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Second solo album by Candy Dulfer, featuring the Prince‑written instrumental “Sunday Afternoon” A March 1993 European release containing the only Prince contribution to Dulfer’s solo catalogue. 🟣 Summary • Released 1 March 1993 in Europe, Sax‑A‑Go‑Go is the second solo studio album by Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer. • The album includes Sunday Afternoon, an instrumental written by Prince and re‑recorded by Dulfer’s band with no musical input from Prince. • Prince had sent Dulfer several tracks to choose from; she selected Sunday Afternoon as the best fit for the album’s tone. • Dulfer later explained that Prince had offered to produce the entire album, but she preferred to maintain her own artistic identity. • The album was released in the USA in February 1994 with a slightly altered tracklist. • Four singles were released — 2 Funky, Sax‑A‑Go‑Go, I Can’t Make You Love Me, and Pick Up The Pieces — none containing Prince material. • The album charted in the UK, the Netherlands, and the USA, and achieved Gold certification in both the Netherlands and Japan. 🟣 Highlights • Released 1 March 1993 (Europe) • Contains Prince‑written instrumental Sunday Afternoon • Only Prince contribution to Dulfer’s solo career • European and US editions differ slightly • Four singles released (none Prince‑related) • UK chart peak: No. 56 • Dutch chart peak: No. 6 • US Jazz Albums peak: No. 6 • Certified Gold in the Netherlands and Japan 🟣 Track Details CD — Europe (1993) • 2 Funky • Sax‑A‑Go‑Go • Mister Marvin • Man In The Desert • Bob’s Jazz • Jamming • I Can’t Make You Love Me • Pick Up The Pieces • Compared To What • Sunday Afternoon — 8:07¹ ¹Written by Prince; re‑recorded by Candy Dulfer’s band. LP / Cassette — Europe (1993) Side 1: • 2 Funky • Sax‑A‑Go‑Go • Mister Marvin • Man In The Desert • Bob’s Jazz Side 2: • Jamming • I Can’t Make You Love Me • Pick Up The Pieces • Compared To What • Sunday Afternoon — 8:07¹ CD — USA (February 1994) • 2 Funky • Sax‑A‑Go‑Go • Mister Marvin • Man In The Desert • Bob’s Jazz • Jamming • I Can’t Make You Love Me • Pick Up The Pieces • Sunday Afternoon — 8:07¹ • 2 Funky (Radio Version) 🟣 All Variants (Complete List) CD Variants • Europe — standard 10‑track edition • USA — 10‑track edition + bonus radio edit LP Variants • Europe — standard LP Cassette Variants • Europe — standard cassette Promo Variants • Regional promotional CDs (tracklist matches commercial editions) 🟣 Reissues & Global Variants • No major reissues • US edition includes an additional radio edit • Japanese edition certified Gold in 1997 🟣 Production and Context • Prince submitted multiple tracks for consideration; only Sunday Afternoon was selected • Dulfer’s band re‑recorded the track without Prince’s musical involvement • Dulfer declined Prince’s offer to produce the full album to maintain her artistic independence • This album marks the only Prince contribution to her solo discography • Dulfer had previously appeared on Prince recordings, but not vice‑versa 🟣 Singles Released • 2 Funky • Sax‑A‑Go‑Go • I Can’t Make You Love Me • Pick Up The Pieces (None contain Prince material.) 🟣 Chart Performance Europe • UK Gallup Album Chart — No. 56 (2 weeks) • Netherlands Album Top 100 — No. 6 (18 weeks) USA • Billboard Jazz Albums — No. 6 (56 weeks) • Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums — No. 5 (31 weeks) 🟣 Certifications • Netherlands — Gold (50,000) • Japan — Gold (100,000) 🟣 Mini Discography • Saxuality — 1990 • Sax‑A‑Go‑Go — 1993 • Big Girl — 1995 🟣 Mini‑Timeline • Early 1993 — Prince sends demo tape to Dulfer • 1 March 1993 — European release • 13 March 1993 — UK chart entry • February 1994 — US release • 1997 — Japanese Gold certification 🟣 Glam Flashback • Sax‑A‑Go‑Go captures Dulfer’s blend of jazz‑funk and pop accessibility, with Sunday Afternoon serving as a subtle reminder of her long‑standing creative connection to Prince. #CandyDulfer #Prince #SundayAfternoon #SaxAGoGo #1993 #NowSpinning #RecordCollectors #ArchivePost 🟣 Image & Artwork Copyright Notice All images, photographs, and artwork referenced or displayed in this post remain the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included strictly for historical, educational, and archival purposes under fair‑use principles. No ownership is claimed, and all rights belong to the original creators, photographers, designers, and publishers. 🟣 Sources Prince Vault Discogs Chart archives Contemporary interviews

A Purple Rain Funk Explosion Released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the US on December 12, 1984, on Warner Bros. Records (catalogue: 7-29181), The Time’s “Jungle Love” — written by Jesse Johnson & Morris Day — was the second single from Ice Cream Castle and a key track from Purple Rain . Backed with “Oh, Baby” from their debut album, this Minneapolis funk anthem was produced by The Starr ★ Company (Prince). Pressed in Specialty Records and Allied variants, with promo and 12-inch versions. A Purple Rain era classic. Single Overview Release Details Label: Warner Bros. Records. Formats: Vinyl 7", 45 RPM, Single (SP Specialty / Allied pressing), 12" promo. Full Track Listing 7" Single (7-29181) Side A Jungle Love (3:27) – Written-By: Jesse Johnson, Morris Day – Producer: The Starr ★ Company Side B Oh, Baby (4:57) – Producer: Jamie Starr (Prince) Variants - 7", 45 RPM, Single, SP Specialty Pressing – Warner Bros. 7-29181 – US – 1984 - 7", 45 RPM, Single, Allied Pressing – Warner Bros. 7-29181 – US – 1984 - 7", Single, Promo – Warner Bros. 7-29181 – US – 1984 12", Promo – Warner Bros. PRO-A-2194 – US – 1984 Side A Jungle Love (LP Version) 5:29 Side B 777-9311 (Extended) 7:57 Production and Context “Jungle Love” produced by The Starr ★ Company (Prince). From Ice Cream Castle (1984) and Purple Rain film. “Oh, Baby” from The Time (1981). Chart Performance America - USA (Billboard Black Singles Chart): 6 (17 weeks) – entry September 22, 1984 - USA (Billboard Dance/Disco Top 80 Chart): 9 (14 weeks) – entry September 29, 1984 - USA (Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart): 20 (25 weeks) – entry October 27, 1984 Europe - Belgium (Ultratop 50 Singles): 9 (9 weeks) – entry January 19, 1985 - Netherlands (Nederlandse Top 40): 12 (8 weeks) – entry January 19, 1985 Legacy and Collectibility “Jungle Love” is The Time’s Minneapolis funk masterpiece — Purple Rain immortalised. Original US Warner pressings fetch £10–£40 on eBay/Discogs. Verify catalogue 7-29181. Streams on Spotify preserve the jungle fire. This single is a must-have for Prince/Time collectors. Do you have Jungle Love in your vinyl stack? Ready to get wild? Share in the comments! Sources Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, mistakes do happen. Simply leave a comment and the post will be updated. Thank you.

