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Aquarian Night Owl February 25, 1981 Gene Kalbacher “I DON’T CARE WHAT PEOPLE expect,” proclaims Prince, the provocative 20-year-old musician who has emerged as perhaps the most versatile and engaging performer on the pop/soul scene. “They don’t expect me to wear what I wear, they don’t expect me to say what I say—but I’m doing it.” Indeed. One must expect the unexpected from Prince. Onstage, Prince is a brash, flamboyant, scantly clad guitarist/vocalist, singing about such unholy subjects as “Head” (not the anatomical part of the human body the top of the spinal column, but deep intimate human activity) and incest, throwing barbs at and catching return volleys from his audience, and leading an oddly attired band that is recently and sexually mixed (blacks and whites, men and women). But offstage, curled up in an armchair in a suite at the Malloran House, Prince is as reserved in repose as he is frenetic in action. A visitor half expects to encounter Prince sprawled across [text missing] White suit and black vest. Where the onstage Prince is brash and saucy, the offstage Prince is composed and polite. And while his statement “I don’t care what people expect” is declarative in content it is subdued in tone. His smile is benign, almost meek, beneath his wispy black mustache. His smile may be shy but his music is outspoken and his credits astonishing. He’s three albums for Warner Bros. have sold close to three million copies. Moreover, he not only wrote, arranged and produced every song, but played virtually every instrument as well. At this stage of his career it would not be an exaggeration to say he is the most prodigiously talented black youngster to bask in the bright light since Little Stevie Wonder. BUT EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN his blend of sultry throbbing funk and sweet soul, however, is his resolve to speak his piece without pulling any punches. “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” from his second album, was a platinum smash single and a radio mainstay in 1979. His most recent effort, last years Dirty Mind, has sold Robert risky but flunked on the radio. The warning label on the album jacket reads: “Programmers please audition briar to airing.” Songs about incest, oral sex and homosexuality aren’t your standard broadcast fair, and Prince remains philosophical about the cool radio reception. His record company, his management and he himself were mindful of the eventual outcome, but, he points out, “everyone felt it was probably more an extension of me and my audience than anything I’ve ever done.” Prince is quick to point out that the album started as a series of demo tapes, “not all of which I intended on using.” Unlike his two earlier efforts, Dirty Mind what sequenced according to the order in which the songs were recorded. “On the other albums,” he says,” I used to sit down and say, ’What’s gonna sound best?’ I’d make sure it was in a relative key and things like that. I tried to do it from an intellectual point of view, and I don’t think that was so wise. Now I tend now to analyze my own stuff. I just do it!” Does he have any regrets about having released such a controversial songs when he could’ve taken a safer route? “No,” he answers decisively. “Only because it’s real to me. “I knew I was going to get in trouble for them, and I subsequently did. I knew it then, but I didn’t know whether or not I was ready to stand up for them. Now I feel strongly about them after listening to them.” Although he refuses to restrict the subject matter of his songs, Prince admits that, for now, he is restricting the lengths of his songs. He credits his former manager for convincing him that he “couldn’t continue writing seven-minute terror songs.” Explains Prince: “I wrote a lot of strange things. I’ll probably start again when I’m excepted for what I am rather [text missing] time of day. “I’m trying to look at it realistically,” he says, “In time I’ll be able to do exactly what I wanted to do.” Considering the controversy already stirred up by “Head,” “Sister” and “Uptown” (a national rock-concert TV program deleted the word “gay” from Prince’s performance of the song), how much more expressive can he be? “’Head’ was a lot longer,” he answers. “When I first cut it, it went on and on. See, well,” he proceeds, laughing and then stopping himself. “I was trying to take a real life experience—there are parts of the longer version that are sometimes shocking to me. “That would never have made it on an album. No one would ever put it out. It (’Head’) doesn’t get on the radio now. All I’m saying is that now I’m trying to condense everything a little bit more only so that—I don’t want to be stupid about it; I don’t want to make so many songs that are so long that they never get heard at all. “I want to be listened to first. Then I can give longer, detailed versions of things.” FOR A MUSICIAN WHO DESCRIBES HIS childhood as “depressing,” his music is anything but. The son of a jazz band-leader, Prince taught himself to play to piano at age seven and let his first band, Champagnee, by 12. By the time he was a teenager, he had run away from home and picked up the guitar, the instrument with which he feels more comfortable. Although he describes his native Minneapolis as a musically circumscribed market, Prince maintains that the competitiveness among the local bands not only fostered but mandated originality. “Have you ever been to Minneapolis? He asks. “It’s a really small joint and if you really dig