leecaldon said:

But SOTT did have a music video.

I think there were two versions, right?

The Vault doesn't list it but MTV played SOTT with it's' drum intro and everything from the concert. They also played the entire concert film a bunch of times.

The Video Music Award performance was made into a video too.

Neither the SOTT nor the Paisely Park video got ANY airplay on MTV (which, at the time, was where you had to be). Dont think I even saw either of these till years later.

Can't believe no one's said...

Releasing as the first single an old The Stylistics cover for Emancipation....

CynicKill said:

The single biggest misstep of his career was releasing AWTIAD after Purple Rain, and so soon after to boot.

I love the album, but it changed the entire course of his career.

Imagine being an executive at WB and hearing this for the first time.

I would've released something huge in around 1987, then after waiting for that to die down release a sequel (The Dawn?) to Purple Rain (around 1989-90).

Songs from AWTIAD and Parade could've been killer B-sides.

But this is me thinking big. Word is Prince was already fed up with megastardom post PR but me personally; I wouldn't have pissed it away.

You can say this was Prince's general problem. He created so much material that he couldn't really properly judge it. So Roadhouse Garden was dismissed as being too similar to Purple Rain, AWTIAD was rushed to market as the new thing and Parade was like a refined AWTIAD concept.

He would always jam a new song onto an album last minute. Sometimes that would work. Sometimes it was disastrous.

Who knows how different his career would have been if he could have held songs for more than a year and not tortured them to death with overproduction.

I'm pretty sure that I saw the SOTT video on MTV at some point. I just remember being disappointed that it was just a lyrics video with no Prince.

emesem said:

Neither the SOTT nor the Paisely Park video got ANY airplay on MTV (which, at the time, was where you had to be). Dont think I even saw either of these till years later.

kingricefan said:

I'm pretty sure that I saw the SOTT video on MTV at some point. I just remember being disappointed that it was just a lyrics video with no Prince.

emesem said:

Neither the SOTT nor the Paisely Park video got ANY airplay on MTV (which, at the time, was where you had to be). Dont think I even saw either of these till years later.

It 100% played on MTV.

I'm almost certain the lyrics video is new created by the estate.

lavendardrummachine said:

I thought the SOTT music video was an instant classic and kinda revolutionary for it's time with all the graphics on display?

Not sure if this is true or not,but I recall reading in People magazine why there was no video for the song "Sign O' The Times".Supposedly,Prince was pissed at MTV because they refused to show Jill Jones' "Mia Bocca" video.As retaliation,Prince refused to give them a video for SOTT.Which makes me wonder......is there a "real" video for the song? the video with just the lyrics is probably a replacement video that Warners quickly threw together.

Wolfie87 said:

I thought the SOTT music video was an instant classic and kinda revolutionary for it's time with all the graphics on display?

You know, there was something like that. I personally don't remember it being for SOTT, but this is what the official Prince account has up and some of those graphics do really look like they had to be done on the Fairlight back in the 80's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EdxM72EZ94

If you're referring to the black/white/grey video with the lyrics then it is the version played back when the song was released, not anything that the Estate recently released.

lavendardrummachine said:

kingricefan said:

I'm pretty sure that I saw the SOTT video on MTV at some point. I just remember being disappointed that it was just a lyrics video with no Prince.

It 100% played on MTV.

I'm almost certain the lyrics video is new created by the estate.

kingricefan said:

If you're referring to the black/white/grey video with the lyrics then it is the version played back when the song was released, not anything that the Estate recently released.

There's like a crop boxed, four squares, a green radar like effect, some early video art kind of stuff. Nothing anyone woud do today.

I sure hope that when I die a whole bunch of people write reviews about my biggest mistakes. It would be a very long list!

[Edited 6/16/20 20:11pm]

soladeo1 said:

Can't believe no one's said...

Releasing as the first single an old The Stylistics cover for Emancipation....

That awful song yes.

Nonamesfan said:

I sure hope that when I die a whole bunch of people write reviews about my biggest mistakes. It would be a very long list!

[Edited 6/16/20 20:11pm]

This. I know this is just a message board and the purpose of a message board is to share opinions, but labelling anything we would know about Prince as a "mistake" seems a bit overboard, IMO. Prince is held in very high esteem in the public and has earned his spot as an enduring legend. The choices he made were his.

Sorry to be a party pooper, but even in quotes, "mistakes" sounds presumptuous.

RJOrion said:

Yes, no offense, but all those songs are garbage.

Moonbeam said:

Thanks for this. The thread jumped the shark when somebody said his "so called" conversion to JW "was not welcomed" as though it's a decision to wear too much cologne. Prince did a lot of things in a whimsical fashion. Becoming a JW was not one of them. Did TRC have too much dogma? For my tastes, yeah. But he was excited about his discovery and I respect him more because of it.

RJOrion said:

More to the point, who wasn't doing New Jack Swing in 1991? Even Prince tried to get in on the action... a few years late, but still.

jasopig said:

yeah, ok...if you say so

I agree."If I Was Your Girlfriend" is an excellent track....one of my favorite songs on the album.BUT,it's a poor choice for a single.It's a very provocative song that the masses didn't understand.It got very little airplay and the album began tumbling down the charts when this came out as the single.

emesem said:

If I was your Girlfriend as 2nd single off SOTT

I am so glad I stayed put.

jasopig said:

RJOrion said:

Michael Jackson embracing New Jack Swing was a mistake?...when "Dangerous" is filled with a few of the greatest songs he's ever made?..."Cant Let Her Get Away"?..."Remember The Time"?..."Jam"?.."Why You Wanna Trip On Me?" ?...

