There was mention of it around the Love Symbol era. I think Prince even mentioned it but it never happened. I'm sure someone has a more in depth story.

During the Musicology tour there were those Acoustic sets. It tend to see them as his version of mtv unplugged. I hope one day the estate releases the soundboard recordings.

9to5People said:

During the Musicology tour there were those Acoustic sets. It tend to see them as his version of mtv unplugged. I hope one day the estate releases the soundboard recordings.

Didn't VH1 air one of those sets, calling it "The Art of Musicology", or something like that? That's almost like being on Unplugged. Exerpts from those sets are now available on the Official Prince YouTube channel, labeled "Live at Webster Hall".

I have a friend who worked for Austin City Limits for 17 years and she tells me they were in talks with Prince's camp to tape an episode, but ownership of the episode was a sticking point. It sounded like he basically wanted them to shoot it at their expense and then he would decide whether or not he wanted to release it. That's what I remember, anyway. I should ask her again cuz it's been a few years.

steakfinger said:

I have a friend who worked for Austin City Limits for 17 years and she tells me they were in talks with Prince's camp to tape an episode, but ownership of the episode was a sticking point. It sounded like he basically wanted them to shoot it at their expense and then he would decide whether or not he wanted to release it. That's what I remember, anyway. I should ask her again cuz it's been a few years.

Sounds about right.

I went to school there where its shot, in the studio building of the UT College of Communications campus. Way back, though. Before digital video.

ufoclub said:

steakfinger said:

I have a friend who worked for Austin City Limits for 17 years and she tells me they were in talks with Prince's camp to tape an episode, but ownership of the episode was a sticking point. It sounded like he basically wanted them to shoot it at their expense and then he would decide whether or not he wanted to release it. That's what I remember, anyway. I should ask her again cuz it's been a few years.

Sounds about right.

I went to school there where its shot, in the studio building of the UT College of Communications campus. Way back, though. Before digital video.

Cool. They've moved to a new location very recently. It's on the campus of a large community college now. They shot episodes at a large venue downtown. It still looks the same on TV, but it's massive compared to the old set. I saw Janelle Monae there as well as Herbie Hancock a few years back. It's too bad Prince wasn't game.

Can you imagine if there is some version in the Vault of an Unplugged that he had set up within Paisley Park? That would be nuts.

Milty2 said:

Can you imagine if there is some version in the Vault of an Unplugged that he had set up within Paisley Park? That would be nuts.

There was the rumoured but unreleased 7 disc box set from the 2002 Xenophobia celebration at Paisley - http://www.princevault.co...hobia_live
The gig on the 24th was for the most part a solo acoustic performance by Prince - http://www.princevault.co..._June_2002
Probably the closest you'd get to an Unplugged like show.

steakfinger said:

I have a friend who worked for Austin City Limits for 17 years and she tells me they were in talks with Prince's camp to tape an episode, but ownership of the episode was a sticking point. It sounded like he basically wanted them to shoot it at their expense and then he would decide whether or not he wanted to release it. That's what I remember, anyway. I should ask her again cuz it's been a few years.

that sounds like prince indeed

mb71 said:

Milty2 said:

Can you imagine if there is some version in the Vault of an Unplugged that he had set up within Paisley Park? That would be nuts.

There was the rumoured but unreleased 7 disc box set from the 2002 Xenophobia celebration at Paisley - http://www.princevault.co...hobia_live
The gig on the 24th was for the most part a solo acoustic performance by Prince - http://www.princevault.co..._June_2002
Probably the closest you'd get to an Unplugged like show.

I have that acoustic bootleg. It's one of my most favorite Prince boots. So good.

Milty2 said:

mb71 said:

There was the rumoured but unreleased 7 disc box set from the 2002 Xenophobia celebration at Paisley - http://www.princevault.co...hobia_live
The gig on the 24th was for the most part a solo acoustic performance by Prince - http://www.princevault.co..._June_2002
Probably the closest you'd get to an Unplugged like show.

I have that acoustic bootleg. It's one of my most favorite Prince boots. So good.

Indeed, it's a good one.

I went to a PRN Alumni event a few years ago and Craig Rice told a story of Prince agreeing to do MTV Unplugged. He said MTV flew the crew out to Paisley Park in 1991 to film. When they got there, Prince changed his mind and decided not to do it.

motherfunka said:

I went to a PRN Alumni event a few years ago and Craig Rice told a story of Prince agreeing to do MTV Unplugged. He said MTV flew the crew out to Paisley Park in 1991 to film. When they got there, Prince changed his mind and decided not to do it.

I guess that was the beginning of the troubled years. Poor MTV crew.

lurker316 said:

9to5People said:

During the Musicology tour there were those Acoustic sets. It tend to see them as his version of mtv unplugged. I hope one day the estate releases the soundboard recordings.

