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Thread started 10/09/20 5:37am

databank

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ONA cover art, has Parke ever explained what it was about?

Pretty much what's in the title: the eggs and the sunflower always confused me.

Curious about what P instructed Steve.

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Reply #1 posted 10/09/20 8:10am

dualboot

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databank said:

Pretty much what's in the title: the eggs and the sunflower always confused me.

Curious about what P instructed Steve.


maybe he only wanted scrambled eggs done in sunflower oil?

I can understand the curiosity?

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Reply #2 posted 10/09/20 10:18am

TrivialPursuit

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Since it's a piano album, and Prince wrote a lot of songs on piano, I always took it as the eggs being a symbol of something new, in its infancy, much like the idea of a new song pounded out on piano.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #3 posted 10/09/20 10:36am

databank

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dualboot said:

databank said:

Pretty much what's in the title: the eggs and the sunflower always confused me.

Curious about what P instructed Steve.


maybe he only wanted scrambled eggs done in sunflower oil?

I can understand the curiosity?

lol

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Reply #4 posted 10/09/20 10:41am

databank

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TrivialPursuit said:

Since it's a piano album, and Prince wrote a lot of songs on piano, I always took it as the eggs being a symbol of something new, in its infancy, much like the idea of a new song pounded out on piano.

Yeah but what sort of instructions was Steve given???

What I imagine is:

- Steve, dude, can u put eggs on the piano?

- Ain't u vegan?

- Damn, bro, u right. OK, how 'bout vegan eggs?

- Prince, I don't think there's such a thing as veg...

- U know what? Just make a sunflower grow outta one of 'em. Sunflower eggs. That's def vegan!

- So, wait... Eggs on a piano and...

- In a nest, yeah, and a sunflower.

- I don't think sunflowers make nests.

- Don't get technical with me! That'll do, don't worry!

- You're the boss, boss.

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Reply #5 posted 10/09/20 11:40am

TrevorAyer

knowing prince it was some inside thing that only one chick he banged will know what it means

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Reply #6 posted 10/09/20 12:53pm

Musze

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"Maybe we might swing by THE EGG.... the perfect place to play house."

I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore...
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Reply #7 posted 10/09/20 5:30pm

LoveGalore

Musze said:

"Maybe we might swing by THE EGG.... the perfect place to play house."



Pretty sure that was a reference to the egg shaped building on the PP lot.
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Reply #8 posted 10/09/20 5:39pm

OperatingTheta
n

I think the eggs may have represented the albums originally intended to be released to NPGMC members as part of their membership. These plans were abandoned in favour of the 'ONA... LIVE' box-set.
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Reply #9 posted 10/09/20 7:38pm

v10letblues

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Steve Parke may be a fantastic human. THE FUCKING BEST!

But goddam his work for Prince is just utter crap. We all know this. His services must have been really cheap that Prince said yeah whatever.

[Edited 10/9/20 19:39pm]

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Reply #10 posted 10/09/20 8:48pm

steakfinger

v10letblues said:

Steve Parke may be a fantastic human. THE FUCKING BEST!

But goddam his work for Prince is just utter crap. We all know this. His services must have been really cheap that Prince said yeah whatever.

[Edited 10/9/20 19:39pm]

Prince was also not great with visual ideas. His music videos have always been weak and that's only partly because he was cheap and always in a hurry.

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Reply #11 posted 10/09/20 9:32pm

Musze

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LoveGalore said:

Musze said:

"Maybe we might swing by THE EGG.... the perfect place to play house."



Pretty sure that was a reference to the egg shaped building on the PP lot.