Sheila E’s "The Belle of St. Mark"  backed with "Too Sexy" , was released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the UK by Warner Bros. Records (catalog number W 9171) on January 28, 1985. It was released in October 1984 in the U.S. & Netherlands. The song climbed to No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 by December 1984 and reached No. 68 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Charts in January 1985. It made it to the top 10 in the Netherlands and New Zealand, and the top 20 in Australia, the UK, and Ireland, also earning the title of NME's "Single of the Week." Japan 7" Vinyl シーラ・E.* = Sheila E. – ベル・オブ・セント・マーク = The Belle Of St. Mark A The Belle Of St. Mark = ベル・オブ・セント・マーク B Too Sexy = トゥ・Sexy UK 7" vinyl Side one "The Belle of St. Mark" – Edit Side two "Too Sexy" 12" vinyl Side one "The Belle of St. Mark" (dance remix) – 7:43 Side two "Too Sexy" – 5:05

A Prince-Penned Sheena Easton Scandal Released as a single in the US on December 22, 1984, on EMI America (catalogue: B-8253), Sheena Easton’s “Sugar Walls” — written by Prince under his pseudonym Alexander Nevermind — was the second single from A Private Heaven . Backed with “Straight Talking,” this synth-pop/disco anthem — produced by Greg Mathieson & Alexander Nevermind — peaked at No. 9 on Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 R&B, and No. 1 Dance. Issued in Jacksonville pressing, promo, and 12-inch maxi with Dance/Red mixes. A controversial Prince classic. Single Overview Release Details Label: EMI America. Formats: Vinyl 7" 45 RPM (Jacksonville/Allied), 12" maxi, promo. Full Track Listing 7" Single (B-8253) Side A Sugar Walls (3:59) – Written-By: Alexander Nevermind Side B Straight Talking (3:41) – Written-By: Laboriel, Mathieson, Easton, Veitch 12" Maxi-Single (V-7852) Side A Sugar Walls (Dance Mix) (7:01) Side B 1. Sugar Walls (Red Mix) (5:26) US Reissues & Global Variants (all supplied) - 7", 45 RPM, Jacksonville Pressing – EMI America B-8253 – US – 1984 - 7", 45 RPM, Promo – EMI America P-B-8253 – US – 1984 - 12", 33 ⅓ RPM – EMI America V-7852 – US – 1985 - 12", 45 RPM, RSD Picture Disc – RT Industries RTI0001P – US – 2019 P roduction and Context Written by Prince (as Alexander Nevermind). Produced by Greg Mathieson & Alexander Nevermind. From *A Private Heaven* (1984). Chart Performance America - USA (Billboard Hot 100): 9 (17 weeks) – entry December 22, 1984 - USA (Billboard Black Singles): 3 (16 weeks) - USA (Billboard Hot Dance/Disco): 1 (1 week) - USA (Billboard Dance Singles Sales): 1 (2 weeks) Europe - Germany (MusikWoche Top 100): 57 (5 weeks) - UK: 95 (1 week) Do you have Sugar Walls in your vinyl stack? Ready to climb? Share in the comments! Sources Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, mistakes do happen. Simply leave a comment and the post will be updated. Thank you.

Culmination of Prince’s Mentorship On October 23, 2015, Judith Hill’s debut album Back in Time received its wide commercial release through NPG Records (distributed by Legacy Recordings), including physical CD and major streaming platforms, following an exclusive free digital download in March. Co-produced with Prince and recorded at Paisley Park Studios, the album featured his writing, musical contributions, and production on multiple tracks, marking one of his final major side projects before his passing in April 2016. This release transformed the promotional drop into a full retail product, allowing broader access to Hill’s soulful R&B sound. Below, explore the background, significance, and details of this album, emphasizing Prince’s pivotal role. Background and Context Judith Hill’s Rise Born May 6, 1984, in Los Angeles, Judith Glory Hill grew up in a musical family (her parents were session musicians for Stevie Wonder and others). She gained prominence as Michael Jackson’s duet partner and lead backing vocalist for his This Is It rehearsals in 2009, featured in the 2013 documentary 20 Feet from Stardom (which won a Grammy for Best Music Film). A finalist on The Voice Season 4 (2013), Hill caught Prince’s attention via a Revolt TV interview where she expressed a desire to collaborate with him. He invited her to a Plectrumpicks listening party in April 2014, leading to sessions at Paisley Park that winter. The Back in Time Album Era Recorded in just two to three weeks in late 2014–early 2015 at Paisley Park, Back in Time (11 tracks, 41 minutes) blended R&B, soul, funk, and gospel, with Hill writing all songs (except noted co-writes). Prince co-produced the entire album, calling it “the fastest album” he’d ever made, and contributed guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and backing vocals. Additional musicians included NPG alumni like John Blackwell (drums), Andrew Gouché (bass), and the NPG Hornz. Initially released as a surprise free WAV download (March 23–25, 2015) via JudithHill.com and Live Nation email (with a personal Prince note and baby photo of Hill), it was promotional only, sparking legal disputes with Hill’s former label Verve Records over contract breaches. The October wide release added CD production and streaming availability, peaking at #10 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart and #24 on R&B Albums. Prince’s Contributions Prince’s involvement was hands-on: he rearranged Hill’s demos for band performance, played instruments on most tracks (e.g., guitar on Turn Up, bass on Beautiful Life), and provided production polish with his signature Minneapolis sound. He co-wrote Love Trip and Cry, Cry, Cry, and added humorous spoken-word as a “fan” on Turn Up. His mentorship empowered Hill, respecting her vision while infusing funk and soul depth. As one of his last productions (post-Art Official Age and PlectrumElectrum), it highlighted his role as a talent incubator, echoing collaborations with Sheila E. and Andy Allo. Chart Performance: US: #10 Jazz Albums, #24 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, #172 Billboard 200. International: Modest streaming success, boosted by Prince’s endorsement. Singles: Turn Up (#1 on iTunes R&B chart briefly); no major radio hits, but critical acclaim for its organic vibe. Promotion: The wide release tied into Hill’s tours and Paisley Park events; Prince hosted a preview party on March 22, 2015. The CD was sold exclusively at shows and JudithHill.com initially. Cultural Context October 2015 fell during Prince’s active phase, promoting his HITnRUN Phase One/Two via Tidal. The album’s release amid streaming wars (Tidal vs. Spotify) aligned with Prince’s digital experimentation, while Hill’s story resonated post-20 Feet from Stardom. It contrasted 2015’s pop dominance (Adele’s 25, The Weeknd) with intimate R&B revival. The Wide Release Formats The October 23, 2015, wide release focused on physical CD and digital streaming, following the March promo download. Below are the confirmed formats, sourced from Discogs and Prince Vault. CD Album (Digisleeve) Label: NPG Records – none (distributed by Legacy Recordings) Format: CD, Album, Digisleeve Country: US Released: October 23, 2015 Genre: Funk / Soul, Pop Style: Soul, Funk, Contemporary R&B Details: Digisleeve packaging with artwork of Hill in ethereal lighting against a starry Paisley Park backdrop; includes liner notes crediting Prince’s production and a thank-you from Hill. Pressed in the Czech Republic for global distribution; exclusive to live shows, Paisley Park, and JudithHill.com initially. Track Listing: Back in Time – 3:57 (Hill; funky opener with gospel build-up, Prince on bass/drums) Turn Up – 3:40 (Hill; neo-soul party track, Prince guitar/vocals/spoken-word) Beautiful Life – 4:10 (Hill; reflective ballad, Prince bass/keyboards) Angel in the Dark – 4:20 (Hill; low-key R&B, Prince production) Upside – 3:45 (Hill; upbeat soul, Prince drums) Love Trip – 4:05 (Hill/Prince; jazzy blues, co-write with Prince guitar) Cure – 3:55 (Hill; pop-R&B, Prince arrangement) As Trains Go By – 3:50 (Hill; funky groove, Prince bass) Wild – 3:35 (Hill; energetic funk, NPG Hornz) Cry, Cry, Cry – 4:15 (Hill/Prince; bluesy closer, co-write with Prince vocals) Silence – 0:01 (hidden track) Digital Album (Streaming/Download) Label: NPG Records Format: Digital Album (MP3/WAV, Streaming) Country: Worldwide Released: October 23, 2015 Genre: Funk / Soul, Pop Style: Soul, Funk, Contemporary R&B Details: Available on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and iTunes; high-res WAV from March promo included as bonus for early downloaders. Artwork matches CD. Track Listing: Same as CD. Notes: Wide streaming debut; Tidal exclusivity brief due to Prince’s affiliation. Estimated Value: N/A (digital). Additional Formats (Context): March 2015 Promo: Free WAV download (11 tracks + silence, via Live Nation; not for sale). No vinyl confirmed, though fans petition for one; limited digipak variants sold at Paisley Park events. Cultural and Musical Significance Musical Innovation Back in Time revived 70s soul with modern funk, thanks to Prince’s production restraint—live instrumentation over synth-heavy layers. Tracks like Turn Up (electrified neo-soul) and Love Trip (bluesy) highlight Hill’s smoky voice and Prince’s guitar flair, earning praise as “vintage yet fresh” (NPR). It’s one of Prince’s purest protégé efforts, emphasizing band dynamics over solo virtuosity. Hill’s Emergence The release launched Hill as a solo artist, post-20 Feet from Stardom; it hit #10 Jazz Albums, cementing her R&B cred. Prince’s endorsement amplified visibility, leading to tours and Grammy nods (e.g., 2015 Best Arrangement for Party Rockers). Broader Context of October 23, 2015 Amid Adele’s 25 dominance and Tidal’s launch, the album exemplified artist-driven releases. Prince’s involvement added mystique, released just months before his death, enhancing its posthumous legacy. Collectibility and Modern Availability Collectibility: The digisleeve CD is prized for Prince connection, valued at $15–$40; March promo downloads circulate as bootlegs. No vinyl, but fan demand persists. Streaming and Reissues: Full album on Spotify/Apple Music/Tidal (remastered 2020); Prince’s vocals remixed in fan edits. No deluxe yet, but Estate archives may yield outtakes. Physical Media: CDs scarce post-Paisley Park closure; available via JudithHill.com. Additional Notes Prince-Hill Bond: Their collaboration began post-interview; Hill was on Prince’s final flight (April 20, 2016), attempting to save him during opioid crisis. She later honored him in performances. Fan Reception: Prince.org calls it “pure joy”; 2023 Reddit threads praise Beautiful Life as a standout. October 23, 2015, Context: Coincided with Prince’s HITnRUN promo, underscoring his mentorship amid solo work. Legacy Back in Time’s wide release on October 23, 2015, immortalizes Judith Hill’s debut under Prince’s wing—a swift, soulful triumph blending mentorship and magic. As his final side project, it radiates joy amid tragedy. Collectors hunt the CD; fans stream its warmth. Explore at princevault.com or JudithHill.com.

The Bangles’ Different Light  was released as an LP album in the US by Columbia Records (catalog number BFC 40039) on January 2, 1986, with a UK release in February 1986. It was their second studio album, and included the song 'Manic Monday' penned by Prince, using the alias "Christopher". Initially, it was meant for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984. The lyrics depict a woman waking up on a Monday, wishing it were still Sunday so she could keep relaxing. The single, released by Columbia Records in late December 1985, garnered generally positive feedback from music critics, with some comparing it to the Mamas & the Papas' "Monday, Monday". It marked the Bangles' first major hit, reaching No. 2 in the United States (ironically, it was held from the top spot by Prince's "Kiss"), the United Kingdom, Austria, Canada, Germany, and Ireland, and secured a place within the Top 5 in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland. It was later awarded a silver certification in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). An 18-second clip of "Manic Monday" includes the line "I wish it were Sunday ... My 'I-don't-have-to-run day'," which music critic Dorian Lynskey called "painful". Having trouble playing this file? See media help. Prince composed "Manic Monday" in 1984 and initially recorded it as a duet for Apollonia 6's self-titled album, but later chose not to include it. Two years later, he offered the song to the Bangles under the pseudonym "Christopher", a character he played in the 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon. Various writers speculated that after hearing the band's 1984 debut album, All Over the Place, Prince gave the song to Bangles rhythm guitarist Susanna Hoffs, aiming to win her affection. An original demo featuring Apollonia and Prince was included in the 2001 bootleg, The Work - Volume 1. An official version with Prince as the main vocalist was released posthumously 18 years later, appearing on the 2019 demo compilation, Originals. Susanna Hoffs on "Manic Monday" "When I first heard that 'oh whoa' melody, I thought of the Velvet Underground. Then, when I heard the title, I thought of Jimi Hendrix [who sang 'Manic Depression']. But then, with the Monday part and the harmonies, I thought of the Mamas & the Papas. It has a lot of the elements of emotion and style that [the Bangles] connect to. And [young people] really pick up on the nursery rhyme appeal: like 'Sally Go 'Round the Roses', [there's] a nice simplicity to it." In an interview with MTV UK in 1989, Debbi Peterson explained why Prince gave them the song: "[Prince] really liked our first album. He liked the song 'Hero Takes a Fall', which is a great compliment, because we liked his music. He contacted us and said, 'I've got a couple of songs for you. I'd like to know if you're interested,' and of course, we were. One of the songs Prince brought to the group was 'Manic Monday', written under the pseudonym of Christopher." Peterson talked about the evolution of what Prince brought them: "It was a Banglefication of a Prince arrangement. He had a demo that was very specifically him. It was a good song, but we didn't record it like 'This is our first hit single! Oh my God! I can feel it in my veins!' We just did the song and the album, and then sat back and thought about it." "Manic Monday" is a pop song in D major, with a tempo of 116 beats per minute and set in common time. The chord progression follows D–A7–G–D–A7–G. The lyrics describe a person waking up from a romantic dream at six o'clock on a Monday morning and dealing with a busy commute to work, wishing instead to be relaxing on Sunday, her "I-don't-have-to-run day." The first verse mentions actor Rudolph Valentino. This album's Top 40 sound marked a shift from their earlier 1960s-style rock'n'roll. It became their most successful album, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 and spawning five charting singles, including the Billboard top two hits "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian." This album also features bassist Michael Steele singing lead vocals on some tracks for the first time. The 2008 CD reissue by Wounded Bird Records (WOU 4039) includes a bonus track: "Walk Like an Egyptian (Extended Dance Mix)." Singles "Different Light" generated five singles, with the first three penned by writers outside the Bangles. The lead single, "Manic Monday," was written by Prince under the pseudonym "Christopher" in 1984 for a duet on the Apollonia 6 album and reached number two in both the United Kingdom and the United States in 1986. "If She Knew What She Wants," the second single, was originally recorded by Jules Shear on his 1985 "Eternal Return" album. Although the song was initially written in the first person, the Bangles revised the lyrics to the third person, finding it more fitting; their version reached number 29 in the United States and number 31 in the United Kingdom. "Walk Like an Egyptian," inspired by Liam Sternberg after observing people on a ferry trying to maintain balance like figures in Ancient Egyptian reliefs, became one of the Bangles' most successful singles, topping charts in the United States, Denmark, and the Netherlands, and reaching number three in the United Kingdom. "Walking Down Your Street" climbed to number 11 in the United States and number 16 in the United Kingdom, while a fifth single, "Following," was released exclusively in the latter country.

