

Notice that not one thing I wrote has anything to do with the quality of Prince's music. What I am saying is that his footprint in today's digital/social/mobile world is sorely missing and he might not understand his target market.

.

He needs a populated, official YouTube channel.

He needs a professionally-designed/maintained website.

He needs an informative and fun social network.

He needs a dedicated Sirius/XM station that he personally is involved in (weekly segments, live exclusive concerts or rehearsals, etc).

.

The cost of doing almost all of these things is "minimal" in regards to Prince. He could have the YouTube channel populated overnight with videos and live clips. He could hire a social media person (a fan) who could basically do it from home and all sites up overnight. XM and the website might take a bit of doing, but they would be worth it.

.

Food for thought. We fans argue about him not making hits anymore - but we also shouldn't ignore that his actual hits aren't being heard anymore either.

.

For those who might immediately respond "our boy is doing fine on his own" -- he's not as big as he could be. You're thinking small scale.

Se7en said:

Prince might worry about a younger audience, but he will never understand them. And because of that, they will never fully embrace him. Why?

.

Point #1: The younger generation is a not a music-buying generation. They're not even a downloading generation. They listen to music on Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, etc. CDs are dying out, and even digital downloads aren't "where it's at". Even if the younger fans are listening, they aren't buying. "Owning music" is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

.

Point #2: This is somewhat of a continuation of Point #1, but less about finances and more about being known. In today's younger generation, it's about streaming, mobile, etc. In a few cases (such as YouTube), Prince is actively against it.

.

Point #3: A lot of his work is not only not available on streaming sites, it's not available anywhere - period. I don't know anyone else in my collection whose albums go OOP so quickly. Again, for a generation who's not purchasing music, to have Prince's stuff only be available on eBay (or pirated) is a big roadblock.

.

Point #4: Prince is getting older. Yes, he looks better than most people half his age do, but the fact is that he is pushing 60. The younger generation is looking to the Chris Browns, Jason Derulos and Bruno Marses of the world to fill that R&B need. Even Usher is a bit "old" for the current music scene. Maybe the younger generation is not where Prince needs to be focusing so hard?

.

Notice that not one thing I wrote has anything to do with the quality of Prince's music. What I am saying is that his footprint in today's digital/social/mobile world is sorely missing and he might not understand his target market.

.

He needs a populated, official YouTube channel.

He needs a professionally-designed/maintained website.

He needs an informative and fun social network.

He needs a dedicated Sirius/XM station that he personally is involved in (weekly segments, live exclusive concerts or rehearsals, etc).

.

Prince will do exactly NONE of those things.

Graycap23 said:

Se7en said:

Prince might worry about a younger audience, but he will never understand them. And because of that, they will never fully embrace him. Why?

.

Point #1: The younger generation is a not a music-buying generation. They're not even a downloading generation. They listen to music on Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, etc. CDs are dying out, and even digital downloads aren't "where it's at". Even if the younger fans are listening, they aren't buying. "Owning music" is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

.

Point #2: This is somewhat of a continuation of Point #1, but less about finances and more about being known. In today's younger generation, it's about streaming, mobile, etc. In a few cases (such as YouTube), Prince is actively against it.

.

Point #3: A lot of his work is not only not available on streaming sites, it's not available anywhere - period. I don't know anyone else in my collection whose albums go OOP so quickly. Again, for a generation who's not purchasing music, to have Prince's stuff only be available on eBay (or pirated) is a big roadblock.

.

Point #4: Prince is getting older. Yes, he looks better than most people half his age do, but the fact is that he is pushing 60. The younger generation is looking to the Chris Browns, Jason Derulos and Bruno Marses of the world to fill that R&B need. Even Usher is a bit "old" for the current music scene. Maybe the younger generation is not where Prince needs to be focusing so hard?

.

Notice that not one thing I wrote has anything to do with the quality of Prince's music. What I am saying is that his footprint in today's digital/social/mobile world is sorely missing and he might not understand his target market.

.

He needs a populated, official YouTube channel.

He needs a professionally-designed/maintained website.

He needs an informative and fun social network.

He needs a dedicated Sirius/XM station that he personally is involved in (weekly segments, live exclusive concerts or rehearsals, etc).

.

Prince will do exactly NONE of those things.

Sadly, I agree with you.

I've made my feelings about the Weltons very clear on here. With that said, Joshua Welton's "production" has done nothing for me, and somebody with half a pair that doesn't fear losing their job needs to tell Prince that he sucks, and that just because his wife is P's current drummer doesn't mean he can slime his way into assisting Prince in the studio. Lol Give me Josh's job, I'm deserving of it and can guide P back to the energy he tapped into during his glory years! The Weltons are more of a burden than P cares to see and acknowledge and that's 3/4 of the problem I have with this band/era. Hannah is more unfunky than Sir Nose.