Didn't VH1 air one of those sets, calling it "The Art of Musicology", or something like that? That's almost like being on Unplugged. Exerpts from those sets are now available on the Official Prince YouTube channel, labeled "Live at Webster Hall".

This is the answer.

He had people sitting on stage similar to how many of the sets for Unplugged were done, and when it aired it wasn't like anyone knitpicked that it wasn't an official Unplugged or a full show.

He was supposed to do it for Diamonds and Pearls, and stayed in talks. MTV was asking artists for album rights up front, and they were always scared artists wouldn't show up or play the important songs, so there was a lot of hand holding that Prince wouldn't have needed or wanted. People don't realize those shows did multiple takes.

This way allowed Prince to check that box without having to deal with MTV more than he had to.

I recall reading in a fanzine around 97 that Mayte's sister worked for MTV and she was trying to set up an Unplugged set. Possibly inspired by The Truth album

Hamad said:

Not to crap on the thread’s subject, but I’m still wondering what’s the big deal about MTV unplugged? Was it the acoustic setting? Because if so, I think Prince aired something like that before in the mid 2000s. I like live albums, but I don’t think a single mtv unplugged interested me aside from Lauryn Hill’s set, which imo was a masterpiece even though many shitted on the performance when it aired.

I think it was just good marketing and a little hype from the music press, really. + the 90's were all about a "return to authenticity" after the lavishness of the 80's, so the format fit the zeitgeist I guess.

.

Björk's Unplugged is a remarkable entry in the series, she did something truly daring by comparison to most other acts (at least those I saw on MTV Europe at the time).

databank said:

Hamad said:

Not to crap on the thread’s subject, but I’m still wondering what’s the big deal about MTV unplugged? Was it the acoustic setting? Because if so, I think Prince aired something like that before in the mid 2000s. I like live albums, but I don’t think a single mtv unplugged interested me aside from Lauryn Hill’s set, which imo was a masterpiece even though many shitted on the performance when it aired.

I think it was just good marketing and a little hype from the music press, really. + the 90's were all about a "return to authenticity" after the lavishness of the 80's, so the format fit the zeitgeist I guess.

.

Björk's Unplugged is a remarkable entry in the series, she did something truly daring by comparison to most other acts (at least those I saw on MTV Europe at the time).

Nirvana and Rod Stewart did an Unplugged and both were excellent.

Hamad said:

Not to crap on the thread’s subject, but I’m still wondering what’s the big deal about MTV unplugged?

It meant hearing hip hop with a live band, The Cure playing with kazzoos, really good stripped down renditions of Aerosmith and Tom Petty songs, and it defined how we remember Nirvana and cemented their artistry for people who didn't get it. I'd say the same of Pearl Jam or REM which were defining performances, but they're not so well remembered now. Paul McCartney is credited for giving the show a boost, he was accessible and charming in a way we hadn't seen Beatles.

Playing accoustic was really marginalized in that era so it's easy to forget.

dodger said:

I recall reading in a fanzine around 97 that Mayte's sister worked for MTV and she was trying to set up an Unplugged set. Possibly inspired by The Truth album

She was a tape librarian in like 94-95'. It's possible the MTV people might have kept in touch and tried to use her as a go between, everyone knows the tape librarians, or she might have thought it would be a good angle and was dangling it to get a leg up with friends at her old job. People usually worked at Viacom for more than a year though, so she was likely just perma-lance.

[Edited 1/20/22 13:14pm]

databank said:

I remember seeing a MTV Unplugged commercial for the (then) new season showing the names of artists and it said; "Prince And The New Power Generation". I was really hoping that it would have happened...that would have been magical.

SPYZFAN1 said:

I remember seeing a MTV Unplugged commercial for the (then) new season showing the names of artists and it said; "Prince And The New Power Generation". I was really hoping that it would have happened...that would have been magical.

I remember that commercial.It was right before the 'Diamonds and Pearls' album came out.

In the 1991 Spin magazine cover story,the writer suggested that Prince should go on that show and do an Unplugged special."I want to....I will",Prince said.

That's right Soul! Glad I'm not the only one who remembers seeing that.

steakfinger said:

ufoclub said:

Sounds about right.

I went to school there where its shot, in the studio building of the UT College of Communications campus. Way back, though. Before digital video.

Cool. They've moved to a new location very recently. It's on the campus of a large community college now. They shot episodes at a large venue downtown. It still looks the same on TV, but it's massive compared to the old set. I saw Janelle Monae there as well as Herbie Hancock a few years back. It's too bad Prince wasn't game.

The new ACL is downtown on Second St..