Nothing Bruno Mars does really reminds me of Prince yet some call him the next Prince

Lenny Kravitz never really sounded like Prince to me yet a lot of people seem to think of him when they think of Lenny

Terence Trent D'arby was considered a Prince clone yet he never sounded like Prince

those are just a few examples..

some people act like he's the inventor of everything in music in some cases

[Edited 9/27/15 16:02pm]

All of the artists you mentioned have, at times, jacked certain sounds or looks from Prince. Lenny blatantly plagiarised Wherever U Go Whatever U Do with his hit Again. Bruno's Uptown Funk is hugely influenced by The Time. TTD's whole mystique and pretentiousness was jacked straight from Prince.

MattyJam said:

All of the artists you mentioned have, at times, jacked certain sounds or looks from Prince. Lenny blatantly plagiarised Wherever U Go Whatever U Do with his hit Again. Bruno's Uptown Funk is hugely influenced by The Time. TTD's whole mystique and pretentiousness was jacked straight from Prince.

Bruno Mars before Uptown Funk was compared to Prince.. I've seen it here. And Uptown Funk sounds musically more like Gap Band and Zapp. I hear the similarity with the Morris day personna in the song but THe TIme jacked it from Kid Creole to begin with..

so one song from Lenny made him a Prince clone?

and TTD could have very well been influenced by those aspects from Prince but that shouldn't make him a Prince clone.. and Prince isn't the inventor of being mysterious.. Grace Jones and David Bowie came before him..

[Edited 9/27/15 6:25am]

FunkyD said:

MattyJam said:

All of the artists you mentioned have, at times, jacked certain sounds or looks from Prince. Lenny blatantly plagiarised Wherever U Go Whatever U Do with his hit Again. Bruno's Uptown Funk is hugely influenced by The Time. TTD's whole mystique and pretentiousness was jacked straight from Prince.

Bruno Mars before Uptown Funk was compared to Prince.. I've seen it here. And Uptown Funk sounds musically more like Gap Band and Zapp. I hear the similarity with the Morris day personna in the song but THe TIme jacked it from Kid Creole to begin with..

so one song from Lenny made him a Prince clone?

and TTD could have very well been influenced by those aspects from Prince but that shouldn't make him a Prince clone..

[Edited 9/27/15 6:21am]

I never said these artists were Prince clones, but you implied that they weren't really influenced by Prince which is what I disagreed with.

MattyJam said:

FunkyD said:

Bruno Mars before Uptown Funk was compared to Prince.. I've seen it here. And Uptown Funk sounds musically more like Gap Band and Zapp. I hear the similarity with the Morris day personna in the song but THe TIme jacked it from Kid Creole to begin with..

so one song from Lenny made him a Prince clone?

and TTD could have very well been influenced by those aspects from Prince but that shouldn't make him a Prince clone..

[Edited 9/27/15 6:21am]

I never said these artists were Prince clones, but you implied that they weren't really influenced by Prince which is what I disagreed with.

Those influences are kinda minimal when you think about it..

My point was his influences on others are exagerated sometimes when some associate those guys and others to Prince all the time

[Edited 9/27/15 6:46am]

So in order to be "influenced by" they need to be 99% identical or it's overstated?

So Prince can't really be influenced by James Brown because Prince went more for an electronic sound. I mean there isn't much on For You or Prince that has a heavy JB sound to it

Most of the artists you mentioned have of their own accord cited Prince as an influence.

skywalker said:

All three of these artists have cited Prince as an influence at one time or another. Is that overstated?

I've seen the Weeknd mention Prince as an influence..

do you hear much influence in his music though?

FunkyD said:

skywalker said:

All three of these artists have cited Prince as an influence at one time or another. Is that overstated?

I've seen the Weeknd mention Prince as an influence..

do you hear much influence in his music though?

Here and there yes.

I don't hear it and say "ERRMAWGAWD" it's Prince, 5 exclamation marks!!!!one

I mean what's your point here? The Weekend say Prince is an influence, you're saying The Weekend is wrong? Prince isn't an infuence?

