PennyPurple said:

Well, let's skip ahead just a tad, since we are talking about Prince & Andre's relationship.

.

"Do Me Baby".... it is said that this was Andre's song. He wrote it on a paper bag and left it in his room. Prince and he worked on it, and even did a demo together. Prince took it as his own, never giving Andre credit, just like on the song "Uptown".

.

I would think that Prince and Andre were pretty good friends, if not best friends. So again, how could Prince do this to Andre, when Andre and his family did so much for Prince?

.

Now I understand that Andre can't ride on Prince's coat tails forever but dang that's pretty dirty that Prince could do something like that to him. Don't you think?

P gave him "The Dance Electric" in '84 because Mrs. Anderson asked him to - Andre was too proud to ask himself.

Misslink88 said:

PennyPurple said:

P gave him "The Dance Electric" in '84 because Mrs. Anderson asked him to - Andre was too proud to ask himself.

Exactly. And if P was being mean, he could've refused to give Andre the song.

Maybe P saw that as a way to be even with Do Me baby.

It seems like neither of these guys were big on direct communication.

[Edited 5/16/17 17:02pm]

LBrent said:

Misslink88 said:

P gave him "The Dance Electric" in '84 because Mrs. Anderson asked him to - Andre was too proud to ask himself.

Exactly. And if P was being mean, he could've refused to give Andre the song.

Maybe P saw that as a way to be even with Do Me baby.

It seems like neither of these guys were big on direct communication.

[Edited 5/16/17 17:02pm]

I think a lot of egos were at play. These guys all grew up together with big dreams and P was making his a reality. Maybe it was a "if he can do it, I can, too" kind of thinking? If you watch the interview with Andre, he just doesn't have the charisma. It's one of those things you're born with. Andre had other things going for him, but P had that special something that set him apart.

Misslink88 said:

LBrent said:

Exactly. And if P was being mean, he could've refused to give Andre the song.

Maybe P saw that as a way to be even with Do Me baby.

It seems like neither of these guys were big on direct communication.

[Edited 5/16/17 17:02pm]

I think a lot of egos were at play. These guys all grew up together with big dreams and P was making his a reality. Maybe it was a "if he can do it, I can, too" kind of thinking? If you watch the interview with Andre, he just doesn't have the charisma. It's one of those things you're born with. Andre had other things going for him, but P had that special something that set him apart.

This is what I was trying to articulate upthread.

Andre and lotsa others were talented, etc...but they wanted to go on their own. Ok, they went on their own...but then what?

P had the freakish ability to practically envision the future and plot the exact terrain and route to get to his desired destination.

It took more than simply being goodlooking, tall, talented, able to write songs, able to work equipment, able to lead, able to manage, able to figure ish out that the powers that be don't wanna tell ya the secrets of, tenacity, ego, stamina...it takes so much more than that.

Some folks he grew up with and worked with had a handful of those things, but who had all of those traits and more?

That's why when they'd whine and complain and whatever, he didn't have the patience for it cuz he was giving 1000% of himself to cover his own aspirations and tryna make it happen for their azzes too. And after the ones who left went, why is it that they never were able to attain what he did if they thought their way was better that his way?

Hell, some of em, after 25-30 years are just getting back to where they were with him, because? Well, they're back to playing his stuff now and redoing his moves and resinging his songs and remembering how they fought so hard to get away from all that but now they're getting attention again...because of P. And they can't tribute his lil purple azz enough or keep his name out of their mouths again.

Must be an ego strain to realize that.

[Edited 5/16/17 18:26pm]

Misslink88 said:

LBrent said:

Exactly. And if P was being mean, he could've refused to give Andre the song.

Maybe P saw that as a way to be even with Do Me baby.

It seems like neither of these guys were big on direct communication.

[Edited 5/16/17 17:02pm]

I think a lot of egos were at play. These guys all grew up together with big dreams and P was making his a reality. Maybe it was a "if he can do it, I can, too" kind of thinking? If you watch the interview with Andre, he just doesn't have the charisma. It's one of those things you're born with. Andre had other things going for him, but P had that special something that set him apart.

From that video it looks as if Andre & Prince had some of the same mannerisms.

Oh and some of them will say they never wanted fame and fortune anyway, they just wanted to play music.

Uh huh

That's like a man getting turned down by a super model and saying he doen't like pretty gals anyway.

Uh huh

PennyPurple said:

Misslink88 said:

I think a lot of egos were at play. These guys all grew up together with big dreams and P was making his a reality. Maybe it was a "if he can do it, I can, too" kind of thinking? If you watch the interview with Andre, he just doesn't have the charisma. It's one of those things you're born with. Andre had other things going for him, but P had that special something that set him apart.

From that video it looks as if Andre & Prince had some of the same mannerisms.

Since they practically grew up together, they'd have to. P had his own style though and a "winning" way, if I could sum it up. Andre has said he was a piece of work and P's mother wouldn't let him hang out with P, so he must have had a side to his personality that didn't jive with where P was going. You can't put yourself into something that much and leave things to chance. I kinda get the feeling that Andre "flew by the seat of his pants" and P was more focussed.

LBrent said:

Misslink88 said:

I think a lot of egos were at play. These guys all grew up together with big dreams and P was making his a reality. Maybe it was a "if he can do it, I can, too" kind of thinking? If you watch the interview with Andre, he just doesn't have the charisma. It's one of those things you're born with. Andre had other things going for him, but P had that special something that set him apart.

This is what I was trying to articulate upthread.

Andre and lotsa others were talented, etc...but they wanted to go on their own. Ok, they went on their own...but then what?

P had the freakish ability to practically envision the future and plot the exact terrain and route to get to his desired destination.

It took more than simply being goodlooking, tall, talented, able to write songs, able to work equipment, able to lead, able to manage, able to figure ish out that the powers that be don't wanna tell ya the secrets of, tenacity, ego, stamina...it takes so much more than that.

Some folks he grew up with and worked with had a handful of those things, but who had all of those traits and more?

That's why when they'd whine and complain and whatever, he didn't have the patience for it cuz he was giving 1000% of himself to cover his own aspirations and tryna make it happen for their azzes too. And after the ones who left went, why is it that they never were able to attain what he did if they thought their way was better that his way?

Hell, some of em, after 25-30 years are just getting back to where they were with him, because? Well, they're back to playing his stuff now and redoing his moves and resinging his songs and remembering how they fought so hard to get away from all that but now they're getting attention again...because of P. And they can't tribute his lil purple azz enough or keep his name out of their mouths again.

Must be an ego strain to realize that.

[Edited 5/16/17 18:26pm]

Yes, exactly. It's the kind of thing were people go "yeah, I could have made it but P did such and such" to ease their own disappointment at not putting themselves into it completely like he did.

Misslink88 said:

LBrent said:

This is what I was trying to articulate upthread.

Andre and lotsa others were talented, etc...but they wanted to go on their own. Ok, they went on their own...but then what?

P had the freakish ability to practically envision the future and plot the exact terrain and route to get to his desired destination.

It took more than simply being goodlooking, tall, talented, able to write songs, able to work equipment, able to lead, able to manage, able to figure ish out that the powers that be don't wanna tell ya the secrets of, tenacity, ego, stamina...it takes so much more than that.

Some folks he grew up with and worked with had a handful of those things, but who had all of those traits and more?

That's why when they'd whine and complain and whatever, he didn't have the patience for it cuz he was giving 1000% of himself to cover his own aspirations and tryna make it happen for their azzes too. And after the ones who left went, why is it that they never were able to attain what he did if they thought their way was better that his way?

Hell, some of em, after 25-30 years are just getting back to where they were with him, because? Well, they're back to playing his stuff now and redoing his moves and resinging his songs and remembering how they fought so hard to get away from all that but now they're getting attention again...because of P. And they can't tribute his lil purple azz enough or keep his name out of their mouths again.

Must be an ego strain to realize that.

[Edited 5/16/17 18:26pm]

Yes, exactly. It's the kind of thing were people go "yeah, I could have made it but P did such and such" to ease their own disappointment at not putting themselves into it completely like he did.

I realize that money isn't everything and some folks could care less about money, but I had a peek at some folks' net worths and I find it interesting that not one single former P associate is over 8 figures, as a matter of fact only 2 or 3 are even in the 7 figures and those folks are just barely into the 7 figures...and the ones who since 4/21 have FINALLY accumulated a net worth of at least 6 figures.

And I can't even with folks who after 4/21 FINALLY put out 1 single solitary record, or the NEXT record since leaving P. I guess that was his fault.

Seriously? After nearly 30 some odd years NOBODY? Really?

And in that same time period P GAVE AWAY more than their combined net worths to charity and STILL ended up with 9 figures???

I can't even...

[Edited 5/17/17 5:45am]

PennyPurple said:

Chapter 13 Ragged Edges Pgs. 155-165

Dirty Mind hit stores. It didn't do well with the radio stations possibly because WB put a label on the demos that said, "please audition before airing". It didn't do well on the charts.

