Did Prince add Eric Leeds and Miko Weaver from the start of the tour

or were they added latter?

In Possessed by Alex Hahn it says Wendy was frustrated

with Prince deciding to give solo spot on the Purple Rain intro to Eric Leeds since it was her solo spot.

I cant remember hearing Wendy ever play intro guitar solo to Purple Rain song so was she?

thebanishedone said:

Did Prince add Eric Leeds and Miko Weaver from the start of the tour

or were they added latter?

In Possessed by Alex Hahn it says Wendy was frustrated

with Prince deciding to give solo spot on the Purple Rain intro to Eric Leeds since it was her solo spot.

I cant remember hearing Wendy ever play intro guitar solo to Purple Rain song so was she?

I think Eric's showing up is covered in DMSR, as was Wendy's frustration. DMSR is a better telling than Hahn's book, IMO.

Miko was part of Sheila's band (as was Levi, and I think Boni?), so that's why either of the guys were on stage during the encores.

Wendy was definitely not liking the additions to the band by the time Parade came around. He absorbed parts of Sheila's band (Miko), and parts of The Time (Jerome, Susannah) into The Revolution. Throw in Eric, Wally, & Greg, and that's double the size. Wendy (and possibly Lisa) hated how Prince jumped around with those three guys. I feel her on that, to a great degree.

It was really left over Revolution members that made up the SOTT/Lovesexy band. Levi came onboard, as did Boni, and Eric probably pulled in Atlanta Bliss (although I forget off hand - I'm probably wrong on that). And talk about trickle down - parts of the Lovesexy band ended up in the first version of NPG in 1990 (Levi, Miko, Fink). It was probably not until Emancipation that he had a whole new band all around, if memory serves.

Wendy and Prince are both alphas, so them fighting wasn't new. Prince tried to dock her pay for having a beer at the Sheridan, WY premiere of UTCM. Wendy let him know she wasn't thrilled with his crap. There's a lot of little tales of Prince & Wendy butting heads a bit. But we all know W&L brought more to Prince's music than almost anyone else - at least to the degree they did.

thebanishedone said:

Did Prince add Eric Leeds and Miko Weaver from the start of the tour

or were they added latter?

In Possessed by Alex Hahn it says Wendy was frustrated

with Prince deciding to give solo spot on the Purple Rain intro to Eric Leeds since it was her solo spot.

I cant remember hearing Wendy ever play intro guitar solo to Purple Rain song so was she?

Eric came in later in 1985.
Miko Weaver Sheila E Juan E(sovedo) Eddie M & Suzy Davis came in on Baby I'm A Star (America) and maybe 1 or 2 other songs near the end. Also Apollonia 6 many times would be on at this time(Brenda Bennet would do Blue Limousine with the band, and sometimes it was added into the Baby I'm A Star jam), along with Jerome Benton(representing the Time) -they would do the Bird
This song sorta represented all of Prince's camp 'making it' but Jill Jones as far as I know was never on. Susannah Melvoin was on a lot of 1985 shows too

Eddie M was the main sax player when there was one(like he was on stage during Take Me With U as well) and Possessed (Eric came on later)

Wendy wrote that opening guitar chord piece to Purple Rain, and once or twice Prince had Eric do that piece on sax.

Wendy always played the guitar intro to Purple Rain(she created that piece) she did it in Purple Rain the movie, @ the 1983 Dance Benefit recording, on the majority of Purple Rain performances between 1983-1986 and @ the 2006 Brit Award Show

I suspect if Morris Day was still around he would be up there too
During the Parade tour any encores like Kiss, Sheila E and some band members along with Mazarati members would join on stage.

Prince Bobby Z Brenda Bennett Wendy Melvoin Susannah Melvoin (in the photo)

Eric Leeds during Possessed

Jerome Benton(the Time) and sometimes Prince would bring Wally & Gregory on stage during this point

with Greg Brooks

TrivialPursuit said:

thebanishedone said:

Did Prince add Eric Leeds and Miko Weaver from the start of the tour

or were they added latter?

In Possessed by Alex Hahn it says Wendy was frustrated

with Prince deciding to give solo spot on the Purple Rain intro to Eric Leeds since it was her solo spot.

I cant remember hearing Wendy ever play intro guitar solo to Purple Rain song so was she?

I think Eric's showing up is covered in DMSR, as was Wendy's frustration. DMSR is a better telling than Hahn's book, IMO.

Miko was part of Sheila's band (as was Levi, and I think Boni?), so that's why either of the guys were on stage during the encores.

Wendy was definitely not liking the additions to the band by the time Parade came around. He absorbed parts of Sheila's band (Miko), and parts of The Time (Jerome, Susannah) into The Revolution. Throw in Eric, Wally, & Greg, and that's double the size. Wendy (and possibly Lisa) hated how Prince jumped around with those three guys. I feel her on that, to a great degree.

It was really left over Revolution members that made up the SOTT/Lovesexy band. Levi came onboard, as did Boni, and Eric probably pulled in Atlanta Bliss (although I forget off hand - I'm probably wrong on that). And talk about trickle down - parts of the Lovesexy band ended up in the first version of NPG in 1990 (Levi, Miko, Fink). It was probably not until Emancipation that he had a whole new band all around, if memory serves.