Noodled24 said:

FunkyD said:

I've seen the Weeknd mention Prince as an influence..

do you hear much influence in his music though?

Here and there yes.

I don't hear it and say "ERRMAWGAWD" it's Prince, 5 exclamation marks!!!!one

I mean what's your point here? The Weekend say Prince is an influence, you're saying The Weekend is wrong? Prince isn't an infuence?

oh really? do you have many examples with the Weeknd?

Bruno Mars can say Prince was an influence.. nothing he does really sounds like Prince though..

As i said people EXAGERATE them sometimes.. dosen't mean theres no minimal influences here and there. Some act like Prince invented Lenny Kravitz sometimes

[Edited 9/27/15 7:45am]

FunkyD said:

Noodled24 said:

Here and there yes.

I don't hear it and say "ERRMAWGAWD" it's Prince, 5 exclamation marks!!!!one

I mean what's your point here? The Weekend say Prince is an influence, you're saying The Weekend is wrong? Prince isn't an infuence?

oh really? do you have many examples with the Weeknd?

Bruno Mars can say Prince was an influence.. nothing he does really sounds like Prince though..

As i said people EXAGERATE them sometimes.. dosen't mean theirs no minimal influencials here and there. Some act like Prince invented Lenny Kravitz sometimes

[Edited 9/27/15 7:20am]

If an artist says "That person was an influence" then all you can do is take them at face value.

Asking for examples is inherantly pointless because "influence" doesn't mean "I bought the same keyboard because I wanted those sounds" - It could be purely Princes work ethic that was the influence, or the fact he was bold and unafraid of what people might say.

Didn't Bruno have a hit single with an 80s sounding ballad sang in falsetto? I'm not a fan so I can't name it. The first time I heard it my reaction was "Well I guess he's milked all he can from the Jacksons sound"

Nobody ever acted like Prince invented Lenny Kravitz. Lenny has said more than once he consideres Prince an influence. You're saying Lenny is wrong about that?

Noodled24 said:

FunkyD said:

oh really? do you have many examples with the Weeknd?

Bruno Mars can say Prince was an influence.. nothing he does really sounds like Prince though..

As i said people EXAGERATE them sometimes.. dosen't mean theirs no minimal influencials here and there. Some act like Prince invented Lenny Kravitz sometimes

[Edited 9/27/15 7:20am]

If an artist says "That person was an influence" then all you can do is take them at face value.

Asking for examples is inherantly pointless because "influence" doesn't mean "I bought the same keyboard because I wanted those sounds" - It could be purely Princes work ethic that was the influence, or the fact he was bold and unafraid of what people might say.

Didn't Bruno have a hit single with an 80s sounding ballad sang in falsetto? I'm not a fan so I can't name it. The first time I heard it my reaction was "Well I guess he's milked all he can from the Jacksons sound"

Nobody ever acted like Prince invented Lenny Kravitz. Lenny has said more than once he consideres Prince an influence. You're saying Lenny is wrong about that?

It has been the typical thing for an artist to say that they are influenced by Prince to make themselves look more diverse and artistic but when I hear a Bruno Mars or Weeknd song i don't hear and think of Prince at all.. not sure what Bruno Mars song your referring to but when i hear his music Prince dosen't jump to mind to call him the next Prince like some of people do.. Even with Lenny.. i hear much more Beatles, Hendrix and others than Prince..

[Edited 9/27/15 7:38am]

TDD interview In 1993:

We discuss music further. He talks about Prince, without drawing breath, for half an hour. D'Arby says the first time he heard Prince's music, he felt an inexplicable connection with it. He met him and Prince "talked his ass off, nothing like you'd expect" and told him he was a poet. D'Arby kissed him on the mouth. They speak on the telephone from time to time ("although there's still very much this big brother, little brother vibe"). He's very wary of repeating verbatim any conversations they have had as "he is a man who has assiduously avoided the big-mouthed mistakes I made and I don't want to blow it for him." He winds up his Princeathon simply and touchingly, saying, "I love him. I really do."

http://www.sanandamaitrey...azine.html

TDD

on Prince...