country & western music, that’s the place to go. The radio stations don’t play any new-wave music; they only play country & western music. The clothes, the dance, the music—everything is so behind. “I’d call my sister, who lives here (in Manhattan) and ask her what was going on. I was shocked because we got everything (in Minneapolis) she talked about six months later.” As a teenager, Prince attended very few concerts and listened to few records. How, one wonders, did he develop such an understanding of and proficiency with so many different instruments and styles of music? “We jammed a lot with other bands,” Prince recalls. “There was a lot of competition around ’75. It was a time when there was a lot of spirit. It was nice back then. “I think that helped me come out of myself,” he continues. “We got in a lot of trouble from other band members if we copied anything (from them), and we gave them a lot of trouble if they copied anything (from us), so it was a real competitive thing. You had to be at out as you could and as different, and as much you as possible.” After playing original material with the group Champagne for five years, Prince left the fold to follow his own career. [text missing] producing all the tracks. Several major labels expressed interest in his work, but Prince held back until he landed a deal with a company (Warners) that would enable him to produce his own records. Upon the release of his debut effort, For You, Prince assembled a touring band. His current road group (Andre Samone, bass; Dez Dickerson, guitar; Gail Chapman, keyboards; Matt Fink, keyboards, and Bobby Lee, drums) is pictured on the sleeve of Dirty Mind, but played a very insignificant role in the actual recording of the lp. Fink it’s credited as the co-writer of “Dirty Mind” and as the synthesizer player on the title track and “Head,” Lisa Coleman contributes backing vocals on “Head,” but that’s the extent of the members’ musical input. Does Prince plan to employ these musicians on his fourth album? It’s hard to say,” he replies. “They're on this record because they're my friends. I see my band differently than most bands, I guess. “They’re just my friends,” he adds obliquely. “I think maybe I might meet new friends sometime, so maybe I’ll get new band members. They all have aspirations of being big in their own right; they want to do other things, so it’s hard to say.” PRINCE MAY BE UNCERTAIN ABOUT the recording status of his road band, but he’s positive that listeners are looking for something new. They make a lot of noise, they shout a lot of obscenities and good things. “It’s a free crowd,” he adds. “They’re ready for change. I can sense it.” For what change is the audience ready? “Change in music, change in lifestyle. They wanted to be open and they want to dress anyway they want you at the gigs and stuff like that,” he remarks. “Tradition at black concerts a lot of times wants to wear your best clothes, to come looking really dapper. It’s not like that at our concerts. There are a lot of black kids out there, but they are like open-minded and free, and they want to have a good time… “Especially where I lived, there were very few events that you got to go to. So any chance you got to show off your best clothes, you did. It was basically for ego.” When asked how the record business difference in actuality from the way he'd envisioned it when he began his career, Prince reveals the motivation behind his music. “I imagined more spirit over all. I guess I got even more hip do it once I got into it and started talking to people who’d been through all the things that happened before me—like Woodstock and all the festivals that used to have. “That’s kind of what I envisioned.” He points out, leaning forward in his chair. “I always wanted to do outdoor gigs. But they don’t do that so much anymore, only the big giant groups. It’s hard for upcoming groups to get brakes like [text missing] [text missing] feel inside and speaking for the time.” “That’s the way I always thought it was supposed to be. See, we didn’t hear (in Minneapolis) about all the money that was to be made. We just heard about acts that were being followed. We all knew we wanted to be an act that people followed. We don’t talk a lot about material things—we talk about people we meet.” Prince claims that he spends most of his money on himself. “I give away a lot of my money to friends,” he notes. “So you might say I spend it on myself.” At what point did he feel he had made his mark in the record business? Did any particular instance drive that point home? “You can never really tell,” he muses. Records are like writing letters to somebody, and doing a gig is like talking to the person face to face. The difference is that you feel the response right away when you’re in concert. I think that when you get your first fan letter, you start thinking you’re reaching somebody, and it makes you want to keep going.” Besides spending money on his friends ( and thus he avows, on himself) Prince derives the most satisfaction from “just knowing that somebody is listening.” He may not care what people expect from him, “and I don’t care if they don’t like it,” he contends, but adds: “I just want them to hear it and know that I have the privilege of telling them.” Sources Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Prince Interview Archive, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia and BBC Official Charts Company

Blues & Soul February 24, 1981 John Abbey His album, titled "Dirty Mind", has been banned by radio stations across America because of its lyric content but Prince aims to promote it on the road until people get behind it... THROUGHOUT the long and varied history of Black music, I don't think there has ever been a more controversial artist than Prince, the highly talented and individualistic genius from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has to his credit three albums — with the newest, titled "Dirty Mind", being by far the most pro-vocative. Because of some of the lyric content, the album has been banned by several radio stations — a dubious honour that has previously only been afforded to white acts! "I think this album is the most direct of the three and that I have really found myself," the softly-spoken twenty-year-old says in his defence. "This album deals with more definite events and not so much with fantasies and dreams. For the listener. I believe I have covered a wider range of subjects. too — though that wasn't something I planned consciously in advance. "The funny thing about the album, though, is the fact that l actually never planned to release these songs — they were really only demos that I had recorded for my own satisfaction. The two albums before were completely planned and thought out — this one was totally spontaneous. In a lot of cases. I recorded the tracks first and then just added the lyrics as I went along — often making them up as I went along, too. That's why there are some really strange lines in there!" As with its two predecessors, "Dirty Mind" can well and truly claim to be 'all his own work'. All of the songs are Prince creations and the versatile youngster also played all of the instruments, too. It was actually recorded back in the summer of 1980 — straight after Prince's first American tour. The album has also paved the way for the recent and far more successful nationwide tour. As those who have seen the show will willingly testify, his is a magnificently different show. Having never witnessed a Punk concert. I can't honestly say whether Prince took his ideas from that area of music — suffice to say that I have never witnessed an R&B type concert of this ilk! The whole thinking behind the tour is for Prince to support this album. "And I'm going to stay out there until the people get behind the album," he states firmly. "So far, airplay has been limited and so actual sales have only been mode-rate. A lot of radio people are so used to playing junk than when something different comes along they are frightened to programme It. "Probably, if I had actually planned a new album in advance — the way I did with the other two — I wouldn't have used any of these songs. But, once they were done, I realised that this was the real me. It deals with real subjects and the language is the way we really talk. When I say 'we', I mean young people. Everything is so much more to the point, I believe. Obviously, Prince's frame of mind was considerably different at the time of his recording this set. For example, the album lacks those sparkling ballads that have been a hallmark of the previous two. "I guess I just wasn't in that mood." he smiles softly. "When I did the other two albums. I think I was in love — and I wasn't when I did this one. You see, I think I always tend to write what I feel at that given moment." ANOTHER pet peeve of this forthright young man Lis in being labelled. Just about everywhere you look, he has been termed 'Punk'. "That's just a fad," he points out — almost as a put-down! I hate being put into any specific category so I never planned to get caught up in that punk thing. But then I'm not an R&B artist either — because I'm a middle-class kid from Minnesota, which is very much White America. "My background has restricted me to some degree and, frankly, my family don't understand what I am doing one little bit. In fact, they don't understand me!" One of the intriguing things about this ninth child (he has four sisters and four brothers) is the amazing Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll transition that takes place once the stage lights are switched on. Sitting with him backstage after witnessing his amazingly extrovert show, it's hard to imagine this gentle, softly-spoken and highly sensitive young man swaggering around on stage exposing the majority of his booty for girls and guys alike to howl with uncontrollable desire over. "Once I'm on stage, I do change." he agrees. "A lot of what we do on stage is not planned — and that helps, I think. For example, we wear what we feel comfortable in. A lot of clothes would be restricting because the show is so... athletic, shall I say. Sometimes, sure — I get nervous. But I think I get more nervous about interviews than I do about being on stage! "I used to be even worse with interviews, though! Now I guess I've got more to talk about. Before, well, what was there I could say about 'Sexy Dancer'? With the album, I've got things that I can actually talk about and discuss. "Songs such as Party Up' – it deals with a seventy-five year old politician type guy who's got of foot in the grave and sipping Pina Coladas in Palm Springs and he's ready to press the button and start a war that the young people are going to have to go out and fight for him. It's never his son... oh, no, he pays off the right people so that his son doesn't have to go! I just believe that this kind of a decision shouldn’t be left to one person to make - especially someone of that age PRINCE'S visual image is " outrageous as his verbal image is outspoken. It has often crossed my mind whether his actual raw and basic talent " afforded the correct credit because of his wild and rebellious image. Or it, in fact, this image detracts from the considerable talent that is so obviously there in abundance. "I think so — yes" Prince almost hesitantly responds. "But it really doesn't bother me any longer. It were to come out in a three-piece suit, it wouldn't have the kind of effect on people that I want to have. You see, I hate to see people standing still. Things start to get boring and so movement is a necessity for me. With ticket prices being up at $8 or $9 each, I want everything to be just perfect. The sound, the lights — everything!" The band are really excellent musicians — and they are all open-minded people. — like me. That's one of the reasons why we all still live in Minneapolis - it keeps our minds free. Everything there is five or six months behind the rest of the country so it encourages us to think for ourselves. When I was about twelve years old, my sister went to live in New York and she started sending me records and things back home. That was when I realised that if I was seriously going to do anything in life. I'd have to come out of the box and do it for myself.Because in Minneapolis, there is no real competition and so nobody else can really have an effect on us. "That also accounts for why we could never be termed an R&B group, for example, too. Like I said, categories are stupid anyway. But we tend to attract all kind of people — white, black; gay, straight; male, female. But all young — that's important! For me, music is music and you can miss a great deal by categorising things." PRINCE has been acclaimed on many occasions as being precocious. Though the dictionary states that precocious is"remarkable for early development", it is a term that is usually reserved for childhood film stars who come across as being spoilt brats!" At times, I can be." Prince confesses. "In the beginning, it was more so and I still can be if I feel in that mood. It all depends on the vibe I get from the people I'm with — and if anybody starts attacking me verbally, that's when I'm at my most precocious. You see, it is important to me that I am taken seriously. Young people today are not taken seriously enough. "I ran away from home when I was twelve years old because I knew what I wanted to do in life and because nobody would take me seriously. Yes, I was misunderstood. At school, I was always ridiculed because of my name.Prince. Now, today, it's the thing that people remember about me first. It's my real name and though I could have changed it at school, I never wanted to. Now, today, I just do what I want to do, what feels right to me. "I don't accept the morals and standards that have been laid down before me. I have my own morals and my own standards to live up to.Right now, my strongest feeling is my fear of war breaking out. I find it repulsive that we have to live with that fear. Other than that, I try to take every day as it comes. I try not to look ahead and prefer to wait until something happens before I react. It can vary at times — depending on how I feel at any given moment. "Business? No. I'm not really into that. I have a good manager who is an even better friend to me so I trust her. Right now, the uppermost thing in my mind is this album. It is the most important event of my life and I'm going to keep playing these songs across America until everybody has heard what I want them to hear. It's important that I get this combination of messages over to the young people out there. "Basically, I don't claim to speak for everybody — but I do believe that in speaking for myself, I am also speaking for a lot of the young people of America. And since I have always found it difficult to relate to people on a one-to-one basis, I relate to the masses through my songs. And that's why I am outspoken in what I sing about." FOR THOSE of you interested in facts and figures, Prince's father was a prominent jazz band leader in the Minneapolis area and it was on his dad's piano that he made his first musical steps. His mother also sang with a band in her younger years. At the tender age of 12, Prince and Andre Samone (who plays bass with Prince's band today) formed their own band, called Champagne, and spent the next five years playing local hotels and high school dances. When seventeen, he started his recording career — by trading with an engineer friend for time! Prince provided music to his friend's lyrics. However, since he had no producer, arranger or musicians, he simple decided to do it all himself. Armed with these tapes, he then headed East to New York and returned to Minneapolis with two definite offers from record companies. However, since neither allowed him to produce himself, he turned them both down. "They had a lot of strange ideas — tubas. cellos and such — and I knew I'd have to do it myself if it was to come out right." So, it was back to the studio for Prince and this time he came up with three songs that earned him a contract with Warner Brothers Records and that yielded the excellent "Soft & Wet" success that paved the way for the "For You" album. As successful as that first album was, it was the second one — or more specifically the "I Wanna Be Your Lover" track — that really carried Prince into the big league. However,with "Dirty Mind"this provocative young Gemini (born June 7) has really given the world something to think about. And, judging by the response to his music that I witnessed, Young America (and therefore, presumably, the world) is giving serious consideration to this deep young man.