Emancipation is defined as freedom from restraint, control or the power of another, freedom from bondage. For The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, emancipation is freedom, and much, much more. It is the title of his new, ambitious 36-song, three-compact disc set. Emancipation is also his personal creed and way of life as he celebrates his “freedom” from contractual obligations to Warner Brothers Records. He says emancipation also describes his new life as a husband and family man, his new persona since he left Prince behind. Emancipation describes his new attitude. On Valentines Day 1996, the Artist, as he is referred to around Paisley Park Enterprises, married Puerto Rican Mayte Garcia during a church ceremony in Minneapolis, his hometown. He says in October she gave birth to a child, but he will not disclose the name, birth date, gender or any details about the baby. He refuses to discuss tabloid reports that the child was born with birth defects. “As you can see, my wife is no longer pregnant,” he says, gesturing to the beautiful, slim Mayte at his side. She is tastefully attired in a charcoal gray suit with short wrap skirt and knee-length boots. A huge diamond ring adorns her left hand. “l hope to have a bunch more kids running around here.” Later, when interviewed by other national media, he made similar statements. For example, when Oprah Winfrey asked about the new baby, he said: “Our family exists. Its just the beginning.” When she followed with a question concerning tabloid reports of birth defects, the Artist said: “It’s all good. Never mind what you hear.” As he personally takes EBONY on a tour of Paisley Park, he points out the colorful carpets and hand-painted walls, ceilings and borders. The curlicued male-female hieroglyph that is now his name is displayed throughout the 65,000-square-foot facility. In the atrium beneath a spectacular skylight is a marble floor with an inlay of the hieroglyph. There is a warm, cheerful ambiance, which is reflected in the host. He says he changed the high-tech, antiseptic tic white decor of Paisley Park to something “more colorful, more alive” to reflect his new life and new attitude. There are four state-of-the-art recording studios, a nightclub, rehearsal hall and a huge sound stage, where he tapes videos and private performances. There are also a basketball court, dining room with a chef on call around-the-lock ( O(+> works through the night quite often). From the windows of office suite, he can keep an eve on the new playground. There are also several play areas inside the huge complex. “As you can see, I’m not broke like some rumors have it,” O(+> says with a charming smile and sweeping gesture, referring to reports that his disputes with Warner. Brothers have rendered him financially. strapped. “I’m not bitter toward Warner Brothers,” he say’s of the company for which he has released 20 albums and sold more than 100 million records worldwide. “The journey I’ve gone through has made me stronger.” After settling into his office suite, Which is comfortably and tastefully decorated ("I basically live here"), he explains that his differences with the record company had nothing to do with money. (The $100-million, six-record deal he signed in 1992 reportedly, advanced him $10 million per recording.) Rather than money, his discontentment had a lot to do with creative control and ownership of his work. In November, he legally became a “free” artist no longer encumbered by a record company contract. Consequently, says the Artist, his evolution from Prince, the bad-boy, soulful rock-and-roll, bump-and-grind entertainer to the emancipated artist and businessman whose name is an unpronounceable glyph and who is at peace with himself is complete. “My evolution started when I got married,” he says, sitting comfortably in a chair, wearing yellow, slacks, a black jersey with “New Power Generation” in black letters, and yellow suede ankle boots. “When I look back at my life and as it is today” I would not be at this point or position if I had not made changes in my life. You know, people are fearful by nature... Things change. We all evolve into something. I want tons and tons of children running around this place,” he says, gesturing with slender hands, a simple gold band on his left ring finger. “Now I’m on the light path,” he says as he and Mayte snuggle affectionately. “It took all that I’ve been through to get on the right path. You gotta believe that things will change.” Just when did things start changing for the 38-year-old entertainer? “When I accepted God in my he says. “I’ve always been close to, God, but I took things for granted. This is it celebration of things that led up to this point. Real faith ill God got me to this point.” He also emphasizes that it was Mayte who helped to open his eyes and to advance his spiritual evolution and emancipation. He says he met Mayte in 1990 in Europe. Then both tell how she was “dragged” to it Prince concert ill Barcelona, Spain, by her mother and sister. While watching the artist perform for the first time, she says she felt a “familiarity” with him. Two weeks later the Artist saw her in a crowed (with her mother) from the window of his car in Germany. “There’s my future wife,” he told Rosie Gaines, who was with him. A short time later he met the young woman he admired from afar. after his friend and associate producer Kirk Johnson gave him Mayte’s videotape. “On it was a photo of her as a belly dancer,” he recalls. “She was 16. I fell in love.” Mayte joined his New Power Generation band as a dancer and singer, but the relationship started out as platonic. “Mayte has been my best friend for years and years; she is the, only person who showed me no malice,” he says, adding that it was as though he was engulfed by a universal knowledge or awareness. “That was when I realized that I was in love with her, with everything about her, in love with the process itself. Somebody discovered this thing [love]; whoever did was a genius. I fell on my knees and said `thank you’ [to God]. “At that point I decided that I did not really ever want to be him [Prince] again,” he explains. “The human body will trap you. It is egotistical, flawed. I did not want to go back. Mayte helped me to understand some things.” One of those things is that while growing up in Minneapolis, his nickname friends never called him Prince. “Prince [Rogers Nelson] is on my birth certificate,” says the Artist. “My father wanted me to be a star, so he named me Prince. He was a musician. I’ve distance not feel right about the name Prince. Mayte never called me Prince. She just didn’t use it. Her soul knew.” In 1978, Prince released his first recording, For You. As a singer musician songwriter, performer, actor dancer and fashion icon, the entertainer quickly established himself as one of the most creative and genuinely talented artist of his generation. He attained commercial and artistic heights with Dirty Mind (1980) 1999 (1982), Purple Rain (1984) and Sign O’ The Times (1987). His popularity crossed cultural add racial lines and encompassed fans of all music genres. He was recognized for his wizardry on guitar, piano and keyboards and for playing all instruments on his recordings, as he did with Emancipation. Prince also was noted for sensuous lyrics and outrageous on stage. He was known as an eccentric artist who maintained an air of mystique and kept company with beautiful women. In the late ’80s, the Artist asserts that Warner Brothers helped him to build Paisley Park studios. By 1990 he began to resent not being in total control of his career. In 1993 the Artist announced that he no longer should be called Prince, that the hieroglyph is now his name. In addition, the Artist often appeared in public with the word `slave’ scrawled across his face. His fans complained that recent recordings were not the caliber of music they had grown to love and expect. The artist also limited live performances, much to the frustration of his devotees. However, all of that “chaos and disorder,” the title of his last Warner Brothers record released in July 1996, are now gone, and harmony and peace prevail in the Artist’s personal life as we as in his career. With the guidance of talented Black entertainment attorney Londell McMillan of New York, O(+> was able to negotiate his way out of the deal with Warner Brothers and into a position of strength and independence in the recording industry. “My personal goal was to wipe slave, off his face,” says McMillan. The Artist no longer mill get $10 million advances, but he will have complete creative control and, most importantly he mill own the masters for his music. While he retains the publishing lights to all his songs, Warner Brothers owns the master tapes to the 20 albums preceding Emancipation. He cannot release “Purple Rain” or “Little Red Corvette” without consent from Warner Brothers. “I don’t own Princes music,” he says. “If you don’t own your masters, the master owns you. For Emancipation, released on his NPG Records label, the Artist has a worldwide manufacturing and distribution arrangement with Capitol-EMI.”Capitol-EMI had the business vision and sensitivity to enter into a strategic alliance with the Artist,” says attorney Londell Millan, “which no doubt mill benefit both parties greatly.” While many of this core fans strayed due to the quality recent recordings, many feel that Emancipation is comparable, if not better, than the music offered on his classic Purple Rain, which sold more than 10 million copies. He is a profusely creative artist with a backlog of more than 1,000 unreleased songs, and new ones are constantly emerging. “If you hold a man down and tell him what he can or cannot do, he will rebel,” O(+> says. “If they rule the artist, is it really art?” As an example, he points to “Holy River,” a new song on the Emancipation CD. “The music tells me what to do. It is eight minutes long. I would never have been able to do that with Warner Brothers,” he adds. “We are a prisoner of our design. I started examining my life and my career, and you don’t want to feel that you got enslaved. When you stop a man from dreaming, he becomes a slave. I had slave on my face. Is that the end of the story?” For The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, it is a new beginning. Nov. 19 1996, forever will be his Emancipation Day. “I didn’t just want to make another record and get more money and another award,” he says, pointing to numerous gold and platinum record awards displayed throughout Paisley Park. The Artist repeatedly refers to the hip-hop group TLC, Jimmy Hendricks, Bob Marley and other artists whose works have been the subject of dispute with their record companies. “We as Black people can do the same thing that they do. We can buy and sell for our own people,” from having a big record company? “I now just want everything out,” he says, explaining why after many years of being, a recluse and declining interviews he has made a complete about-face. “It is important for me to tell people how this project evolved. Emancipation. Even the recording came out of freedom; it is an example of freedom. There are some angry songs as well,” he concedes, “but we put closure to the angry songs. “I want kids to learn about the business,” says the man who was a kid himself when he launched Ids career. “We must let people know that the business side is so rewarding. It is so rewarding to have no cutting, no editing, no guest stars if you don’t want them. You can just please yourself There is no But on the number of rewards you can release.” When asked about the negativity in some music today, he shakes his head and says: “There’s no closure. There’s negativity and then it ends with a gunshot. But it is their experience. I’m a big supporter hip/hop, but not the negativity. When hip-hop artists simple my music, they must say something positive. Negativity is not in the spirit of emancipation.” Over a dinner of “mock duck” prepared by his chef, the Artist says he stopped eating red meat nine years ago and recently stopped eating fish and chicken. “Have you ever tried mock duck?” he asks. “It is delicious. A good alternative to the real thing.” When asked if he might do more acting, he shakes his head and says: “Actors portray other peoples lives. My life itself is pretty interesting.” However, he adds that he would love to portray the entertainer Little Richard. After dinner, the Artist invites his guest to sit in on a rehearsal with his band. Studio A is personalized with scented candles, a pink neon depicting the hieroglyph, a huge control board draped in lacy fabric and personal photographs of him as a child and another of his father as a young man. In the control room, there are a half dozen guitars, including one fashioned like the hieroglyph. At the piano, with Mayte beside him, he sings the bluesy, soulful “There’s joy in Repetition,” the jazzy “Ballad of Dorothy Parker,” “Jam Of the Year” from the new album, and the Bill Withers tune “4ever In My Life,” which was requested by John F. Kennedy Jr. for his wedding. “I work through the night all the time,” O(+> says, taking a momentary break. “Its hard to sleep when you can do this. I get pretty noisy, pretty rambunctious sometimes. Mayte makes me mellow.” He says at times the music comes so fast he has to stop in the midst of creating one song to write down another. After the music quiets down, he reflects on his personal and professional journey, from party boy to family man, from performer to businessman and entrepreneur, from Prince to O(+>. “I had the knowledge and power all the time but did not know how to use it,” he says. “But then I saw it instantaneously. I wasted time out of fear and ego. Other things kept me in a negative space. I now feel at peace. Lynn Normant Ebony January 1, 1997

Prince opens Paisley Park doors, just a man doing his thang! Behind more than a decade of pomp and circumstance is a man simply trying to do his thang – Prince invites Black Beat magazine to Paisley Park for an exclusive visit and interview, featured in the January 1, 1992 issue. The invitation came through a publicist. which was fairly odd in itself, considering that the only real need Prince ever had for one was to say, in various ways, the word no. Nevertheless, here one was on the phone from New York, inviting me to Paisley Park, Prince’s corporate Disneyland in Minneapolis. the idea was that I’d fly into town. watch Prince rehearse for his fall U.S. tour—designed to promote his Diamonds And Pearls LP—and interview members of his band the New Power Generation. And maybe, just maybe Prince, in a fit of infinite generosity, would say hello. My answer was as peculiar as the proposition itself: no. It wasn’t like l wasn’t interested. Since his debut in 1978 with his For You album, I’d written volumes on Prince for various publications. Heck, in 1984. The year of his triumphant Purple Rain. I wrote a paperback book on the man. It was just that, for most of his career, Prince has been manipulatively indifferent with the press, particularly the Black press. The brothers in the ‘hood were buying Prince records long before white audiences even knew who he was, or cared, for that matter (Detroit has been a big town for Prince since his days of bikinis and knee-high boots, and ain’t nothin’ but some brothers there), yet The Kid has made a habit of largely ignoring the publications these people read. The Black press never had a problem with him not doing interviews: we had a problem with him telling us no and then seeing his mug on the cover of Rolling Stone under the heading, “Prince Talks.”· It was as if the Black press didn’t matter. According. to Prince’s camp. the consensus was that the musician didn’t think Black journalists “got it”—that we didn’t understand the music or the vibe. Fact is, perhaps we got too much. For instance, ain’t no Black music critic worth his word processor going for that stuff about Prince being from a mixed family-the kind of muck white writers gobbled up whole; we know Black folks come in all shades. Besides, I thought, why should I fly to Minneapolis and hope that Prince graces me with a nod when I could shoot the breeze attitude-free with someone like Eddie LeVert, Luther Vandross or the Jacksons (most of ‘em, anyway)? I declined. What ultimately turned me around was the mere idea of taking in yet another Prince performance. I never tire of watching him do his thing onstage. I figured that spectacle alone was worth the three hour flight from L.A. to Minneapolis, whether Prince spoke or not. I accepted the invitation. Considering that The New Power Generation is Prince’s Blackest band since he headed up garage bands in Minneapolis with Andre Cymone, Diamonds And Pearls is a subtle album. There isn’t much rock and roll, and aside from the rhythm rituals “Jughead,” “Gett Off” and “Push,” there isn’t a lot of all-out funk, either. There is, however, an abundance of melodic material, all of it held together with juicy musical undercurrents. There’s the folky “Walk Don’t Walk”, a song about doing things your way as opposed to what an unfair society dictates. There’s “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night” and “Strollin’,” both so easy-going that they’d sound quite normal coming out of the radio sandwiched. between songs of Anita Baker and Luther Vandross, while songs like the power pop of “Cream” and the majestic title track both adequately demonstrate why Prince remains one of the most inventive, musically agile artists in pop music. * * * I walked into Minneapolis’ Hotel Sofitel and ran into a publicist for the musician who went right to work. “Prince wants to meet you,” he said, as if I were the inside man in a spy ring. “But he’s in the middle of rehearsals as we speak, so we’ll have to leave right now.” In the cab on the way to Paisley Park, the PR man took a look at my tape recorder and told me I could have left it at the hotel; Prince wouldn’t be speaking into it, and besides, this wouldn’t be an interview, anyway, but at best a chat. I was told not to pry. “Just go with the flow,” he advised. Gee, Guy-mind if I breathe? When you walk into Paisley Park you feel as if you’ve entered Oz. There are offices, but execs are dressed casually. In the wardrobe department, a group hovered over designs and fabric. There are studios-MC