Mumio said:

His marriage to Suzanna. Nice would make anybody happy. Nice beaches.

purplethunder3121 said:

Mumio said:

kalelvisj said:

avajane said:

kalelvisj said:

I disagree. Artists like prince are driven by their passion and it shows in their art. Van Gogh did not cut off his ear because he was passionate about his art. He cut it off for love. I princes happiness was an accumulation of all the things in his life which includes the women in his life.

Of course but Van Gogh also suffered from bipolar disorder which led to such extreme actions like cutting his ear off among other things. Such actions are more telling about his mental health rather than who he loved. [Edited 5/28/16 13:10pm]

PliablyPurple said:

Being in his 20s?

There are a lot of people in their 20s who are miserable, get hooked on drugs or being alcholics, commit suicide, loneliness etc

vandeluca said:

I think we are overanalyzing...Life just gets serious, heavy, more distractions, people, obligations, etc for all of is..Including Prince.I don't think it had to do with the girlfriend, Purple Rain etc...as someone said..He was in his 20s...it's probably just as simple as that.

He was 'new' to alot of people so maybe tabloids, etc weren't trying to knock him down yet. He didn't realize his 'art' was not really his art. As life goes on, he just became more insulated..Alot of us do that as we get older. Not that you mean to..You just want your 'peace' sometimes but it does not mean you are not jovial, etc behind the scence.

[Edited 5/28/16 9:50am]

I don't think it's a girlfriend. But it was a community of people who included a girlfriend who drew pictures of sex who had a twin sister who played guitar and a brother who when he committed suicide Prince wrote a song dedicated to him.

.

With Purple Rain, it took him over the arch that he was trying to reach. Purple Rain was a huge goal. Something that was well know with WB and his camp that he wanted to achieve as early as 1980/81

It afforded him a lifestyle that would make most of us really happy.

.

Tabloids weren't really cutting at Prince much but as of Controversy it was clear people were trying to figure him out, latch onto him, the whole Big Chick, break of the Time, the We Are the World backlash, people from back then were trying to knock him. There were som scathing articles against him as far as 1982.

.

I think his insulation (WALLY) came as a result of loosing that Community he talked about in 1999 that he had in 1983-1987 That can be a hard thing to deal with. A lot of people experience that after High School. And it doesn't get easier loosing class mates/school community and such. It can cause depression and extreme loneliness and sense of isolation.

OldFriends4Sale said:

PliablyPurple said:

Being in his 20s?

There are a lot of people in their 20s who are miserable, get hooked on drugs or being alcholics, commit suicide, loneliness etc

Yes. Thank you for this lesson on humanity.

PliablyPurple said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

There are a lot of people in their 20s who are miserable, get hooked on drugs or being alcholics, commit suicide, loneliness etc

Yes. Thank you for this lesson on humanity.

lol

Wasn't there talk of him actually being pretty miserable for a lot of 1986? UTCM was a catastrophic failure, his band was disintegrating behind the scenes, and he recorded some of his most dire and lonely music in the 2nd half of the year (tracks like "Crystal Ball", "Wally", "Sign o the Times", etc).

-

I recall the story of him reportedly laying facedown on a bed or on the floor, something like that, lamenting the terrible reviews for the movie. He even later on said he didn't "have enough good songs" for the Parade album.

[Edited 5/29/16 15:57pm]

DiscoBallz said:

Wasn't there talk of him actually being pretty miserable for a lot of 1986? UTCM was a catastrophic failure, his band was disintegrating behind the scenes, and he recorded some of his most dire and lonely music in the 2nd half of the year (tracks like "Crystal Ball", "Wally", "Sign o the Times", etc).

-

I recall the story of him reportedly laying facedown on a bed or on the floor, something like that, lamenting the terrible reviews for the movie. He even later on said he didn't "have enough good songs" for the Parade album.

[Edited 5/29/16 15:57pm]

I never heard anything of that. Yes there were some issues, mostly because UTCM did not do what he expected. But the Time was disintegrating, Vanity 6 did in 1983/84 I don't think there was a year that didn't have something. But miserable I don't think came in until that 1986 community was broken up. I think the emotional ties to that period is also why the Lovesexy/SOTT band did not last long. outside of Levi by 1990 he had removed all from his life from that 1982-1987 period.

Crystal Ball and SOTT was just a social/spiritual exploration into events as he saw fit. I mean he's had a lot of dire and lonely music from day one. A lot of meloncholy songs, sadness, loneliness.

Wally came about as a result of the 1986 community being disolved. He wrote that after. And like the Emancipation song:In This Bed I Scream replies to that time again.

He had more than enough songs for Parade. Parade music was perfect. I just don't think Prince wanted to take full responsibility for the real reason the movie did not do good. No one ever said the problem was the music in reviews. They said the problem was Prince.

