Ruth Azarte was part of the Questlove Supreme Purple Roundtable Podcast that was recently released.

Ruth says they were on a break from the Musicology tour, and back in Minnesota in the dead of winter. One night she was on the phone talking to a friend and said "It's so cold here my nipples could cut glass." Ruth says the next day she walks into Studio A and Prince was playing a new song "Glasscutter" Ruth said "You MFer we need to put a cowbell on you"

Ruth also tells a story about how quickly he wrote the song 3121 after he told her to find a house in LA to rent. It only took a couple hours for Prince to write and finish the song, and Prince was able to accomplish all this in the middle of the night before they even knew whether they were able to rent the house.

This is a story about a One and Only mother,
There never was before, and there'll never be another,
Heck-a motor scooter... so fine U wanna shoot her,
Dressed like butter, hold a Cup-a Glass Cutter

Glass Cutter

Ohhh... yeah!

This is a jam about a purple fantasy
Every man knows this how it's supposed to be
So sharp, make a brother heart go flutter
Dress holding on to a Cup-a Glass Cutter

Mmm...Glass Cutter

It's about as hard as Arabian math
Water drops dripping when you taking a bath
the towel unravel and it looks like gravel
all a brother can do is just laugh... (ugh!)

But under his breath, he gonna mutter,
But under his breath, he gonna mutter,
But under his breath, he gonna mutter...
Baby, got a Cup-a Glass Cutter.

(Clapping)

This about a mother got a brother sprung,
I looked up the word heaven... saw a picture of her tongue,
If she was a song, she'd be sung.

Sit around and I'll be a singer, so I can bring her -
parmesan, cheddar, cheese... please.
U better believe she gets what she wants,

'cause I want just what she got.

I'm a new car, and she's a lot... a whole lot o' woman!

Girl got a case of 2 Fine
She got it bad... and that's good.
I'm gonna tell her 2 her face... (gonna tell her 2 her face)
'cause another brother would...
when a mother make a brother heart go flutter.

Dressed like butter,
Cup-a Glass cutter
Dressed like butter,
Cup-a Glass cutter

U make my heart go flutter,
Cup-a Glass Cutter
U make my heart go flutter...
Glass Cutter.

[Edited 7/6/18 9:04am]

Link for the podcast please?

Never mind, found it:

https://www.pandora.com/s...0970918804

Click the "episodes" tab to find Purple Roundtable

Hey Pandora, podcasts should be ONE single track, not 19...

[Edited 7/6/18 8:49am]

Like Susan Rogers said he would come up with a song like a sneeze. But you know as he could not read or write music (with any real level) he had songs in his head... he could write down lyrics but the music was in there. And apparently with the arrangements and various instruments...

So back to Suan Rogers: In 1983, when she was first hired she had to install and set up a new recording console in his house. Which took several days. She said she would hear him playing songs upstairs and that some wound up being recorded. But I can not help but think...how many songs did he have in his head that he never got out...even during those few days? And then over the years. He said things like how he would be brushing his teeth and get a song...

Great to hear Ruth's stories. Nice to hear from post 80's associates.

.

The Glass-cutter one made me smile. As did the her Super-bowl story

A catchy song for a brutha', Glasscutter. Writing all that music down would have slowed Prince's production. The transcription may always be done later. Recording technology has freed the maniac genius!

OnlyNDaUsa said:

Like Susan Rogers said he would come up with a song like a sneeze. But you know as he could not read or write music (with any real level) he had songs in his head... he could write down lyrics but the music was in there. And apparently with the arrangements and various instruments...

So back to Suan Rogers: In 1983, when she was first hired she had to install and set up a new recording console in his house. Which took several days. She said she would hear him playing songs upstairs and that some wound up being recorded. But I can not help but think...how many songs did he have in his head that he never got out...even during those few days? And then over the years. He said things like how he would be brushing his teeth and get a song...

this story. Especially the cowbell part, haha.

THIS is a great song...figures he came up with 3121 so fast...its so lame

luvsexy4all said:

THIS is a great song...figures he came up with 3121 so fast...its so lame

ufoclub said:

luvsexy4all said:

THIS is a great song...figures he came up with 3121 so fast...its so lame

Don't feed the

OnlyNDaUsa said:

Like Susan Rogers said he would come up with a song like a sneeze. But you know as he could not read or write music (with any real level) he had songs in his head... he could write down lyrics but the music was in there. And apparently with the arrangements and various instruments...

So back to Suan Rogers: In 1983, when she was first hired she had to install and set up a new recording console in his house. Which took several days. She said she would hear him playing songs upstairs and that some wound up being recorded. But I can not help but think...how many songs did he have in his head that he never got out...even during those few days? And then over the years. He said things like how he would be brushing his teeth and get a song...

I loved that interview with Susan - could listen to her stories all day long. What an amazing experience to be in the mix during that time. I read that "Housequake" came from Prince hearing his shoes make a certain beat when walking across the floor one particular time. Apparently, he dropped his plans and went to the studio to record the song. Cat Glover said the night she met Prince he was having a dinner party at his LA rental. She said Prince walked in and asked Steve Fargnoli to go upstairs with him, and he played him Housequake. Cat said she could hear it from downstairs.

dodger said:

Great to hear Ruth's stories. Nice to hear from post 80's associates.

.

The Glass-cutter one made me smile. As did the her Super-bowl story

Yes, the Super Bowl story was great, and how Ruth finally realized Prince was nervous prior to his performance.

Ruth has many great stories, and she is so funny!


All the panelists talked about their first memories of Prince. Ruth grew up in church and wasnt permitted to listen to secular music. Ruth said there was a boy in school who wore makeup and she didnt understand why but found out later he was a huge Prince fan.

Ruth said her mom told her Prince was a "homosexual demonic." So her first memory of Prince was that he was on their church prayer list. When she first got the "gig" with Prince she told him this story, and he rolled his eyes. She said "What!?! You were masturbating in a bathtub!" Prince then said "I dont do that anymore."

I love these stories.

ufoclub said:

luvsexy4all said:

THIS is a great song...figures he came up with 3121 so fast...its so lame

boy... is that witch jealous

Yes, the Super Bowl story was great, and how Ruth finally realized Prince was nervous prior to his performance.

Ruth has many great stories, and she is so funny!


All the panelists talked about their first memories of Prince. Ruth grew up in church and wasnt permitted to listen to secular music. Ruth said there was a boy in school who wore makeup and she didnt understand why but found out later he was a huge Prince fan.

Ruth said her mom told her Prince was a "homosexual demonic." So her first memory of Prince was that he was on their church prayer list. When she first got the "gig" with Prince she told him this story, and he rolled his eyes. She said "What!?! You were masturbating in a bathtub!" Prince then said "I dont do that anymore."