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'COME' PRESS RELEASE DARK . . . The New Album "Life Is Death Without Adventure." Back in the mid-'80's,a young musician from Minneapolis made that statement.And he's never strayed from giving us music that takeswild and daring twists and turns. Before changing hisname 2 an unpronounceable symbol on June 7, 1993, herecorded a bulk of material that will continue 2 be released.And now comes the last studio album he recorded beforehe changed his name. Its title is a stirring invitation:COME. Cool funk, hot soul, smoky jazz, sizzling rock, toppedoff with provocative poetry. No borders, no rules. Can'tlet taboos stand in our way. A release of inhibitions,a swift kick in the ass 2 the politics of repression. . The ammunition: songs about sexual obsession ("Come," "Pheromone"),sexuality and spirituality ("Space"), shattered romance("Dark"), the politics of racism ("Race") and child abuse("Papa"). There's also the song "Loose," an intense call-2-armsfor the release of positive energy, and the disc's firstsingle, "Letitgo," a song whose lyrics shed some lighton Prince's controversial decision 2 change his name. . As Prince, he has already had 14 platinum albums, 12gold singles, and a gold video. Now he has more. Notonly had the deluxe three-CD compilation The Hits/ TheB-Sides already gone gold by the beginning of December'93, so had the single CD The Hits 1 and the video TheHits Collection. Shortly thereafter, the single CD TheHits 2 also went gold. And consider this: as part ofits 20th anniversary celebration, the weekly music newspaperRadio & Records named Prince "Top Urban ContemporaryArtist of the Past 20 Years" because he's had 34 R&Rblack chart records--11 more than anybody else. He alsoranked #4 in R&R pop chart hits. . Unpredictable and bold, he has slipped his tongue intoour collective ear -- 2 paraphrase a line from a recentessay about him in Paper magazine -- and tickled ourbrain. He's touched our soul, 2, and got our bodies moving;singing about rebirth, spirituality, sexuality.
COME. THE HISTORY Few artists have captivated the media and general publicto the degree that Prince has since he first burst uponthe music scene in the early '80's. Initially referredto as the '80s answer to the Beatles, his intoxicatingsound was not only a radical departure from anythingheard previously, but also caused an entire shift inthe musical direction of that decade. . Although his 1984 blockbuster film and soundtrack gavehim global status as a household name, he had alreadyracked up an impressive three platinum releases beforethe Purple Rain explosion was heard around the world.Prince was only 19 years old when his first album, ForYou, was released on Warner Bros. Records. As a debutrecord, For You was considered a success both commerciallyand critically. That this provocative young virtuosowas not only a one-man band, but also his own producer,garnered tremendous attention around the world -- musiccritics were astonished to learn that only one personwas behind all the vocals and instruments. . His career began in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after teachinghimself to play the piano at the age of seven. By thetime he was 12, he had already mastered over 20 instruments.While still in his early teens, he had already laid thefoundation for the Madhouse sound when he formed a bandcalled Champagne that played only instrumental music.He then moved on to form the group Grand Central (laterrenamed Champagne) and, after a brief period of recordingdemo tapes at Moon Studio in Minneapolis, he headed forNew York armed with his music. . Although he was only 18, he insisted on producing hisown records and returned home after declining contractsfrom three different record companies. A year later,Warner Bros. Records signed him to a three-record contract.The now familiar "produced, arranged, composed and performedby Prince" credit accompanying his every release wasthen unparalleled. His arrangement with Warner Bros.made him the youngest artist in its history to be givencomplete artistic control in the studio. By the time he was 21, the word on this electrifyingartist began to spread. His eponymously titled secondalbum sold over one million copies, and the confidencethat Warner Bros. had installed in him was justified. . In one decade, Prince went from being a minor artistwith a cult following to one of the most critically acclaimedand influential artists of the 20th century. Declareda genius by numerous artists and music critics, his musicis used as a point of reference in countless record reviews.("Perhaps more than any other artist, Prince called thetune for pop music in the '80s, imprinting his Minneapolissound on an entire generation of musicians both blackand white."