[Edited 6/12/15 7:28am]

Se7en said:

Prince might worry about a younger audience, but he will never understand them. And because of that, they will never fully embrace him. Why?

.

Point #1: The younger generation is a not a music-buying generation. They're not even a downloading generation. They listen to music on Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, etc. CDs are dying out, and even digital downloads aren't "where it's at". Even if the younger fans are listening, they aren't buying. "Owning music" is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

.

Point #2: This is somewhat of a continuation of Point #1, but less about finances and more about being known. In today's younger generation, it's about streaming, mobile, etc. In a few cases (such as YouTube), Prince is actively against it.

.

Point #3: A lot of his work is not only not available on streaming sites, it's not available anywhere - period. I don't know anyone else in my collection whose albums go OOP so quickly. Again, for a generation who's not purchasing music, to have Prince's stuff only be available on eBay (or pirated) is a big roadblock.

.

Point #4: Prince is getting older. Yes, he looks better than most people half his age do, but the fact is that he is pushing 60. The younger generation is looking to the Chris Browns, Jason Derulos and Bruno Marses of the world to fill that R&B need. Even Usher is a bit "old" for the current music scene. Maybe the younger generation is not where Prince needs to be focusing so hard?

.

Notice that not one thing I wrote has anything to do with the quality of Prince's music. What I am saying is that his footprint in today's digital/social/mobile world is sorely missing and he might not understand his target market.

.

He needs a populated, official YouTube channel.

He needs a professionally-designed/maintained website.

He needs an informative and fun social network.

He needs a dedicated Sirius/XM station that he personally is involved in (weekly segments, live exclusive concerts or rehearsals, etc).

.

The cost of doing almost all of these things is "minimal" in regards to Prince. He could have the YouTube channel populated overnight with videos and live clips. He could hire a social media person (a fan) who could basically do it from home and all sites up overnight. XM and the website might take a bit of doing, but they would be worth it.

.

Food for thought. We fans argue about him not making hits anymore - but we also shouldn't ignore that his actual hits aren't being heard anymore either.

.

For those who might immediately respond "our boy is doing fine on his own" -- he's not as big as he could be. You're thinking small scale.

These are great points that are obvious to many,but Prince doesn't seem to care.

He LIKES to act as the elusive superstar,and maybe he thinks that his absence from YouTube,the lack of a well designed website etc. help to sell more tickets for the live shows,that is the core business for an artist today.You want to see the "mysterious" Prince? You have to pay a good amount of money and go to a concert. Just my 2 cents.

kygermo said:

I've made my feelings about the Weltons very clear on here. With that said, Joshua Welton's "production" has done nothing for me, and somebody with half a pair that doesn't fear losing their job needs to tell Prince that he sucks, and that just because his wife is P's current drummer doesn't mean he can slime his way into assisting Prince in the studio. Lol Give me Josh's job, I'm deserving of it and can guide P back to the energy he tapped into during his glory years! The Weltons are more of a burden than P cares to see and acknowledge and that's 3/4 of the problem I have with this band/era. Hannah is more unfunky than Sir Nose.

[Edited 6/12/15 7:28am]

Prince isn't interested in that. He doesn't want to be challenged or inspired. People who disagree with him will never get close to him. That's why he's surrounded by asskissers. Hell, even his ex-wives were fucking groupies.

EvilAngel said:

kygermo said:

I've made my feelings about the Weltons very clear on here. With that said, Joshua Welton's "production" has done nothing for me, and somebody with half a pair that doesn't fear losing their job needs to tell Prince that he sucks, and that just because his wife is P's current drummer doesn't mean he can slime his way into assisting Prince in the studio. Lol Give me Josh's job, I'm deserving of it and can guide P back to the energy he tapped into during his glory years! The Weltons are more of a burden than P cares to see and acknowledge and that's 3/4 of the problem I have with this band/era. Hannah is more unfunky than Sir Nose.

[Edited 6/12/15 7:28am]

Prince isn't interested in that. He doesn't want to be challenged or inspired. People who disagree with him will never get close to him. That's why he's surrounded by asskissers. Hell, even his ex-wives were fucking groupies.

Not to be condescending, but you realize I was joking right?

kygermo said:

EvilAngel said:

Prince isn't interested in that. He doesn't want to be challenged or inspired. People who disagree with him will never get close to him. That's why he's surrounded by asskissers. Hell, even his ex-wives were fucking groupies.

Not to be condescending, but you realize I was joking right?

Regarding you being worthy enough to work with him, yes. But there really are a lot of fans hoping he'd work with [insert name of popular artist/producer] because they think a collaboration could bring back the old Prince.