Aerogram said:

TDD interview In 1993:

We discuss music further. He talks about Prince, without drawing breath, for half an hour. D'Arby says the first time he heard Prince's music, he felt an inexplicable connection with it. He met him and Prince "talked his ass off, nothing like you'd expect" and told him he was a poet. D'Arby kissed him on the mouth. They speak on the telephone from time to time ("although there's still very much this big brother, little brother vibe"). He's very wary of repeating verbatim any conversations they have had as "he is a man who has assiduously avoided the big-mouthed mistakes I made and I don't want to blow it for him." He winds up his Princeathon simply and touchingly, saying, "I love him. I really do."

http://www.sanandamaitrey...azine.html

TTD is known to be a nut case.. maybe that's what he got from Prince

as well as the image and enigma as stated above.. The things that hurt his career the most..

but does a song like "If you let me stay" remind you much of Prince?

[Edited 9/27/15 8:04am]

FunkyD said:

Aerogram said:

TDD interview In 1993:

We discuss music further. He talks about Prince, without drawing breath, for half an hour. D'Arby says the first time he heard Prince's music, he felt an inexplicable connection with it. He met him and Prince "talked his ass off, nothing like you'd expect" and told him he was a poet. D'Arby kissed him on the mouth. They speak on the telephone from time to time ("although there's still very much this big brother, little brother vibe"). He's very wary of repeating verbatim any conversations they have had as "he is a man who has assiduously avoided the big-mouthed mistakes I made and I don't want to blow it for him." He winds up his Princeathon simply and touchingly, saying, "I love him. I really do."

http://www.sanandamaitrey...azine.html

TTD is known to be a nut case.. maybe that's what he got from Prince

as well as the image and enigma as stated above.. The things that hurt his career the most..

but does a song like "If you let me stay" remind you much of Prince?

[Edited 9/27/15 8:04am]

TTD was nothing short of obsessed with Prince and he has other influence as well but he's on record here talking of his love and even posing à la Lovesexy.

Lenny Kravitz also looks up to Prince, they played on each others' tracks, Lenny's dream band includes Prince, I mean they all but got bros4ever rings and everyone and their grandma noticed they have similar artistic and musical sensibilities -- in case you asked, sure he has other influences, it's just that he himself has made no secret who is his biggest one.

Mark Ronson, who produced Uptown Funk, thanked The Time when he won at the British music awards and there are videos such as this one:

https://www.youtube.com/w...RQaI3qyf8A

So the artists you named are quite influenced by Prince either artistically or musically, no they are not carbon copies that's what being influenced means: you have incorporated something, not plainly imitated it.

So it's hard to overstate Prince as an influence here, Bruno Mars being somewhat misclassified as he's not the same kind of creative powerhouse, it's more like he can do some Faux Prince but could never hang out with Prince musically and creatively.

[Edited 9/27/15 8:35am]

Aerogram said:

FunkyD said:

TTD is known to be a nut case.. maybe that's what he got from Prince

as well as the image and enigma as stated above.. The things that hurt his career the most..

but does a song like "If you let me stay" remind you much of Prince?

[Edited 9/27/15 8:04am]

TTD was nothing short of obsessed with Prince and he has other influence as well but he's on record here talking of his love and even posing à la Lovesexy.

Lenny Kravitz also looks up to Prince, they played on each others' tracks, Lenny's dream band includes Prince, I mean they all but got bros4ever rings and everyone and their grandma noticed they have similar artistic and musical sensibilities -- in case you asked, sure he has other influences, it's just that he himself has made no secret who is his biggest one.

Mark Ronson, who produced Uptown Funk, thanked The Time when he won at the British music awards and there are videos such as this one:

https://www.youtube.com/w...RQaI3qyf8A

So the artists you named are quite influenced by Prince either artistically or musically, no they are not carbon copies that's what being influenced mean: you have incorporated something, not plainly imitated it.

So it's hard to overstate Prince as an influence here, Bruno Mars being somewhat misclassified as he's not the same kind of creative powerhouse, it's more like he can do some Faux Prince but could never hang out with Prince musically and creatively.