/Rolling Stone 11/89) Saying that Prince is a mystery is as much an understatementas saying he's talented. Already dubbed "mysterious" in1980, Prince responded to the label in an early interview. "Idon't know why so many people think I'm trying to bemysterious. I'm really not into mysteries. I'm just intomy music... that's all." . Communication with the public comes primarily throughhis music and live performances. He has a keen desireto keep his private life simply that -- private. He hasgiven only two interviews in the past six years. "AnythingI have to say can be heard in my music. I really don'thave the answers to anybody else's questions. Nobodydoes. People shouldn't look to others for answers, theyneed to look inside themselves." . An incomparable visionary, Prince continues to receivekudos from critics for his artistic risks. When AroundThe World In A Day was released in 1985, it had a totallydifferent sound from any previous Prince release. Italso became the fastest selling album in the historyof Warner Bros. Records. ("By making a significantlyradical departure... Prince made moot the issue of salesfigures... and replaced them with artistic questions.He looked in, not out, which was the response of an artist,not a music monger."/Washington Post 6/85) . Prince continues to keep the critics guessing witheach new release. More than 50 million copies of hisalbums have sold worldwide -- giving him a total of tenplatinum albums -- yet writers still rush to put a definitivelabel on the newest Prince sound, not fully understandingthat he possesses a multitude of musical interests. ("...newPrince albums generate more excitement and speculationthan almost anything else in rock 'n' roll."/Musician11/88.) . He also continues to be misunderstood. Gospel mavenMavis Staples, who signed on to Prince's Paisley ParkRecords in '87, says that most people don't understandthe brilliance of his music. "You've got to really listento hear what he's saying," says Staples. "He's been puttingout a positive message for years. But I can tell a lotof people aren't listening because of the questions Iget in interviews. His message can be humorous...butit's spiritual. I've seen those kids leaving his concerts;it's like me going to church and shouting. I can't sayenough good things about him." ("...in the 1980s...brilliant and daring artists captivatedour attention... the most brilliant and daring is Prince."/USAToday 11/29/89) . The release of the critically lauded Batman soundtrackcaused a stir among music critics for its "supposed" departurefrom the acclaimed and enchanting Lovesexy. Reportedlyone of the fastest selling albums in the history of thecharts, Batman was, in reality, quite similar to itspredecessor: both explored the polarities and dualitiesof mankind. ("Prince has remade Burton's film {Batman} into analbum and videos that vivify hidden ideas about sex,psychology and social behavior.... He gives a clearerunderstanding of the psychic battle between Bruce Wayneand The Joker.... What makes the songs art is their emotionaldetail."/Film Comment 11/89) . With the release of Graffiti Bridge in 1990, criticsagain sang their praises over his then newest release.(A 17-song tour de force that reclaims Prince's rarestature as a pop Picasso."/Rolling Stone 8/90) Calleda masterpiece by more than a few, Graffiti Bridge wasfrequently compared to the Purple Rain soundtrack --as Batman had been the previous year -- and many reviewerspondered the notion that Prince had gone "back" to amore rock sound. . Considered one of the world's greatest rock guitarists,we will surely hear more rock 'n' roll sounds from Princein the future. And more funk. And ballads. And R&B. Andgospel. And jazz. The "Prince sound" draws upon everytype of music--his creative energy has never limiteditself to a specific category. . At no point in his career was this more obvious thanon Diamond and Pearls (released in early October 1991),which found Prince blazing the musical trail once againwith a mature collection of songs as innovative and diverseas his talent. The revivalist rumble of tracks like "Thunder" and "Willingand Able" gave way to such all out double-dutch funkjams as "Daddy Pop," "Push" and the first controversialsingle from the LP -- "Gett Off." . The disc also featured the recording debut of a new "family" ofmusicians and performers that Prince had gathered together,the New Power Generation. Featuring Levi Seacer, Jr.(guitar), Sonny T (bass), Tommy Barbarella (keyboard),dancers/percussionists Kirk Johnson and Damon Dickson,Michael Bland (drums), rapper/dancer Tony M, and RosieGaines (keyboard and backing vocals), the N.P.G. wereon the tip of a new trend in music and a surprising newdirection for Prince - a return to the live band. AsPrince told Spin magazine, "Everyone else went out andgot drum machines and computers, so I threw mine away." . The Minneapolis musician has not limited his attentionto live and recorded performances, but also reassertedhimself as a video pioneer with his heavy-rotated musicvideo "Gett Off" and a special home video collection.Themed after the lecherous Roman Emperor Caligula, thecontroversial MTV clip was the height of decadence andfun. Introducing characters "Diamond" and "Pearl" andother scantily-clad women and groping men, Prince continuedto provoke his critics and challenge taboos in all mediums.Another Prince innovation, the Maxi-Video, with fivedifferent videos shot to different mixes of "Gett Off," wasas revealing as it was entertaining, offering fans arare glimpse into the many sides of Prince's personality. . Frequently dubbed a workaholic by friends