Prince (November 10, 1996) – “Prince on the Net” Feature

Grand Forks Herald

Nine days before the release of Emancipation, the Grand Forks Herald examined another important part of Prince’s newly independent approach: the Internet. The short feature describes direct e-mail contact with fans, online research into what listeners wanted to hear and how much they might pay, and a wider promotional strategy being developed without the support of a major record label.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

FEATURE	DETAILS
Artist:	Prince
Publication:	Grand Forks Herald
Publication Date:	November 10, 1996
Location:	Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
Headline:	Prince on the Net
Related Album:	Emancipation
Subject:	Prince’s use of the Internet and direct fan research
Methods Mentioned:	E-mail / Web sites
Other Promotion Mentioned:	Television appearances, radio concerts, unplugged performances, U.S. tour, samples
Format:	News Feature
Principal Theme:	Prince using the emerging Internet as part of an independent recording and promotional strategy

ORIGINAL SOURCE MATERIAL

ORIGINAL NEWSPAPER CUTTING

[GRAND FORKS HERALD, NOVEMBER 10, 1996 – “PRINCE ON THE NET”]

INTRODUCTION

PRINCE ON THE NET	A RADICAL DEPARTURE
The Grand Forks Herald reports that Prince was preparing a new album without the support of a major record label, describing the approach as a radical move for an artist of such established stature.	Rather than proceeding without research, the cutting says Prince had been using e-mail and Web sites to gather information and create samples as part of the developing campaign.

DIRECT CONTACT WITH FANS

E-MAIL	QUESTIONS FOR LISTENERS
The article says Prince conducted a direct e-mail campaign involving fans.	Listeners were asked what kind of music they wanted to hear from Prince, with examples including ballads, guitar rock and funk, as well as how much listeners would be prepared to pay for it.

USING THE INTERNET

RESEARCH	PROMOTION
The Internet is presented as a research tool through which Prince could examine audience interests while operating outside the normal support structure of a major label.	The cutting also treats the online activity as one component of a much broader strategy rather than as a standalone experiment.

A GAME PLAN

RESEARCH BECOMES STRATEGY	BUILDING THE CAMPAIGN
According to the article, Prince combined the information gathered with recent interviews to devise what the newspaper describes as a game plan intended to help the project succeed independently.	The approach is therefore presented as deliberately planned, combining fan research, conventional publicity and newer digital communication.

TELEVISION & RADIO

TV APPEARANCES	RADIO CONCERTS
Television appearances are listed among the elements Prince intended to use in supporting the new project.	Radio concerts are also mentioned, indicating that the campaign did not abandon established mass-media outlets while experimenting with the Internet.

UNPLUGGED PERFORMANCES

LIVE PROMOTION	ANOTHER ROUTE TO THE AUDIENCE
The cutting mentions unplugged performances among the planned promotional activities.	Alongside television, radio and online communication, live performance remained part of the wider programme described by the newspaper.

A FULL U.S. TOUR

TOURING	THE LARGER PLAN
A full United States tour is included among the promotional activities listed by the article.	The Internet strategy was consequently only one element within a campaign intended to reach audiences through several different channels.

WORKING WITHOUT A MAJOR LABEL

INDEPENDENCE	A NEW CHALLENGE
The article emphasises the unusual nature of an established superstar attempting to release a major new project without conventional major-label support.	That context makes the Internet material especially significant: direct communication with listeners was being considered at precisely the moment Prince was looking for alternative ways to organise and promote the music.

WITHOUT A MANAGER OR PRESS AGENT

THE ARTICLE’S CLAIM	DIRECT INFORMATION
The cutting states that Prince was then working without a record label, manager or press agent.	It consequently points readers towards the Internet as the place to obtain information about Prince’s activities and the forthcoming Emancipation project.

THE VAULT HOMEPAGE

A CONTEMPORARY ONLINE RESOURCE	1996 INTERNET CULTURE
The article directs readers towards a fan-operated resource called The Vault Homepage for information about Prince’s online activities, interviews and the Emancipation project.	The printed web address is itself an interesting period detail, demonstrating how newspapers in 1996 were beginning to guide readers directly towards online fan resources.

EMANCIPATION

THE FORTHCOMING ALBUM	THE DIGITAL CONNECTION
Although the cutting is principally about Prince’s online strategy, Emancipation provides the immediate reason for the discussion.	The feature therefore adds a different dimension to the November 1996 archive: the album campaign was not only about contractual freedom, NPG Records and physical distribution, but also about exploring more direct contact with listeners.

NOVEMBER 10, 1996 – A WIDER PICTURE

OTHER NEWSPAPER COVERAGE	GRAND FORKS HERALD
Contemporary newspapers were discussing Emancipation through several different angles, including the three-CD format, Prince’s separation from Warner Bros., his new business arrangements and expectations for the album’s commercial performance.	“Prince on the Net” provides another perspective by concentrating specifically on audience research, e-mail communication and the emerging possibilities of the Web.

WHAT THE CUTTING DOCUMENTS

ONLINE ACTIVITY	WIDER PROMOTIONAL PLAN
E-mail Web sites Fan research Music preferences Questions about pricing Online information resources	Television appearances Radio concerts Unplugged gigs Full U.S. tour Samples Independent promotion

CONTEXT AND NOTES

HISTORICAL CONTEXT	ARCHIVAL SIGNIFICANCE
Documented by the supplied cutting: Prince was described as using e-mail and Web sites for research while preparing a new album without traditional major-label support. The article specifically records direct questions to fans concerning musical preferences and pricing.	The cutting is particularly valuable because the Internet itself is the story. In November 1996, online communication was sufficiently novel for Prince’s use of e-mail and websites to warrant a dedicated newspaper item.
Documented by the cutting: The stated strategy also included television, radio, unplugged performances and touring. The newspaper additionally directs readers to The Vault Homepage for more information.	This provides a useful corrective to any suggestion that Prince’s strategy was simply to replace conventional media with the Internet. The newspaper describes a mixed campaign in which newer digital communication was being used alongside established promotional channels.

CONCLUSION

PRINCE ON THE NET	A DISTINCTIVE EMANCIPATION DOCUMENT
The Grand Forks Herald clipping captures Prince considering direct communication with listeners at an important point in his career, using e-mail and the Web not simply as publicity but as tools for asking audiences what they wanted and what they might pay.	Within the wider Emancipation archive, this small cutting therefore has outsized significance. While other November 10 reports concentrated on contracts, record companies and retail expectations, “Prince on the Net” documents a different kind of freedom: experimenting with more direct routes between Prince, the music and the people listening to it.

SOURCES

SOURCE MATERIAL	ARCHIVAL VERIFICATION
Grand Forks Herald November 10, 1996 “Prince on the Net” Original supplied newspaper cutting	Supplied original newspaper scan

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