bonatoc said:

bonatoc said:

CatB said:

Funny story. From 1983 to 1987, the flat where I lived with my mom was right in front of a pretty famous luthier workshop, both on the first floor, very high windows, very high ceilings, Haussmann style (dad bit more than he could chew, our next flat would be waaay more middle-class). The rooms were smaller than this, but you get the picture, with the visible neighbour flat right across the courtyard.

The courtyard was all stone, all surrounded by four floors of building, it was a giant echo chamber. And it was deadly silent, except for the occasional tunings and tests. There were no double windows the first years, so everyone in the building could hear the aides tuning/playing the violins, the violas and the cellos, imagine having the "strings tuning" intro of IIWYG, all day long, all year long.

I could see the workshop walls covered with hanging instruments, right across the living-room window. The aides wore all white, like scientists studying precious wood, with huge magnifiers. They all played very well, they played the occasional scales to make sure the instrument sang like it should. Sometimes a short excerpt of Lord-knows-what, someting classical, gimme a break, I'm only twelve.

I'm twelve, and everyday coming back from school I put on "Purple Rain" (my very first album), from start to finish, at INSANE volumes. Valve seventies amp on Decade Oak JBLs. At 11 it was still crystal clear, and Bernie Grundman was avenged for the ages to come. Those kick drums were shattering Paris' finest wooden floor. The walls could feel it to the bone. I swear, some cellos and violins must have been tuned to the TBO ad lib. Maybe Isaac Stern's axe, who's to say? "Darling Nikki" must have been something, especially the moan, you know the one.

- Did you hear the latest Deutsche Gramophon record, the Dvořák Quintet?
— YOU DARLING LITTLE PRINCE WANTS TO GRIND GRIND GRIND !!! —
- Come again?

Needless to say, they had at least 3 full Prince album playings a week (mom was working late), LOUD, for four years. 4 whole years. "Condition Of The Heart" and the arrival of Clare (The Family! Parade!) felt like some sonic truce: like, "Hey, you classical tight-ass squares, here's some strings on top of funk!".

Now that ain't the truth. They're not squares. On such levels, these craftsmen and craftswomen know their shit, they know music. They take care of instruments that cost a million. While listening to Head or Do Me Baby.

Proof they know music? No one ever came, in four years of Purple Music blasting, asking me to turn the volume down.

I don't know, maybe they got used to tune Rostropovitch's Cello to "Alexa De Paris". I still don't get it. It was on fucking eleven. They never said a word. Prince blasting in the courtyard while they're fine-tuning Stradivariusses. For 4 whole years, maxi-singles, protégés, nothing but Purple Music. They never said a word...


...


!!!


They were fucking enjoying it, the bastards!

[Edited 12/3/18 1:00am]

Great story! Reminds me of my teenage years, although you had a much finer audience.

paulludvig said:

bonatoc said:

Isn't there a glimps in the Omnibus docu? Prince on the drums, George Clinton singing Tear the Roof Off. [Edited 12/14/18 3:16am]

I think that clip is from another show. Prince was wearing pink that night.

bonatoc said:

CatB said:

Funny story. From 1983 to 1987, the flat where I lived with my mom was right in front of a pretty famous luthier workshop, both on the first floor, very high windows, very high ceilings, Haussmann style (dad bit more than he could chew, our next flat would be waaay more middle-class). The rooms were smaller than this, but you get the picture, with the visible neighbour flat right across the courtyard.

The courtyard was all stone, all surrounded by four floors of building, it was a giant echo chamber. And it was deadly silent, except for the occasional tunings and tests. There were no double windows the first years, so everyone in the building could hear the aides tuning/playing the violins, the violas and the cellos, imagine having the "strings tuning" intro of IIWYG, all day long, all year long.

Très Av Foch

CatB said:

bonatoc said:

Funny story. From 1983 to 1987, the flat where I lived with my mom was right in front of a pretty famous luthier workshop, both on the first floor, very high windows, very high ceilings, Haussmann style (dad bit more than he could chew, our next flat would be waaay more middle-class). The rooms were smaller than this, but you get the picture, with the visible neighbour flat right across the courtyard.

The courtyard was all stone, all surrounded by four floors of building, it was a giant echo chamber. And it was deadly silent, except for the occasional tunings and tests. There were no double windows the first years, so everyone in the building could hear the aides tuning/playing the violins, the violas and the cellos, imagine having the "strings tuning" intro of IIWYG, all day long, all year long.

Très Av Foch

Speaking of Avenue Foch, there was a black and white picture of Prince in a french magazine ("Globe", no relation to the gossip magazine), with his face blurred like he turned his face away from the camera at the last moment, probably taken by a paparazzi. It was clearly taken from the sidewalks of Avenue Foch, circa 1987 (despite the blur you could tell Prince wore the SOTT haircut).

So one fine '88 saturday I went on a mission to find Prince's apartment. Kind of a Mission: Impossible, since the Avenue is huge. But I had this tiny picture with some buildings behind it as a starting point, so I figured I could somehow find a similar building and start from there.

Now I don't know if it was the one, but I spotted some peach curtains on the first floor of a particular building. This is some filthy rich hood we're talking about, but it was the eighties, and I somehow managed to get inside the building, climb the classy stairs and sure enough there's a door with two peepholes. One for regular sized people, and a second one, ten inches below.