and colleagues,Prince is indeed an incredibly productive person. Hefrequently works straight through one day into the nextand, when not concentrating on his own material, Princedevotes a considerable amount of time writing songs forand producing other artists. Artists landing in the Top10 with Prince-written songs include Sinead O'Connor "NothingCompares 2 U", Sheena Easton "Sugar Walls", the Bangles "ManicMonday" and Chaka Khan "I Feel For You." . Credited as the ruling creative force of the Eighties,Prince's vision encompasses the best of all styles. Crowninghis accomplishments of the past decade was a special "Awardof Achievement" presented to him at the 1990 AmericanMusic Awards. Noting his work as a multi-talented artist,the award read "...through his writing and performing,his recordings and motion pictures, and support of newmusical stars, Prince has been a major influence on thelook and sound of the 1980's." Aside from his own music, Prince also focuses a substantialamount of time to artists on his own recording label.Paisley Park Recording artists include T.C. Ellis, IngridChavez, The Time, Tony LeMans, George Clinton, Eric Leeds,Mavis Staples and Good Question. . All this should be enough to keep the average personquite busy. But however you may want to describe Prince, "average" isprobably not the word that comes to mind. So it shouldn'thave surprised anyone when, in 1987, Prince's 65,000square foot, state-of-the-art multimedia production facilityopened for business. . Paisley Park is the locus of Prince's creativity, businessacumen and professional ambition. Built from the groundup, this high-tech complex in Minneapolis houses therecord company, three recording studios and a 16,000-square-footsoundstage. In addition, there is a set building shop,choreography room, pre-stage area, dressing rooms, andwardrobe and costume department. Anyone who walks into Paisley Park immediately recognizesit as a working environment. It is a well-thought-outbuilding whose main influence and guidance came fromPrince. Since it opened, projects ranging from full tourproduction rehearsals for Neil Young to TV commercialsfor products such as Huggies Diapers have passed throughPaisley Park. . Other projects on the soundstage include TV commercialsfor Burger King, McDonald's, Comet Cleanser, Volkswagon,Porsche, Cadillac, Lincoln Mercury and tour productionrehearsals for the Bee Gees, MC Hammer, Freddie Jackson,Stevie Ray Vaughn, Neil Young, Kool & The Gang, The Muppets,Barry Manilow, and Jeff Beck. Since they opened, thestudios have been used for a number of recording projectsincluding albums and/or songs by such artists as R.E.M.,the BoDeans, Martika, Madonna, Paula Abdul, JermaineJackson, Patti LaBelle, the Replacements, the PointerSisters, The Boys, Jasmine Guy, and the Fine Young Cannibals. . With its five channels of audio, Studio A is equippedfor Dolby Surround sound-mixes, making it a superb facilityfor recording film & TV soundtracks. In addition to Prince'sBatman album, the studio has housed other soundtrackprojects as well. . In fact, when Douglass Trumbull was shooting a high-definitiontelevision project, To Dream of Roses, on the soundstage,he was also supervising soundtrack work down the hallin Studio A for an Italian film, Leonardo's Dream. . Second only to music is Prince's interest in film.After the smashing success of Purple Rain, he later starredin two additional films: Under the Cherry Moon in 1986and the critically-acclaimed live concert film, SignO' The Times, in 1987 (which was filmed in part at PaisleyPark). While neither achieved the monumental successof Purple Rain, they cemented his interest for workingin the medium. Paisley Park Films is the result of thatinterest; its first project was Graffiti Bridge. Known for being very film literate, Prince attemptsto see almost every single film released, including thosenever shown in the US. . Critically acclaimed for riveting live performancesand remarkably poignant compositions, Prince consistentlymaintains his status as one of the most important musiciansof the 20th century. His primary focus continues to behis integrity as an artist. His primary motivation isgrowth and experimentation. His relentless energy andcreative pursuits have helped redefine the meaning ofartistry. | |
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^^^ OF4S - who wrote the long piece above the picture?? Prince must have loved that one, especially the last paragraph!! He/she didn’t even criticize UTCM or GB  Me thinks this journalist was/is a big fan. Great writing though - very detailed and informative. | |
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Holy shakes, this came out the year you were born! Now I feel old. Although, I still look the same as I did in '94. Key is what you eat and exercize. Enjoy! I hope another artist as good as Prince arrives, so you can catch them live and be in the moment. My password is what | |
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I think it came from WB | |
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OldFriends4Sale said:
I think it came from WB Ahhhh, that s’plains it | |
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