No doubt that TBA would have taken off. Once the Alphabet St. video came out, TBA was highly sought out and made Prince a huge bootleg commodity.

I often think how Lovsexy could have been more, if TBA was released first, then Lovesexy after. The message from Lovesexy may have been understood more. I don't know. Pure speculation.

SOTT was incredible. A compilation of the years of Prince behind the scenes. His decision not to continue the tour in the US hurt the sales. The movie was on point.

I just think LS stalled cos the general public did not know about TBA and the message was confusing and lost.

Poorlovelycomputer said:

When it was released in 89

It was released in '88.

Poorlovelycomputer said:

Did the decision to shelve TBA put out SOTT fire?

No, it was his decision not to tour the USA that put out the SOTT fire.

TheDigitalGardener said:

Poorlovelycomputer said:

Did the decision to shelve TBA put out SOTT fire?

No, it was his decision not to tour the USA that put out the SOTT fire.

Exactly. One of his worst decisions IMO.

I don't think The Black Album would have been the stronger release. Yeah, it might have done well with the rabids - but it was nowhere near as accessible as either SOTT or Lovesexy. The fact that it was slated for release a mere eight months after SOTT (and only three weeks after the release of the SOTT film) would have hurt it, too.

Genesia said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

No, it was his decision not to tour the USA that put out the SOTT fire.

Exactly. One of his worst decisions IMO.

I don't think The Black Album would have been the stronger release. Yeah, it might have done well with the rabids - but it was nowhere near as accessible as either SOTT or Lovesexy. The fact that it was slated for release a mere eight months after SOTT (and only three weeks after the release of the SOTT film) would have hurt it, too.

Good points on the timing of the release. Never considered that. TBA was suppose to be more of an "underground" release if memory serves me.

The cancellation of touring the US was the bulk of SOTT fire being put out. I have always liked that era, the clothes, style, colors and of course music.

TheDigitalGardener said:

Poorlovelycomputer said:

Did the decision to shelve TBA put out SOTT fire?

No, it was his decision not to tour the USA that put out the SOTT fire.

This is the correct answer.

Poorlovelycomputer said:

When it was released in 88 Lovesexy was Prince turning away from the angry,negative music from the Black album. With the positive reception SOTT received I always felt like LS stalled his career once more and the Black album would have commercially done well.By the time it was released it was old news.Did the decision to shelve TBA put out SOTT fire?

Mmm...considering the music on Black Album, I don't hear hit single on it except for Alphabet Street or Glam Slam to be honest. Black album would have satisfied hardcore fans but would have been a misstep still after SOTT. I for one couldnt forsee Prince touring that album as a whole. Even though it is funkier, it is a little self indulgent and not as complete as Lovesexy. It was considered party music for Sheila E, there is no real theme to it at all but it holds its own.

All the above is corect - those career moves affected Lovesexy sales for sure. For me though I think of Questlove's review of the album in a recent Rolling Stone piece where he made the point that in 1988 three of the most groundbreaking hip hop albums of all time were released (It Takes A Nation..Public Enemy, Straight Outta Compton - NWA and Follow The Leader - Eric B & Rakim) and perhaps the ears of young America were on these. The new shcool had arrived and Prince's funk was under fire from hip hop. Perhaps that's what slowed Loevsexy down?

Sydney said:

All the above is corect - those career moves affected Lovesexy sales for sure. For me though I think of Questlove's review of the album in a recent Rolling Stone piece where he made the point that in 1988 three of the most groundbreaking hip hop albums of all time were released (It Takes A Nation..Public Enemy, Straight Outta Compton - NWA and Follow The Leader - Eric B & Rakim) and perhaps the ears of young America were on these. The new shcool had arrived and Prince's funk was under fire from hip hop. Perhaps that's what slowed Loevsexy down?

R&B was also more focused on New Jack Swing coming in with the likes of Teddy nd Babyface making new sounds. Prince's productions while great were not fitting to radio at the time...it was hard for him to top some of these #1's:

June 11

There is no way that The Black Album would have done well commercially.Pop radio would have ignored it completely and there aren't any 'radio friendly' songs on the album at all.Prince made the right decision by shelving it and allowing it to become a mysterious,much-sought after bootleg.

Lovesexy is a brilliant album that would have done better commercially if it had a more appropriate album cover and a stronger second single (title track).

