terence trent d'arby/Sananda Maitreya ...how talented is this guy?....an amazing voice...talented musician and good songwriter....makes me wonder why he isnt more important in the music world because he really should be...some of his albums are very strong and he still writes some good stuff.....would love to see him back in the limelight his talent deserves...

.

blackbob said:

terence trent d'arby/Sananda Maitreya ...how talented is this guy?....an amazing voice...talented musician and good songwriter....makes me wonder why he isnt more important in the music world because he really should be...some of his albums are very strong and he still writes some good stuff.....would love to see him back in the limelight his talent deserves...

.

That's just the way he wants it i think. At least he's not a bag of contradiction unlike somebody else we know.

He is

One of my faves during the 80s

Here is his website http://www.sanandamaitreya.com/

TTD had problems with Sony like some of their other acts. Anyway to the general public, he's basically a so-called "1 hit wonder".

i think he should have stuck with making commercial music for atleast a decade before doing things his own way. That way, he could have devoloped a strong fanbase and would be more highly regarded IMO

TTD is quite talented, but he disappeared up Sananda Maitreya's contrived, indulgent, self-absorbed ass years ago.

Marrk said:

blackbob said:

terence trent d'arby/Sananda Maitreya ...how talented is this guy?....an amazing voice...talented musician and good songwriter....makes me wonder why he isnt more important in the music world because he really should be...some of his albums are very strong and he still writes some good stuff.....would love to see him back in the limelight his talent deserves...

.

That's just the way he wants it i think. At least he's not a bag of contradiction unlike somebody else we know.

Let Michael rest in peace.

whodknee said:

Marrk said:

That's just the way he wants it i think. At least he's not a bag of contradiction unlike somebody else we know.

Let Michael rest in peace.

i thought he was talking about prince

hhhhdmt said:

whodknee said:

Let Michael rest in peace.

i thought he was talking about prince

TTD was always compared to Prince

He's probably over pleasing the mainstream audiences, like Prince hes got devoted fans, whom he knows will buy whatever he puts out and thats enough for him. Besides, remember he's a father now too so maybe Music will have to take a back seat for a while.

Not to gripe, but this is the fourth "Wheres Sananda/TTD type topic this year", which Blackbob is not a bad thing, as he's a severely under appreciated and underrated artist here on Prince org. I mean after all he was Prince's main competition for a short time in the late 80s, is still a lot like Prince, in the fact he hates swearing, plays all the instruments and writes his own music. If anything we need more threads about him and his music, plus he has an amazing voice. I mean at least half as much as Michael Jackson gets here anyway (Well at least its died down a bit now).

[Edited 11/22/10 18:21pm]

Huggiebear said:

He's probably over pleasing the mainstream audiences, like Prince hes got devoted fans, whom he knows will buy whatever he puts out and thats enough for him. Besides, remember he's a father now too so maybe Music will have to take a back seat for a while.

Not to gripe, but this is the fourth "Wheres Sananda/TTD type topic this year", which Blackbob is not a bad thing, as he's a severely under appreciated and underrated artist here on Prince org. I mean after all he was Prince's main competition for a short time in the late 80s, is still a lot like Prince, in the fact he hates swearing, plays all the instruments and writes his own music. If anything we need more threads about him and his music, plus he has an amazing voice. I mean at least half as much as Michael Jackson gets here anyway (Well at least its died down a bit now).

[Edited 11/22/10 18:21pm]

i was just watching some of his stuff on youtube....loved him in the 80s and 90s....i think he did disappear up his own ass a bit after he became successful......remember his neither fish nor flesh album follow up to his first big album.....it didnt really work that one but he got a grip in the 90s again and released some really good stuff then changed his name and disappeared almost......i love some of his wildcard album in 2002....o divina was a great track i think....just a shame he isnt more highly rated....i would love to see him live...

I have been buying his music all those years and I have to say that Wildcard from 2001 is a masterpiece, very good soul/r 'n' b record. Really it was IMO little bit better than Prince's recent output. I bought one of his latest double albums Angels & Vampires and it is still quite good, but the freedom to put out everything he wants has changed his focus. Same thing happened to Prince in early 2000s wiht the NPG Music Club. Chocolate Invasion and Sloughterhouse were not very focused releases. These releases did not add much to Prince's legacy and I think the same has happened to TTD/Sananda Maytreya.

