DiscoBallz said:

Susannah has plenty to say considering you know she has tons of unreleased shit (and released shit) in her own collection.

I'm pretty okay with never hearing one of Prince's exgirlfriends offer their opinions on the vault anymore.

I know that's right. [Snip - luv4u] Prince is gone but people like her live on...go figure.

james said:

luv2tha99s said:

snakesineverycolor said:

It is of course each person's prerogative to mourn in his or her own way, but declaring that disseminating unreleased music is one's way of expressing grief for Prince is an awful lot like someone saying, "my wife just died unexpectedly, so I'm going to bang as many of her friends as I can as my way of coping with her loss." Sure, it may bring personal gratification, but whatever it is, it in no way serves to honor the person lost. In his life, Prince clearly prized two things at or near the top of his list: music and privacy. All the people who have come out of the woodwork to share behind-the-scenes stories that would have gotten them excommunicated from his life if they told him while he was around (letting the world achieve the important task of "getting to know" the man who basically spent his entire life making certain people didn't get to know him) and all the fans who have decided that his death represents the most appropriate moment to render the Internet awash in his vault have something in common: service of their own desires instead of displaying loyalty to the memory of a person they say they valued. Mind you, that is their right: the guy is dead, and what's appropriate is a bit of a Wild West. But a call for a little circumspection from someone who was deeply involved in a very important period in his life is completely and utterly appropriate; it is her way of coping with his loss, her way of honoring the things he meant to her in life. So post that copy of "Adonis and Darling Nikki" to YouTube. Burn a hundred DVD copies of the lost sequel "Under the Cherry Bridge" and sell them at your kid's purple lemonade stand. And declare how that expression of your values as a function of grief is your business. But also recognize that how the people who loved him express their values about how his legacy should be treated is theirs, and may not merit saying awful things about them as people.

beatz01 said:

The sheer number of bootlegs that have been circulating since the 80's has always been something that was part of his myth, his legacy and an integral part to his cult.It was part of made his world so fascinating.I don't know a single die hard fan who doesn't own a shitload of boots.

So now to pretend this never was the case and get all moral about it is ridiculous.As if most of us had stick to only the studio albums.SMH.

Exactly.Unreleased Prince music has been circulating since the late 80s and (let's be honest), most of us indulged ourselves.It's a little too late for people to get on their moral high horse and say "that's wrong"

SoulAlive said:

beatz01 said:

The sheer number of bootlegs that have been circulating since the 80's has always been something that was part of his myth, his legacy and an integral part to his cult.It was part of made his world so fascinating.I don't know a single die hard fan who doesn't own a shitload of boots.

So now to pretend this never was the case and get all moral about it is ridiculous.As if most of us had stick to only the studio albums.SMH.

Exactly.Unreleased Prince music has been circulating since the late 80s and (let's be honest), most of us indulged ourselves.It's a little too late for people to get on their moral high horse and say "that's wrong"

That's not what is being said though. People are saying don't use coping with grief or entitlement as an excuse. Just call it what it is.

GirlBrother said:

Spike Lee has uploaded the Money Don't Matter 2 Night video, to his official Vimeo account, a week ago. You know... Even though it's not an unreleased bootleg, it's still content that Prince wouldn't have wanted to share online. And... It was uploaded by someone whom knew him well, and would obviously be more than aware of Prince's aversion to free audio/video streaming. Is Spike Lee exhibiting "entitlement" by wanting to share his collaboration with his late friend? The fact is, many have shared Prince content online, in the week after his passing, and they have done so to celebrate his life - to protect his legacy and show others what all the fuss was about. Prince was wrong when it came to YouTube, Spotify, and any other subscription-free platforms. He was truly dreadfully wrong.

Think of it this way, which would Prince prefer:

A) Bootleggers making a profit by selling his music to diehard fans

B) Nobody making a profit while his fans get to enjoy his music for free



Pretty sure he'd choose "B".

Out of respect for the folks offended by the talk of releasing this material or discussing its release, is there a better place to find the history of these releases and boots?

VelvetKittyKat said:

I'd hate to hear the opinions of my exes from 30 years ago.

[Edited 4/30/16 12:48pm]

THIS

mechanicalemotion17 said:

The fricken bank overseeing his estate brought in a locksmith to drill into his vault for God's sake. Prince would be outraged!

OldFriends4Sale said:

Right, that move was like grave robbers

Unless they thought maybe he had a will in there, which was possible

Pokeno4Money said:

Pretty sure it had to be done to help determine the value of Prince's assets. I've read what's in the vault could be valued at half a BILLION ... that's not something the courts can just assume without actually viewing what was inside.

Yup, and moreso it's the law. The bank (trustee) is legally required to inventory all the assets, have them appraised, analyze the entire estate and present this data and estate assessment (worth) to the court and beneficiaries.