Yes, no offense, but all those songs are garbage.

No offense but you just have a garbage taste.

SoulAlive said:

I agree."If I Was Your Girlfriend" is an excellent track....one of my favorite songs on the album.BUT,it's a poor choice for a single.It's a very provocative song that the masses didn't understand.It got very little airplay and the album began tumbling down the charts when this came out as the single.

emesem said:

If I was your Girlfriend as 2nd single off SOTT

Choosing IIWYG was a bold decision from him to make, most importantly it was an artistic choice, not a comercial one. And I'm glad he made it his second single, better if he would have released a video.

SoulAlive said:

And MJ made success with the BAD single. If that don't tell you everything you need to know about 1987 then I don't know what.

*mic drop*

"Game Blouses"
[Edited 6/18/20 3:04am]

This thread could use a proof reader

TrivialPursuit said:

nayroo2002 said:

i will just stay with the "events that changed his career" part.

Imagine Prince without influences...

Or someone who never took chances, dared to push the envelope, find the edge and step to it, and provoke thought. This sorta list could be made for any artist. MJ's mistakes - his appearance change, embracing New Jack Swing - anything is good or bad. madonna - the sex book, burning crosses, etc., Good or bad?

I'm glad Prince did most anything he did, whether I agreed with it or not. I can't stand TRC, but it certainly provoked conversations.

But I stand strong on Tony M. Dude should've been left on the catwalk of First Avenue.

LOL

leecaldon said:

emesem said:

That thread about the SOTT tour not coming to US got me thinking. What some of Prince's biggest missteps? These come to mind:

Name Change

SOTT Era has a bunch:

If I was your Girlfriend as 2nd single off SOTT

Not touring in US

No video for SOTT single

Moving on too soon with Black Album and LoveSexy

Not a mistake but Death of Baby Amir

LoveSexy cover photo

Directing UTCM himself

Disbanding the Revolution

Incorporating the Game Boyz and Tony M into band

The name "New Power Generation" still corny as AF

Rave

TRC

Not performing at Live Aid (i think not doing We are the World was the right move)

[Edited 6/12/20 8:26am]

But SOTT did have a music video.

Always like the NPG name. Although I found it strange strange that his career was bookended by bands who had their own specific name (Revolution and 3rdEyeGirl) but every band for two decades in between had the same name.

I don't think Prince was on enough people's radar at the time of TRC for it to have any significant negative impact (because of the subject matter) on his career.

As hardcore of a fan as I was, I didn't even see it back then. That wasn't a video lol sadly

0 Yes, a big mistake. SOTT should have been toured in the States.

1 a dark video with Prince wearing something dark with the peach or black cloud guitar for the SOTT video, some news footage floating past etc

This one touches on your number 4. Dream Factory with Prince & the Revolution / Camille should have happened

2 I didn't have a probablem with the LS cover. But a different image and the cover photo inside or as a inside poster would have been cool too

3 Yes directing UTCM and not listening to WB about the ending. There is an alternative ending where he lives. WB said the character wasn't sympathetic enough for a death scene

4 In 1998 in the One video one of the secret messages was 'come back my son and rule Prince & the Revolution'

5 Never liked the Game Boyz energy in Prince's band. They were cool with Madhouse. I always wonder what SOTT would have been like with Wally Cat and Jerome or Susannah Jerome and Cat. Peach and Black were Susannah's favorite colors and Cat's outfit was Susannahs

6 New Power Generation made sense for the 1988 band and what was happening with the Lovesexy Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic and Graffiti Bridge movie. After that it made no real sense anymore

7 Rave un2 the Joy Fantastic, I wonder what the 89 album would have been like... artwork and track list all set to go

8 TRainbow Children, I love the album overall. Very colorful. Mistake was not doing more with it

emesem said:

That thread about the SOTT tour not coming to US got me thinking. What some of Prince's biggest missteps? These come to mind:

Name Change

SOTT Era has a bunch:

If I was your Girlfriend as 2nd single off SOTT

Not touring in US

No video for SOTT single

Moving on too soon with Black Album and LoveSexy

Not a mistake but Death of Baby Amir

LoveSexy cover photo

Directing UTCM himself

Disbanding the Revolution

Incorporating the Game Boyz and Tony M into band

The name "New Power Generation" still corny as AF

Rave

TRC

Not performing at Live Aid (i think not doing We are the World was the right move)

[Edited 6/12/20 8:26am]

yeah,there is a WB executive who saw the movie with the alternate ending.He liked it very much.....says that,in this version,you find yourself rooting for Christopher.He became a more likable person.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Yes directing UTCM and not listening to WB about the ending. There is an alternative ending where he lives. WB said the character wasn't sympathetic enough for a death scene

SoulAlive said:

yeah,there is a WB executive who saw the movie with the alternate ending.He liked it very much.....says that,in this version,you find yourself rooting for Christopher.He became a more likable person.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Yes directing UTCM and not listening to WB about the ending. There is an alternative ending where he lives. WB said the character wasn't sympathetic enough for a death scene

.

Wouldn't that just make a great dvd to add to Parade Super Deluxe? In colour if possible!