I really think that he should release a record with a major label, because very few people nowadays remember and know him and his great talent and music. Big labels invest into these projects and they need the return on their capital - so they will try to find a format which could be attractive to music buyers. TTD does not have a very attractive format right now. But he is an attractive artist and it's about time to show his talent to his (lost) fanbase. I think that he has something to learn from Prince. Of course he is not as legendary and maybe not that talented and weird as Prince, but I think he could promote his music/touring in TV shows, award shows and so on. Public loves come-backs. If he could create something as good as Wildcard then I believe it wouldn't be very difficult to promote him and his world tour in US and Europe.

But maybe he is not interested in entering that machine again. Usually we lose great artists (and big proportions of artistry) to drugs, suicides, alcohol and to religion. But seems that TTD has lost his vanity and ego. Thank god that Prince hasn't

I agree with most of what has been said here. We've talked about some of this before. I think Angels and Vampires was OK, but suffered because of Sananda's desire to perform the album himself. Mind you, I don't think having half this album played by "real" musicians would have changed a thing about the audience it reached, (or failed to) because of his lack of distribution channels. But the songs themselves definitely suffered from Sananda's playing all of the instruments while not being a master of a single one. Sure it might more heartfelt, but some of the songs flat out languish when they should soar.

For example, songs from Wildcard like Goodbye Diane and O Divina absolutely soar because of the band pushing the groove forward. Sananda really can't bring that kind of thunder musically all by humself. (At least niot in my opinion).

Ultimately, I think he's probably where he wants to be - an independent musician who 's making music on his own terms. Good for him.

But in service of his songs, my own opinion is he is doing himself a disservice. (Hmm... service and disservice in the same sentence, I need an editor).....

Prints said:

I have been buying his music all those years and I have to say that Wildcard from 2001 is a masterpiece, very good soul/r 'n' b record. Really it was IMO little bit better than Prince's recent output. I bought one of his latest double albums Angels & Vampires and it is still quite good, but the freedom to put out everything he wants has changed his focus. Same thing happened to Prince in early 2000s wiht the NPG Music Club. Chocolate Invasion and Sloughterhouse were not very focused releases. These releases did not add much to Prince's legacy and I think the same has happened to TTD/Sananda Maytreya.

I really think that he should release a record with a major label, because very few people nowadays remember and know him and his great talent and music. Big labels invest into these projects and they need the return on their capital - so they will try to find a format which could be attractive to music buyers. TTD does not have a very attractive format right now. But he is an attractive artist and it's about time to show his talent to his (lost) fanbase. I think that he has something to learn from Prince. Of course he is not as legendary and maybe not that talented and weird as Prince, but I think he could promote his music/touring in TV shows, award shows and so on. Public loves come-backs. If he could create something as good as Wildcard then I believe it wouldn't be very difficult to promote him and his world tour in US and Europe.

But maybe he is not interested in entering that machine again. Usually we lose great artists (and big proportions of artistry) to drugs, suicides, alcohol and to religion. But seems that TTD has lost his vanity and ego. Thank god that Prince hasn't

there is one lesson prince needs 2 learn from Sananda ..when u say that ur never gonna do ur old material again ..stick with it!!

blackbob said:

Huggiebear said:

He's probably over pleasing the mainstream audiences, like Prince hes got devoted fans, whom he knows will buy whatever he puts out and thats enough for him. Besides, remember he's a father now too so maybe Music will have to take a back seat for a while.

Not to gripe, but this is the fourth "Wheres Sananda/TTD type topic this year", which Blackbob is not a bad thing, as he's a severely under appreciated and underrated artist here on Prince org. I mean after all he was Prince's main competition for a short time in the late 80s, is still a lot like Prince, in the fact he hates swearing, plays all the instruments and writes his own music. If anything we need more threads about him and his music, plus he has an amazing voice. I mean at least half as much as Michael Jackson gets here anyway (Well at least its died down a bit now).

[Edited 11/22/10 18:21pm]

i was just watching some of his stuff on youtube....loved him in the 80s and 90s....i think he did disappear up his own ass a bit after he became successful......remember his neither fish nor flesh album follow up to his first big album.....it didnt really work that one but he got a grip in the 90s again and released some really good stuff then changed his name and disappeared almost......i love some of his wildcard album in 2002....o divina was a great track i think....just a shame he isnt more highly rated....i would love to see him live...

I liked his material up to and including Wildcard. After that he became very amateur European pub band IMO, surrounding himself with substandard people and makes barely average, dull, lifeless music.

Wildcard of course was many years in the making so he had plenty of time to compile good songs. I saw one of his concerts from the tour and his Italian band were very poor and flat sounding.