TTD's music sounds NOTHING like Prince's..

TTD obviously admires Prince as does Lenny but the influences had more to do with his looks and his mystique.. the things that hurt TTD's career the most...,

Lenny Kravitz's biggest influence Prince??? your proving the point of my thread.. Some of y'all exagerate his influence on others.. what does them being friends have to do with Lenny Kravitz music sounding like Prince's??

and as I said the personna Bruno Mars uses on Uptown Funk seem influenced by The Time .. which Prince jacked from Kid Creole.. that's pretty much all it is.. musically it sounds nothing like Prince like some pretend..

All of this that you typed has nothing to do with them sounding like Prince

[Edited 9/27/15 9:43am]

FunkyD said:

Aerogram said:

TTD was nothing short of obsessed with Prince and he has other influence as well but he's on record here talking of his love and even posing à la Lovesexy.

Lenny Kravitz also looks up to Prince, they played on each others' tracks, Lenny's dream band includes Prince, I mean they all but got bros4ever rings and everyone and their grandma noticed they have similar artistic and musical sensibilities -- in case you asked, sure he has other influences, it's just that he himself has made no secret who is his biggest one.

Mark Ronson, who produced Uptown Funk, thanked The Time when he won at the British music awards and there are videos such as this one:

https://www.youtube.com/w...RQaI3qyf8A

So the artists you named are quite influenced by Prince either artistically or musically, no they are not carbon copies that's what being influenced mean: you have incorporated something, not plainly imitated it.

So it's hard to overstate Prince as an influence here, Bruno Mars being somewhat misclassified as he's not the same kind of creative powerhouse, it's more like he can do some Faux Prince but could never hang out with Prince musically and creatively.

TTD's music sound NOTHING like Prince's..

TTD obviously admires Prince as does Lenny but the influences had more to do with his looks and his mystique.. the things that hurt TTD's career the most...,

Lenny Kravitz's biggest influence Prince??? your proving the point of my thread.. Some of y'all exagerate his influence on others.. what does them being friends have to do with Lenny Kravitz music sounding like Prince's??

and as I said the personna Bruno Mars uses on Uptown Funk seem influenced by The Time .. which Prince jacked from Kid Creole.. that's pretty much all it is.. musically it sounds nothing like Prince like some pretend..

All of this that you typed has nothing to do with them sounding like Prince

[Edited 9/27/15 9:30am]

You asked if they were influenced by Prince. They are. The reason they don't sound like him is that be heavily influenced by Prince, you have to personalize your influences, make them your own, it has to be your own take on something, or Prince would not even consider you worthy -- you'd just be a copycat.

They were quite inspired by his example, and that means not literally sounding like him. But you don't get that -- or are you pretending you're not understanding that part?

For a minute, could have sworn I was talking to Funksterr.

That said, Bruno Mars's Uptown Funk qualifies as a Time homage. He's not so much "influenced" by Prince, more like Ronson borrowed generously from Prince's work on Time albums.

[Edited 9/27/15 9:49am]

Aerogram said:

That said, Bruno Mars's Uptown Funk qualifies as a Time homage. He's not so much "influenced" by Prince, more like Ronson borrowed generously from Prince's work on Time albums.

[Edited 9/27/15 9:49am]

So Ronson thanked The Time , does Ronson have a grudge with Prince or something?

Aerogram said:

FunkyD said:

TTD's music sound NOTHING like Prince's..

TTD obviously admires Prince as does Lenny but the influences had more to do with his looks and his mystique.. the things that hurt TTD's career the most...,

Lenny Kravitz's biggest influence Prince??? your proving the point of my thread.. Some of y'all exagerate his influence on others.. what does them being friends have to do with Lenny Kravitz music sounding like Prince's??

and as I said the personna Bruno Mars uses on Uptown Funk seem influenced by The Time .. which Prince jacked from Kid Creole.. that's pretty much all it is.. musically it sounds nothing like Prince like some pretend..