Wendy and Prince are both alphas, so them fighting wasn't new. Prince tried to dock her pay for having a beer at the Sheridan, WY premiere of UTCM. Wendy let him know she wasn't thrilled with his crap. There's a lot of little tales of Prince & Wendy butting heads a bit. But we all know W&L brought more to Prince's music than almost anyone else - at least to the degree they did.

Levi wasn't in the Glamorous Life band, Benny was the bassist. Levi came on for the Romance 1600 band. It was usually from right 2 left Eddie M Suzy Davis Brown Mark (Prince) Juan Escovedo, Sheila E Wendy Melvoin Miko Weaver on stage

.

Boni Boyer joined the band for the Sheila E album.

.

It was actually the Family band that Prince absorbed into the Revolution Parade band
Jerome Benton, Eric Leeds, Susannah Melvoin, -Miko Weaver, Wally Safford & Gregory Brooks- were from the Family (not to mention Jonathon Melvoin(keyboards) a bass player and another keyboardist were the Family band. Prince couldn't absorb all of them.

.

Yeah it was (wrong) putting Brown Mark to stand behind Wally Gregory & Jerome on the Parade tour. I think the clowning that came from those guys especially when they were a sound check(bring that Time cockiness) wasn't really appreciated. But they did no actually recording of songs.
.

So the SOTT band was made up of 1986 Revolution:Dr Fink (Family)-Eric Leeds, Wally Safford, Gregory Brooks. Miko Weaver Atlanta Bliss. Sheila E(3rd album band)Levi Seacer jr Boni Boyer
and Jerome Benton was going to be in the band but when Prince found out he did some work with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis with Janet Jackson, he fired him, and Cat replaced him

.

Gregory Brooks & Wally were let go for the Lovesexy era/tour

and Susan Rogers left after the SOTT era

.

Batman-Nude tour/Graffiti Bridge: Prince replaced Sheila E and wanted to get a 4th album out of her(she did have a lung collapse after that) Boni Boyer left, Cat left, Eric Leeds was gone, Atlanta Bliss retired.

.
So for the 1990 Nude tour/Graffiti Bridge left over was Dr Fink, Miko Weaver & Levi Seacer jr

Dr Fink & Miko Weaver left after that

And Prince had a whole new band + Levi Seacer jr for the Diamonds & Pearls tour

I believe Prince replaced Levi and put him in some charge of Paisley Park after the Come album/tour so I guess the Gold Era was his band without any 1980s members

.

I don't believe Prince & Wendy fought. Yeah the doc of pay during one of the Parade shows for having a beer. The only issue was later in the 1986 years with how Prince was treating Susannah. So naturally there were issues with that. But even after Lisa & Wendy were not in the band in later 1986 Prince had Wendy join him for about 2 shows with the Bangels (Manic Monday) and Susannah was still technically with Prince into later 86 early 87 -which is why she is on songs like Rock Hard In A Funky Place, Play In the Sunshine and a few others. She finally left Prince.

.

It seems like after the 1986 Revolution break that is when we see Prince removing people from his band/camp. In a 1998 interview he called the people then in 1982-1986 a Community. It was clear they had a different type of relationship with him. Many of them being from before Prince was famous. And especially in the 1983-1986 years that definately was a 'Family'. Prince's father was in the camp and close with the band members, Brown Mark & Mazarati, Sheila E and Juan, along with members like Miko Eddie M who she knew from way back, Lisa Coleman and brother David Coleman, Wendy Susannah Jonathon Melvoin, Bobby Z & David Z, Jill Jones and her uncle who did Prince's hair/grooming and the bands, Alan Leeds Eric Leeds and his friend Atlanta Bliss, not to mention pre fame friends/girlfriends like Susan Moonsie, Morris Day and other Time members, the Melvoins father and their connection with Clare Fischer Brenday Bennett whose husband was the lighting director since 1981 etc

.

That's a lot of history and emotional ties gone from his life.

At that opening of some Purple Rain tour shows, a woman in the smoke would walk out to the stage toss out flowers. Anyone know who that actually was (I thought it was Wendy, but since she would be preparing for the opening Let's Go Crazy) it might have been Susannah and people just assumed it was Wendy, or maybe Taj or someone else?

Anyone have any pictures of that?

OldFriends4Sale said:

I got flowers from wendy purple rain new orleans superdome. But i do remember some other woman maybe lisa or susanah giving them too. I cant find oics, but if memory serves me correctly, try tour book? Btw thw way i still have flowers i think theyre chrysamthemums sp? And tour shirt and book also too a pic of us on bourbon street after show. Plus we made a video at a recording studio on bourbon,,,,when doves cry video of os playinf the instruments complete with special effects. I wish i knew how to transfer vhs to dvd then upload it. Would be good laughs.
my family bus out video for get togethers and have massive laughs. Those were the days!!,
[Edited 4/16/16 21:44pm]