.

WB decided to do a tour in mid size clubs.

.

Howard Bloom was hired as a publicist.

.

Teena Marie was the opening act.

.

Crowds remained small and WB cut the tour back.

.

Prince started working on Do Me Baby, which was Andre's song that he wrote. Andre was already smarting from Prince's failure to credit Andre on Uptown. Andre arrived late to rehearsal, and walked in on the band performing Do Me Baby. When asked why Prince was doing this, Prince replied, "Because I'm a star and you are not" That was the breaking point, Andre told Prince he was going solo.

.

Prince appealed to Andre's mom, Bernadette Anderson, to delay his departure. Andre agreed but asked Prince for a raise. Of course Prince said no, Andre had, had it and told Prince not to worry about it, he would do it for free.

.

Prince had already began looking for a replacement for Andre several months before this happened. Mark Brown was hired for Andre's spot.

.

Went on Saturday Night Live, interviewed with Rolling Stone, shows started selling out.

.

Jill Jones entered the picture.

.

Dez had experience a life changing epiphany and became a born again Christian.

I found it interesting to read about how the tour tanked for most of it, but yet again Prince and his team made a great decision to do Rolling Stone and Saturday Night Live, two important cultural forces at the time. It made a difference to me and apparently a lot of other people as well. The chapter mentioned that he toured the South including Baton Rouge where I was, and I didn't even know about it and perhaps would not have gone despite loving the song I Wanna Be Your Lover. Then, after I read the Rolling Stone review I ran out and got the album, and the rest is personal history of my love of Prince music. It was a real turning point. So even if the album wasn't a commercial hit, I think it really helped him start building him a rather large cult following including many critics.

[Edited 5/16/17 21:05pm]

LBrent said:

kmama07 said:

LBrent said:

Oh and some of them will say they never wanted fame and fortune anyway, they just wanted to play music.

Uh huh

That's like a man getting turned down by a super model and saying he doen't like pretty gals anyway.

Uh huh

Lol. Exactly. It must have been difficult keeping up with P in the sense that, although these were all talented musicians, he was just on a completely different level. Which I think is why jealousy/hurt feelings were probably magnified when it seemed he was being ruthless/cold in his decision making.

Side note here. Paul Mitchell and I discussed Andre (Paul knows Andre because of Prince, even though Paul, being from the south side and Andre, being from the northside, went to different schools). It was interesting hearing Paul's perspective as a non-musician friend. He said Prince and Andre were so close that he couldn't fathom what possibly could have split them apart. Paul had sports and school in common with Prince, but Paul viewed those two (Andre and Prince) as the very best of friends who had everything in common.

LauraTiebert said:

kmama07 said:

LBrent said: Lol. Exactly. It must have been difficult keeping up with P in the sense that, although these were all talented musicians, he was just on a completely different level. Which I think is why jealousy/hurt feelings were probably magnified when it seemed he was being ruthless/cold in his decision making.

Side note here. Paul Mitchell and I discussed Andre (Paul knows Andre because of Prince, even though Paul, being from the south side and Andre, being from the northside, went to different schools). It was interesting hearing Paul's perspective as a non-musician friend. He said Prince and Andre were so close that he couldn't fathom what possibly could have split them apart. Paul had sports and school in common with Prince, but Paul viewed those two (Andre and Prince) as the very best of friends who had everything in common.

What's the old saying?

"Familiarity breeds contempt".

I think Andre and others simply weren't as laser focussed and driven to the degree that P was so they eventually had to walk away to keep their sanity.

Look at how he simply wore folks out.

I have never understood the schooling situation ...so Prince and Andre lived in the same house but Andre went to North HS and Prince went to Central ...was P using his mums address ?...and if P mum didn,t want P to hang with Andre why allow him to live there...i think Morris said North had the better music programe so a lot of kids would go there after school,including Prince ...

LauraTiebert said:

kmama07 said:

LBrent said: Lol. Exactly. It must have been difficult keeping up with P in the sense that, although these were all talented musicians, he was just on a completely different level. Which I think is why jealousy/hurt feelings were probably magnified when it seemed he was being ruthless/cold in his decision making.

Side note here. Paul Mitchell and I discussed Andre (Paul knows Andre because of Prince, even though Paul, being from the south side and Andre, being from the northside, went to different schools). It was interesting hearing Paul's perspective as a non-musician friend. He said Prince and Andre were so close that he couldn't fathom what possibly could have split them apart. Paul had sports and school in common with Prince, but Paul viewed those two (Andre and Prince) as the very best of friends who had everything in common.

Perhaps that was a bone of contention, too. P made everything he did look so effortless and he was hooking up with people who made things happen for him. Andre spent just as much time playing and he wrote as well. They bounced ideas off each other, egged each other on in a good way, yet it didn't transpire for Andre. And maybe Andre DIDN'T want to be seen as riding P's coattails so he took a different path. It just didn't work out as well.

80tomato said:

I have never understood the schooling situation ...so Prince and Andre lived in the same house but Andre went to North HS and Prince went to Central ...was P using his mums address ?...and if P mum didn,t want P to hang with Andre why allow him to live there...i think Morris said North had the better music programe so a lot of kids would go there after school,including Prince ...

I think Prince was bused to a different school for desegregation.

This is an interview from 2014 if anyone is interested. Andre discusses their early life, relationship, what happened between them (nothing really) and other things.

Answers a lot of questions people might have.

http://podcastjuice.net/t...re-cymone/

80tomato said:

I have never understood the schooling situation ...so Prince and Andre lived in the same house but Andre went to North HS and Prince went to Central ...was P using his mums address ?...and if P mum didn,t want P to hang with Andre why allow him to live there...i think Morris said North had the better music programe so a lot of kids would go there after school,including Prince ...

Prince was kicked out of his DaD's house when he went to live with Andre. I would think that even if his mon did not like Andre that his parents were okay with Andre's mom.

Perhaps Prince kept his old address and just did not want to change schools.

80tomato said:

I have never understood the schooling situation ...so Prince and Andre lived in the same house but Andre went to North HS and Prince went to Central ...was P using his mums address ?...and if P mum didn,t want P to hang with Andre why allow him to live there...i think Morris said North had the better music programe so a lot of kids would go there after school,including Prince ...

Page 70; Starting in 8th grade school bussing took Prince to Bryant Jr High, he would often stay at the home of his Aunt Olivia Nelson because it was closer to school, and spend the weekends at the Anderson's home.

.

Page 80-81; North High School was the closest to the Anderson's, it had almost a 50% minority population which was a legal trigger for desegregation, which resulted in Prince being bussed to Central which was 30 minutes away.

PennyPurple said:

80tomato said:

I have never understood the schooling situation ...so Prince and Andre lived in the same house but Andre went to North HS and Prince went to Central ...was P using his mums address ?...and if P mum didn,t want P to hang with Andre why allow him to live there...i think Morris said North had the better music programe so a lot of kids would go there after school,including Prince ...

Page 70; Starting in 8th grade school bussing took Prince to Bryant Jr High, he would often stay at the home of his Aunt Olivia Nelson because it was closer to school, and spend the weekends at the Anderson's home.

.

Page 80-81; North High School was the closest to the Anderson's, it had almost a 50% minority population which was a legal trigger for desegregation, which resulted in Prince being bussed to Central which was 30 minutes away.

Such a chaotic lil life it's a miracle he was able to graduate and learn instruments and play sports and have a social life, at all.

LBrent said:

Misslink88 said:

Yes, exactly. It's the kind of thing were people go "yeah, I could have made it but P did such and such" to ease their own disappointment at not putting themselves into it completely like he did.

I realize that money isn't everything and some folks could care less about money, but I had a peek at some folks' net worths and I find it interesting that not one single former P associate is over 8 figures, as a matter of fact only 2 or 3 are even in the 7 figures and those folks are just barely into the 7 figures...and the ones who since 4/21 have FINALLY accumulated a net worth of at least 6 figures.

And I can't even with folks who after 4/21 FINALLY put out 1 single solitary record, or the NEXT record since leaving P. I guess that was his fault.

Seriously? After nearly 30 some odd years NOBODY? Really?

And in that same time period P GAVE AWAY more than their combined net worths to charity and STILL ended up with 9 figures???

I can't even...

[Edited 5/17/17 5:45am]

That's why Prince stayed at the hotel, and wrote a song, instead of going to Disney World. Music was all that mattered to him.

PennyPurple said:

LBrent said:

I realize that money isn't everything and some folks could care less about money, but I had a peek at some folks' net worths and I find it interesting that not one single former P associate is over 8 figures, as a matter of fact only 2 or 3 are even in the 7 figures and those folks are just barely into the 7 figures...and the ones who since 4/21 have FINALLY accumulated a net worth of at least 6 figures.

And I can't even with folks who after 4/21 FINALLY put out 1 single solitary record, or the NEXT record since leaving P. I guess that was his fault.