If I get a chance 2 see him live I'm on it

I'll Never Turn My Back On You

[Edited 11/23/10 8:27am]

Prints said:

I really think that he should release a record with a major label, because very few people nowadays remember and know him and his great talent and music. Big labels invest into these projects and they need the return on their capital - so they will try to find a format which could be attractive to music buyers. TTD does not have a very attractive format right now. But he is an attractive artist and it's about time to show his talent to his (lost) fanbase. I think that he has something to learn from Prince. Of course he is not as legendary and maybe not that talented and weird as Prince, but I think he could promote his music/touring in TV shows, award shows and so on. Public loves come-backs. If he could create something as good as Wildcard then I believe it wouldn't be very difficult to promote him and his world tour in US and Europe.

But maybe he is not interested in entering that machine again. Usually we lose great artists (and big proportions of artistry) to drugs, suicides, alcohol and to religion. But seems that TTD has lost his vanity and ego. Thank god that Prince hasn't

A major is not going to do anything with TTD unless he does what the record company says and makes records with young popular singers, rappers, and "producers of the month" like Ronald Isley, Carlos Santana, Charlie Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Duran Duran, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Madonna, etc. Even B.B. King recorded a song with Heavy D.

Dsoul said:

blackbob said:

i was just watching some of his stuff on youtube....loved him in the 80s and 90s....i think he did disappear up his own ass a bit after he became successful......remember his neither fish nor flesh album follow up to his first big album.....it didnt really work that one but he got a grip in the 90s again and released some really good stuff then changed his name and disappeared almost......i love some of his wildcard album in 2002....o divina was a great track i think....just a shame he isnt more highly rated....i would love to see him live...

I liked his material up to and including Wildcard. After that he became very amateur European pub band IMO, surrounding himself with substandard people and makes barely average, dull, lifeless music.

Wildcard of course was many years in the making so he had plenty of time to compile good songs. I saw one of his concerts from the tour and his Italian band were very poor and flat sounding.

yes thats the feeling i got watching his recent concert in italy on youtube....it does seem very amateurish....very strange for a guy of his calibre...?

Dsoul said:

blackbob said:

i was just watching some of his stuff on youtube....loved him in the 80s and 90s....i think he did disappear up his own ass a bit after he became successful......remember his neither fish nor flesh album follow up to his first big album.....it didnt really work that one but he got a grip in the 90s again and released some really good stuff then changed his name and disappeared almost......i love some of his wildcard album in 2002....o divina was a great track i think....just a shame he isnt more highly rated....i would love to see him live...

I liked his material up to and including Wildcard. After that he became very amateur European pub band IMO, surrounding himself with substandard people and makes barely average, dull, lifeless music.

Wildcard of course was many years in the making so he had plenty of time to compile good songs. I saw one of his concerts from the tour and his Italian band were very poor and flat sounding.

Co-sign. I just don't get it. I loved TTD more than Prince. He was my all around fav. And then he went sour.

hhhhdmt said:

i think he should have stuck with making commercial music for atleast a decade before doing things his own way. That way, he could have devoloped a strong fanbase and would be more highly regarded IMO

yeah I agree. I think he saw what Prince was doing and wanted to be challening and creative like that, but Prince was not only a much bigger star to begin with, he also continued to do commercial songs like Kiss & Rasberry Beret. TTD did one commercial album then went off the deep end. Actually Neither Fish Nor Flesh is not that hard to listen to, but it starts out so weird and there were not any obvious singles.

TTD kept trying, changing his image to more of a rocker, but it was too late.

Still, I don't feel sorry for him. He has seen more success than 99.99% of musicians ever will.

hhhhdmt said:

i think he should have stuck with making commercial music for atleast a decade before doing things his own way. That way, he could have devoloped a strong fanbase and would be more highly regarded IMO

So - don't be yourself, be what people want you to be until you are overexposed, then do what you want because your fan base can't help but be loyal?

Why not just be who you are and people will accept you or reject you?

blackbob said:

Huggiebear said:

He's probably over pleasing the mainstream audiences, like Prince hes got devoted fans, whom he knows will buy whatever he puts out and thats enough for him. Besides, remember he's a father now too so maybe Music will have to take a back seat for a while.

Not to gripe, but this is the fourth "Wheres Sananda/TTD type topic this year", which Blackbob is not a bad thing, as he's a severely under appreciated and underrated artist here on Prince org. I mean after all he was Prince's main competition for a short time in the late 80s, is still a lot like Prince, in the fact he hates swearing, plays all the instruments and writes his own music. If anything we need more threads about him and his music, plus he has an amazing voice. I mean at least half as much as Michael Jackson gets here anyway (Well at least its died down a bit now).

[Edited 11/22/10 18:21pm]

i was just watching some of his stuff on youtube....loved him in the 80s and 90s....i think he did disappear up his own ass a bit after he became successful......remember his neither fish nor flesh album follow up to his first big album.....it didnt really work that one but he got a grip in the 90s again and released some really good stuff then changed his name and disappeared almost......i love some of his wildcard album in 2002....o divina was a great track i think....just a shame he isnt more highly rated....i would love to see him live...

There's nothing wrong with that album. One of my favorites by him.

I'd love to get hold of some oh is more recent stuff

I seen him live twice, back in the day on the "Introducing The Hardline.............." tour.

Very good live, very energetic.

Second album was a masterpiece imo, then i lost all interest when he disapeared for a while.

I think i will check out some of his work again.

SUPRMAN said:

blackbob said:

i was just watching some of his stuff on youtube....loved him in the 80s and 90s....i think he did disappear up his own ass a bit after he became successful......remember his neither fish nor flesh album follow up to his first big album.....it didnt really work that one but he got a grip in the 90s again and released some really good stuff then changed his name and disappeared almost......i love some of his wildcard album in 2002....o divina was a great track i think....just a shame he isnt more highly rated....i would love to see him live...

There's nothing wrong with that album. One of my favorites by him.

Its a matter of judgement, I sit between the two. They made such a big deal of his first album and proclaimed him as the new messiah practically and expected the second album to outdo the first, and what they got was a third rate Prince knock off cover (The nudity idea must have come from Lovesexy) and some very average songs, Billy don't fall is a good song, but it ain't no Wishing Well, as TTD was a wee bit full of himself, he was hardly drowning in his own ego like a certain Mr Nelson was, people kind of forgot about him. So why he fell off I think.

1. Second album failed to live up to the hype of the first, and the kooky cover scared a few people off

2. Too long a gap between second and third album, which was great with the singles Delicate and Let her down easy, but again these songs were good rather than great, were hits but not number ones

3. Fourth album took 2 further years, but it was better, maybe a bit too good for the trance music dominated 90s. If holding on to you had been released in 1991 it may have fared better.

4. Lets face it changing your name to Sananda Maitreya was not a good public relations move and again it sounded a bit like he was following Prince who changed his name to a glyph. The path of the quirky and bizzare but yet massively talented Black artist was getting tired with Prince and Michael Jackson trying to outdo each other with more and increasingly weirder publicity stunts to impress the media all the time

5. None of his albums since 1995 have been geared to the masses (They're ok, but only his fans are going to dig him). His music is too intelligent and quirky for the average teenage music fan who follows the charts. The fact he hasn't followed the trends of shit hop, new metal, country and Disney based manufactured pop means that like Prince he is now dead to the charts.

6. One could accuse him of following Prince a bit in the late 80s and early 90s and then 1995's Vibrator does sound a bit like Lenny Kravitz. And albums 2 to 4 did sound a bit dated for the time, I think Delicate would have hit more if released in 1989/90 and holding on to you about 1991/92 rather when they were released.

7. Whoever was marketing him was obviously aware that many of his potential fans would be disgruntled ex Prince and Michael Jackson fans, who were getting tired of Prince, or even if they wanted some who sounded like Prince to also admire. A lot TTD'S music I'm sorry to say was Prince sounding and Prince derived (However his perceived normalcy and outstanding voice with a more direct rock influence marked him out as an original too), had to realise that after 1984 and especially after 1987's Sign o the Times, Prince's own popularity was sagging and people by 1988/90 were seeing Prince as a bit old hat, were hardly likely to embrace a newcomer whose second album had a lovesexy style shot on the front and lead single was about a gay friend who used to be a boxer, was dying of AIDS and somehow in the song made a pass at TTD and ended up being thrown in the water.

8. The song Billy Don't fall, would have put off a lot of the LGBT fans that acts like TTD and Prince have attracted, a scene where the gay man (Billy) is tossed in the water by TTD would have been seen as homphobic and unsympathtic. Bad Move Terence especially as many may have seen him as a possible gay man (Songs like Delicate, Sign your name are hardly Teddy Pendergrass or Barry White).

Thats just my opinion, glean from it what you will, but in any sense I think Sananda has matured and the fact he's not trying to be the biggest pop star in the world is a positive thing, because chart music now is just garbage, that hes too good for.

