Much of the literature written about Prince’s “Camille” alter-ego focuses on the character’s attributed gender or lack thereof. The artist’s use of pitch alteration, which at times created an androgynous-like vocal has lead many to believe the persona is without an apparent gender or defined primarily as an expression of Prince’s exploration of the feminine. Camille is more than a quirky alter-ego represented by pitched vocals, but a character conjured during an exciting yet turbulent period in the artist’s life. Prince would use this persona as a vehicle to explore the concept of dual personalities and the internal struggles between vice and virtue, curating complex and rich mythology often overlooked when assessing the purpose of the Camille character...


https://thevioletreality....1c6e1daec0

he was described as wearing golden glasses in the script

Bridge of Graffiti -1988-1989

https://prince.org/msg/7/465951

The original GB script Camille poem:

Once upon a time in a land called REAL,

there lived a musician whose name was CAMILLE.

Now CAMILLE was very much like I and U except 4 one thing so unavoidably true

--CAMILLE my brothers & sisters was unmistakebly BLUE.

CAMILLE was the leader of a rock n roll gang. No one could mess with him --

I mean no one could hang.

He could listen 2 our thang, then he'd play it triple time.
CAMILLE got changes that'll scramble your mind just like an egg.

But Camille - he's so lonely & blue.

His best girl, RUTHIE, left in '82.

She went off 2 find the GRAND PROGRESSION

-- a song that would change CAMILLE'S complexion.
Now every year,

he waits 4 RUTHIE's return 2 come & show him every thing that she has learned.

CAMILLE wnats 2 find GRAFFITI BRIDGE.

Amazing read!

Not sure if Camille Claudel played any part in Prince's construction of the Camille persona. Camille Claudel (1864–1943) was a female french sculptor that, due to her "unladylike behavior" related to her craft had to endure a lot of gender pressure and sadly became mentally ill and lived secluded for the rest of her life.

"those kind of cars don't pass you everyday"

@ Große Freiheit 36 club in Hamburg, Germany
August 30-31, 1988

once upon a time
in the land of sin-a-plenty
there lived a little brother named camille.
now camille thought he was the baddest muthafucka in the world.
you understand? camille wasn’t afraid of nobody. alright?
now someone in camille’s mind told him,
“who’s that, man? you the baddest muthafucka in the world. screw him up.
why don’t you put out like the baddest album in the world?
fuck em.
you know all these people runnin ‘round talkin ‘bout making love.
fuck it.
just put out an album of sex with no feeling.
in other words, let’s just fuck.”
so camille sat down and said,
“eric come on and blow the horns just a little bit. just toot a little bit.”
he said “eric, come on, can you just…”
see, he said, “you know i ain’t scared of nobody when i got that.
so i’m just gonna fuck em. see, can’t nobody fuck with that. alright?
so you got all these people runnin ‘round talking all that smack ‘bout makin love.
i’ll do that and just say, man, i want to fuck.”
okay, so that’s what camille did.
he sat down and made this album, right?
and it was bad.
he looked at it and said,
“it’s so bad i ain’t even gonna put my name on the mothafucka.”
no, no, wait.
get to that mentality.
it’s so bad, i ain’t even gonna put a name on it.
you just holdin it, you understand?
you just taste it.

fernandomachado said:

Amazing read!

Not sure if Camille Claudel played any part in Prince's construction of the Camille persona. Camille Claudel (1864–1943) was a female french sculptor that, due to her "unladylike behavior" related to her craft had to endure a lot of gender pressure and sadly became mentally ill and lived secluded for the rest of her life.

"those kind of cars don't pass you everyday"

Quote from DMSR by Per Nilsen (p 217):

"Prince has hinted that the name was inspired by Herculine Barbin, a famous 19th century hermaphrodite who was nicknamed Camille. Though raised as a female, in his early twenties Barbin was ruled to be legally male."

YAHOO INTERNET LIFE * October 1997

Sites O' the Times

Artists have always been interested in
new technologies. DaVinci was.
Duchamp was. And the Artist is, too.

By Ben Greenman

YIL: This may sound nuts, but does the Camille alter ego, which you used on Sign O' the Times, have anything to do with the famous nineteenth-century hermaphrodite Herculine Barbin, who was nicknamed Camille? If so, my younger brother will be very, very happy, since he has spent roughly a decade trying to convince me of this.

TA: Your brother is very wise.

Time upon a once
There was a boy named Camille
Now this boy named Camille
didn't know how 2 feel.
Sometimes he was lonely
sometimes he was sad
but most times
he just took 4 granted
all the nice things
that he had.

Some people said they loved him
but Camille said
"Contempt!
Winter, Spring,
Summer, or Fall,
love is no good
unless it's felt by all"

So, naive & terrifically in need
Camille started looking for answers
His paintbrush the questioner,
his canvas the arena,
Camille set out to silence his critics.
"No longer daring" - his enemies laughed.
"No longer glam, his funk is half-assed...
one leg is much shorter
than the other one is weak.
His strokes are tepid,
his colors are meek."