Seriously? After nearly 30 some odd years NOBODY? Really?

And in that same time period P GAVE AWAY more than their combined net worths to charity and STILL ended up with 9 figures???

I can't even...

[Edited 5/17/17 5:45am]

That's why Prince stayed at the hotel, and wrote a song, instead of going to Disney World. Music was all that mattered to him.

TonyM told a story in a recent podcast of many years later when NPG performed in Brazil, TM convinced P to accompany him out of the hotel, but he wouldn't go windsurfing or power boating or jetskiing...TM had P in the limo trying to get him to come out of the car onto the beach, but the driver drove out onto the beach and P rolled down the limo window and watched them all cavort...from the limo, smiling as he watched them.

It broke my heart.

LBrent said:

PennyPurple said:

That's why Prince stayed at the hotel, and wrote a song, instead of going to Disney World. Music was all that mattered to him.

TonyM told a story in a recent podcast of many years later when NPG performed in Brazil, TM convinced P to accompany him out of the hotel, but he wouldn't go windsurfing or power boating or jetskiing...TM had P in the limo trying to get him to come out of the car onto the beach, but the driver drove out onto the beach and P rolled down the limo window and watched them all cavort...from the limo, smiling as he watched them.

It broke my heart.

I wish he would've partook in some of these activities like normal people do. I had read somewhere where he heard music in his head 24/7 so much so that he had trouble sleeping. He spoke to us thru his music. Even when he and Husney got into a tiff, he wrote a song to Husney, he also did this with Lisa. Instead of saying sorry he wrote them songs.

gandorb said:

PennyPurple said:

Who wants to summarize chapter 13?

I am going to be especially busy the next 36 hours so chapter 13 isn't a good match for me, but I'll commit to chapter 14 if that's okay?

Are you ready for chapter 14?

LBrent said:

Misslink88 said:

PennyPurple said:

80tomato said:

I have never understood the schooling situation ...so Prince and Andre lived in the same house but Andre went to North HS and Prince went to Central ...was P using his mums address ?...and if P mum didn,t want P to hang with Andre why allow him to live there...i think Morris said North had the better music programe so a lot of kids would go there after school,including Prince ...

Page 70; Starting in 8th grade school bussing took Prince to Bryant Jr High, he would often stay at the home of his Aunt Olivia Nelson because it was closer to school, and spend the weekends at the Anderson's home.

.

Page 80-81; North High School was the closest to the Anderson's, it had almost a 50% minority population which was a legal trigger for desegregation, which resulted in Prince being bussed to Central which was 30 minutes away.

Prince usually stayed with either Paul Mitchell's family or his Aunt Olivia during the week while at Central High School, according to Paul. I can't remember if this is in the book, but Paul said Prince would drink all the Kool-Aid and make Paul's sister mad. Sort of a similar tale to Terry's, when he told of Prince coming into his family's kitchen and eating all the food.

laurarichardson said:

Misslink88 said:

Since they practically grew up together, they'd have to. P had his own style though and a "winning" way, if I could sum it up. Andre has said he was a piece of work and P's mother wouldn't let him hang out with P, so he must have had a side to his personality that didn't jive with where P was going. You can't put yourself into something that much and leave things to chance. I kinda get the feeling that Andre "flew by the seat of his pants" and P was more focussed.

Andre has said he use to steal music equiptment and cars. He admitted that Prince had him come to California when he got his contract the help Andre stay out of trouble. One was focused and one was not.

After listening to that interview, it seems Andre has come a long way in his own growth. As he said, when they parted, he was excited and really looking forward to going in his own direction.

laurarichardson said:

LBrent said:

TonyM told a story in a recent podcast of many years later when NPG performed in Brazil, TM convinced P to accompany him out of the hotel, but he wouldn't go windsurfing or power boating or jetskiing...TM had P in the limo trying to get him to come out of the car onto the beach, but the driver drove out onto the beach and P rolled down the limo window and watched them all cavort...from the limo, smiling as he watched them.

It broke my heart.

Why he was doing what he wanted to do.

Because it felt so insular and wasted potential and sad to me.

Yes, I realize that he was doing what he "wanted", but that even makes me sadder. That he'd want not to participate. Prefer to sit on the sidelines.

I think I've seen him sorta participating a bit in pics before and after this time period, but maybe he just needed to be really lazer focussed during that time period and did'nt see the point in cavorting on the beach.

Or maybe he didn't like sand...or any of a gazillion reasons.

At any rate, it makes me sad. I can only feel how I feel. Sorry.