Does anyone else here think TH had a significant influence on Prince ca. 83-6? TH and Prince had quite a lot in common – just think of (Al Green’s) ‘Take me to the River’, Bernie Worrell etc. TH were on the same label, and even went to the Purple Rain premiere (but I could be wrong about that, I confess; but I distinctly remember David Byrne paying Prince a somewhat backhanded compliment – “I like Prince’s songs; especially the endings”). IMO, around 83-5 TH were Prince’s biggest artistic competition (not MJ, Springsteen or Madonna), and the Stop Making Sense tour/film blew the Purple Rain tour out of the water. Completely. One was cosmic slop overkill (with REALLY bad costumes a la Liberace – Wendy and Lisa at the Grammies – what were they thinking?), the other (to borrow a phrase) "minimalist perfection". Prince then responded, brilliantly, with the Parade tour, the high point of his career. Just search for photos – the whole stripped down look, even the damned hair style, just reeks of Byrne’s influence. Prince seems to have realized the degree to which the concert/performance could be ART. Some guy at Amazon writes about Demme’s film:

“Over the course of three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December 1983, filmmaker Jonathan Demme joined creative forces with cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth and Talking Heads... and miracles occurred. Following a staging concept by singer-guitarist David Byrne, this euphoric concert film transcends that all-too-limited genre to become the greatest film of its kind. A guaranteed cure for anyone's blues, it's a celebration of music that never grows old, fueled by the polyrhythmic pop-funk precision that was a Talking Heads trademark, and lit from within by the geeky supernova that is David Byrne.
The staging--and Demme's filming of it--builds toward an orgasmic release of music, rising from the bare-stage simplicity of Byrne, accompanied only by a boom box on "Psycho Killer," to the ecstatic crescendo of "Burning Down the House," by which time the Heads and additional personnel have all arrived on stage for a performance that seems channeled from heaven for the purpose of universal uplift. (God bless Demme for avoiding shots of the luckiest audience in '80s pop history; its presence is acknowledged, but not at the viewer's expense.) With the deliriously eccentric Byrne as ringleader (pausing mid-concert to emerge in his now-legendary oversized suit), this circus of musical pleasure defies the futility of reductive description; it begs to be experienced, felt in the heart, head, and bones, and held there the way we hold on to cherished memories. On those three nights in December 1983, Talking Heads gave love, life, and joy in generous amounts that years cannot erode, and Demme captured this act of creative goodwill on film with minimalist artistic perfection. Stop Making Sense is an invitation to pleasure that will never wear out its welcome. --Jeff Shannon

Just compare that to the reviews Prince got in 1986. They’re practically the same!! (especially Steve Sutherland (?) in Melody Maker, 1986, the most ecstatic review ever written). I especially like the phrase “chanelled from heaven for the purpose of universal uplift”. Could be describing Prince at his best, no? Notice how Prince “borrowed” the idea of building a performance from a bare start for the Sign O the Times tour! God, if only he’d try that again, say with ‘the Truth’. Was the film version of the Sign tour an attempt to top SMS as “best concert film ever”? Any thoughts? Or am I talking complete bollocks?

Well... i always the cover of Little Creatures was similar to the cover of ATWIAD and they are both from the same year! Not sure which came first though

I still find it hard to believe that Prince wasn't shocked by how good the Stop Making Sense tour and film were. I guess I've always imagined that Prince was driven by a need to out-do the competition. As another recent thread points out, he's hyper-aware of what other musicians are doing. Is this due to some sort of inferiority complex? ("I must, must, must TOP all of those people!!" possibly related to the much vaunted shyness/arrogance?). Come to think of it, from Rainbow Children onwards I don't feel the same vibe. He seems less concerned with what people think about him, more relaxed and focussed, following a path of his own. But that's a long way from Talking Heads! Actually I'm pretty sure Byrne was a huge Prince fan. There's even a 1992 bootleg on which he covers 'The Future'. The album covers of "Around the World" and "Little Creatures": yeah, I hadn't thought about that. And both albums were kinda lame! (and both in some ways abandoned electronics and synths/dance and went off into uncharted territory). I never really felt "Little Creatures", though I haven't listened to it in ages.

The only thing Prince and Talking Heads and Prince have in common is that they're my top 2 favorite artists of all time. And that they are both great.

I think Byrne liked Prince's music of that period; he generally goes out of his way in public to NOT slam other artists and I bet his comment was genuine. I could see him specifically liking the endings to someone's songs...thats the kind of person he is.

I loved both of them at the time, and still do to this day. I buy both of their CDs whenever they come out with new ones.