Rock & Folk magazine cover January 1, 1989

One-Page Words and Pictures Book Cover November 19, 1996

MUSIC Magazine Cover & One-Page Feature January 1, 1990

Prince Power This Is the Summer of Rock May 24, 1992 Cover only pages to follow

On January 5, 1979, 20-year-old Prince made his live debut at the Capri Theater in Minneapolis. Although he had already secured a three-album contract with Warner Bros. Records and released his first album, "For You," in 1978, this was his first time performing publicly. Our teen-age virtuoso is home to play at last The extra-ordinary one-man band will take the stage as a mere bandleader tonight and tomorrow at the Capri Theatre. Jon Bream FFEW PEOPLE had ever seen the kid perform. But everybody in the local music community was talking about him. "Hey, have you heard those tapes by that Minneapolis teenager who played all the instruments by himself?" Well, several major record companies heard the tapes and began courting the kid, known as Prince. Warner Brothers Records signed him in 1977 to a reported three-album, six-figure deal and let him produce, arrange, compose and play all the instruments on his debut record, "For You," which was released last spring. Now, almost three years after Price Nelson began creating a buzz, the local music community and Warner Brothers bigwigs finally will get a chance to see him perform. The extraordinary one-man-band will take the stage as a mere bandleader tonight and tomorrow at the Capri Theatre, 2027 W. Broadway. "I’m nervous," Prince said with a sheepish smile. "I’ll be terrified, because it’s gonna take a while to block out the fact there are people out there. I find it extremely hard to perform for people. "I think I found it hard to sing and play in front of my band at first, " said the 19-year old, who has not performed publicly since he left a high school dance-band three years ago. "But now that I got to know them better, it’s really easy now and we all bounce off each other as far as energy goes. I think before I can bounce off the crowd it will take a few songs." Prince paused and looked down, displaying the reserve that has, in the past, led him to shun interviews and public appearances. He talks slowly, without a great command of the language. He stops in mid thought, and suddenly, his big brown eyes peek out under the bill of his cap and he continues in soft-spoken monotone "I’m really free and open once I get to know a person. But when I first encounter something, I’m a little laid back and cautious. People constantly call me shy. I don’t feel shy, but I guess I sometimes come off that way to people. Everybody at Warner Brothers has a big impression​.​ I’m really quiet. If he doesn’t talk, he probably won’t dance or sing too much. I have to put to rest all those accusations.” Making the transition from a one-man band to a frontman was difficult at first, but Prince says he’s handling it. "It’s complicated at times," he said last week in an interview in the Minneapolis home where his group rehearses. "It’s fun when you hear it (his music) all come back with someone else's interpretation. Deep down, I can tell it’s different, but sometimes on the surface it’s better. It’s not just me doing everything, trying to keep my energy level up at all times.” Onstage, Prince will play different instruments on different songs. He's been working out the arrangements for the past several weeks with five members of the band. Like their leader, the other members of the band are young, unknown Minneapolis musicians, some of whom play more than one instrument. The oldest is 23. Prince spent about four months auditioning local musicians for his group. He was determined to limit his search to local players because he feels there is "a lot of unknown talent here." However, he says he feels the local music climate stifles musicians. "There is not a lot of incentive here like there is in Los Angeles," Prince said. "That's one of the reasons I'm doing the concert (which is a benefit for the Capri whose owner hopes to make it into a club). There could be more clubs and more (variety to) radio stations here." Nevertheless, Prince appreciates the quiet of