It is. But that may be what the egg on the cover is calling back to. OR... he could have meant it to call to mind a dove egg. Who knows?
I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore...
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Reply #12 posted 10/09/20 10:06pm

amethyst68

The sunflower represents Mayte Garcia. You’ll see the sunflower all over her album. She said he thought it was fitting for her album cover and had it designed before she had much input. The sunflower and the symbol are intertwined and coming out out an egg. I have no idea the meaning behind it. Several of the songs hint at the end of his marriage, broken relationship.
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Reply #13 posted 10/10/20 1:08am

databank

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Guys, please,let's show some respect. This thread was NOT meant to bash Steve. You may like his work or not, it's ok, but like all of us he had a boss to please and he probably did his best. Peace y'all.
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Reply #14 posted 10/10/20 7:19am

herb4

amethyst68 said:

The sunflower represents Mayte Garcia. You’ll see the sunflower all over her album. She said he thought it was fitting for her album cover and had it designed before she had much input. The sunflower and the symbol are intertwined and coming out out an egg. I have no idea the meaning behind it. Several of the songs hint at the end of his marriage, broken relationship.


holy shit

You made me look this up and you're right. Could the egg be symbolic of an embryo and an homage to Amri maybe? The nest would be the home they might have made? There's even THREE eggs.

[Edited 10/10/20 8:58am]

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Reply #15 posted 10/12/20 8:12pm

Shockedelicus

I think he just threw in some imagery that gave off the impression of something delicate, soft, new. A fresh-grown flower, newly laid eggs, an untouched. Nothing super deep. The prince symbol is clear, like ice or glass.

That said, fucking hell, is that an ugly album cover.

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Reply #16 posted 10/13/20 11:56pm

amethyst68

Shockedelicus said:

I think he just threw in some imagery that gave off the impression of something delicate, soft, new. A fresh-grown flower, newly laid eggs, an untouched. Nothing super deep. The prince symbol is clear, like ice or glass.



That said, fucking hell, is that an ugly album cover.



There was nothing trivial about most of the things Prince did and the cover for an album with its content was no exception no matter how ugly it may be to you.
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Reply #17 posted 10/14/20 7:43am

Se7en

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OperatingThetan said:

I think the eggs may have represented the albums originally intended to be released to NPGMC members as part of their membership. These plans were abandoned in favour of the 'ONA... LIVE' box-set.


This.

We were going to get 4 albums of "new material" that year, and got ONA:Piano and ONA:Live. He later released Xpectation and CNOTE to appease fans.


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Reply #18 posted 10/14/20 7:58am

nayroo2002

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The eggs:

"1+1+1=3"

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
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Reply #19 posted 10/14/20 8:30am

OldFriends4Sal
e


...
"Completing the Collection was the One Nite Alone Solo Piano CD that Steve Parke had designed the package for with the help of Jeremy Gavin. Digging through my archives I had the original cover art Steve had created back then. It had more of a Miles Davis "Bitches Brew" vibe but did not get used. With Parke's help cleaning it up, I got to include it inside the Piano CD package as something new for everyone to enjoy.

.

Another way I got to make a new contribution was to name the collection. We needed a title to tie the previous 3 CD set with the addition of the Solo Piano CD and the Vegas Live DVD. Drawing from my own experience listening to all of this great music while designing the package, I suggested we call it "Up All Nite With Prince: The One Nite Alone Collection." If you listen to all this great material at once, you certainly will be up all nite! The name stuck."

Written by

Sam Jennings

Creative Designer & Pop Culture Enthusiast
.
https://medium.com/@samje...77f43772fb

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Reply #20 posted 10/14/20 8:32am

OldFriends4Sal
e





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Reply #21 posted 10/14/20 8:35am

OldFriends4Sal
e




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Reply #22 posted 10/14/20 8:45am

paisleypark4

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v10letblues said:

Steve Parke may be a fantastic human. THE FUCKING BEST!


But goddam his work for Prince is just utter crap. We all know this. His services must have been really cheap that Prince said yeah whatever.

[Edited 10/9/20 19:39pm]



Steve told me...(with my complaints about emancipation art) was that it was Prince ideas to look the way it did. I'm sure he just did what Prince told him he wanted.
Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
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Reply #23 posted 10/14/20 8:53am

OldFriends4Sal
e


I'm searching still...

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Reply #24 posted 10/14/20 10:34am

v10letblues

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paisleypark4 said:

v10letblues said:

Steve Parke may be a fantastic human. THE FUCKING BEST!