Listen to "Little Creatures" again and I think you'll find most of is pretty damn good. I think the times have caught up with it, just like Prince's albums tend to do.

NWF said: "The only thing Prince and Talking Heads have in common is that they're my top 2 favorite artists of all time."

But right off the top of my head I can think of these things they had in common: a) both on Warner Brothers
b) both played rock/funk music
c) both at one time played with either George Clinton OR ex-Clinton band members.
d) touring line up had both black/white, male/ (cute)female band members
e) late 1983 both made movies.
f) Byrne saw early that "black dance music" was more revolutionary than punk rock. Hence stuff like "My life in the bush of Ghosts". Ok, nothing to do with Prince... ok, how about "both very acute observers of contemporary music"
g) both merged "black" and "white" music into a new whole.

Um, that's all I can think of right now! For me TH were one of the GREAT "funk" bands. At the very least Byrne with his 'artistic/intellectual/conceptualist' approach gave the concert experience a MUCH needed make over. I remember seeing the SMS tour and being ABSOLUTELY mesmerised. Almost nothing has equalled it, for my money, since. Perhaps Prince at his absolute peak in 86-7.

Just thought of h) both had a sequence of albums in which the new one seemed to outdo its predecessor, sort of 77-84.
i) both had a mid-eighties peak and then kinda fell apart.
j) perhaps as early as 'Dirty Mind' Prince abandons traditional "R n B" to take on "New Wave" bands at their own game. TH one of these!

brianr54 said; "I could see him specifically liking the endings to someone's songs...thats the kind of person he is."

Yeah, I think you're right. And Byrne had a point. The way Prince constructed his song endings on Purple Rain era stuff especially was a wonder to behold (ya can just feel his delight in working out the problem, so to speak). The mastery of song structure was TOTAL!

I wish I could remember the interview/year, but someone brought up a quote where Prince said he didn't like the Talking Heads.

I hope whoever posted the quote was BSing.

Anxiety said "I wish I could remember the interview/year, but someone brought up a quote where Prince said he didn't like the Talking Heads.

I hope whoever posted the quote was BSing"

This wouldn't surprise me! (that Prince disliked them, not that X was bsing!). I suppose Byrne with his intellectualism represented everything Prince despised. I wonder if this active dislike on the part of Prince means he viewed them as a threat, which is basically my point. Or maybe he just hated Byrne's singing! I think he must have reacted to them on some level, 'cause they were so far ahead of the game.

I like Talking Heads.

Lest we forget that David Byrne and Prince are both nerdy weirdos. But I still love them for it. Oh, and they're great dancers too.

Perhaps I should explain myself. By "everything Prince despised" I mean that TH were totally secular and seemed, to me at least, to represent the ultimate in liberal open mindedness. Whereas Prince said 'you can't seem to make up your mind. I think you'd better CLOSE it, and let me guide you...". So I guess in this sense Prince and TH WERE poles apart.

Yes NWF, you're catching on How could I forget the dancing

Plus, Remain In Light and Dirty Mind were great albums too.

I haven't got Remain in Light, mainly because it seemed to take Warners decades to put out a decent remastered version. Actually Remain was one of the first cds I ever bought, way back in '85 or so, along with Dylan's Infidels, which actually sounded good, unlike most of those other hideous early cds. Oh how we suffered!! But I digress. For me "Fear of Music" still goes places no one else can even dream of. I remember hearing it on huge "high end" speakers, and it sounded fantastic. Hey, I think I'll start a new topic - Husker Du and Prince. Same label, same hometown, and ya just KNOW that "The Cross" (musically if not lyrically) is more than a nod to them... "Oh, ya think you can rock out do ya? - well let me show ya how it's done!" And what about the covers of Warehouse and Sign o the Times. Practically the same!!

There's something else in common. Both had/have terrible sounding cds that need remastering more than any other major artist! Actually I've lost touch of the state of the TH catalogue... I hope it got the loving treatment it deserved.

narcotizedmind said:

DAAANG....you're good.

I'm positive that the similarity between the covers was raised at the time (and the Huskers were first, I'm sure of it). I just wish I could remember where! Oh, Warehouse and Sign - both doubles!

Anxiety said:

There are a number of different 'recordings' out there that are available with Prince going thru various rehearsals and soundchecks performing a number of TH tunes.

So go figure.

narcotizedmind said:

Yeah, I've got that too. Its pretty weird. Very minimalist, I guess.

i hadn't ever thought about it in terms of one having an influence on the other... i just thought that great minds thought alike.