If he had his band(s) in the movie, with musical performances like Mia Bocca(w/Jill Jones) A Love Bizarre-Sheila E, the Family -High Fashion.. Alexa de Paris Girls & Boys(the video with the band) maybe Mountains in the movie it would have been 10 times better.

Prince took over direction of the movie, and tried to carry the movie with his acting, and no musical moments outside of the beginning:An Honest Man, plus the character by many reviews was not a likeable enough character to simpathize with as we did with the Kid.

computerblue77 said:

I agree, in 1986 he was so carefree and happy. A lot like he was in this clip.

He couldn't have been nicer, sweeter, or more attentive to his date if he tried. Another star might have acted like real dickhead. He delivered, and what's more, you could tell his heart was in it. He really was such a great guy. BTW how awesome did MTV used to be?!?!?!?! God I miss it.

OldFriends4Sale said:

DiscoBallz said:

Wasn't there talk of him actually being pretty miserable for a lot of 1986? UTCM was a catastrophic failure, his band was disintegrating behind the scenes, and he recorded some of his most dire and lonely music in the 2nd half of the year (tracks like "Crystal Ball", "Wally", "Sign o the Times", etc).

-

I recall the story of him reportedly laying facedown on a bed or on the floor, something like that, lamenting the terrible reviews for the movie. He even later on said he didn't "have enough good songs" for the Parade album.

[Edited 5/29/16 15:57pm]

I never heard anything of that. Yes there were some issues, mostly because UTCM did not do what he expected. But the Time was disintegrating, Vanity 6 did in 1983/84 I don't think there was a year that didn't have something. But miserable I don't think came in until that 1986 community was broken up. I think the emotional ties to that period is also why the Lovesexy/SOTT band did not last long. outside of Levi by 1990 he had removed all from his life from that 1982-1987 period.

Crystal Ball and SOTT was just a social/spiritual exploration into events as he saw fit. I mean he's had a lot of dire and lonely music from day one. A lot of meloncholy songs, sadness, loneliness.

Wally came about as a result of the 1986 community being disolved. He wrote that after. And like the Emancipation song:In This Bed I Scream replies to that time again.

He had more than enough songs for Parade. Parade music was perfect. I just don't think Prince wanted to take full responsibility for the real reason the movie did not do good. No one ever said the problem was the music in reviews. They said the problem was Prince.

If he had his band(s) in the movie, with musical performances like Mia Bocca(w/Jill Jones) A Love Bizarre-Sheila E, the Family -High Fashion.. Alexa de Paris Girls & Boys(the video with the band) maybe Mountains in the movie it would have been 10 times better.

Prince took over direction of the movie, and tried to carry the movie with his acting, and no musical moments outside of the beginning:An Honest Man, plus the character by many reviews was not a likeable enough character to simpathize with as we did with the Kid.

I mean, you don't have to defend the movie to me. I love it. But it was a terrible blow to his career - only mildly mitigated by the success of Kiss. The story of him lying face down may have come from Purple Reign by Liz Jones, so take it with a grain of salt. But we know that Prince's failures did often weigh heavy on his mind, despite a narrative of being beyond it all.

-

The point is that those songs were recorded in 1986 and don't have quite the same happy vibe as the songs he was recording the year prior. Wendy & Lisa tried to leave the band early - months before the tour ended in September, meaning there was unrest for quite some time.

-

Prince was never a publicly brooding fella. Even at his darkest moments (that we know of), he was still, more or less, wisecracking and fun Prince. That's right - even amidst his war with Warner's, he had his same fantastic sense of humor.

-

DiscoBallz said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I never heard anything of that. Yes there were some issues, mostly because UTCM did not do what he expected. But the Time was disintegrating, Vanity 6 did in 1983/84 I don't think there was a year that didn't have something. But miserable I don't think came in until that 1986 community was broken up. I think the emotional ties to that period is also why the Lovesexy/SOTT band did not last long. outside of Levi by 1990 he had removed all from his life from that 1982-1987 period.

Crystal Ball and SOTT was just a social/spiritual exploration into events as he saw fit. I mean he's had a lot of dire and lonely music from day one. A lot of meloncholy songs, sadness, loneliness.

Wally came about as a result of the 1986 community being disolved. He wrote that after. And like the Emancipation song:In This Bed I Scream replies to that time again.

He had more than enough songs for Parade. Parade music was perfect. I just don't think Prince wanted to take full responsibility for the real reason the movie did not do good. No one ever said the problem was the music in reviews. They said the problem was Prince.

