What is your most treasured piece of Prince memorabilia?


It's probably a letter that he wrote to me. I don't want to go into it, but it was a great letter, and in it, he professed his love for me, and what he wanted to do. It was probably right around the time we were breaking up. I didn't want to carry on, I felt I had done my job: to take somebody who had never been in a studio, practically, and make all this happen. There was a point when I just didn't want to do it anymore, and so I told him I was out. And he wrote me a long letter. At the time, I thought, “God, now he's just turned into this ugly prima donna.” I realized retrospectively now that he really needed that kind of support. And he really needed these things to be done [for him] so he could put himself 150 percent into the music. I don't have a whole ton of stuff, but what I have is pretty uniquely interesting. And that letter will never go anywhere. It will probably be with me until I die.

The Man Who Discovered Pr...(vice.com)

I've often wondered about Chris Moon and his influence. Did he really sit in Owen Husney's office for an entire week waiting to introduce Prince and his talents? Was this altruism or was there a profit motive?

Margot said:

RJOrion said:

Margot said:

I've often wondered about Chris Moon and his influence. Did he really sit in Owen Husney's office for an entire week waiting to introduce Prince and his talents? Was this altruism or was there a profit motive?

and why did this adult white male in South Minneapolis take a shy, withdrawn unknown black teenager from the North-side into his home studio, and give him the keys and carte blanche to expensive recording equipment, as well as advocating for him trying to get a deal through Husney?...

Apparently, he wanted someone, low manintenance, (reliable and quiet), who could play many instruments so as to avoid hiring a band. He was writing lyrics to this and that.

I actually think they had a decent relationship as Prince contacted him after UCTM re: his cryptic use of the name Christopher and Moon. Of course, one never knows w/Prince and others.

Exactly, these men were not shrinking innocent violets held to ransom by Prince's selfishness. Chris Moon was successful before and after Prince, it was strictly a business araangement, Prince came up with music and played all the instruments for Chris's radio jingles, so he would not have to hire different people to play each instrument.

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In return Prince, learnt studio craft and from that songs developed, Chris wanted Prince to fly by himself and let him go as he did not want to manage him. He probably thought then that not much would come of it. I think he only got grabby when he realised Prince had become a big star around 1982 and all of a sudden he wanted a piece of the pie.

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His relationship with OH was less harmonious as OH put money into him, he was probably quite demanding and expected a return on it. Sadly also Prince got that star ego super fast too I think, getting angry as For You was not a 10 million copy selling blockbuster and blaming everyone else except himself for its failure to do that. In reality given he was a Black teenager in mid 70s apartheid musically America, an album that sold 350k copies and charted on both charts was actually a great first effort.

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The version I read was that Prince and Owen fell out over a space heater around early 1979, but its likely that was the straw that broke the camel's back. OH had poured money into instruments, publicity, apartments and wagered his business on Prince and rightfully felt he deserved some respect.

As Steve says, some people are talking.

Purplegarden said:

The version I read was that Prince and Owen fell out over a space heater around early 1979, but its likely that was the straw that broke the camel's back. OH had poured money into instruments, publicity, apartments and wagered his business on Prince and rightfully felt he deserved some respect.

....and because someone else (ahem, initials PW) was undermining Owen by telling Prince that it was Owens job to be at his beck and call. PW had some experience in the music industry and thought he could do better for Princel But he also didn't know enough to define "management" versus "personal assistant" who would take care of the daily crap (like fetch a space heater to warm up the basement. of PW's own house they were practicing in!)

Thanks to PW, that semi-disastrous Capri first concert came too early and the band was unprepared. Warner Brothers saw it and send Prince/band back to do a LOT more work before they'd put any money into them touring.

Purplegarden said:

Prince came up with music and played all the instruments for Chris's radio jingles,

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Do these circulate?

udo said:

Purplegarden said:

Prince came up with music and played all the instruments for Chris's radio jingles,

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Do these circulate?

I think Prince helped with some Ad copy, too.

If this is true, Chris helped Prince w/his shyness re: singing.

Making sure he was comfortable by turning off the lights, having him lie down and

encouraging him to 'belt it out' more.

I think they may, as just about everything else Prince recorded back then does. But at the same time, its possible that Chris wiped these tapes over and over as the jingles became irrelevant.

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Also bear in mind, back then no one knew Prince was going to be a huge star with a global following and thus did not think to keep the tapes. Especially as CM was probably having to make a living and needed to keep costs down - so starting a vault was not in question.

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Plus Prince playing jingles for some car dealership or a burgerie in Downtown Minneapolis is interesting but hardly a keepsake. Commercial jingles were not his forte as "Purple and Gold" shows If they did find them, bet you the estate would rush out a 10CD, 20Record set with books, DVDs and strobe lights for $500 though!

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Some of that 76 stuff on the boots is hilarious, drone organ workouts and what sounds like water guitars etc.

Margot said:

RJOrion said:

Margot said:

If this is true, Chris helped Prince w/his shyness re: singing.

Making sure he was comfortable by turning off the lights, having him lie down and

encouraging him to 'belt it out' more.

its physically impossible to "belt it out more", while lying down on the floor, but im sure Chris Moon had some other "scientific" reason(s) for wanting P to "get comfortable" and lay down on the floor in the dark, at his place...all comfy and candlelit for that teenage boy...

Gotta love you...

RJOrion said:

i always found it odd that someone as instrumental in rhe cultivating of Prince's career, is/was rarely ever if at all acknowledged by Prince and his peoples...youd think at some point Mr. Moon himself woud seek attention and acknowledement...something very strange about that whole situation.

Prince did ask him to be his manager and acknowledged him after he made UTCM.

I believe there was some court stuff re:Chris's lyric contributions, Soft N Wet etc.

He has been interviewed 4-5 times.

RJOrion said: