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Thread started 05/02/16 3:15pm

Strive

October 12 2009 - Paris press conference

There's a 12 minute video out. It's interesting to see Prince hold court.


Here's some pieces I transcribed

[Can you define or explain the pleasure to be on stage and make music?] 'I was telling a friend of mine recently that I, um, like last night I couldn't sleep and, I apologize for being late. It feels like I'm in a dream and I don't like to go to sleep anymore because the dream is never as good as real life.'



'One thing I do want to say is they [paris audience] are very respectful. We asked that no one use cameraphones and they honored that request, unlike Americans who are so obsessed with technology. And we don't like to have our concerts filmed that way because it sounds so bad and then you give all the footage to somebody like YouTube, who's run by Universal publishing and some of those same lawyers. Alot of people don't know that. They just see the logos but we know all the behind the scenes guys. So we're just thankful that the people are so respectful and, on the quiet songs, no talking, you know, they're just very respectful and it's just wonderful.'



'No, we, um, we play because we don't have bands to go see. It's just rare to see a band that you like so we make music because we want to hear music. So it was a last minute thing but I have very cool musicans who will fly out at a moment's notice and it was cool'



[something about signing with an independant label and fixing mistakes made in the past] 'No, I don't think of anything as a mistake. Everything's a learning process. Life is full of ups and down. It's just depends on how you react to them. The situation with [because?] is similar to the one we had with Target. Target doesn't have a problem selling physical cds and neither does [because?] so there just seems to be a problem in America with selling them. And it seems they also want to control who becomes popular and who doesn't. The radio is state controlled and, you know, Youtube and how many hits you get and all that kind of stuff, or how many views you get, rather, and it's a system that's just not enticing to me. So we stick with concerts and we can do new music that way. There might be a time in the future where technology will be advanced so that people can bring the technology to the concert and they can...record the shows right then on the spot. [shrugs] You know, we'll just see.'



[somebody asks Prince about Guitar Hero] 'Well, do you actually learn how to play guitar?' [no] 'Well, there you go. It took a long time to learn how to play like how I wanted to. So, um, I respect somebody who puts that much effort into it. You think they'll have Basketball Hero one day? It takes alot to become Lebron James. Alot of work.'



[On artistic freedom. How does it feel to play whenever or wherever you want?] 'These are the days I was looking forward to. Because like I say, it's hard to sleep because the options are, they're so numerous. It was worth the fight. Worth the struggle we went through. I advice every artist to go through it if they can. And cream rises to the top anyways so [shrug] Real free music doesn't mean that you don't pay for it, it means there's no authoritarian figure telling you what you're suppose to do with it.'



[Is the internet opening new doors for you?] 'It's a tool. It's not a means to an end by no stretch. ... My concerts have always been dear to me and it's almost a shame that I got so good at making records because the medium is dying now. So until something new happens and we get some laws with restrictions to how media is used and how the revenues is shared then I'll just stick with the live stuff. And every once in a while we'll do records. I make records all the time. There's tons of stuff in the vault. And we'll see it [gets flustered] come out one of these days.'



[Are you interested in using cinema to do something different with your music] 'There again we're just waiting. Um, maybe after 2012, we'll see but everything's going to change. There's going to be different people running companies and [Emmanuelle?] was talking about different artist run companies and different things like that. Will I Am is a friend of mine and we talk alot about what the future will look like and how people will actually get music. And it has nothing to do with lawyers and accountants that have nothing to say in regards to the creative process.'



[Do you listen to any other artists other than you? You mention Will I Am] 'I like Will I Am...his business sense. And how he sees the world. It's very interesting. He's very technology driven. But let's remember he did write My Humps [tilts his head in a Prince fashion] so...

I do love Ana Moura. I love her music. Listen to that alot. Bria Valente. I love female vocalists. Esperanza Spalding. I look forward to hearing what she's going to do in the future. She's really talented. But there again, she's a musician so is Ana, they work very hard at the craft and they take care of their instruments.'



[If you could write the definition for the word funky in the dictionary, what would the definition be?] 'If you can describe it, you ain't funky.'



[Is there a question you would like us to ask you?] Ask me about, um, God. [what would you want to say?] You need him. We all do. Thanks' *turns and leaves*

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Reply #1 posted 05/02/16 4:10pm

spastic78

Strive said:

There's a 12 minute video out. It's interesting to see Prince hold court.