If he had his band(s) in the movie, with musical performances like Mia Bocca(w/Jill Jones) A Love Bizarre-Sheila E, the Family -High Fashion.. Alexa de Paris Girls & Boys(the video with the band) maybe Mountains in the movie it would have been 10 times better.

Prince took over direction of the movie, and tried to carry the movie with his acting, and no musical moments outside of the beginning:An Honest Man, plus the character by many reviews was not a likeable enough character to simpathize with as we did with the Kid.

I mean, you don't have to defend the movie to me. I love it. But it was a terrible blow to his career - only mildly mitigated by the success of Kiss. The story of him lying face down may have come from Purple Reign by Liz Jones, so take it with a grain of salt. But we know that Prince's failures did often weigh heavy on his mind, despite a narrative of being beyond it all.

-

The point is that those songs were recorded in 1986 and don't have quite the same happy vibe as the songs he was recording the year prior. Wendy & Lisa tried to leave the band early - months before the tour ended in September, meaning there was unrest for quite some time.

-

Prince was never a publicly brooding fella. Even at his darkest moments (that we know of), he was still, more or less, wisecracking and fun Prince. That's right - even amidst his war with Warner's, he had his same fantastic sense of humor.

-

I understand why it flopped, which was what I posted from a very non sentimental direction. But I love Under the Cherry Moon. It is one of those things where you see Uptown, but in France. I thought there were good parts from the beginning to Mary Sharons Night party. I think was really good. The opening piano scene was 100% prince erotica. Prince and band should have been hired for her party (which makes better sense that 2 gigoloes showing up at a high society party unanounced) thee perform Mia Bocca in the day, New Position at night. eh I could go on and on about that movie and possibilities.

Yes the failure of UTCM was a terrible blow 2 his ego. He even felt the whole contest for the showing was a bad move.

I think Under the Cherry Moon is a very light sunny happy album, There is a sense of tragic, like in the song Under the Cherry Moon & Sometimes It Snows In April. But the rest of the album is very happy Christopher Tracy's Parade, New Position, I Wonder U(lust), Life Can Be So Nice, Venus de Milo(sentimental) Girls & Boys, Mountains... all those songs are pretty happy.

Can you name the albums with the happy vibe prior? ATWIAD: Condition of the Heart, Pop Life, Temptation, the Ladder, I wouldn't say are happy songs.

Purple Rain (a soundtack for a film) When Doves Cry Purple Rain COmputer Blue & Darling Nikki would not fall under the catagory of happy

1999. the title cut about foreboading doom... that album is full of foreboading doom so you better party before it is too late 1999 Lady Cab Driver(despair and sex to cover all the troubles in the world) Let's Pretend... because U and I know we gotta die someday...I'm going 2 another life how about U? because his lady left him, Free, Something in the Water Does Not Compute, All the Critics Love U n NY. I always felt 1999 had an underlying sense of doom.

Controversy... Issues of questioning his identity and motives,

Ronnie Talk 2 Russue (more apocolyptic doom) Anne Christian a spooky dark song Do Me Baby ... longing 2 the point he has to masturbate and then he is cold(that bell at the end was kinda startling)

Dirty Mind... and the albums before had a lot of songs about sadness, loneliness and rejection.

.

the Parade album has a very sunny optimist feel too it.
And because it was music to accompany a movie, that Prince wanted Christopher to die(there is another alternate ending where he lives that was filmed) the movie had to have that tragic lover tortured artist sense to it ie Under the Cherry Moon & Sometimes It Snows in April.

.

Yes I believe they tried to leave near the end of the tour on the Japanese leg of the tour. Andre left for similar reasons. But I believe that was more in the recent time that they wanted to leave. But I don't think these things means he wasn't happy. I mean that is sorta relationship stuff. Susannah was still with Prince after the Revolution dissolved. She recorded more tracks with Prince like Rock Hard in a Funky Place, Play in the Sunshine and some other and then she had enough and left.
"Uptown" had changed dramatically by 1987. @ the end of 1989 it sorta happened again. Sheila E and him split over difference (she didn't want to leave the band) and she did not like the direction of the 4th album, Cat took off for reasons stated in an interview, and Boni Boyer had enough-she was mostly there because of Sheila E. Matt Blisten end up retiring, Eric was around but gone and Wally & Gregory were gone at the end of the SOTT tour

.

That is a lot change for 1 persons world in such a short time period.

But Prince beginning to worry that he wasn't as relevant as in .that 1982-1986 period. Not understanding why completely.

OldFriends4Sale said:

DiscoBallz said:

I mean, you don't have to defend the movie to me. I love it. But it was a terrible blow to his career - only mildly mitigated by the success of Kiss. The story of him lying face down may have come from Purple Reign by Liz Jones, so take it with a grain of salt. But we know that Prince's failures did often weigh heavy on his mind, despite a narrative of being beyond it all.

