It was my favorite period.Prince was raw,experimental and hungry. He was a reborn underground artist, with his own club for me to go to every week. I would catch him there on any given night lurking or performing.It was our own little Paisley Park. With a whose who of stars and a unknown Carmen Elecktra & a wide eyed Nona Gaye dancing the dance floor.
It also was a period with the REAL die hard fans. Not the fairweather ones that are only around when it's a hit or when everything was ok with him. "That mountain top situation is not really what it's all cracked up 2 B when was doing the Purple Rain tour had a lot of people who knew 'll never c again @ the concerts.just screamin n places they thought they was suppose 2 scream." | |
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I don't know if the term "reborn, underground artist" would be the right term. He was just as well-known as he was during the 80's, but he had been trying to reach the next "mountain top" so to speak. In his PR letter to Controversy magazine in '93 - written as if it was a personal letter from Mayte - he talked about how the song "Gold" was better and going to be even bigger than Purple Rain. He had made the $100 mill deal with WB in '90-91 and it wasn't working out in terms of the sale of the records. He was fighting with WB, and had lost just about everyone he had worked with during his rise in the 80's - both friends and collaborators. Also, I think his vision for the Glam Slam clubs did not pan out either. He spoke about opening the club during the 1986 1st Avenue Parade show. He said, "I just got a few more things I have to do, and then I'm going to come back and open up a place where we can all hang out together and dance". He was at the the height of his popularity at this point. The Glam Slam clubs were initially a big deal, but then closed down by 1995-1997, which was a rough time for him.
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How great that you were able to experience the club and see him there performing and just hanging out. What a great memory to have. | |
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I'm not defending Prince, but Jill Jones seems to be difficult to deal with. 99.9% of everything I say is strictly for my own entertainment | |
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I believe Jill had left his camp by 1990 - right after finishing the GB movie. She stated she just let her contract with him expire. She said she tried to get another record out with another producer, but Prince refused to let her use the songs. I think she was just opinionated and head strong, which by all accounts, did not work with Prince. She said he told her that she had no charisma and she should get a "boob job". Ouch! He could be mean. [Edited 5/26/18 8:36am] | |
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When I say "reborn, underground artist". I meant it in a way that Prince had the tendency throughout his career to alienate certain followings like he did with releasing 'Dirty Mind' & 'ATWIAD' after having a successful album and lose a WHOLE audience to express himself as a artist in a different direction. He was fearless that way.
On the"Gold Album" WB at one point wouldn't release it and Prince went on a self promotion rampage urging his fans to protest them. In fact I still have a lament badge from that time about it. That whole "Gold was better and going to be even bigger than Purple Rain". Was just a way to bring more attention to that project and pressure WB into releasing it. I guess he wanted it out way earlier than the WB were willing to.
On the statement saying "I just got a few more things I have to do, and then I'm going to come back and open up a place where we can all hang out together and dance". I always thought he was referring to his as yet fourthcoming 'Paisley Park' Complex.
On the Glam Slam clubs closing. I heard it closed because of a falling out professionally & financially with Gilbert Davidson that ended their friendship.
YES IT IS!!!! "That mountain top situation is not really what it's all cracked up 2 B when was doing the Purple Rain tour had a lot of people who knew 'll never c again @ the concerts.just screamin n places they thought they was suppose 2 scream." | |
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ChocolateBox3121 said:
It was my favorite period.Prince was raw,experimental and hungry. He was a reborn underground artist, with his own club for me to go to every week. I would catch him there on any given night lurking or performing.It was our own little Paisley Park. With a whose who of stars and a unknown Carmen Elecktra & a wide eyed Nona Gaye dancing the dance floor.
It also was a period with the REAL die hard fans. Not the fairweather ones that are only around when it's a hit or when everything was ok with him. Glam Slam LA was great! I saw him do a modified Gold tour show there, and my head nearly exploded from how good that band was live. I never had been so close...and Tupac was there, smoking blunts in the audience and dancing with multiple girls... | |
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Oh yeah! I forgot about Tupaq! He was a BIG Prince fan.
That band was thumping! With Michael B, Sonny, Tommy. I can't see how anyone can say he was sad and melancholy during that period. He was the complete opposite to me.
"That mountain top situation is not really what it's all cracked up 2 B when was doing the Purple Rain tour had a lot of people who knew 'll never c again @ the concerts.just screamin n places they thought they was suppose 2 scream." | |
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I took his comments about opening up a place to dance as referring to his own nightclub. He opened the MN club in '89-90. I think PP was initially more for recording, rehearsing, and doing all or most of his videos there, and also concerts. | |
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This is off topic. I wonder how Prince would have handled this problem with the sound engineer(s). At a Madison Square Garden concert my friend & I were sitting in the last row of the top tier of seats. The seats were “nose bleed” & the extremely loud sounds were so loud, your ears could bleed. I didn’t leave because I wanted to see Prince. It was the last time I went to any concert. Terrible experience. I guess sound checks where fans sit, is out of the question. I'll ♥️ "LemonDrop" 2DN 💋 your "Sugar"
Prince: TY! 🌹 🎶🎸🎶 💜 Rex @3/27/18 2D Media Let Prince R.I.P. | |
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Prince used to sit in all the different seating sections to check for sound during sound checks (during the musicology tour).
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to be perfectly honest, every concert i've been to has been too loud for my taste and the sound was never great, that goes for Prince, springsteen,stevie, and Terence Trent. When I've went it wasn't for perfect sound, I can get that off the record, i go to see a hero and feel a bit of inspiration. Also, i'm curious as to how much hearing Prince even had, certainly there was some damage, I wonder how well he could even adjust sound with the damage his ears had. | |
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i met an older woman from Minneapolis (in fact, I'm a mover and i was helping her load her truck to go back) she said she had been to Glam Slam and had seen Prince, she wasn't a fan at all but she did admit he was cute.