I never knew for sure if it actually was Prince's apartment, but the curtains and the peepholes were enough for a buddy and me to squat on the grass banks in front of the building for the whole afternoon, with the occasional "Prince!" shouting, just in case. The curtains moved at some point, but it probably meant nothing: if a lunatic starts to scream under my balcony, I would take a look as well.

Does anyone know where Prince's flat was precisely? I seem to recall the double peephole was on the 58, but it was thirty years ago. Definitely on this side of the avenue.

Google says I'm pretty close! The 58 and 60 are identical twins. So 60 it was. All of a sudden I feel so cocky. Remember, he just bought the place, I'm probably one of the very first (annoying) fans that spotted it. I kid you not, I went with intuition, and I found it like right away, like some water diviner.

Peach curtains and a double peephole could not lie.
Call me Sherlock. And Pesky Stalker.

Back to topic, New Morning '87 would be most welcome.


Update: so it turns out I'm the only dork who didn't know it was in fact the 60, Avenue Foch all these years. I don't care, I was there first (presumably, but I'll live with that).

[Edited 12/20/18 17:37pm]

bonatoc said:

CatB said:

Très Av Foch

Speaking of Avenue Foch, there was a black and white picture of Prince in a french magazine ("Globe", no relation to the gossip magazine), with his face blurred like he turned his face away from the camera at the last moment, probably taken by a paparazzi. It was clearly taken from the sidewalks of Avenue Foch, circa 1987 (despite the blur you could tell Prince wore the SOTT haircut).

So one fine '88 saturday I went on a mission to find Prince's apartment. Kind of a Mission: Impossible, since the Avenue is huge. But I had this tiny picture with some buildings behind it as a starting point, so I figured I could somehow find a similar building and start from there.

Now I don't know if it was the one, but I spotted some peach curtains on the first floor of a particular building. This is some filthy rich hood we're talking about, but it was the eighties, and I somehow managed to get inside the building, climb the classy stairs and sure enough there's a door with two peepholes. One for regular sized people, and a second one, ten inches below.

I never knew for sure if it actually was Prince's apartment, but the curtains and the peepholes were enough for a buddy and me to squat on the grass banks in front of the building for the whole afternoon, with the occasional "Prince!" shouting, just in case. The curtains moved at some point, but it probably meant nothing: if a lunatic starts to scream under my balcony, I would take a look as well.

Does anyone know where Prince's flat was precisely?

Yes, and I've also been to his last house in Paris. I still go back to Av Foch from time to time and talk to the family that lives there now. One of the kids even reminds me of 1988 Prince and they were very cute when I told them about P. They don't know him. They don't know what PRINCE is. I also had a hilarious situation with their driver as he also had never heard of P and he thought I was talking of the Prince of Iran who "lives in number 68" as he told me There's also an American girl who had no idea he lived there.

Many cool memories. To lurk on Av Foch you kids shoulda gone to the back, though, in rue Pergolèse as P usually took that gate and the parking garage there.

This set of photos was taken at the apartment, by the way.

bonatoc said:

Back to topic, New Morning '87 would be most welcome.

Strongly agree. And the one at Bains Douches!

Le New Morning 1986 would be even better , especially considering the sound quality we have now for that show.

bonatoc said:

CatB said:

Très Av Foch

Speaking of Avenue Foch, there was a black and white picture of Prince in a french magazine ("Globe", no relation to the gossip magazine), with his face blurred like he turned his face away from the camera at the last moment, probably taken by a paparazzi. It was clearly taken from the sidewalks of Avenue Foch, circa 1987 (despite the blur you could tell Prince wore the SOTT haircut).

So one fine '88 saturday I went on a mission to find Prince's apartment. Kind of a Mission: Impossible, since the Avenue is huge. But I had this tiny picture with some buildings behind it as a starting point, so I figured I could somehow find a similar building and start from there.

Now I don't know if it was the one, but I spotted some peach curtains on the first floor of a particular building. This is some filthy rich hood we're talking about, but it was the eighties, and I somehow managed to get inside the building, climb the classy stairs and sure enough there's a door with two peepholes. One for regular sized people, and a second one, ten inches below.

I never knew for sure if it actually was Prince's apartment, but the curtains and the peepholes were enough for a buddy and me to squat on the grass banks in front of the building for the whole afternoon, with the occasional "Prince!" shouting, just in case. The curtains moved at some point, but it probably meant nothing: if a lunatic starts to scream under my balcony, I would take a look as well.

Does anyone know where Prince's flat was precisely? I seem to recall the double peephole was on the 58, but it was thirty years ago. Definitely on this side of the avenue.

Google says I'm pretty close! The 58 and 60 are identical twins. So 60 it was. All of a sudden I feel so cocky. Remember, he just bought the place, I'm probably one of the very first (annoying) fans that spotted it. I kid you not, I went with intuition, and I found it like right away, like some water diviner.

Peach curtains and a double peephole could not lie.
Call me Sherlock. And Pesky Stalker.

Back to topic, New Morning '87 would be most welcome.


Update: so it turns out I'm the only dork who didn't know it was in fact the 60, Avenue Foch all these years. I don't care, I was there first (presumably, but I'll live with that).

[Edited 12/20/18 17:37pm]

Interesting article published by The Local the day after Prince's death. Here's a snippet:

*

His last concert

Mackopolis44 said: