https://ultimateclassicro...templeman/

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After Prince had broken through to the mainstream with 1999, he found Templeman in his office and asked him for some advice. Seeing how successful Michael Jackson had become with Thriller, the worried-looking Prince said, "I have to find a way to knock Michael out of the No. 1 spot."

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Templeman suggested borrowing Jackson's co-producer, Quincy Jones.

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"His eyes got wide, his face turned red," Templeman recalled. "He sprang out of his seat and, for a second, I thought he might hit me. I wasn't much worried about that, though, because Prince was about as slightly built as any guy I'd ever met, but still, he'd become unglued."

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Prince screamed that he produces himself, but Templeman told him that "Quincy had his finger on the pulse of the R&B and pop marketplace, and so he was the exact right guy to produce his next record. I couldn't believe this idea had set him off, because I honestly thought Quincy and Prince would've made a dream team."

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Click the link for the full article.

Moving Michael Jackson

The closest I could have imagined to a realistic Prince/Quincy collaboration would've been the former appearing on one song as a vocalist or instrumentalist, on one of the latter's post-MJ 'solo' albums. Otherwise, you're basically talking about the guy whose productions essentially entail him handling everything, trying to work with the guy whose productions entail bringing many different combinations of people together. Both quite domineering characters. Not quite sure how that would've worked.

Because Prince wanted to know what to do differently business-wise, and Ted offensively suggests its his MUSIC that kept him out of #1.

To this fan, he was and always will be the No. 1 spot.

Cinny said:

Because Prince wanted to know what to do differently business-wise, and Ted offensively suggests its his MUSIC that kept him out of #1.

That sounds about right.

It's so many hundreds of times i've seen a thread go waaaaaay off rail because of misunderstandings.

Templeman noted that Prince's next album, Purple Rain, didn't need Quincy Jones' help to get to the top."

That about says it all.

Cinny said:

Because Prince wanted to know what to do differently business-wise, and Ted offensively suggests its his MUSIC that kept him out of #1.

Well Prince did adapt his music to reach #1.

Can't disagree with his reasoning at that time. Or that P&Q would have been incredible.

CynicKill said:

Cinny said:

Because Prince wanted to know what to do differently business-wise, and Ted offensively suggests its his MUSIC that kept him out of #1.

Well Prince did adapt his music to reach #1.

It would still upset any artist to hear this criticism

Cinny said:

CynicKill said:

Well Prince did adapt his music to reach #1.

It would still upset any artist to hear this criticism

Ted's reasoning was sound.

namepeace said:

Cinny said:

It would still upset any artist to hear this criticism

Ted's reasoning was sound.

Ouch!

Cinny said:

namepeace said:

Ted's reasoning was sound.

Ouch!

He kinda did take Ted's advice to heart even if he didn't take it.

[Edited 5/23/20 15:06pm]

Cinny said:

namepeace said:

Ted's reasoning was sound.

Ouch!

Prince once made a statement in the early to mid-80s I think I remember reading it in Billboard I am paraphrasing it went something like this:

When asked why he plays all the instruments on his records, Prince said dryly: "Well, it's important that everyone is on the same page in the studio. I mean, if my bass player is thinking about pickles, and I'm thinking of orgasm, then we got a problem. That's just not gonna work."

I read the entire Templeman book last weekend, which I really enjoyed, but Prince was a dude who conceived a track in his sleep, woke up, and before he went to sleep again the ENTIRE THING was done, finshed, ready for release, radio, whatever.

I don't think Templeman or any other top-notch producer for that matter can fathom this sort of reality.

There's a great bit in the Templeman book about how when they were cutting "What A Fool Believes" for the Doobie Bros - which I believe went #1 pop and won a Grammy - they just couldn't get the drums right. This went on and on and on for days and then weeks (finally Templeman jumped in the chair and did it himself.) Everyone is satisfied with the drums, everyone KNOWS they have a huge monster hit, but Ted kept insisting the drums were not right, and was holding shit up.

This would NEVER happen with Prince.

Can you imagine Prince listening to Quincy tell him, for example, that the backwards masking bit at the end of "Darling Nikki" is unnecessary?

I mean the first time some shit like that happened Prince would have whispered in someone's ear "Tell him to leave."

hardwork said:

Cinny said:

Ouch!

Prince once made a statement in the early to mid-80s I think I remember reading it in Billboard I am paraphrasing it went something like this:

When asked why he plays all the instruments on his records, Prince said dryly: "Well, it's important that everyone is on the same page in the studio. I mean, if my bass player is thinking about pickles, and I'm thinking of orgasm, then we got a problem. That's just not gonna work."

I read the entire Templeman book last weekend, which I really enjoyed, but Prince was a dude who conceived a track in his sleep, woke up, and before he went to sleep again the ENTIRE THING was done, finshed, ready for release, radio, whatever.

I don't think Templeman or any other top-notch producer for that matter can fathom this sort of reality.