[Edited 11/24/10 18:43pm]

Huggiebear said:

SUPRMAN said:

There's nothing wrong with that album. One of my favorites by him.

Its a matter of judgement, I sit between the two. They made such a big deal of his first album and proclaimed him as the new messiah practically and expected the second album to outdo the first, and what they got was a third rate Prince knock off cover (The nudity idea must have come from Lovesexy) and some very average songs, Billy don't fall is a good song, but it ain't no Wishing Well, as TTD was a wee bit full of himself, he was hardly drowning in his own ego like a certain Mr Nelson was, people kind of forgot about him. So why he fell off I think.

1. Second album failed to live up to the hype of the first, and the kooky cover scared a few people off

2. Too long a gap between second and third album, which was great with the singles Delicate and Let her down easy, but again these songs were good rather than great, were hits but not number ones

3. Fourth album took 2 further years, but it was better, maybe a bit too good for the trance music dominated 90s. If holding on to you had been released in 1991 it may have fared better.

4. Lets face it changing your name to Sananda Maitreya was not a good public relations move and again it sounded a bit like he was following Prince who changed his name to a glyph. The path of the quirky and bizzare but yet massively talented Black artist was getting tired with Prince and Michael Jackson trying to outdo each other with more and increasingly weirder publicity stunts to impress the media all the time

5. None of his albums since 1995 have been geared to the masses (They're ok, but only his fans are going to dig him). His music is too intelligent and quirky for the average teenage music fan who follows the charts. The fact he hasn't followed the trends of shit hop, new metal, country and Disney based manufactured pop means that like Prince he is now dead to the charts.

6. One could accuse him of following Prince a bit in the late 80s and early 90s and then 1995's Vibrator does sound a bit like Lenny Kravitz. And albums 2 to 4 did sound a bit dated for the time, I think Delicate would have hit more if released in 1989/90 and holding on to you about 1991/92 rather when they were released.

7. Whoever was marketing him was obviously aware that many of his potential fans would be disgruntled ex Prince and Michael Jackson fans, who were getting tired of Prince, or even if they wanted some who sounded like Prince to also admire. A lot TTD'S music I'm sorry to say was Prince sounding and Prince derived (However his perceived normalcy and outstanding voice with a more direct rock influence marked him out as an original too), had to realise that after 1984 and especially after 1987's Sign o the Times, Prince's own popularity was sagging and people by 1988/90 were seeing Prince as a bit old hat, were hardly likely to embrace a newcomer whose second album had a lovesexy style shot on the front and lead single was about a gay friend who used to be a boxer, was dying of AIDS and somehow in the song made a pass at TTD and ended up being thrown in the water.

8. The song Billy Don't fall, would have put off a lot of the LGBT fans that acts like TTD and Prince have attracted, a scene where the gay man (Billy) is tossed in the water by TTD would have been seen as homphobic and unsympathtic. Bad Move Terence especially as many may have seen him as a possible gay man (Songs like Delicate, Sign your name are hardly Teddy Pendergrass or Barry White).

Thats just my opinion, glean from it what you will, but in any sense I think Sananda has matured and the fact he's not trying to be the biggest pop star in the world is a positive thing, because chart music now is just garbage, that hes too good for.

[Edited 11/24/10 18:43pm]

What Lovesexy/Prince/nudity rip-off cover are you talking about?????

The album cover for "Neither Fish Nor Flesh" is this one:

Pretty bad-ass album cover if you ask me.... I have no idea what album cover you are talking about.

[Edited 11/24/10 20:00pm]

[Edited 11/24/10 20:00pm]

There was a banned one showing him chest up with a tray full of fish covering his private parts that was almost immediately banned.

And that other cover he is throwing a Prince like symbol.

bad dancer

TTD doesn't need hip producers or guest artists to get a major label interested in him, get the public interested in him, or . He just needs to write and produce some songs that are actually about something instead of the weird gothic hippie commune he's living in in his head, something that people who don't wear an Aunt Jemima doo-rag can relate to. Something that people with actual, real feelings can connect with, instead of some fantasy world that exists only in some artsy-for-artsy's-sake pretentious douchebag's head.

that is all it takes.

Huggiebear said:

There was a banned one showing him chest up with a tray full of fish covering his private parts that was almost immediately banned.

And that other cover he is throwing a Prince like symbol.

I never heard about that banned cover, but I do love NFNF and was paying attention at the time (have the E.G.O'Reilly single he released during this time too) as well as the accompanying book. Do you have it somewhere, I'd love to see it.

Are you 100% sure there was such a picture?