Hammer was in one of them, putting the finishing touches on his new album-and on the dark soundstage with the PRIVATE SESSION sign on the door is Prince and the New Power Generation. I’m seated not more than 15 feet from the stage, yet Prince, running through some random guitar riffs during rehearsal down time, doesn’t look my way once. Finally, he takes off his guitar, jumps off the stage and starts striding my way. He’s smiling. The publicist tries to make an introduction, but Prince interrupts him. “Oh I know this guy,” he says, extending a firm handshake. “I read your stuff, man.” The first thing you notice about Prince is how good he smells. Really. He walks around, shrouded in a fragrance that is tantalizing and exotic. Didn’t smell familiar. Let’s just say it wasn’t Brut. Much has been made about his dimunitive size, but in person Prince’s presence is imposing. The guy oozes charisma. It was two in the afternoon, yet Prince is resplendent in his idea of jeans and sneakers: form-fitting fushia-colored pants, matching boots and a silk shirt in his color of the moment, canary yellow. He turned to a visiting Warner Brothers record executive and said, “Did you tell him what I told you?” The exec looked sheepishly puzzled, as if he was about to be reprimanded. “Did you tell him I’m not the strange guy he thinks I am?” Prince laughed. The exec laughed. From there, Prince proceeded to be the perfect, albeit somewhat distant host. He joked about the sound (“If it’s too loud for you, we can turn it down”). When I told him I’d originally thought his trademark custom guitar was built more for looks than sound, he logged the comment away in his head. When he picked up the instrument to take to the stage, he looked at me and teased, “It looks good—it’s a shame it don’t sound like nothin’.” Rehearsal continued on schedule, with Prince and his band ripping through new songs like “Daddy Pop” and old favorites like “Let’s Work,” and a rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” his composition made famous by Sinead O’Connor. What’s remarkable is Prince’s driving sense of commitment to his work. He’s jammed “Purple Rain” more times than even I have cared to hear it, yet in rehearsal he serviced it as if it were a brand new song. It was also interesting to see that all those seemingly “spontaneous” moments in any Prince performance are anything but; virtually every little onstage gesture, his playing to the audience—it’s all rehearsed to the tee. Another sign of a true showman. After running through his set for about an hour complete with lighting and smoke, the band adjourned and toweled down while making small talk. Prince has disappeared. An interview was out of the question after all, I told the publicist. “Hey, I was surprised,” he countered. “You got more time with him than most people do." I was scheduled to leave for L.A. in the morning; the PR man said that after dinner we could spend some hang time downtown at Glam Slam, Prince’s club. The music would be good, he said; “Wednesday is funk night at the club. Prince might even be there.” He was. He and the Warners exec sat upstairs under the watchful eye of a bodyguard in the VIP area overlooking the crowded dance floor below. Prince gauged reaction to the then-unreleased steamy video for “Violet The Organ Grinder,” which played on video monitors throughout the club. They loved it, of course. I hadn’t heard the track before either; I went over and asked Prince what it was. “None of your business,” he replied. He chased the line with a smile, but there was no denying the edge on it. “You can have a copy of it, if you don’t write something crazy about it.” This was the Prince I was ready for at the rehearsal, but got Sir Lancelot instead. This Prince, however, obviously had some points to make. The Warner exec got visibly nervous all over again, poor guy. “Let me ask you something?” Prince continued. “Why is it your stuff always has a strange slant on it when it comes to me?” “That’s not true,” I replied, surprised that this guy was even paying attention to what is written about him. “Oh yeah, man. Your stuff seems to have a strange vibe on it when it comes to me.” I told him I was one of his biggest fans, though I admitted that my biggest crime was in periodically writing that he should get back to the kind of stuff he built a foundation on, like his landmark 1999 album. This incensed him. “That’s why I stay here in Minneapolis and do my work, and block out you critics. Let me tell you something: 1999 amounts to me being in the third grade musically. That’s where I was then, and I had to grow musically from where I was before it to make it. I had to push aside 1999 to get where I am now. It’s called growth. You wanna hear stuff like 1999 again, then listen to 1999. I’m someplace else now.” The conversation limped uncomfortably on about music, but it was clear that Prince had heard enough. He became indifferent, asked why I wasn’t out on the dance floor, and then excused himself to sit alone, a table away. I’d apparently worn out my welcome. Nevertheless, I didn’t really realize what a showman Prince was until I’d met him. Forget the stage; I’m talking image-building. The guy spent years orchestrating this aura of mystery and drama, when in reality he’s just a cat trying to do his thing. Perhaps he doesn’t grant interviews because he feels his music alone exposes him far more than anyone should ‘have to endure. If what I considered my personal growth as an artist were constantly slammed by people who didn’t always understand it, maybe I’d be a bit gun-shy, too. I decided I liked this guy. In any case, before heading back to the hotel, I went over to Prince and thanked him for having me down. He didn’t have to do it, I told him, and I appreciated the hospitality. I then reminded him of the hypnosis-inducing .vamp he found earlier in rehearsal during “Gett Off” and how that moment alone was worth the price of admission. He seemed pleased. “Man,” he said, easing a smile, “that’s what I’m down here doing everyday. For me, that’s what it’s all about.” I can believe it. Black Beat January 1, 1992 Steven Ivory

Prince shocks Nashville – tiger-striped briefs and zero apologies! More early Prince provocations added weekly. NASHVILLE — You’re not supposed to judge people by the clothes they wear even if the only thing covering their body is tiger-striped bikini briefs. The guy on stage wearing little more than his underwear goes by the name Prince. He prefers not to use his surname He and his touring band have just been unleashed on the music world and it remains to be seen whether they will last longer than the fizzle in a bottle of soda pop. Prince is a sensuous guy who sings about things on his “Dirty Mind” his latest album He wears provocative costumes on stage including the skimpy bikini outfit and bumps grinds and sways to the beat of such songs as “Sexy Dancer” “Uptown” and “Do It All Night.” “People ask us about the way we dress why do we dress so outrageously why does it look like we’re gay?” he says. “One girl asked me about our costumes and I pulled her close and asked her if she’d be more comfortable in just her underwear. She giggled and said she would. For me to be standing on stage in a polyester suit would be kind of constricting. “The stage show stems from the need to be original. A lot of people think we’re sort of strange but if they ever hung out with us they’d see it’s quite normal — the way we dress the way we talk the things we do and the things we write about.” Many of Prince’s compositions will never be played on the radio because of the explicit nature of his lyrics His record company calls it “mature themes.” In other words it’s downright dirty. But Prince believes in telling it like it is and singing about real experiences — including his sex life — without using double-entendres or the innuendo. “I only write about things that occur,” he says. “I’m not going to sit around and make up a bunch of phony stories about fantasies and such and put that out. That would make me a lot of money but it’s not the way it should be done. “I’m not going to bow down to the establishment to make records like they want me to make. That’s why there’s a record sales slump,” says the hairy-chested 20-year-old who produces composes and arranges all of his material and records albums in the basement of his home in Minneapolis. “There used to be an attitude where everybody tried to be as different as they could be. Now, it’s rather dead I’m trying to put some life back into the recording industry at least for me.” If crowd response is any indication his unique approach seems to be working. “We get into some pretty heated situations trying to get out of the joints,” says the long-maned Prince. “People get kind of crazy after every concert. They say they just want autographs but if they ever catch us it always hurts.” Prince can be called a rock ‘n’ roller, a discophile or a romantic, depending on which song he’s singing at the time. Although he’s a switch-hitter when it comes to music his mainstay is heavy-metal rock. One reviewer wrote that Prince “is the first black rocker to gain mass acceptance since (Jimi) Hendrix.” “That’s baloney,” Prince says. “First of all they don’t even know if I’m black. What would they say if I was Chinese? The first Chinese rocker? Also I know nothing about Jimi Hendrix.” “We’re just basically real free do-what-we-want kids” Prince says “We don’t worry about it because we don’t have anything to lose.” Mark Schwed - UPI Kingsport Times-News January 10, 1981