There's a great bit in the Templeman book about how when they were cutting "What A Fool Believes" for the Doobie Bros - which I believe went #1 pop and won a Grammy - they just couldn't get the drums right. This went on and on and on for days and then weeks (finally Templeman jumped in the chair and did it himself.) Everyone is satisfied with the drums, everyone KNOWS they have a huge monster hit, but Ted kept insisting the drums were not right, and was holding shit up.

This would NEVER happen with Prince.

Can you imagine Prince listening to Quincy tell him, for example, that the backwards masking bit at the end of "Darling Nikki" is unnecessary?

I mean the first time some shit like that happened Prince would have whispered in someone's ear "Tell him to leave."

Ted's reasoning was that Prince needed to calibrate his sound to score a megahit. What Ted didn't realize was that Prince had the ability to do it on his own, without the need for an outside Svengali.

In a way, Prince acknowledged as much in a pivotal scene in Purple Rain, with Billy as proxy, saying (somewhat gratuitously) "nobody digs your music but yourself."

hardwork said:

Cinny said:

Ouch!

Prince once made a statement in the early to mid-80s I think I remember reading it in Billboard I am paraphrasing it went something like this:

When asked why he plays all the instruments on his records, Prince said dryly: "Well, it's important that everyone is on the same page in the studio. I mean, if my bass player is thinking about pickles, and I'm thinking of orgasm, then we got a problem. That's just not gonna work."

I read the entire Templeman book last weekend, which I really enjoyed, but Prince was a dude who conceived a track in his sleep, woke up, and before he went to sleep again the ENTIRE THING was done, finshed, ready for release, radio, whatever.

I don't think Templeman or any other top-notch producer for that matter can fathom this sort of reality.

There's a great bit in the Templeman book about how when they were cutting "What A Fool Believes" for the Doobie Bros - which I believe went #1 pop and won a Grammy - they just couldn't get the drums right. This went on and on and on for days and then weeks (finally Templeman jumped in the chair and did it himself.) Everyone is satisfied with the drums, everyone KNOWS they have a huge monster hit, but Ted kept insisting the drums were not right, and was holding shit up.

This would NEVER happen with Prince.

Can you imagine Prince listening to Quincy tell him, for example, that the backwards masking bit at the end of "Darling Nikki" is unnecessary?

I mean the first time some shit like that happened Prince would have whispered in someone's ear "Tell him to leave."

Shit man, I love the drums on "What A Fool Believes".

namepeace said:

hardwork said:

Prince once made a statement in the early to mid-80s I think I remember reading it in Billboard I am paraphrasing it went something like this:

When asked why he plays all the instruments on his records, Prince said dryly: "Well, it's important that everyone is on the same page in the studio. I mean, if my bass player is thinking about pickles, and I'm thinking of orgasm, then we got a problem. That's just not gonna work."

I read the entire Templeman book last weekend, which I really enjoyed, but Prince was a dude who conceived a track in his sleep, woke up, and before he went to sleep again the ENTIRE THING was done, finshed, ready for release, radio, whatever.

I don't think Templeman or any other top-notch producer for that matter can fathom this sort of reality.

There's a great bit in the Templeman book about how when they were cutting "What A Fool Believes" for the Doobie Bros - which I believe went #1 pop and won a Grammy - they just couldn't get the drums right. This went on and on and on for days and then weeks (finally Templeman jumped in the chair and did it himself.) Everyone is satisfied with the drums, everyone KNOWS they have a huge monster hit, but Ted kept insisting the drums were not right, and was holding shit up.

This would NEVER happen with Prince.

Can you imagine Prince listening to Quincy tell him, for example, that the backwards masking bit at the end of "Darling Nikki" is unnecessary?

I mean the first time some shit like that happened Prince would have whispered in someone's ear "Tell him to leave."

Ted's reasoning was that Prince needed to calibrate his sound to score a megahit. What Ted didn't realize was that Prince had the ability to do it on his own, without the need for an outside Svengali.

In a way, Prince acknowledged as much in a pivotal scene in Purple Rain, with Billy as proxy, saying (somewhat gratuitously) "nobody digs your music but yourself."

Totally, totally.

Cinny said:

Quincy and Prince a good collaboration? I can't see that at all. Not only 'cause it didn't happen but because Quincy is so tame compared to Prince. Both are strong-willed & both have their own styles. They'd be at each others throats.

Yeah Prince worked really fast.

I was watching a Steely Dan doc and they were obsessed about getting it right and getting the best to get it right.

Yeah Quincy would take that Darling Nicki outro out. Probably the Purple Rain outro too.

alphastreet said:

Mj made mini movies and prince made a full length feature to accompany the music, something next level to flashdsnce or fame, that’s why all the success and getting thriller off the number 1 spot. He was taking acting lessons after all too, something mj never got to do

Uhh, Mike took acting lessons in his teens and starred in a major film as well.

scorp84 said: