Chris Riemenschneider: Prince showing symbols of life

http://www.startribune.co...21580.html

Published February 20, 2004 LOC20
Ten or 15 years ago, Prince's spicy collaboration with Beyoncé at the Grammy Awards might have been seen as just another of his excuses to get up close and personal with a babe. Now, though, it's being viewed as the first of many signs that the more conservative and reclusive singer is gearing up toward something big in 2004.

Exactly what that something is remains to be seen, however.

On Tuesday, the singer's fan-club site e-mailed a link that said, simply, "What Is Musicology?" His new publicist in Los Angeles offered no explanation, but she did hint at an announcement before his March 15 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The biggest news might be that the NPG CEO is signing a new record deal. Rumor-millers have Prince talking to J Records, Arista and even his old nemesis Warner Bros., which is under new leadership. What is certain is that lawyers were by his side in L.A. around Grammy time.

We previously reported that Prince has plans for a hits-style tour timed to the 20th anniversary of "Purple Rain." The Grammy set -- a run-through of three "Purple" songs -- supported that news. However, word from one source is that his dealings with Clear Channel hit a bad patch and that the tour might be rethought. "Musicology" is apparently now the name of the outing.

Since the Grammys, he has played three surprise concerts in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Those shows, played with most of his band from 2002's "One Nite Alone" tour, featured many oldies.

He's booking TV gigs, too. Last night, he was scheduled to appear on Tavis Smiley's talk show on PBS and NPR, performing with none other than former Revolution guitarist Wendy Melvoin. The show, which also includes an 18-minute interview, had no local airing but can be heard via http://www.npr.org.Next Thursday, he's supposed to return to "The Tonight Show."

As they said during the Grammys: Stay tuned for more rock 'n' roll.