I hadn't ever read this interview before, and found it fascinating.


https://www.theguardian.c...s-magazine

Great interview and dang! That episode of TOTP was incredible! Prince, No Doubt, The Spice Girls, etc. Wow!

Good interview! Thanks for sharing

I hadn't seen this one, either. Thanks for posting!

One of the few interviews Prince mentions his son directly. Very honest and open, and a pleasure to read.

RodeoSchro said:

Great interview and dang! That episode of TOTP was incredible! Prince, No Doubt, The Spice Girls, etc. Wow!

It was, wasn't it!? I've watched it a couple of times since I found the interview. 2 years ago, I was searching out all the interviews I could find, but strange that I didn't come across this one until last night.

pinkcashmere23 said:

Good interview! Thanks for sharing

You're welcome!

OperatingThetan said:

One of the few interviews Prince mentions his son directly. Very honest and open, and a pleasure to read.

I really enjoyed it, too. I hadn't read an interview in which he did talk about his son like this. Usually it was the "It's all good" and a change of subject, but to read that he did discuss how traumatic it was for him, he must have trusted this reporter to be that open with them.

Great interview! That's what I love about the org. I don't have to go looking for much. Wonderful orgers find and share.

And Ian Wright as a huge fan?!?!

This GB, is why I love you!

He was always deflecting. The guy was about pure sex.

"my soul is cast iron and not to be dented."

2freaky4church1 said:

He was always deflecting. The guy was about pure sex.

.

Prince had us all confused; he was always changing his mind.

luvsexy4all said:

"my soul is cast iron and not to be dented."

I loved that quote, too.

luvsexy4all said:

"my soul is cast iron and not to be dented."

sounds like a qoute from an unknown song to me. he was always dropping lines from
songs in his interviews or speeches. there are a few in this interview. notablly the one
from 'comeback' and a paraphrased one from 'gold'.

I've always agreed with that, even since the 80s

I think it is his persona and being such a visual exotic scene lends for that.
Even 'spiritual' songs come off sexual

jdcxc said:

What was so controversial and needed to be originally edited?

It might be that Prince seems to directly answer questions about his son. He says the usual things he did at the time, but the way the article is written, it seems that the interviewer asked directly, and Prince answered directly about the topic.

anangellooksdown said:

What happened to him at 27? That would’ve been 1985. He was beginning the Lovesexy Tour in August of that year.

Nope. Lovesexy tour began mid 1988.

anangellooksdown said:

He talks about 27 being the most important year of anyone’s life, about how he wants to bring together the male and female sides of himself and others, to marry the two genders. This union he signifies with his symbol, which he has adopted as his name. What happened to him at 27? That would’ve been 1985. He was beginning the Lovesexy Tour in August of that year. The secret of how to master happiness, according to Prince, is to learn to look at things positively, to rid oneself of negativity and to learn from one’s mistakes. “...ultimately it was my choice to sign the record deal. I was tempted by the carrot dangled in front of me, the carrot I call my pink Cadillac. Now that pink Cadillac was very appealing, but it was going down the wrong road.” “I wasn’t a happy person then. It was around the time of Lovesexy and that was not a good time. I nearly lost it at that time.” So what did make him so unhappy? His body suddenly stiffens. “That’s not important now,” he snaps, retreating on his confession. Then, just as quickly his voice softens. “What does matter is that I am happy now.” What did happen? I think P at the time of this interview was happier. And still seeking more happiness.

.