Controversy – Prince’s controversial genius explodes! “With controversial lyrics, striking musical ability, and an eye-popping stage presentation, Prince is one of the most intriguing figures in pop music today. His latest Warner Bros. album, ‘Dirty Mind,’ cracked the Black Oriented Album top ten; the single “Uptown” reached #5 on the BOS chart, while also garnering considerable disco play.” Nelson George’s The ‘real reality’ of Prince’s music, a one-page article in Record World, January 24, 1981. More early Prince provocations added weekly. Nelson George “With controversial lyrics, striking musical ability, and an eye-popping stage presentation, Prince is one of the most intriguing figures in pop music today. His latest Warner Bros. album, ‘Dirty Mind,’ cracked the Black Oriented Album top ten; the single “Uptown” reached #5 on the BOS chart, while also garnering considerable disco play. “But Prince’s appeal doesn’t end on the dance floor. Critics from the Village Voice, Rolling Stone, the Soho Weekly News and the Real Paper have all praised him. A typical comment is that he is a mix of Smokey Robinson’s falsetto, Jimi Hendrix’s rock sensibility, and Sly Stone’s onstage outrageousness. Prince himself sees his music “as an expression of myself and my experiences. I always write truthfully about myself. Some don’t understand what I’m saying, but I find when I speak to people that I’m saying things they think, couldn’t say. It reflects what my generation is about, I think.” “Despite his musical prowess (he plays 26 instruments), Prince’s lyrics, especially on ‘Dirty Mind’ have attracted the most attention – and sparked controversy. For example, “Sister, Sister” deals with incest, hardly an everyday topic for a pop songwriter. Prince says the song is “a plea to my sister to be my friend” and it is “only strange by weak people’s standards.” His position on all his material, be it the anti-draft “Party Up” or the sexually explicit “Head,” is that as long as it deals “with real reality and not some imaginary place” any song is right. “Many of his lyrics are improvised in the studio. In fact his entire recording process is haphazard in comparison to many acts. “I just get a burst of energy and creativity and do it,” he says. His three Warners albums (‘Dirty Mind,’ ‘Prince,’ ‘For You’) were recorded in an average of 12 days and mixed in about the same time. Because of this approach, he says he finds it easier to play all the instruments on his albums. Later he teaches his five-piece touring band the parts.” “Prince grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His father was a musician and Prince experimented on the family piano. Songwriting came easy to him and he slowly began learning other instruments. Minnesota radio “was so slow we’d be six months behind the rest of the country,” so his musical taste became insular. “Today I really don’t listen to anyone special. It keeps me from being influenced by others.” “At 18 he signed with Warners, becoming probably the youngest artist to ever produce his own album. His ‘Prince’ album spawned the million-selling single ‘I Want To Be Your Lover.’ Prince says he enjoys touring “but we still haven’t done enough. Touring is the difference between writing a letter and visiting someone in person.” When not on the road he lives in Minnesota. “I still don’t have my own place,” he says. “I live with various people, free loading, and staying inside most of the time”. Record World 24 January 1981

The Artist opens Paisley Park doors – a new era begins! The man who now calls himself "Love Symbol" is starting a new creative era. AUDIO live met the eccentric in his Paisley Park Studio.  – cover and feature interview in Audio Live! magazine, January 1997. Freezing rain patters on the hood as the taxi drives out of Minneapolis into no man's land. The city itself is located in the middle of the pampas, in the US state of Minnesota. And out there, west of the city of 350,000 inhabitants on the upper Mississippi, in a suburb called Chanhassan, resides the world star: The Artist Formerly Known As Prince – "TAFKAP" – has set up his Paisley Park complex here. The musician, born Prince Rogers Nelson 38 years ago, has built up the empire over the course of a unique career. At the age of seven, the son of a jazz bandleader and a singer had already started playing the piano. At the age of 13 – by which time he had already moved out of home – he added guitar and drums. He joined the high school band Grand Central, which soon changed its name to Champagne. At 16, the multi-talent had learned how to spice up a funky melange of weird rock, kitschy pop and tear-inducing soul with the right dose of jazz set pieces. This was the basis for the style that later became known as the Minneapolis Sound. At 19, Prince signed a record deal with Warner, which was unusually accommodating for a beginner. Since then, the little prince, who tries to cover up his 1.57 meter height by wearing pumps, has shocked the music world with daring stylistic mixtures and erotomaniacal lyrics, often beyond good taste: The big breakthrough came in 1984 with the partly autobiographical film "Purple Rain". The eponymous LP shone with hits such as the title song, "When Doves Cry" and L"et's Go Crazy and stayed at the top of the US charts for 24 weeks. Subsequently, the workaholic released such hit albums as "Sign 'O' The Times", "Parade" or the "Batman" soundtrack, but also a whole series of flops. The taxi stops in front of a white building with a pyramid-shaped glass roof. For the past 15 years, the ex-prince has been ruling from the Paisley Park studio and producing his albums here. In the past, the building radiated high-tech coldness, but now pastel shades dominate: light blue, pink and peach, the artist's favorite color, the entrance area is adorned with white clouds on a sky-blue background. Everywhere there are planetary symbols, sun, moon and stars and his special hieroglyph, a combination of the cells for the female and male sex. Asked what he calls himself now, he also points to this love symbol." Even his keyboarder announces that he addresses his boss to avoid embarrassment. Actually, the man should be fed up with the game of hide-and-seek and all the jokes he has provoked since he dropped the name Prince three years ago. America's anarcho-clown Howard Stern called him the artist who doesn't give a damn about everyone. "I don't care about these jokes," replies the artist, "I have a very thick skin. Besides, I was rarely confronted with it, because I didn't give any interviews at all for a long time." And then he tries to make sense of the matter after all: "If someone sticks to the symbol, I know that he respects me. The name Prince also had too much ballast." TAFKAP is not only insisting on his unpronounceable name. He also forbids the journalists who have arrived to record the conversations with him, grotesquely even their colleagues from radio and television. We didn't come into the world primarily to speak," he explains later in a one-on-one interview. "Words can be a trap. I think it's better if the reporters only report on what they have memorized as important." But then he still finds fun in answering the questions. "After all, I have an album to sell," he justifies his zigzag course. But: "I prefer to talk about business, you have to listen to music." The man sounds tidy, although the rumor is circulating that his first child, born in October, is very severely disabled. After all, he tells us with a shy smile that he is happy to be a father. He seems to want to demonstrate this with the joy of color in his clothes: He wears a lime-green ensemble imported from lapan – sweater, leggings with relief, socks and mules. He had his black hair shaved off quickly and around his ears. And he has removed the lettering "Slave" from his cheek. Because since TAPKAP broke away from his ex-record company, he feels free and emancipated, although Warner wanted to sweeten the spoiled prince's slave existence in 1992 with a vice president job plus a ten million dollar advance per record. "I don't own any masters of the Prince songs anymore; not even "Purple Rain", that hurts. Instead of that, Warner gave me golden LPs. But what are they worth!" he mourns. TAFKAP aptly named his new work "Emancipation". I came into the world to make this album. It's mine. I can decide on that. If I want, I can release endless singles – or even make a new record." Unlike Warner, the new partner EMI is only allowed to regulate the distribution of its output. He says self-confidently: "I am the first great artist to do it this way; I am a pioneer – unfortunately." And he is the boss, democracy is a foreign word in the Paisley Park company. All decisions are made by the master. And so he has once again replaced the musicians of