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I don't know anything about how difficult Jill may or may not be but I've always thought that Prince really did not want another hit artist after the Time, to the point where it hurt HIM. Like the saying cut off his nose to spite his face, he was so competitive, even with women, they say Mayte had to let him win in pool so his ego wouldn't be offended, and that he blocked the albums of Ingrid and Rosie Gaines from coming out in timely fashion. Definitely one of his lesser qualities and made his wanting a record label totally pointless, there was a time when people wondered if Paisley would be another Motown, that was all too brief and Prince obviously didn't want any other stars on the label. | |
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that one lady, elisa fiorillo seemed to anticipate how much of a headache it would be to work at Paisley, she turned down a record deal because there was no promising track record. She's probably one of the few to turn Prince down but she was right, it would have went nowhere. After Prince died, and it became common knowledge how accessible he was, I've often thoughtt that I should have made it out to Paisley but when I was young, I had a dream of being an artist on the label, so much so that I went to Minne when I was 20, it would have never happened under any circumstances. | |
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Really? You never sent anythinbg in while there? "Climb in my fur." | |
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I was 20, i was young and stupid, i didn't even have anything to send. What a dumb kid I was, but I'm convinced that I could have gotten a job there after hearing all the stories. I did send my album to Flyte Time and they are actually the only label to respond in any kind of way, it was a rejection letter but they were the only ones to bother sending one out of all the many labels, probably well over a hundred that I sent stuff to. | |
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At least you sent something to Flye Tyme. Cool. And yeah, who knows what you could have got hired on as. "Climb in my fur." | |
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I think he was afraid of being overshadowed to some degree but i also think he was taking on too much and was too neurotic (until the last years of his life) to give over control to others to the extent needed to have another Motown. He micromanaged too much and didn't have the time or attention span to finish projects as frequently as when he was younger. I imagine he also started being more indecisive about what his artists released due to some of the failed sales that occurred (Carmen, JIll).
As for Mayte letting him win at pool, supposedly he was good at pool, so I don't buy that. Ida Neilson used to beat him at ping-pong and I never read of anyone just letting win at basketball.
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ya, it was a formal, courteous rejection, more than i got from anyone else. truth is, although minneapolis sound is all over my album, the lyrics are a world away from Prince's or any pop music so I know I've freaked people out talking about war and shit. Still, i was born out of the minnepolis sound so it was dissapointing. | |
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I wonder if the Minneapolis sound was already done with by the pop crowd by the time Paisley Park was really ready to roll. Not only had Prince nearly completely left the vintage Minneapolis sound behind after Purple Rain, Rap and other music was also starting to take over. Sheila E's third album is strong, very strong in my mind and it flopped. It's hard to say whether or not he could have done the motown thing but..., imagine if he'd joined forces and maintained relations with jimmy jam/terry/jesse/morris, they would have had a shot I think, a good shot.
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Have you seen the YT video "Paisley Park: Recollections Of Working For Prince". Really great video and story of how the guy first sent his music to PP, which they rejected, so he then pursued getting a job at PP. Fantastic tidbits of working at PP in the mid 90's.... | |
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I probably did, was it a white guy who was punk rock looking at the time and looked like a normal old guy now? I think I did watch that, it was pretty good. It's those stories that make me kick myself for getting discouraged and coming back home so fast. | |
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TBH, you're probably better off not having hademployment within the company. "Climb in my fur." | |
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ya, i've heard all the stories but what a memory it would be and I could have said I worked there. When he was alive I often said what you said "i was better off not working for him" but now? Shit, I regret it. Prince was an asshole and a control freak but he really did take his job as a breadwinner for "folks" as he called them around him, he took that job seriously, i don't think that can be denied. | |
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Cant be denied but working for him could have ended with a big distaste for the experience, him, etc that could have changed the trajecotry of your love of the music etc. Then again, it could have also ended up positive. But though it could also be a plus on a resume, you doing your own thing your own way sans any personal relationship, probably made you a healthier human being in the long run. "Climb in my fur." | |
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Yes, that's the guy - blonde mohawk in the 90's. He has some great stories, and he got to tune the instruments before the Love4oneanother concerts, and stand front row. Love the story about the "really pretty girls who used to wander around PP and then suddenly disappear" and Duane, P's Brother, telling him he better stop hanging around those girls because "the boss" doesn't like it. Amazing to think that Prince may have felt threatened or competitive about that situation. | |
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And those with the "special" rings "Climb in my fur." | |
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I never even thought about sending my cd to PP when I had it ready, never even considered it, BUT, i did compose several songs on it with the thought in mind "if Prince ever heard this he would be proud". That was how I approached several of those songs and I did my very best. | |
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ya, i just mentioned that Prince was supercompetitive, that mayte had to let him win in pool. I could see it. Also, Micki Free said that he was going to get a deal at Paisley until a bunch of girls started going gaga over him at a party and Chick or some bodyguard booted him out, no doubt on orders from the Little Guy.
Also, kinda wierd how the guy said he and Prince almost came to a face to face meeting in a hallway, the guy was told never to talk to him and the guy said he was just about to and Prince sensed it and ran. wierd as fuck but that's P. [Edited 5/27/18 10:31am] | |
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Yes, Susannah stated he always tried to keep her hidden, did not want to share her with anyone - even Wendy her twin. His story of "almost meeting him on the stairs" is hilarious. Prince was just very uncomfortable with other men, especially guys that he didn't know. | |
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