I wonder what he was going through around that time? That was the period of "Around the World".

cloveringold85 said:

anangellooksdown said:

He talks about 27 being the most important year of anyone’s life, about how he wants to bring together the male and female sides of himself and others, to marry the two genders. This union he signifies with his symbol, which he has adopted as his name. What happened to him at 27? That would’ve been 1985. He was beginning the Lovesexy Tour in August of that year. The secret of how to master happiness, according to Prince, is to learn to look at things positively, to rid oneself of negativity and to learn from one’s mistakes. “...ultimately it was my choice to sign the record deal. I was tempted by the carrot dangled in front of me, the carrot I call my pink Cadillac. Now that pink Cadillac was very appealing, but it was going down the wrong road.” “I wasn’t a happy person then. It was around the time of Lovesexy and that was not a good time. I nearly lost it at that time.” So what did make him so unhappy? His body suddenly stiffens. “That’s not important now,” he snaps, retreating on his confession. Then, just as quickly his voice softens. “What does matter is that I am happy now.” What did happen? I think P at the time of this interview was happier. And still seeking more happiness.

.

I wonder what he was going through around that time? That was the period of "Around the World".

That is the period the 1983-1986 period he said was Community that he needed community (he said this in a 1998 interview) this is also the period where his father was very much a part of his life and his camp.

1985 that period where he is 'coming home from taking over the world with Purple Rain' having achieved the thing he was working toward Super Stardom.

OldFriends4Sale said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

cloveringold85 said:

.

I wonder what he was going through around that time? That was the period of "Around the World".

That is the period the 1983-1986 period he said was Community that he needed community (he said this in a 1998 interview) this is also the period where his father was very much a part of his life and his camp.

1985 that period where he is 'coming home from taking over the world with Purple Rain' having achieved the thing he was working toward Super Stardom.

.

Yes, that was a big turning-point in his career.

anangellooksdown said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

That is the period the 1983-1986 period he said was Community that he needed community (he said this in a 1998 interview) this is also the period where his father was very much a part of his life and his camp.

1985 that period where he is 'coming home from taking over the world with Purple Rain' having achieved the thing he was working toward Super Stardom.

Oh. So he was craving community? And also his Dad was around. And he was dealing with this new superstardom. Probably trying to find who he could trust and who he was and where he was going.

Yes.
I think some of it could be summed up in his reaction to the crowd when the limo pulled up to the Purple Rain premiere. And expressed in Pop Life.

A government of love and music boundless in its unifying power
A nation of alms, the production, sharing ideas, a shower of flowers

This interview is a little sadder once you read Mayte's book and see that this is just a facade introduced by Larry Graham. He was the one pushing Prince to the idea that absolute faith would make things turn out alright and that unshakable faith in Christ would be rewarded. The last part of the interview kinda confirms that when he goes "I think, yes, I know I'm happy. I have all I need."

Wolfie87 said:

And Ian Wright as a huge fan?!?!

This GB, is why I love you!

Yes i remember hearing that Ian Wright played Prince in the changing room before some Arsenal matches

I agree. He tried so hard to rise above his loss but he avoided truely facing the loss. However, I would not call it a facade. He never lies about his son dying. I think he sincerely thought he could will himself into happiness and spiritual re-unification with the soul of his dead son. (the interviewer points out that he said he was happy about 30 times in the interview--probably not just to protect his privacy but to also convince himself.)He was deluded. For a while, it probably did get him through, but unfortunately, its like throwing a bandaid on a seeping wound while avoiding a doctor's examination of the injury.--it will stop the bleeding for a little while but eventually you will bleed through regardless and are ill-equipped to fix it.. Healing means dealing directly with the problem. I don't think thatparticular spiritual belief would have been bad had he first gone through the painful but essential process of understanding/facing the psychological devastation of the loss and getting the support and he and his wife truely needed. Spirituality to deal with loss is not necessarily a bad thing but it cant substitute for real psychological and theraputic support. I wonder where P's parents were through this devastating moment in his life.

Strive said:

This interview is a little sadder once you read Mayte's book and see that this is just a facade introduced by Larry Graham. He was the one pushing Prince to the idea that absolute faith would make things turn out alright and that unshakable faith in Christ would be rewarded. The last part of the interview kinda confirms that when he goes "I think, yes, I know I'm happy. I have all I need."

[Edited 3/18/18 21:13pm]