Maybe instead of being outraged over the proper people following the law, folks can use this as learning experience so they do a better job of making arrangements for their own estate, of whatever size, than Prince did. Because if you have so much as a safe deposit box, guarantee that someone will be drilling it open under court direction when you're gone.

Eileen said:

Maybe instead of being outraged over the proper people following the law, folks can use this as learning experience so they do a better job of making arrangements for their own estate, of whatever size, than Prince did. Because if you have so much as a safe deposit box, guarantee that someone will be drilling it open under court direction when you're gone.

Sound advice, especially for those who have children or other loved ones.

2freaky4church1 said:

My spiritual view is music should be like fresh air. Just don't do it for money.

Prince aside, that's the classic pose I also take.

But then comes the question of feeding the musician.

Nobody should hit on Susannah, she's right, it's a world gone hysteric for anything, no one takes his time. Everything has gone "I want it all and I want it now".

Given the state of the music industry, whether some obscure instrumental surfaces or not on Youtube, is not of public interest. Only an hardcore fan will be able to reconcile the piece in the grand scheme, appreciate it, and share it. I found hard to believe that if "Moonbeam Levels" was to be released on the iTunes Store a year from now, it would revolutionize the industry, the kids, and that everyone would fall down on its knees and repent, and propel ML to #1 for 24 weeks.

I would let go. This is the best publicity ever. Spread it, spread it all. The only money to be made in the coming years will be high quality, physical sets. You get more bucks by marketing expensive but well made boxes, or exclusive subscriptions, because that's what the target is about, instead of being delusional on how the internet really works.

Kilobytes became to easy to copy a while ago, we're all spoiled children by now,
who curse when a video takes more than 5 seconds to load.

As whether Prince would have want this... I think so. All his bitchin' about the Vault was to make everyone aware of it. Skipper has always been a smart cat when it comes to business.
Now the Vault has this legendary status, relayed by big networks and the public knows about it.

That's great, but that doesn't necessarily means that it's worth millions. People, for the most, have poor knowledge and poor taste of music. I don't think Prince's death is going to change that soon.

GirlBrother said:

Spike Lee has uploaded the Money Don't Matter 2 Night video, to his official Vimeo account, a week ago. You know... Even though it's not an unreleased bootleg, it's still content that Prince wouldn't have wanted to share online. And... It was uploaded by someone whom knew him well, and would obviously be more than aware of Prince's aversion to free audio/video streaming. Is Spike Lee exhibiting "entitlement" by wanting to share his collaboration with his late friend? The fact is, many have shared Prince content online, in the week after his passing, and they have done so to celebrate his life - to protect his legacy and show others what all the fuss was about. Prince was wrong when it came to YouTube, Spotify, and any other subscription-free platforms. He was truly dreadfully wrong.

Again, that isn't what's being discussed. People are referring to a specific post that was made on this thread giving various excuses to try to justify why they believe they are entitled to something.

This is the post.....

"I disagree. Those of us who have put up with Ps mind-games concerning the Vault over the years and whom have paid to see numerous concerts, movies, and merch ARE entitled. I have been helping to pay for his mortgage since 82. I even bought AOA AND Plectrum in Target! I have been disappointed by P due to him not touring the USA for 5 years after PR, and all the broken promises. I have waited in line all night to buy tickets, I have stood for hours and hours to see him before his shows, I gave generously to the NPGMC. I have defended him and his art COUNTLESS times to people only to be bullied and ridiculed for enjoying his music. I have tried to spread the word about the good stuff among his current output. I switched from Spotify to Tidal to hear his stuff. When my old comp broke(before I could put his music on a separate hard drive) I rebought all his stuff. So if peeps wanna put some show on YouTube of wherever, you better believed that I and anyone else who has supported P throughout his career are ENTITLED to hear and see music that has been flaunted right in front of us for years!"

GirlBrother said:

Spike Lee has uploaded the Money Don't Matter 2 Night video, to his official Vimeo account, a week ago. You know... Even though it's not an unreleased bootleg, it's still content that Prince wouldn't have wanted to share online. And... It was uploaded by someone whom knew him well, and would obviously be more than aware of Prince's aversion to free audio/video streaming. Is Spike Lee exhibiting "entitlement" by wanting to share his collaboration with his late friend? The fact is, many have shared Prince content online, in the week after his passing, and they have done so to celebrate his life - to protect his legacy and show others what all the fuss was about. Prince was wrong when it came to YouTube, Spotify, and any other subscription-free platforms. He was truly dreadfully wrong.

Exactly how I feel about this.

But I think people in his camp and Universal Music have no idea how things work, and what should and shouldn´t be online.

Pokeno4Money said:

Think of it this way, which would Prince prefer:

A) Bootleggers making a profit by selling his music to diehard fans

B) Nobody making a profit while his fans get to enjoy his music for free



Pretty sure he'd choose "B".

Or C) Respecting his wishes and waiting for the official releases that will support his estate, and help them release more material, and possibly open PP as a museum, plus possibly supporting his charities.

