Why did Prince give Tommy, Sonny, Mr Hayes, and Michael their walking papers in 1996??

This was/is his best version of the NPG, his bands after that went right in the dumper, they have no even come close the orginals.

Maybe they was bootlegging his shit.

bds70 said:

Tommy swore a lot. Sonny was into Satan. Mr. Hayes was banging Mayte. Michael B wouldn't wear heels.

squirrelgrease said:

...and Prince hates to be outdone.

Tired. Hair was bad. Not a sexy band.

NPG now is ten times better.

True. A Wonderful Band. Morris Hayes is still around the camp though. He was at the Last Celebration and just in Vegas. Morris Hayes is WAYYY COOL! My Favorite. A Wonderful Keyboard player and all around Nice guy.

According to Forbes and the Star Tribune it was because he was broke and could not afford to keep them on the payroll.

And where's Rosie Gaines now (I think that was her name, right??)??

rainbowchild said:

They fell out. Just like with Chaka Khan I believe.

Like a lot of band leaders I think Prince likes different influences, you know you play with the same group of people for so long and there comes a point where it just ain't happening anymore. It becomes stale. I don't think Prince looks back on that band or any band he's had and says 'What was I thinking? Those guys were crap!' He moves on periodically thats all. That's not to say that there isn't bad feeling among musicians when this happens but that's life. I remember breaking up the first incarnation of my jazz group for musical reasons and it hurt. Like the end of a love affair, but it had to happen. I miss those guys but it wouldn't work to put that band back together.

It's a shame, I thought they was the funkiest band he ever had. The stuff they produced; jeez that chit was cool .

lovemachine said:

Here's what I remember:

1) The media reported in early 1996 that the NPG had been "laid off."

2) Somebody "in the know" clarified that while the NPG had been removed from Paisley Park's payroll, intended to hire them for individual projects when needed.

3) did just that when he hired them for the Chaos and Disorder sessions.

4) In his two promotional appearances on television for Chaos and Disorder in the summer of 1996, debuted a new NPG lineup with only one holdover, Morris Hayes. (For some reason, however, Sonny Thompson from the previous NPG substituted for Kat Dyson on guitar--not his usual instrument--during the Today performance).

5) Morris Hayes remained in the band as late as 2000, if not later. But he was no longer performing with them by the time of the One Nite Alone tour in 2002.

well, he was just about to get out of his contract with WB and act as a free agent. without the guaranteed big paychecks rolling in, he probably wanted to cut costs and hire band members as freelancers rather than as full-time employees.


which is unfortunate, as it showed in how sloppy the new band was. no chemistry.