Here's some pieces I transcribed


[Can you define or explain the pleasure to be on stage and make music?] 'I was telling a friend of mine recently that I, um, like last night I couldn't sleep and, I apologize for being late. It feels like I'm in a dream and I don't like to go to sleep anymore because the dream is never as good as real life.'





'One thing I do want to say is they [paris audience] are very respectful. We asked that no one use cameraphones and they honored that request, unlike Americans who are so obsessed with technology. And we don't like to have our concerts filmed that way because it sounds so bad and then you give all the footage to somebody like YouTube, who's run by Universal publishing and some of those same lawyers. Alot of people don't know that. They just see the logos but we know all the behind the scenes guys. So we're just thankful that the people are so respectful and, on the quiet songs, no talking, you know, they're just very respectful and it's just wonderful.'





'No, we, um, we play because we don't have bands to go see. It's just rare to see a band that you like so we make music because we want to hear music. So it was a last minute thing but I have very cool musicans who will fly out at a moment's notice and it was cool'





[something about signing with an independant label and fixing mistakes made in the past] 'No, I don't think of anything as a mistake. Everything's a learning process. Life is full of ups and down. It's just depends on how you react to them. The situation with [because?] is similar to the one we had with Target. Target doesn't have a problem selling physical cds and neither does [because?] so there just seems to be a problem in America with selling them. And it seems they also want to control who becomes popular and who doesn't. The radio is state controlled and, you know, Youtube and how many hits you get and all that kind of stuff, or how many views you get, rather, and it's a system that's just not enticing to me. So we stick with concerts and we can do new music that way. There might be a time in the future where technology will be advanced so that people can bring the technology to the concert and they can...record the shows right then on the spot. [shrugs] You know, we'll just see.'





[somebody asks Prince about Guitar Hero] 'Well, do you actually learn how to play guitar?' [no] 'Well, there you go. It took a long time to learn how to play like how I wanted to. So, um, I respect somebody who puts that much effort into it. You think they'll have Basketball Hero one day? It takes alot to become Lebron James. Alot of work.'





[On artistic freedom. How does it feel to play whenever or wherever you want?] 'These are the days I was looking forward to. Because like I say, it's hard to sleep because the options are, they're so numerous. It was worth the fight. Worth the struggle we went through. I advice every artist to go through it if they can. And cream rises to the top anyways so [shrug] Real free music doesn't mean that you don't pay for it, it means there's no authoritarian figure telling you what you're suppose to do with it.'





[Is the internet opening new doors for you?] 'It's a tool. It's not a means to an end by no stretch. ... My concerts have always been dear to me and it's almost a shame that I got so good at making records because the medium is dying now. So until something new happens and we get some laws with restrictions to how media is used and how the revenues is shared then I'll just stick with the live stuff. And every once in a while we'll do records. I make records all the time. There's tons of stuff in the vault. And we'll see it [gets flustered] come out one of these days.'





[Are you interested in using cinema to do something different with your music] 'There again we're just waiting. Um, maybe after 2012, we'll see but everything's going to change. There's going to be different people running companies and [Emmanuelle?] was talking about different artist run companies and different things like that. Will I Am is a friend of mine and we talk alot about what the future will look like and how people will actually get music. And it has nothing to do with lawyers and accountants that have nothing to say in regards to the creative process.'





[Do you listen to any other artists other than you? You mention Will I Am] 'I like Will I Am...his business sense. And how he sees the world. It's very interesting. He's very technology driven. But let's remember he did write My Humps [tilts his head in a Prince fashion] so...

I do love Ana Moura. I love her music. Listen to that alot. Bria Valente. I love female vocalists. Esperanza Spalding. I look forward to hearing what she's going to do in the future. She's really talented. But there again, she's a musician so is Ana, they work very hard at the craft and they take care of their instruments.'





[If you could write the definition for the word funky in the dictionary, what would the definition be?] 'If you can describe it, you ain't funky.'





[Is there a question you would like us to ask you?] Ask me about, um, God. [what would you want to say?] You need him. We all do. Thanks' *turns and leaves*



Thank you! smile
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