pah said:

He was a perfectionist, but also a consummate performer.

I'm not sure why you'd use "but" in this sentence. Is being a perfectionist mutually exclusive from being a consummate performer? Is it either/or, instead of both? Because consummate is defined, partly, as "to bring to a state of perfection; fulfill." So it's basically the same thing to say someone is a consummate this or that, and a perfectionist. It's like saying "He's the best, but he's also #1."

Actually, he wasn't a perfectionist. He might have been to a great extent in music production or instrumentation, but when it came to other things, he was far from it. And despite people striving for perfect, it's never reached 100% of the time. Let's not have to show GIFs of him falling and missing queues in concert, etc. Let's also not view history through purple filters. The truth is always much more interesting.

TrivialPursuit said:

True, however it's a bit of a misunderstanding of what being a perfectionist means. It doesn't mean being perfect, which nobody can be, but wanting and trying to be perfect. A person who fails every hour of his waking life can still be a perfectionist.

pah said:

How about the 1991 VMAs (Gett Off)? When he gets to the mike the pin is still in it, so he can't just lift it off the stand. He looks unamused, but he continues to sing while removing the pin (then throwing it!). I think it threw him off for a moment, and I bet somebody heard about it later, but I have to admit that I didn't notice it until I'd seen the video multiple times. Live is just that. He was a perfectionist, but also a consummate performer.

Oh I went to check after reading this, I had never noticed it either - good one - he was so cool about it. Love him

BartVanHemelen said:

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

why do you persist with this line BVH?

How many professionals from TV, fashion, music etc have come out in droves who have actually worked with him over the years & said without doubt that he was a super pro' with meticulous attention to detail. These are the people that will be listened to & certainly not you. You have observed from afar...yes he made a few mistakes but come on..he is dead..let it go!

.

That's not the same as being a perfectionist. Sheesh, just listen to the sound quality of his records: that alone tells you enough. A perfectionist wouldn't release brickwalled shite. Go listen to Steely Dan if you want to hear perfectionists; Prince is nothing like them.

Why am I not surprised that you're a fucking Steely Dan fan, Bart?

Kind of thought the whole "attacking Prince and his fans" thing would be finished after Prince passed away, but here you are keeping at it. Is this really the hill you want to die on?

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

BartVanHemelen said:

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That's not the same as being a perfectionist. Sheesh, just listen to the sound quality of his records: that alone tells you enough. A perfectionist wouldn't release brickwalled shite. Go listen to Steely Dan if you want to hear perfectionists; Prince is nothing like them.

some of his greatest songs came from not being a perfectionist..as per sound engineers stories from say the SOTT period. Steely Dan..[!]..maybe sonically perfect BUT come on comparing the music/songs to prince?! Lets agree that sonically some [latter albums] weren't sonically perfect BUT in many other areas as highlighted by many others he was a total perfectionist & I of course count too many band members 1st hand experience as solid evidence.

Comparing Prince and Steely Dan muscially is like comparing apples to oranges, but I can tell you that those guys are EASILY good enough to be in Prince's band. I don't think the reverse could is true, though. Steely Dan's music is also much more harmonically complect than what Prince does. Again, it's apples and oranges, but Steely Dan is on a completely different level musically. They are serious jazz complex. I go through phases where I'll listen to one over the other for extended periods of time, but they aren't even on the same planet. Both are amazing for completely different reasons. One is art that is entertaining and the other is entertainment that is often art.

gollygirl said:

When does that happen? The mic gets caught in his cuff at the beginning but I don't remember any other issues (as long as you don't consider assless pants an issue)

BartVanHemelen said:

TrivialPursuit said:

What would they have fixed for the special they did? Have someone else dub in his guitar playing? CGI a cord in his guitar, then CGI him doing something else until the guitar was plugged in? I mean, what are the other options that are reasonable and truthful? Because that would be a lie. And we know Prince was all about the truth.

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Back in 1999 Prince did a promo gig on Dutch TV. Except something went wrong at the start, and there was some kind of audio issue. When Prince found out afterwards he demanded the show wouldn't be broadcast and they had to hand ovcer the tapes. Several weeks later a package arrives in Holland: turns out Prince had re-recorded the audio for the entire performance and dubbed it onto the tapes.

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Oh, and then there's the whole SOTT film.

Wow, Prince re-recorded an entire promo gig at his own expense and on his own time, simply over an audio issue? I never knew that. Dang, Prince really WAS a perfectionist!

Thank you Bart, for showing us just how dedicated to perfection Prince really was!

EDIT: BTW, what was that show? I'd like to look for it and see if I can tell it was re-recorded. TIA!

EDIT EDIT: Aha! It must be this show: http://princevault.com/in...ember_1999

Has anyone ever heard of another artist with such a dedication to perfection that they'd do something like re-record a performance at their own time and expense?

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[Edited 8/31/16 10:43am]