[Edited 5/3/16 4:34am]

luv2tha99s said:

james said:

No. We're not "entitled", as much as we might enjoy it.

It's out there and we can listen to it, but we're not entitled to share it on youtube, or anywhere else...

I disagree. Those of us who have put up with Ps mind-games concerning the Vault over the years and whom have paid to see numerous concerts, movies, and merch ARE entitled. I have been helping to pay for his mortgage since 82. I even bought AOA AND Plectrum in Target! I have been disappointed by P due to him not touring the USA for 5 years after PR, and all the broken promises. I have waited in line all night to buy tickets, I have stood for hours and hours to see him before his shows, I gave generously to the NPGMC. I have defended him and his art COUNTLESS times to people only to be bullied and ridiculed for enjoying his music. I have tried to spread the word about the good stuff among his current output. I switched from Spotify to Tidal to hear his stuff. When my old comp broke(before I could put his music on a separate hard drive) I rebought all his stuff. So if peeps wanna put some show on YouTube of wherever, you better believed that I and anyone else who has supported P throughout his career are ENTITLED to hear and see music that has been flaunted right in front of us for years!

You got what you paid for and are owed nothing by anybody. Get over yourself.

james said:

Pokeno4Money said:

Think of it this way, which would Prince prefer:

A) Bootleggers making a profit by selling his music to diehard fans

B) Nobody making a profit while his fans get to enjoy his music for free



Pretty sure he'd choose "B".

Or C) Respecting his wishes and waiting for the official releases that will support his estate, and help them release more material, and possibly open PP as a museum, plus possibly supporting his charities.

[Edited 5/3/16 4:34am]

1) How do you know those are his wishes in death? The man gave away 20Ten, so clearly when he was alive he didn't have a problem with fans experiencing his music for free.

2) You think all or even most of his concert footage and vault music will ever officially be released? Seriously?

3) Whomever inherits his estate will already be set for life, whether they get it all or just 1/6th or 1/7th. You think Prince would be concerned about whether Tyka or his other siblings will be getting future royalties on his music?

Even with music and videos that ARE already officially released, there have been and will always be 3rd parties making money by selling the same thing at a lower price. It's the way of the world now, and it can't be changed ... which is EXACTLY why every musician on the planet would acknowledge that money is made through touring, not album sales.

james said:

razord said:

I dig what she means, but we're all entitled to avail of the stuff that gets out there, via various sources,

No. We're not "entitled", as much as we might enjoy it.

It's out there and we can listen to it, but we're not entitled to share it on youtube, or anywhere else...

The genie has already been let out of the bottle.Once music has been "set free",it's out there for anyone who wants to hear it.It's silly to take a stand agaisnt something that is inevitable.

Prince got paid for 20Ten and he controlled how it was released, that's what mattered to him. Prince was never cool with other people profiting from his work, and that includes youtube or other free to consume platforms. You can argue around it and try and talk about different ways of advertising/making money/monetizing etc., and god knows people tried to, but he never once budged on this in his entire life. I see no reason to assume he would be ok with it now.

Sure, download bootlegs, I do all the time, but don't try and fool yourself that you're honouring his wishes by doing this.

paulludvig said:

lynx said:

What exactly is the point of keeping the stuff off YouTube now? So somebody else besides Prince can make money off of it?

Prince had a point and a right to keep his own stuff offline - but it doesn't mean he didn't screw the fans in the process. He wasn't perfect.

Agreed!

I think the reason, apart from the tragedy of what has happened, I feel uncomfortable about this is that a number of people are making substantial payments from the Youtube videos and I just find it difficult to reconcile. I fully understand the desire to hear and view everything, I truly do, but there needs to be a mechanism, such as youtube sometimes provide, for the money to go to the estate and then, when their wishes are known, a situation can be arranged to deal with it. Unfortunately some people are simply using this legal 'limbo' to make a fair amount of money which I find a little difficult to deal with.

jaawwnn said:

Prince got paid for 20Ten and he controlled how it was released, that's what mattered to him. Prince was never cool with other people profiting from his work, and that includes youtube or other free to consume platforms. You can argue around it and try and talk about different ways of advertising/making money/monetizing etc., and god knows people tried to, but he never once budged on this in his entire life. I see no reason to assume he would be ok with it now.

Sure, download bootlegs, I do all the time, but don't try and fool yourself that you're honouring his wishes by doing this.

Pokeno4Money said:

TheEnglishGent said:

Has some new uncirculating stuff appeared?

There's an incredible amount of unreleased material that's been posted the past week. I'm sure it will come down eventually, but it will take a long time because of the sheer volume ... and I'm talkin' 'bout just the ones labeled with Prince's name.

Can you name anything in particular? I mean, anything that was unknown up to this point, or was set free in better quality than was already circulating? I haven't seen it or even heard about it? The only new thing (to me) recently was Velvet Kitty Cat, and that was before his death, iirc.