All of this that you typed has nothing to do with them sounding like Prince

[Edited 9/27/15 9:30am]

You asked if they were influenced by Prince. They are. The reason they don't sound like him is that be heavily influenced by Prince, you have to personalize your influences, make them your own, it has to be your own take on something, or Prince would not even consider you worthy -- you'd just be a copycat.

They were quite inspired by his example, and that means not literally sounding like him. But you don't get that -- or are you pretending you're not understanding that part?

For a minute, could have sworn I was talking to Funksterr.

This thread is about some people overstating his influence on some others artists. and you've proved my point..

It's funny you type about personalizing influences yet Lenny Kravitz is in this conversation..

The guy who's known to copy blatantly other people's styles.. If Prince was such a big influence in Lenny's music wouldn't it be super obvious?

Guitarhero said:

Aerogram said:

That said, Bruno Mars's Uptown Funk qualifies as a Time homage. He's not so much "influenced" by Prince, more like Ronson borrowed generously from Prince's work on Time albums.

[Edited 9/27/15 9:49am]

So Ronson thanked The Time , does Ronson have a grudge with Prince or something?

I don't know, could be he wanted to thank the people who performed the songs live and had the whole mystique, plus people may not be sure about the extent of contributions that were not Prince's.

It's probably smarter to not play up his influence, given that he's notoriously litigious.

FunkyD said:

Aerogram said:

You asked if they were influenced by Prince. They are. The reason they don't sound like him is that be heavily influenced by Prince, you have to personalize your influences, make them your own, it has to be your own take on something, or Prince would not even consider you worthy -- you'd just be a copycat.

They were quite inspired by his example, and that means not literally sounding like him. But you don't get that -- or are you pretending you're not understanding that part?

For a minute, could have sworn I was talking to Funksterr.

This thread is about some people overstating his influence on some others artists. and you've proved my point..

It's funny you type about personalizing influences yet Lenny Kravitz is in this conversation..

The guy who's known to copy blatantly other people's styles.. If Prince was such a big influence in Lenny's music wouldn't it be super obvious?

It IS super-obvious in his artistic approach, he's inspired by classic acts but they go through the Lenny prism just like JB, Sly, etc go through the Prince prism.

So have it your way - SOME people SOMETIMES OVERstate his influence because they're not straight-out copy-catting his stuff, what a revelation!

Aerogram said:

That said, Bruno Mars's Uptown Funk qualifies as a Time homage. He's not so much "influenced" by Prince, more like Ronson borrowed generously from Prince's work on Time albums.

Your overstating by calling it a Time homage.. as i said musically it sounds nothing like the Time. and knowing Prince he would have filed a lawsuit in a hurry if that was the case.. It's just the personna that Bruno Mars kind of borrows.. just like Morris Day borrowed from Kid creole

And your right about Bruno Mars not being much influenced by Prince which is why i find all this talk about Bruno Mars being the next Prince ridiculous

[Edited 9/27/15 10:47am]

Aerogram said:

FunkyD said:

This thread is about some people overstating his influence on some others artists. and you've proved my point..

It's funny you type about personalizing influences yet Lenny Kravitz is in this conversation..

The guy who's known to copy blatantly other people's styles.. If Prince was such a big influence in Lenny's music wouldn't it be super obvious?

It IS super-obvious in his artistic approach, he's inspired by classic acts but they go through the Lenny prism just like JB, Sly, etc go through the Prince prism.

So have it your way - SOME people SOMETIMES OVERstate his influence because they're not straight-out copy-catting his stuff, what a revelation!

How is it obvious??

My point was in Lenny Kravitz's case, he makes his influences super obvious in his music. I hear much more Hendrix, The doors, Beatles, Sly Stone.. I don't really hear Prince much in his music

and this thread isn't about "copy-catting" in case you didn't know

FunkyD said:

Aerogram said:

It IS super-obvious in his artistic approach, he's inspired by classic acts but they go through the Lenny prism just like JB, Sly, etc go through the Prince prism.

So have it your way - SOME people SOMETIMES OVERstate his influence because they're not straight-out copy-catting his stuff, what a revelation!

How is it obvious??

My point was in Lenny Kravitz's case, he makes his influences super obvious in his music. I hear much more Hendrix, The doors, Beatles, Sly Stone.. I don't really hear Prince much in his music

and this thread isn't about "copy-catting" in case you didn't know

Because being Hendrixian and Sly-ish isn't anything like Prince?

I think you like to argue a little too much. The influence is in the approach and some of the sounds and styles, it's not straight out copying his music.

Aerogram said:

FunkyD said:

How is it obvious??

My point was in Lenny Kravitz's case, he makes his influences super obvious in his music. I hear much more Hendrix, The doors, Beatles, Sly Stone.. I don't really hear Prince much in his music

and this thread isn't about "copy-catting" in case you didn't know

Because being Hendrixian and Sly-ish isn't anything like Prince?

I think you like to argue a little too much. The influence is in the approach and some of the sounds and styles, it's not straight out copying his music.

SO Prince invented being influenced by Sly Stone and Hendrix? and anyone influenced by them is influenced by Prince? smh..

That's a really funny way of looking at it

If the influence in the music is so subtle then why say Prince is a MAJOR influence on them?

[Edited 9/27/15 10:46am]

FunkyD said:

Aerogram said:

Because being Hendrixian and Sly-ish isn't anything like Prince?

I think you like to argue a little too much. The influence is in the approach and some of the sounds and styles, it's not straight out copying his music.

SO Prince invented being influenced by Sly Stone and Hendrix? and anyone influenced by them is influenced by Prince? smh..

That's a really funny way of looking at it

If the influence in the music is so subtle then why say Prince is a MAJOR influence on them?

[Edited 9/27/15 10:46am]

You're just finding endless ways to continue to argue instead of engaging in a dialogue.

Very juvenile and boring.

Aerogram said:

That said, Bruno Mars's Uptown Funk qualifies as a Time homage. He's not so much "influenced" by Prince, more like Ronson borrowed generously from Prince's work on Time albums.

[Edited 9/27/15 9:49am]

Ronson is over rated... Strange he said in an interview he never watched Purpe Rain or followed Prince's work that much yet he knows The Time...

Aerogram said:

FunkyD said:

SO Prince invented being influenced by Sly Stone and Hendrix? and anyone influenced by them is influenced by Prince? smh..

That's a really funny way of looking at it

If the influence in the music is so subtle then why say Prince is a MAJOR influence on them?

[Edited 9/27/15 10:46am]

You're just finding endless ways to continue to argue instead of engaging in a dialogue.

Very juvenile and boring.

In other words.. I don't have anyting to say after the last reply that made too much sense but I won't admit it.. thanks for playing though..

[Edited 9/27/15 13:08pm]

FunkyD said:

Noodled24 said:

If an artist says "That person was an influence" then all you can do is take them at face value.

Asking for examples is inherantly pointless because "influence" doesn't mean "I bought the same keyboard because I wanted those sounds" - It could be purely Princes work ethic that was the influence, or the fact he was bold and unafraid of what people might say.

Didn't Bruno have a hit single with an 80s sounding ballad sang in falsetto? I'm not a fan so I can't name it. The first time I heard it my reaction was "Well I guess he's milked all he can from the Jacksons sound"

Nobody ever acted like Prince invented Lenny Kravitz. Lenny has said more than once he consideres Prince an influence. You're saying Lenny is wrong about that?

It has been the typical thing for an artist to say that they are influenced by Prince to make themselves look more diverse and artistic but when I hear a Bruno Mars or Weeknd song i don't hear and think of Prince at all.. not sure what Bruno Mars song your referring to but when i hear his music Prince dosen't jump to mind to call him the next Prince like some of people do.. Even with Lenny.. i hear much more Beatles, Hendrix and others than Prince..

Right... but again you're talking about influence in a very direct sense. You seem to be looking for a melody or hook that Lenny has taken from a Prince song. Arguing that even though these artists have said Prince was (for whatever reason) an influence on them and thus their work... You're saying they're wrong... because they don't sound enough like Prince?