his band New Power Generation (NPG). Kirk A. Johnson is now the drummer "He doesn't play very well. But I'm close friends with him and he has a vision." The fact that this is not always enough, that the drummer has plenty and weaknesses to eradicate, becomes apparent on the same night: At twelve. clock in the white-decorated concert hall of his Paisley Park for a gig. There he presents even the accessible new songs less pleasingly, "Jam Of The Year" comes more than on the album. Dabel is assisted by new playmates Rhonda Smith and Kathleen Dyson. "Rhonda is the best bass player I've ever had. You. goes to bed with her bass," he grins smugly, he just loves ambiguity, Kathleen is okay as a guitarist, "but above all she knows her way around the midi. It can produce all the sounds on it." There was hardly any work for the long-time saxophonist Eric Leeds: "He's so good that he needs his own scope. But I wanted to be the only soloist." On "Emancipation", TAFKAP also sings cover versions such as Bonnie Raitt's "Can't Make You Love Me" – for purely humanitarian reasons, as he assures. "I wanted to make sure that the authors and musicians who inspired me in the past got their money back." The nameless man has always taken care of young colleagues: He discovered bands like The Time or Apollonia 6 and promoted Sheila E. But he also made his composter talents available to others: He wrote "I Feel For You" for Chaka Khan, and Sinead O'Connor became famous with the Prince song "Nothing Compares 2 You". He often had a private connection with his female protégés. But the times when Prince Rogers Nelson marked the wild man are over. too obscene to play. And he also enjoys the reputation he gained through the US Vice President's wife Tipper Gore: Outraged by the masturbation fantasy "Darling Nikki", she founded the censorship association PMRC Nevertheless, the sex maniac, who married his dancer Mayte at the beginning of '96, now professes monogamy. And that can also be a kind of emancipation. Christiane Rebmann January 1, 1997

When local disc jockey Kyle Ray introduced Prince’s debut concert at the Capri Theater in north Minneapolis earlier this month, he hallelujahed in the tradition of Muhammad Ali: “The power and the glory, the Minneapolis story—PRINCE.” He wasn’t just fanning the audience. At 18, this young black wizard from the Twin Cities plays countless instruments, and wrote, arranged, produced, played and sang everything on his first album. He is indeed powerful. Another new album has been written, and is ready for production sometime this winter, and when a tour that Warner Brothers is preparing for him commences, Prince will stand realistically on glory’s doorstep. His prodigious talents drew four Warner Brothers executives from California to his premier engagement here. Coming all the way from the sunny west coast to the frozen, below zero confines of Minnesota, the record moguls reportedly left the Twin Cities satisfied that their “client” could perform well with a band and entertain with a great degree of professionalism. They left convinced, in other words, that Prince is going to be a star. Sitting quietly at a friend’s house before a practice session with his new band, Prince quickly dismissed any talk of stardom and the particulars that accompany it. “I don’t think about it,” he said in a low voice which sometimes is almost a whisper. “It’s all just part of the dream factory. If it happens, it happens. It’s best not to even worry about that, ’cuz if you strive for it and don’t get it, you’ll be disappointed and feel like a failure.” Even with that kind of mature realism working in his favor, though, Prince is already conscious of the effect he might have once he begins the rounds as a full-time performer. Dressed like Jimi Hendrix on opening night, and wearing his hair in falling braids for the interview, it was hard not to think of him as another Stevie Wonder. He admitted, somewhat unabashedly, that he would like “to appeal to as many people as possible and keep them on his side.” He may not be thinking about stardom, but his strategy is geared toward that end. Prince is the sixth youngest in a family of ten, mother and father included. His father plays piano and writes music, and at one time performed in a swing band. “My dad called my piano playing ‘banging,’ and didn’t pay much attention to it. I guess I was seven then. I never really listened to music, either, and I still don’t very much. There’s never nothin’ I can get into. If I listen to a record, I head something that I’d like to do differently, and I become too critical of it. You shouldn’t be that way, ‘cuz the group took their time and effort and worked on it. I’d rather just do my own thing.” Doing what pleased him, Prince picked up instrument after instrument and mastered them all. His high school days at Minneapolis Central thoroughly bored him, and once his music teachers discovered they had a monster talent on their hands, they left him completely alone. “They’d just lock me in a room, once they understood what I was doing. I skipped school a lot, but I graduated early; dismissal was my favorite time of day. I believe in teachers, but not for me. Anything creative I don’t think can be taught, otherwise you get somebody else’s style; it’s not yours, it’s theirs.” Undoubtedly, this philosophy propelled Prince in the recording studio at Sound 80 where he began work on his debut record, For You. He literally took charge of the whole process. Calling him self-reliant is a gross understatement. The demo tapes from For You were taken to a number of record companies before Warner Brothers agreed to give Prince what he wanted: a sizable advance and full control of the production, playing, singing, and arrangement on the LP. “I’ve written 20 songs for the next album, and I think Warners is going to let me handle all of the record again. I didn’t have any particular thing I was trying to accomplish on the first record—I was just putting down what I heard in my head. I wouldn’t say the second one will be like the first, but it’ll sound like me,” Prince said, toying with a tambourine. His debut concerts surprised many. He and his five piece band chose to play a heavy metallic series of songs mixed in with the “soft and wet” textures that color the disco and funk pieces on For You. “I like to play a lot of guitar. That heavy sound goes better in concert than it does on record. I guess synthesizer is my favorite instrument now, and that’s part of the reason for two keyboard players. I really like working with this band, and I’m gonna do an album with them where everyone writes and I’m just there playing with them. They’re really great individually as well as collectively.” Despite Warner Brothers’ attempt to solicit L.A. musicians, Prince finally settled on Minnesota talent. The record company flew him out to Los Angeles with Bobby Z., a drummer from Minneapolis, and a local bass guitarist Andre, a longtime friend and a great showman himself. The three of them spent a couple of tedious days auditioning players. Gail Chapman, keyboard player in the band, moved from Duluth where she had played with “eight commercial-sounding groups,” and met a cousin of Prince’s while living on the northside. She jammed with Prince, and eventually was invited to join. “This whole band was formed from jamming,” Bobby noted. Dez Dickerson got his job after playing just 15 minutes with Prince, while the other keyboard player, Matt Fink, persistently called Prince’s former management company six months before the band even formed. Prince’s quiet manner may be the ideal stance in the face of the towering music industry, where talent is often less important than the machinations of the biz. “The music end of my life I’ll probably always do, but not the business end,” said Prince softly. “I hate plane rides, too. I’d rather stay at home and rehearse, or play in the studio by myself. I like the quiet here in Minneapolis, and nobody bothers me; I’ll always keep a place here.” The multi-talented prodigy, who once dreamed of becoming a cowboy or a fireman, lives alone with a couple of pet alligators, and chooses not to make the scene very much. He’s still under age for most bars in this state. “I used to hang out at the Infinity (a St. Louis Park disco which recently closed) but I’d rather hear loud, live music if I go out at all. Actually, I spend a lot of time in the bathtub thinking. Music and playing is almost like breathing for me,” he said shyly in the low voice that belies his performing falsetto. Prince plans to play here again soon, once the tour is set. “But before I can do that, I have to go to New York and L.A. and that means more plane rides,” he winced. Since his career might rest on the wings of those planes, I urged him to get used to it. “Well, I may not stay in music, you know. If I get bored, I may become an artist, a painter—I do that too. Or I might become a janitor or something else,” he shrugged. Given Prince’s age and his remarkable abilities, it’s safer to assume that “the Minneapolis story” will spend more time in the air and on the airways than he will mopping up.” Twin Cities Reader January 19, 1979 Martin Keller