NorthC said:

That's right, The Black Album was supposed to be a low profile, dancefloor only album released incognito. It was never intended to be a hit album and without a catchy pop tune, wouldn't have been a hit. As Rob pointed out, it's fun, but nothing great. Legend has made it bigger than it is.

It would have been big in the way that Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millons got picked up by white frat guys as something to jam in the jeep. I saw firsthand how U.S. college age non-prince fans liked The Black Album and didn't care for Lovesexy or most of SOTT. Saw it with my roommates and friends at the time, and their friends asking for cassette copies and so on. they didn't care that it was Prince or a bootleg. They liked the vibe of it. They loved Bob George.

NorthC said:

Finally hearing The Black Album was one of my biggest Prince disappointments in my lifetime. I remember hearing Le Grind and loving it thinking the whole album was going to groove like that...ummm nope... and Lovesexy is one of his best albums IMO

It was always meant to be an underground dance record. My cassette copy back in 88 was at least 4th generation. It was deep, dark, but damn was that bass fonky. That tape got a hell of a lot of play back then...WAY more than Lovesexy. Over the years Lovesexy grew on me, and now, like many others feel Lovesexy is the light compared to the dark Black Album. They sound great together.

My biggest disppointment from that era, is not touring SOTT in the US and giving up on it so fast. That album deserved to be heard by more.

lynx said:

Finally hearing The Black Album was one of my biggest Prince disappointments in my lifetime. I remember hearing Le Grind and loving it thinking the whole album was going to groove like that...ummm nope... and Lovesexy is one of his best albums IMO

Opposite for me. Lovesexy was a huge listening disappointment because I loved the funkier grooves of SOTT, and then loved all the songs on Black Album. All of them! In sequence too. It's my favorite Prince album.

Lovesexy just didn't sound very cool to my ears at the time outside of Eye No and Dance On growing on me, but I find The Ball to be the way better version of that musical idea. The Ball is also mixed more in the way of The Black Album.

I did like the rap half of Alphabet St (unlkike most fans who hate it) and I did love "I Wish U Heaven"

The 12" of I Wish U Heaven is one of the best things he ever did, but it is also because it gets into Black Album style mixing (things fit together in a strong deep layered way, where as on Lovesexy things all sit on top and don't actually mix well,it's like 10 leadlines all at once) and aggression.

ufoclub said:

lynx said:

Finally hearing The Black Album was one of my biggest Prince disappointments in my lifetime. I remember hearing Le Grind and loving it thinking the whole album was going to groove like that...ummm nope... and Lovesexy is one of his best albums IMO

Opposite for me. Lovesexy was a huge listening disappointment because I loved the funkier grooves of SOTT, and then loved all the songs on Black Album. All of them! In sequence too. It's my favorite Prince album.

Lovesexy just didn't sound very cool to my ears at the time outside of Eye No and Dance On growing on me, but I find The Ball to be the way better version of that musical idea. The Ball is also mixed more in the way of The Black Album.

I did like the rap half of Alphabet St (unlkike most fans who hate it) and I did love "I Wish U Heaven"

The 12" of I Wish U Heaven is one of the best things he ever did, but it is also because it gets into Black Album style mixing (things fit together in a strong deep layered way, where as on Lovesexy things all sit on top and don't actually mix well,it's like 10 leadlines all at once) and aggression.

Interesting. I will say that since Prince has died I've listened to a lot of stuff I've ignored over the years, including the Black Album. I tend to like it more now than I did back in the day.

NorthC said:

[...] As Rob pointed out, it's fun, but nothing great. [...]

Can it be both fun and great? Black album is still probably my favourite Prince release - precisely because he was at the peak of his game but didn't concede to commercial pressure, expectations or any other agenda. Releasing it incognito would have even released him from the "Prince" brand. I see the black album as his statement on absolute freedom, and boy, it gets raw, funky, playful and intense. In many ways it precluded the name change and the Emancipation motto: "this is what freedom sounds like". Well, IMHO, the "sound of freedom" in Emancipation, as a whole, is painfully stale when juxtaposed with the demented ride of Black.

lynx said:

Finally hearing The Black Album was one of my biggest Prince disappointments in my lifetime. I remember hearing Le Grind and loving it thinking the whole album was going to groove like that...ummm nope... and Lovesexy is one of his best albums IMO

Legrind

2 Nigz United 4 West Compton

Bob George

When 2 R In Love

all 4 are great songs IMO ...

but i agree that the lp is top heavy though...after those 4 i mentioned, filler ensues...

some days i enjoy "Cindy C.", other days its fingernails on a chalkboard