But goddam his work for Prince is just utter crap. We all know this. His services must have been really cheap that Prince said yeah whatever.

[Edited 10/9/20 19:39pm]



Steve told me...(with my complaints about emancipation art) was that it was Prince ideas to look the way it did. I'm sure he just did what Prince told him he wanted.

some of the greatest covers have been brought to life by artists following the craziest demands. It's on the artist to create good art out of it.
.
Around the World in a Day was created from such a list of demands from Prince, and it’s not only a great cover, but all the singles and b-sides from it are some of my favorite covers ever.
[Edited 10/14/20 15:32pm]
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Reply #25 posted 10/14/20 11:57am

amethyst68

v10letblues said:

paisleypark4 said:



Steve told me...(with my complaints about emancipation art) was that it was Prince ideas to look the way it did. I'm sure he just did what Prince told him he wanted.

some of the greatest covers have been brought to life by artists following the craziest demands. It's on the artist to create good art out of it.
.
Around the World in a Day was created from such a list of demands from Prince, and it’s not only a great cover, but all the b-sides from it are some of my favorite covers ever.


Steve’s job as an artist was to take Prince’s concept and make it into a beautiful piece of art. He didn’t do that very well.
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Reply #26 posted 10/14/20 12:07pm

Musze

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The font is the biggest offense. I love that shot of the Piano in the atrium. I understand that ARBORETUM (my favorite track on the album) was recorded there.

I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore...
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Reply #27 posted 10/14/20 4:51pm

databank

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OldFriends4Sale said:


...
"Completing the Collection was the One Nite Alone Solo Piano CD that Steve Parke had designed the package for with the help of Jeremy Gavin. Digging through my archives I had the original cover art Steve had created back then. It had more of a Miles Davis "Bitches Brew" vibe but did not get used. With Parke's help cleaning it up, I got to include it inside the Piano CD package as something new for everyone to enjoy.


.


Another way I got to make a new contribution was to name the collection. We needed a title to tie the previous 3 CD set with the addition of the Solo Piano CD and the Vegas Live DVD. Drawing from my own experience listening to all of this great music while designing the package, I suggested we call it "Up All Nite With Prince: The One Nite Alone Collection." If you listen to all this great material at once, you certainly will be up all nite! The name stuck."

Written by


Sam Jennings


Creative Designer & Pop Culture Enthusiast
.
https://medium.com/@samje...77f43772fb


Thx. I'm intrigued by this original art now!!
A COMPREHENSIVE PRINCE DISCOGRAPHY (work in progress ^^): https://sites.google.com/...scography/
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Reply #28 posted 10/14/20 4:59pm

ufoclub

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OldFriends4Sale said:


...
"Completing the Collection was the One Nite Alone Solo Piano CD that Steve Parke had designed the package for with the help of Jeremy Gavin. Digging through my archives I had the original cover art Steve had created back then. It had more of a Miles Davis "Bitches Brew" vibe but did not get used. With Parke's help cleaning it up, I got to include it inside the Piano CD package as something new for everyone to enjoy.

.

Another way I got to make a new contribution was to name the collection. We needed a title to tie the previous 3 CD set with the addition of the Solo Piano CD and the Vegas Live DVD. Drawing from my own experience listening to all of this great music while designing the package, I suggested we call it "Up All Nite With Prince: The One Nite Alone Collection." If you listen to all this great material at once, you certainly will be up all nite! The name stuck."

Written by

Sam Jennings

Creative Designer & Pop Culture Enthusiast
.
https://medium.com/@samje...77f43772fb

Where is this "Bitches Brew" looking cover?

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Reply #29 posted 10/14/20 6:18pm

gollygirl

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I have always thought that as it was recorded at Paisley with the Doves near by - the eggs represented the doves..................and one of the songs "Arboretum" means a garden devoted to trees (and you can hear the doves "coo-ing") ....................so figured the artwork was related to that. I love the cover though it looks stunning on the Vinyl LP release.

[Edited 10/14/20 18:19pm]

[Edited 10/14/20 18:19pm]

Thank you Prince for every note you left behind 💜
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