…if he wasn’t a multi instrumentalist? Say he could sing, play guitar and write the same songs, but let’s say that’s all he could do (like most artists today).

Do you think Warner would of supported him up to the 1999 album if it was a band effort?

Good question.

If Prince had only just happened now, i don't think we'd have got to hear him, not at a major label anyway.

Possibly.

The way labels sign artists now seems very strange and superficial to me.

Marrk said:

I still havn't sussed the way it works yet. But I'm sure it has a lot to do with who's sleeping with who!

i think major companys these days, r 2 scared to touch artist's ""singers" like prince.
[This message was edited Mon Jan 12 13:38:07 PST 2004 by andykeen]

There was a TV show here in England called ‘Pop stars.’

It was a contest where hit makers (commercial shitty music makers) auditioned lots of young people 16-24 or something to form a band. Every week they got rid of someone until only 5 were left. In the short list was a singer named Darius. The judges (hit makers) disqualified him saying he was too big headed and not what they were looking for.

Funny how Darius was the only one out of the final 10 who could actually write his own songs and play instruments! The truth was, he was the only one interested in music and the others simple wanted to be stars. They knew that if he made the band they wouldn’t be able to control him.

That’s our record industry!

Easily~

Perhaps not 2 be fair. The 'one man band' thing was very rare before Prince came along. He is the genius he is because of his ability 2 go into a studio with just an engineer and create exactly the sound he wants. The sound he hears in his head.
U listen 2 'For You' Christ. That's a 19 year old playing and singing all that music. The sound on that album ain't groundbreaking but you can tell there's a lot there. An interesting sensibility at work.
Would you be as interested in Prince if he couldn't do all that? I'm not so sure I would.

KAMILLE said:

Darius is great...

There's a LOT of stuff that wouldn't get released these days. If Pink Floyd or the Beatles had walked into a record exec's office with The White Album or The Wall today, they'd get laughed out the door in 10 seconds.

I think Prince's multi instrumentalism was just a way that he could get his stuff recorded without having to rely on anyone else. If the ideas were still there, i think he would have found a market at some point.