We're all here because we love Prince and his music. I'm curious what exactly got (and kept) YOU into Prince. Is it his music, his persona or a combination of these two factors?

For me it was the music first and foremost (When Doves Cry got me in), but as a 12 year old boy (in 1984) I was quite impressed with his "Purple Rain" image (cool look, lots of beautiful women, the mystique surrounding his personality). Later I found his combination of the spiritual and the sexual intriguing, as well as his ability to play almost all instruments on his albums and produce them himself.

During the nineties I gradually started to loose interest. Partly because of the new exciting music that surfaced in these days (techno, breakbeat, triphop, drum & bass), but mainly because his music didn't seem innovative and adventurous anymore. The whole namechange/ slave thing irritated me as well, and his outrageous personal style (clothes, hair) that was so cool in the 80's seemed outdated to me in the more dressed down 90's. In other words, in my eyes he lost a lot of his "coolness", not only in his music but also in his persona. I thought the brother lost it, to be honest.

After "Emancipation" (IMHO the crappiest album he released to this date) I was ready to finally give up on him, but I could never resist buying his new albums once they were released. "The Vault" was the first album that sounded interesting again (although not very innovative), but at least I could relate to most of the material. Then I got online and discovered the Prince community out there. The release of the musically sparkling "The Rainbow Children" finally got me back into Prince.

For me it's all about the music nowadays, his personality and message are no longer of much interest to me. But as long as he's delivering soulful funky music, he can count on my $$$.

Great statement!

It was Soft & Wet that got me and it's the versitility and variety that keeps me.

i was 10 and i thought that prince was the most exctiting musician i ever heard..18 years later,well u know!!

My mom started it! I was four, she started playing his records, I've been buyin em' ever since.

The Diamonds & Pearls album.

And although I no longer think that it's a great Prince album I still rate it as a damn fine pop album.

For me it was the fact that Prince's music only got better and better. The Controversy-1999 era was my introduction and Purple Rain officially made me a believer. But my mom was really the person that put me on to the power of his gospel. And Mother's are always right.

The first time I heard "do me baby" I was hooked. I couldn't believe that someone was singing a song like that. I think it was 1983 or around that time. I had never heard such a sexual song in my life. From that moment on I have been interested in his music and I have enjoyed everything he's released to date. I know many of you do not like Emancipation, Chaos & Disorder, Rave etc, but to me they are all good, some are just much better than others. Many of his songs have made me blush over the years, but that's part of what makes it fun and interesting.

kisscamille said:

I love Emancipation. The Truth aside, I consider it his last decent album.

His originality

Raspberry Beret got me + then the ATWIAD album.
With Parade, I was totally hooked.
It was mainly the music that got me, the sheer amount of creativity. In 1987, you could buy an interesting Paisley Park album almost every month.

I never lost interest in Prince. I even kept going thru' the 90'ies although - looking back - some stuff doesn't sound too convincing to me nowadays.
That does not include Emancipation. In particularly disc 2 will always have a special place in my heart.

Maybe the lowest point to me was the beginning of the NPGMC stuff. Uninspired music I had to download through the internet. Prince was close to loosing it at this point.
TRC got me comopletely back in line !

I am starting to (re-) discover some stuff now that I haven't paid too much attention in the past.
This includes "The Truth". Last weekend was the first REAL listening to it and I love many things on it. "Circle Of Romance" (sp ?) is great.

funkystuff said:

The introduction of the net and bootlegs kept me into Prince, over the edge.

rdhull


he got and keeps me into prince

shausler said:

yeah right..stop it Shaus

u stupid hullian

shausler said:

For me it was and is the "trinity" of Lovesexy, the album, Lovesexy Live, the concert and Small Club, the aftershow.

Abrazo said:[quote]For me it was and is the "trinity" of Lovesexy, the album, Lovesexy Live, the concert and Small Club

interesting - and so is Lovesexy
[This message was edited Tue May 13 17:57:07 PDT 2003 by naturegirl]

"1999" hooked me.

what ept me was him releasing "around the orld in a day", coming off of "purple rain" and releasing that album like that really showed his rebellion and artsistry.

I Wanna Be Your Lover was the first song I heard when I was 7 or 8 years old and I sung it all the time. Then I heard everything else I and was hooked. Everything is just too damn funky. Prince may not put out the songs we used to hear, but he always puts at least 3-4 songs on each album that make you say "damn that boy's funky" and that says what?

Condition of the Heart
Housequake
Irrisistible Bitch
Sign o the times concert film
Lovesexy
Black album
BOOTLEGS
BOOTLEGS
BOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGSBOOTLEGS

rdhull said:

Same here; I love the UNDERproduction of a lot of the alternates and outtakes.
If only P kept it as simple on his records as in e.g 'I wonder' and 'Elephants and Flowers' (alternate version),
his records would still sound as fresh as his 80's work did (in the 80's...).

Eelco

rdhull said:

co-sign that.

Well I wasn't even born when Prince hit the scene. I wasn't even born when he first did Purple Rain, but all of this is irrelevant. All that matters is that I'm a fan now.
One night I just happened to fall asleep on the couch while watching television. I woke up around three in the morning and Purple Rain was on TV. I got so into it. I mean before that night, I knew that Prince existed and that he was a genius. But when I saw the movie for the first time, I experienced it for myself. I went out and bought the movie and started purchasing some of his other work. My life hasn't been the same ever since.
[This message was edited Wed May 14 5:59:51 PDT 2003 by supermodel85]

The SOTT movie