So Camille found a new color.
The color black:
strongest hue of them all.
He painted a picture
called Le Grind --
hittin' so tall.
And then Cindy C --
THE vogue fantasy.
Horns & vocals 2 die 4.
Lollipops -- in yours!

Stroke after stroke callin' all others a joke.
Superfunkycalifragisexi.

Camille rocked hard in a funky place.

Stuck his long funk in competition's face.

Tuesday came. Blue Tuesday.
His canvas full, and lying on the table,

Camille mustered
all the hate that he was able.

Hate 4 the ones who ever doubted his game.

Hate 4 the ones who ever doubted his name.

"Tis nobody funkier -- let the Black Album fly."

Spooky Electric was talking, Camille started 2 cry.

Tricked.
A fool he had been.

In the lowest utmostest.

He had allowed
the dark side of him 2 create something evil.

2 Nigs United
4 West Compton.

Camille and his ego.

Bob George.

Why?

I am not really that familiar w/Camille in Prince's work but from what I have read, Camille seemed to be the alter-ego that was more 'aggressive' for lack of a better word. Why not a masculine name?

SoulAlive said:

as interesting as the Camille persona/alter ego is,I’m glad that Prince never played that character in a movie.That early GB script is a mess and Prince would have surely received a lot of criticism if that project had moved forward.

from what I've read in the script, he was just Prince as Camille. I did read anything that suggested he was anything that would have brought on scorn. I mean the released GB was trash, and will forever receive a lot of criticism.

Margot said:

Prince said Shockadelica was a witch

Spooky Electric is connected to the whole CAMILLE storyline. Has there been any further description of this energy?

I loved this , thanks for the memory

OldFriends4Sale said:

Time upon a once
There was a boy named Camille
Now this boy named Camille
didn't know how 2 feel.
Sometimes he was lonely
sometimes he was sad
but most times
he just took 4 granted
all the nice things
that he had.

Some people said they loved him
but Camille said
"Contempt!
Winter, Spring,
Summer, or Fall,
love is no good
unless it's felt by all"

So, naive & terrifically in need
Camille started looking for answers
His paintbrush the questioner,
his canvas the arena,
Camille set out to silence his critics.
"No longer daring" - his enemies laughed.
"No longer glam, his funk is half-assed...
one leg is much shorter
than the other one is weak.
His strokes are tepid,
his colors are meek."

So Camille found a new color.
The color black:
strongest hue of them all.
He painted a picture
called Le Grind --
hittin' so tall.
And then Cindy C --
THE vogue fantasy.
Horns & vocals 2 die 4.
Lollipops -- in yours!

Stroke after stroke callin' all others a joke.
Superfunkycalifragisexi.

Camille rocked hard in a funky place.

Stuck his long funk in competition's face.

Tuesday came. Blue Tuesday.
His canvas full, and lying on the table,

Camille mustered
all the hate that he was able.

Hate 4 the ones who ever doubted his game.

Hate 4 the ones who ever doubted his name.

"Tis nobody funkier -- let the Black Album fly."

Spooky Electric was talking, Camille started 2 cry.

Tricked.
A fool he had been.

In the lowest utmostest.

He had allowed
the dark side of him 2 create something evil.

2 Nigs United
4 West Compton.

Camille and his ego.

Bob George.

Why?

RJOrion said:

Margot said:

I am not really that familiar w/Camille in Prince's work but from what I have read, Camille seemed to be the alter-ego that was more 'aggressive' for lack of a better word. Why not a masculine name?

he was not a woman...he was not a man...he was something that youll never understand

There is likely some truth there, esp. the bolded (for me)

[Edited 3/2/21 9:09am]

bluegangsta said:

Much of the literature written about Prince’s “Camille” alter-ego focuses on the character’s attributed gender or lack thereof. The artist’s use of pitch alteration, which at times created an androgynous-like vocal has lead many to believe the persona is without an apparent gender or defined primarily as an expression of Prince’s exploration of the feminine. Camille is more than a quirky alter-ego represented by pitched vocals, but a character conjured during an exciting yet turbulent period in the artist’s life. Prince would use this persona as a vehicle to explore the concept of dual personalities and the internal struggles between vice and virtue, curating complex and rich mythology often overlooked when assessing the purpose of the Camille character...


https://thevioletreality....1c6e1daec0

quote from the VioletReality link

“From that song was born this notion of Camille who might have been male, might have been female, it wasn’t really clear — might have been kind of ghostly, might have been kind of humanoid.” — Susan Rogers (Prince’s engineer: 1983–1987)

Camille could have started as early as 1982??

I got the impression that Camille, though a feminine name, was an alter ego where Prince could

park his darker, less socially acceptable impulses. C. seemed more (to me), a place to examine

the duality of higher virtues v 'less desirable' urges such as lust, power urges, etc.

