So let's see... some people are crying "hypocrit" at the top of their lungs, and others, like me, couldn't be more excited about Prince signing with a major label again. I think the scene is primed for Prince to step onto the world stage again and reclaim his place at the top of the charts.

The media is noticing him for his performing skills and musical ability again, not just his excentricities. Musicians like Andre3000, Gwen Stefani and Alicia Keys are singing his praises loudly and often. To top it all off, music is slowly moving back toward being about talent and quality instead of image and hype.

It's time people. Get ready for the Second Purple Reign!

For those of u calling Prince an industry puppet, or a hypocrit, grow up. Do u really care what label Prince is on while making music? Are u really going 2 take this as a personal betrayal? Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride people. Because it's going 2 be wild.
[This message was edited Wed Feb 11 18:28:21 PST 2004 by getwild007]

He needs to join a major label NOW. That's the bottom line. This is the year, he'd be a fool not to take advantage of it.

He could sell his CD's out of the trunk of his car. We'd all still buy the shit.

He should definitely sign on the dotted line again. Time to quit the shit and be smart about his career.

DEFINITELY!
Have that man sign on the dotted line, and QUICK!

squirrelgrease said:

frighteningly true.

I think signing on to a smart major would work to his benefit. Not only have I heard about the J/BMG rumors..but I have also heard Island Def Jam.

I think he should go to a label like a Blue Note who have had great success in the last year with Norah Jones and reviving the careers of Van Morrisson and Al Green. It's obvious they care about the artists' creativity to make the music they want to make and market it without all the mega-hype these hollow pop stars get. Though Prince continues to make fresh new music...he is consisdered a 'Heretige' artist (in the vain of Al Green, Santana) and should be marketed that way. It doesn't mean he's old or anything but the mainstream is associated with the music he made so many years ago and they need to be reminded why they loved him in the first place. As for us...we'll buy the damn thing whatever it may be!
[This message was edited Thu Feb 12 10:04:57 PST 2004 by VANITYSprisonBYTCH]

PurpleJedi said:

I hope he signs with a major company. I hope he works out a deal like Mariah, Billy Joel, MJ, etc have. It is a longterm deal where he still owns the master recordings while letting the record company handle the distribution and promotion of the music. Whatever happens, I just hope we don't see another Rave. Don't get me wrong, I think Rave is a good album, but for the masses, it was weak.

I think it's about time he tried releasing a new record through a major label. But I don't know why he can't just do a 1 album deal and see how it goes. It didn't work with 'Rave' and Arista but there's no reason why it couldn't work this time.

I don't think he would be hypocritical - I don't think he said he'd never work with a major label again, just that he wouldn't again be a 'slave' to a contract - and I'm sure this time around he would make sure he got everything his own way.

I'm not bothered about him being in the charts again - but then again, I'm not against it. But I can't see it happening - in general, the very youthful buying market tends not to bother with old geezers that their parents liked. Unless he released a duet with someone that's 'in' - like Beyonce.

I'm sure Prince has a need to get his more 'poppy' songs out of his system, a commercially-aimed album may well try to cater to that - so hard-core fans into his newer 'experimental' stuff may be disappointed - but we'll have wait and see...

squirrelgrease said:

And truth be told, i'm selfish and i want to be close to the stage like on the ONA tour. Not back to Wembley stadium in the friggin 88th row.

As always I'm split!

Part of me wants Prince back in the charts getting the $$$ and the kudos he deserves AND educating the youth of today as to what musicianship is all about. To do that he has to work with a major label but can do so far more on his terms (perhaps a lower royalty rate and advance in return for keeping ownership of his masters).

However as The Frog says, I love being able to see Prince in a 3000 seater theatre (like Hammersmith Apollo) and even then being in the first five rows rather than in a 12,000 seater like Wembley Arena.

Ironically I think Prince hit on a potentially good idea back in 93 when he wanted to release material under "Prince" for Warners and as an independent. He could probably still do the same using NPG Records to handle his more challenging unusual output with a major handling the more chart oriented commercial stuff.

However, if I have to choose then I would like to see:

1) Prince with a major label (perhaps Universal or even Warners again)
2) The new label will remaster the old Warners Albums (obviously if this is not Warners then they will have to buy them - which was a rumour about Universal a while back) and then re-release them
3) Prince deal with new label allows him to own his masters. They provide manufacturing, distribution and PROMOTION (as I said probably in return for smaller royalty and advance)
4) Prince allows to continue releasing other music through NPG Records and NPGMC
5) A huge world tour at major venues (if he could sell them out) along with a few smaller venues that are exclusively for NPGMC members (if there are enough)

Well, I can dream right?

getwild007 said:

metalorange said:

Very good point and well understood.
Santana swept the world with Supernatural, IMO he had the right people on his album and it stayed Santana style, He did what he does best and that is play and make music.
Sure "P" may not attract the teenie bopper crowd because they all have there heads stuck up people's asses like Britney and Beyonce and so on but Santana didn't attract them much either, he attracted the late teen crowd (college kids) and the 20 to 30 somethings who really go out and buy music.
His music is mature and so is "P" which is where I think it is going to go.

Younguns are to milkbrained to even reckognize true talent if it came out of there ass and said peek-a-boo.

But I do think if done right and handled right a Santana style come back (yeah I know, He never left) but I think everyone understands where I am coming from, is very possible if all this Grammy and major label singning is not just a media sham.

All I have to say is no I don't want a shabby bunch of collabo's like Rave, that was pointless, what I do want is something along the creative lines of SOTT with some rock hard shit mixed in, play the Geetar dammit and stop picking the dam thing. Sorry I liked the Grammy performance but I think he should have hurt Habibi on purple rain, loud and funky and make people in the crowd say DAYUM so that's how you play that thing.

Whatever rock on "P" and make it funky and smooth, that's what you are known for, musical creativity.

Warners would want him. The CEO, Dick Parsons is cool. Prince just better ask for the WORLD before he signs onthe line.

enjoyniki said:

I've heard that Warner Bros. records is in the process of being acquired by another company. I can't remember the specifics of it, but if it's true it might shake up the management or completely replace it.

Anyway, I think it's probably a safe bet that Prince would stay away from Warner Bros. After the whole Warn-A-Brotha T-shirt thing on the NPGMC, its a reasonable assumption that they're still on less than cordial terms.

I'd say he should go to J records, but after what happened the last time he and Clive worked together, that might not be the best option.

My two cents, for what its worth, is that Prince should go to a label that he hasn't worked with before, and one that understands what both parties need to do in order to make the venture successful. Damned if I know what label that is, but it would have to be a major one in order for Prince to get the kind of promotion he would need.

og god yes! he needs to let somebody who knows what the hell they're doing to become involved in his career.