As President of Prince's Paisley Park Records / PRN Productions, Alan Leeds was trying to bridge a relationship between the mercurial artist, and a major record company and corporation.

In the final part of the interview he discusses the many challenges he faced, but also his favourite tour, and 2-3 special memories of the iconic artists he worked with, including James Brown, Prince and D'Angelo.

Here's a quote from the final episode.

"I remember a conversation I had with Prince...somebody had taken some Jimi Hendrix tracks that were unfinished and had brought in some good, credible musicians into the studio, to add tracks to finish these songs, and they put an album out.

And you knew that the original Hendrix tracks were from back in the day, and the drum / keyboard / rhythm guitar / bass parts were all added on years later by people who never knew Hendrix. We were agreeing that this was a pretty sh*tty thing to do, the producer ought to be shot! And Prince was like 'that'll never happen to my catalogue!'

And I was like, 'Do you have a Will?' And to be fair part of his management - incluing me - had talked to him begging him to get his Will in order, when I was still there. He had a superstition about it, as if somehow working out a Will would hasten your demise."

T

https://how-can-u-just-leave-me-standing.simplecast.com/episodes/alan-leeds-interview-with-sam-bleazard-part-3

What I am always disappointed by is when the interviewer does not ask people like Alan what they think of the vault releases thus far. I mean, the PR Deluxe, SOTT SDE and 1999 SDE are all during his time. Was he blown away, or what?

JoeyCococo said:

What I am always disappointed by is when the interviewer does not ask people like Alan what they think of the vault releases thus far. I mean, the PR Deluxe, SOTT SDE and 1999 SDE are all during his time. Was he blown away, or what?

Hey JoeyCococo, I can't remember if it was Eps1 or 2 but Alan said he felt passionately that all of the recordings based around The Family project should get a release from The Estate. He felt that would be justified and it would be great for anyone who loves that period to lobby for that.

I think you can also take it as read that given how much of a self confessed fan he was of Prince prior to the 1999 tour, that he will have loved that set (SDE).

He intimates in the final episode that he was concerned by what the reaction to The Black Album might have been, and the commercial struggles around Lovesexy.

Also interesting to hear him be brutally frank and honest about the nature of the fact that regardless of the genius of the artist e.g. Prince / D'Angelo, he was always conscious that their music was a product, and one that had to appeal to the market to generate sales.

T

It runs in the family; the Leeds brothers both have good memories and a clear insight in all things Prince from when they worked with him.

Can't wait for that book.

I love listening to Alan.

His stories are acurate, true, and honest.

He is right in how he talks about Ingrid Chavez, Mavis Staples, George Clinton records, and how they were released in that perculiar changing timeframe.

Also how Prince dealth with these artists and releases.

Warner Brother's attitutde and thought about how Prince treated these records... I fully agree on ALan's story and opinion.

Thanks once again for this. I really love these podcasts ☺️

The whole time i thought you were asian and i wouldn't understand the interviews

Tokyo2 said:

And you knew that the original Hendrix tracks were from back in the day, and the drum / keyboard / rhythm guitar / bass parts were all added on years later by people who never knew Hendrix. We were agreeing that this was a pretty sh*tty thing to do, the producer ought to be shot! And Prince was like 'that'll never happen to my catalogue!'

And I was like, 'Do you have a Will?' And to be fair part of his management - incluing me - had talked to him begging him to get his Will in order, when I was still there. He had a superstition about it, as if somehow working out a Will would hasten your demise."

First; Prince would turn around in his grave knowing how some post-recordings were treated.

So far the respect and wishes of his legacy.

-

Second; I start to understand Prince's attiude and feel towards that pressure of having to make a will.

I am somehow in a similar situation (due to illness), and I feel the same sort of pressure of close friends and family. As if something definitive is about to be set in stone. Which I sense as a confirmation of an approaching end. Not ready for that yet.
Prince was deeply religious, and superstition often runs very close to that. Luckily I’m not religious, so superstition does not apply to me (i think).
Somhow I understand better Prince's superstition, cause it can be more burdensome than actually making the decision to write a will.
Alan Leeds’ explanation here seems to me to be the most plausible and acceptable one.

Over the past ten years, no one else has been able to explain so simply what it’s sometimes all about. A feeling that can be so captivating that it bewitches you, and yet you/we carefully push it away.
Obviously and sadly, the fact that Prince doesn’t have a will is a disadvantage for us fans.

And no one could have predicted how things would turn out after ten years.

Actually, I don't blame prince for not having a will, but somehow I blame him for not taking care of the vault, his creations.

What happened in his brain, to not do that?

What was it? Lost the code combination or key? Had water infiltration? Come on.

He more than often went back to older recordings, using them on new releases.

It’s hard to understand what the explanation for that could be. Money? I don’t think so.

Vannormal said:

Tokyo2 said:

And you knew that the original Hendrix tracks were from back in the day, and the drum / keyboard / rhythm guitar / bass parts were all added on years later by people who never knew Hendrix. We were agreeing that this was a pretty sh*tty thing to do, the producer ought to be shot! And Prince was like 'that'll never happen to my catalogue!'

And I was like, 'Do you have a Will?' And to be fair part of his management - incluing me - had talked to him begging him to get his Will in order, when I was still there. He had a superstition about it, as if somehow working out a Will would hasten your demise."

First; Prince would turn around in his grave knowing how some post-recordings were treated.

So far the respect and wishes of his legacy.

-

Second; I start to understand Prince's attiude and feel towards that pressure of having to make a will.

I am somehow in a similar situation (due to illness), and I feel the same sort of pressure of close friends and family. As if something definitive is about to be set in stone. Which I sense as a confirmation of an approaching end. Not ready for that yet.
Prince was deeply religious, and superstition often runs very close to that. Luckily I’m not religious, so superstition does not apply to me (i think).
Somhow I understand better Prince's superstition, cause it can be more burdensome than actually making the decision to write a will.
Alan Leeds’ explanation here seems to me to be the most plausible and acceptable one.

Over the past ten years, no one else has been able to explain so simply what it’s sometimes all about. A feeling that can be so captivating that it bewitches you, and yet you/we carefully push it away.
Obviously and sadly, the fact that Prince doesn’t have a will is a disadvantage for us fans.

And no one could have predicted how things would turn out after ten years.

Actually, I don't blame prince for not having a will, but somehow I blame him for not taking care of the vault, his creations.

What happened in his brain, to not do that?

What was it? Lost the code combination or key? Had water infiltration? Come on.

He more than often went back to older recordings, using them on new releases.

It’s hard to understand what the explanation for that could be. Money? I don’t think so.

I honestly don't think he really cared. He had always done what he wanted to do and, at the time, lived in the moment. Unfortunately, because he surrounded himself with people who weren't willing to do anything other than stand behind him and nod to everything he did, he didn't have anyone that could make him see reality and just plain common sense. I mean, the best example of this was when he gave Jay-Z a handshake, giving him access to his full catalog, only to die and render that handshake null and void because a handshake is not a documented legal agreement.

TheBigBang said:

Vannormal said:

First; Prince would turn around in his grave knowing how some post-recordings were treated.

So far the respect and wishes of his legacy.

-

Second; I start to understand Prince's attiude and feel towards that pressure of having to make a will.

I am somehow in a similar situation (due to illness), and I feel the same sort of pressure of close friends and family. As if something definitive is about to be set in stone. Which I sense as a confirmation of an approaching end. Not ready for that yet.
Prince was deeply religious, and superstition often runs very close to that. Luckily I’m not religious, so superstition does not apply to me (i think).
Somhow I understand better Prince's superstition, cause it can be more burdensome than actually making the decision to write a will.
Alan Leeds’ explanation here seems to me to be the most plausible and acceptable one.

Over the past ten years, no one else has been able to explain so simply what it’s sometimes all about. A feeling that can be so captivating that it bewitches you, and yet you/we carefully push it away.
Obviously and sadly, the fact that Prince doesn’t have a will is a disadvantage for us fans.

And no one could have predicted how things would turn out after ten years.

Actually, I don't blame prince for not having a will, but somehow I blame him for not taking care of the vault, his creations.

What happened in his brain, to not do that?

What was it? Lost the code combination or key? Had water infiltration? Come on.

He more than often went back to older recordings, using them on new releases.

It’s hard to understand what the explanation for that could be. Money? I don’t think so.

I honestly don't think he really cared. He had always done what he wanted to do and, at the time, lived in the moment. Unfortunately, because he surrounded himself with people who weren't willing to do anything other than stand behind him and nod to everything he did, he didn't have anyone that could make him see reality and just plain common sense. I mean, the best example of this was when he gave Jay-Z a handshake, giving him access to his full catalog, only to die and render that handshake null and void because a handshake is not a documented legal agreement.

Just like all of us, Jay-z wasn't expecting Prince to die, let alone knowing he was addicted to painkillers. If not, it could've lasted a long time i think.

Let's just say until one of Prince's next whim. So somehow you're right; he had achieved it all, lived in his moment, and then all those yes-men around him.

Although it seemed to me that he had, so to speak, become more normal. Especially since he had stopped preaching so openly.

In his later lyrics, he seems to be a man who was ready to look back on his star status. Maybe even with a touch of bitterness.

The musicians he surrounded himself with made absolutely no valuable contribution to his personal development imho. Those younger girls and Joshua, etc, just to try and sty musically up to date.

That all-round girl band were imho completely unnecessary.

Anyway, the fact that he no longer cared at all about the contents of his vault remains incomprehensible. It was/is his life’s work after all, right?

That was everything he lived for, and everything he fought so hard for. Everything that everyone had to make way for, including loved ones, I think.

Or maybe it was the addiction that caused a kind of indifference... Who knows.

I still find this very interesting.

-*

Did Prince and Alan still had contact in Prince's later years?

[Edited 6/22/26 7:40am]

He had no children, therefore, no will.
Pretty simple, actually.
No need for waaaaaay overblown, looooooooongwinded comments about it.

nayroo2002 said:

He had no children, therefore, no will.
Pretty simple, actually.
No need for waaaaaay overblown, looooooooongwinded comments about it.

We all know your comments are often short and humorous.

(You don't need to read it)

But everyone is different.

This is exactly what keeps a lot of people questioning about Prince; who is he and why he did what?

Why else a 9h documentary?

Why else all these posts about which song is about who.

Why else so many podcasts and post-interviews with colaborators.

The absurd consperacy theories around his death say more than enough.

Oh, and, people without children also often have a will, just like singles.