-

The point is that those songs were recorded in 1986 and don't have quite the same happy vibe as the songs he was recording the year prior. Wendy & Lisa tried to leave the band early - months before the tour ended in September, meaning there was unrest for quite some time.

-

Prince was never a publicly brooding fella. Even at his darkest moments (that we know of), he was still, more or less, wisecracking and fun Prince. That's right - even amidst his war with Warner's, he had his same fantastic sense of humor.

-

I understand why it flopped, which was what I posted from a very non sentimental direction. But I love Under the Cherry Moon. It is one of those things where you see Uptown, but in France. I thought there were good parts from the beginning to Mary Sharons Night party. I think was really good. The opening piano scene was 100% prince erotica. Prince and band should have been hired for her party (which makes better sense that 2 gigoloes showing up at a high society party unanounced) thee perform Mia Bocca in the day, New Position at night. eh I could go on and on about that movie and possibilities.

Yes the failure of UTCM was a terrible blow 2 his ego. He even felt the whole contest for the showing was a bad move.

I think Under the Cherry Moon is a very light sunny happy album, There is a sense of tragic, like in the song Under the Cherry Moon & Sometimes It Snows In April. But the rest of the album is very happy Christopher Tracy's Parade, New Position, I Wonder U(lust), Life Can Be So Nice, Venus de Milo(sentimental) Girls & Boys, Mountains... all those songs are pretty happy.

Can you name the albums with the happy vibe prior? ATWIAD: Condition of the Heart, Pop Life, Temptation, the Ladder, I wouldn't say are happy songs.

Purple Rain (a soundtack for a film) When Doves Cry Purple Rain COmputer Blue & Darling Nikki would not fall under the catagory of happy

1999. the title cut about foreboading doom... that album is full of foreboading doom so you better party before it is too late 1999 Lady Cab Driver(despair and sex to cover all the troubles in the world) Let's Pretend... because U and I know we gotta die someday...I'm going 2 another life how about U? because his lady left him, Free, Something in the Water Does Not Compute, All the Critics Love U n NY. I always felt 1999 had an underlying sense of doom.

Controversy... Issues of questioning his identity and motives,

Ronnie Talk 2 Russue (more apocolyptic doom) Anne Christian a spooky dark song Do Me Baby ... longing 2 the point he has to masturbate and then he is cold(that bell at the end was kinda startling)

Dirty Mind... and the albums before had a lot of songs about sadness, loneliness and rejection.

.

the Parade album has a very sunny optimist feel too it.
And because it was music to accompany a movie, that Prince wanted Christopher to die(there is another alternate ending where he lives that was filmed) the movie had to have that tragic lover tortured artist sense to it ie Under the Cherry Moon & Sometimes It Snows in April.

.

Yes I believe they tried to leave near the end of the tour on the Japanese leg of the tour. Andre left for similar reasons. But I believe that was more in the recent time that they wanted to leave. But I don't think these things means he wasn't happy. I mean that is sorta relationship stuff. Susannah was still with Prince after the Revolution dissolved. She recorded more tracks with Prince like Rock Hard in a Funky Place, Play in the Sunshine and some other and then she had enough and left.
"Uptown" had changed dramatically by 1987. @ the end of 1989 it sorta happened again. Sheila E and him split over difference (she didn't want to leave the band) and she did not like the direction of the 4th album, Cat took off for reasons stated in an interview, and Boni Boyer had enough-she was mostly there because of Sheila E. Matt Blisten end up retiring, Eric was around but gone and Wally & Gregory were gone at the end of the SOTT tour

.

That is a lot change for 1 persons world in such a short time period.

But Prince beginning to worry that he wasn't as relevant as in .that 1982-1986 period. Not understanding why completely.

I would put forth that Around the World in a Day is, actually, quite a positive album. So is Parade. Prince's music has always spanned a variety of emotions, but these albums have a happier sound than any of the albums that flank them.

-

I guess it depends on how you define happiness. A person does not have to be suicidal to be generally unhappy and it is pretty normal to be unhappy after a string of disappointments and interpersonal strife. A relationship as stormy as his with Susannah is not the kind of relationship that contributes to a feeling of general happiness. Having big, successful albums like ATWIAD and Parade be considered failures next to Purple Rain is not something that would inspire happiness. And Prince's growing distaste for what hoops he had to jump through to make a record a success doesn't either.

-

Perhaps if the public would've been more open to going along with Prince on his musical journey, this discussion would be different. But it has never struck me that 1986 was a particularly good year for Prince in terms of his happiness. His incredible output during this period also speaks to an intense amount of inspiration. And, arguably, Prince's best material was born out of frustration and displeasure.