Camille could be an unrestrained, dark character not related to Prince.

Margot said:

I got the impression that Camille, though a feminine name, was an alter ego where Prince could

park his darker, less socially acceptable impulses. C. seemed more (to me), a place to examine

the duality of higher virtues v 'less desirable' urges such as lust, power urges, etc.

Camille could be an unrestrained, dark character not related to Prince.

That's a good expression. Except that Camille would be related to Prince right? That part of Prince where he could unleash those emotions?

OldFriends4Sale said:

Margot said:

I got the impression that Camille, though a feminine name, was an alter ego where Prince could

park his darker, less socially acceptable impulses. C. seemed more (to me), a place to examine

the duality of higher virtues v 'less desirable' urges such as lust, power urges, etc.

Camille could be an unrestrained, dark character not related to Prince.

That's a good expression. Except that Camille would be related to Prince right? That part of Prince where he could unleash those emotions?

Yes, I agree but why not name him Frank or George?

I just don't hear the feminine in this alter ego, so why name him Camille? I could be missing something and am open to explantions.

[Edited 3/2/21 10:50am]

Margot said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

That's a good expression. Except that Camille would be related to Prince right? That part of Prince where he could unleash those emotions?

Yes, I agree but why not name him Frank or George?

I just don't hear the feminine in this alter ego, so why name him Camille? I could be missing something and am open to explantions.

[Edited 3/2/21 10:50am]

LOL the same reason he wore his ear ring in on the 'gay' side

Yeah so far I don't understand why that name. Is he saying that unrestrained expression is feminine?

Margot said:

RJOrion said:

Margot said:

Yes, I agree but why not name him Frank or George?

I just don't hear the feminine in this alter ego, so why name him Camille? I could be missing something and am open to explantions.

[Edited 3/2/21 10:50am]

Prince told Oprah he had the spirit/soul of another person inside of him, and he wasnt sure what its "identity" is/was..

I remember that. I thought he was messing w/Oprah, though.

Margot said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

That's a good expression. Except that Camille would be related to Prince right? That part of Prince where he could unleash those emotions?

Yes, I agree but why not name him Frank or George?

I just don't hear the feminine in this alter ego, so why name him Camille? I could be missing something and am open to explantions.

[Edited 3/2/21 10:50am]

Margot said:

Margot said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

That's a good expression. Except that Camille would be related to Prince right? That part of Prince where he could unleash those emotions?

Yes, I agree but why not name him Frank or George?

I just don't hear the feminine in this alter ego, so why name him Camille? I could be missing something and am open to explantions.

[Edited 3/2/21 10:50am]

I'm trying to figure out the overlap of the name "Camille", being his mocking, "pet name", for Michael Jackson. Quincy Jones said he kept calling Michael that when he they were trying to get him onboard, "BAD", and Prince gave him a gift, that was the box with a feather in it., that scared Jackson.

The way the Camille character morphs and floats all the way from outtakes in 1982 to possibly appearing on Erotic City, then certifiably through Sign O' The Times,The Black Album,Lovesexy on to the Graffiti Bridge/The Cocoa Boyz concept, is a strong argument for Prince's so called, "sick" side.

Either way...the cat was DEEP with it.

I really like to know if Prince had a therapist, because that's THE ONLY BOOK WORTH A DAMN at this point.

Great thread

RJOrion said:

Margot said:

I remember that. I thought he was messing w/Oprah, though.

he seemed dead serious to me...and his lifestyle and persona and aliases, seemed to indicate he was not joking at all...alot of these elite entertainers claim to have another persona inside them, ie Beyonce as "Sasha Fierce"...

I guess I thought he really didn't like Oprah and was lying to her w/that deadpan way that he had.

He had a bunch of aliases though, that's for sure.

Why would someone need so many aliases??

Jamie Starr, Joey Coco, Camille, Peter Bravestrong, Alexander Nevermind, etc.

I think Camille was way to live in a more rough universe, free of moral obligations.

ButcherDog said:

Margot said:

Yes, I agree but why not name him Frank or George?

I just don't hear the feminine in this alter ego, so why name him Camille? I could be missing something and am open to explantions.

[Edited 3/2/21 10:50am]

I'm trying to figure out the overlap of the name "Camille", being his mocking, "pet name", for Michael Jackson. Quincy Jones said he kept calling Michael that when he they were trying to get him onboard, "BAD", and Prince gave him a gift, that was the box with a feather in it., that scared Jackson.

The way the Camille character morphs and floats all the way from outtakes in 1982 to possibly appearing on Erotic City, then certifiably through Sign O' The Times,The Black Album,Lovesexy on to the Graffiti Bridge/The Cocoa Boyz concept, is a strong argument for Prince's so called, "sick" side.

Either way...the cat was DEEP with it.

I really like to know if Prince had a therapist, because that's THE ONLY BOOK WORTH A DAMN at this point.

Great thread

I think you are on to something...the 'sick' side.

Yeah, wow, a therapist...