the Twin Cities and goes out of town for excitement. He's kind of a loner and homebody who prefers to record in his studio and experiment with the couple of dozen instruments he plays. When he was 5, Prince, the son of a show business couple, composed his first song using two rocks. He says he graduated to bigger rocks and bricks before his writing began to improve and he took up the piano at age 7. He had one lesson. He never learned how to read or write music, but that didn't deter his curiosity about instruments. When he was 13, he picked up the guitar. A year later, he began playing drums. The bass, organ, clavinet and an arsenal of synthesizers soon followed. During his formative years, Prince preferred to make music rather than listen to it. He stayed at home and learned his instruments. Thus, his childhood was rather introverted. "I missed out on a lot,​" he reflected, "but I don’t regret it. I missed out on socializing. But I get high off playing my music or going to a movie alone. I used to like to play sports, but I had to quit that. I used to want to go to college. I certainly don’t have time for that. At one time, I wanted to get married and I don’t have time for that. I wanted kids, too. But I don’t have time for that, either. I think the things I missed out on, my mind has changed about them. I think I’ve done what I wanted to do in life. In teen-age life.” ​Indeed, at 18, Prince became the youngest person ever to produce an album for Warner Brothers. ​ ​He spent five months holed up in ritzy recording studios in San Francisco and Los Angeles . Sly Stone and members of Santana stopped by and offered encouragement.​ Prince was honored, but he already had enough confidence, even though his one-man project ran way behind schedule. The results had been pleasing, he reports. "For You" entered the top-200 album chart and also scored on the soul and disco charts. His single, "Soft and Wet," was well received in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston and the Carolinas. To help promote ​his album, Prince attended autograph parties​ in ​some of the areas. "It was weird​," he recalled. "It was mostly kids from 11 to 20. They were relating to me being so young. There’s been ads in the teen magazines and my age has really come up. The kids would ask me if my real name is Prince, what “Soft and Wet” means, and did I really play all those instruments myself.” ​At a recent autograph party and disco dance in North Carolina, however, Prince didn't have a chance to talk to his fans. He said about 3,000 kids showed up and after about 20 minutes, the crowd rushed the stage. ​Amid the hysteria, Prince departed and Warner Brothers representatives just passed out posters of him. ​Back home, the budding recording star is removed from that kind of commotion. He doesn't have to listen to Warner Brothers' overblown build-up, look at recordstore posters or read the write-ups in teen magazines and black publications. ​ "I try not to listen to that," Prince said. "That's why I stay here. People expect you to be an egomaniac because of who you are. The way I am now, I was always. I supposed if I lived in California and rode in limos and had people waiting on me hand and foot, I could change. I’m not into all that.” Although he may be removed from the west coast record business mania, Prince is not without his pressures in Minneapolis. He recently parted with his manager, Owen Husney, who had been his mentor and benefactor for more than two years. Husney declined to comment but Prince said the split was for personal reasons. The musician said he has arranged to "take care" of his business affairs. Prince's booking agency is setting up a brief concert tour this winter and spring. Agents for such performers as Ashford & Simpson, Santana and Chaka Khan have expressed interest in having Prince appear as their opening act. After his tour, Prince expects to return to the studio to record his second one-man album. He hopes the disk will be an improvement over "For You," but he doesn't feel pressured. He often thinks big, but he speaks with a soft-spoken confidence. "I do what I want to do, otherwise, this business will kill you. It ​(​success​) ​will happen if it’s supposed to. I don’t worry about it too much.​ ​What it all boils down to means nothing except love. As long as I got that, I don’t need money. If I went broke, it wouldn’t faze me. Love and music. As long as I got that, everything’s cool. Everything.” The Minneapolis Star 5 January 1979

In Garage Music. A Jazz-Funk Instrumental Odyssey released in the US on November 18, 1987, on Paisley Park Records (catalogue: 9 25658-1 / 1-25658). Madhouse’s 16 (New Directions In Garage Music) album was a Prince-led instrumental jazz-funk side-project — featuring Eric Leeds (sax/flute), Levi Seacer Jr. (bass), Dr. Fink (keyboards), John Lewis (drums) — delivered eight numbered tracks of sophisticated groove. Allied Record Company pressing with printed inner sleeve, also issued in Specialty pressing. A cult favourite with no chart impact, it’s pure late-’80s Paisley Park cool. Album Overview Release Details Label: Paisley Park Records (US). Formats: Vinyl LP (Allied/Specialty cassette (AR/SR), CD (jewel case & long box). ℗ & ©: 1987 Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros. Records Inc. Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering / Sheffield Lab Matrix. Published By: Parisongs ASCAP (US), Warner Bros. Music Ltd. US Release Formats and Track Listings Vinyl LP, AR & SR Company Pressings (9 25658-1 / 1-25658) Side A 1. Nine (2:06) 2. Ten (5:04) 3. Eleven (6:14) 4. Twelve (5:14) Side B 1. Thirteen (4:46) 2. Fourteen (5:12) 3. Fifteen (3:49) 4. Sixteen (4:17) Vinyl LP, Test Pressing (1-25658) (hand-written white labels) Side A 1. Nine (2:06) 2. Ten (5:04) 3. Eleven (6:14) 4. Twelve (5:14) Side B 1. Thirteen (4:46) 2. Fourteen (5:12) 3. Fifteen (3:49) 4. Sixteen (4:17) Cassette Album AR & SR (9 25658-4 / 4-25658) Side A 1. Nine 2. Ten 3. Eleven 4. Twelve Side B 1. Thirteen 2. Fourteen 3. Fifteen 4. Sixteen CD Album, Standard Jewel Case / Long Box (9 25658-2) 1. Nine (2:06) 2. Ten (5:04) 3. Eleven (6:14) 4. Twelve (5:14) 5. Thirteen (4:46) 6. Fourteen (5:12) 7. Fifteen (3:49) 8. Sixteen (4:17) Production and Context Art Direction and Design – Laura LiPuma Costume Design – Lisa Elliott, Neo 80 Engineering – Eddie Garcia, Eddie Miller Hair and Make-Up – Rosha Mixing – Eddie Garcia, Eric Leeds Model (Madhouse Cover Girl) – Maneca Lightner Bass – Levi Seacer, Jr. Drums – John Lewis Keyboards – Dr. Fink Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Keyboards, Flute – Eric Leeds Photography – Richard Litt Producer and Songwriter – Madhouse Styling – Carol James Singles Released and Chart Performance "10" with "Ten And ½" Released on September 28, 1987 USA: Billboard R&B Chart 14 November 1987 - Position: 66 "13" with "Four" Released on March 18, 1988 Legacy and Collectability 16 is Prince’s hidden jazz-funk masterpiece, beloved by crate-diggers. Original US Allied/Specialty vinyls fetch £20–£50 on eBay/Discogs, European Alsdorf £15–£35, test pressings £100+. Verify catalogue 9 25658-1. This LP is a must-have for Prince completists and jazz-funk collectors. Do you have 16 in your vinyl stack? Which number grooves you? 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

Sheila E’s "A Love Bizarre"  backed with "Save The People" , was released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the UK by Paisley Park Records (catalog number W8751) on January 20, 1986. 7" A. A Love Bizarre (Edit) (3:46) B. A Love Bizarre (Part II) (3:48) UK: W 8890

Madhouse’s 8  was released as an album in the US by Paisley Park Records (catalog number PAIS 1) on January 21, 1987.. All eight tracks were either written or co-written by Prince, with him playing most of the instruments, and Eric Leeds contributing saxophone and flute. The tracks are titled with written numbers from One to Eight, while the album itself is titled numerically. This is Prince's first instrumental album released under any name. The album credits claim it was recorded at "Madhouse Studios" in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, to maintain the illusion that it was a project Eric Leeds recorded with his former band. However, the entire album was actually recorded over four days (28 September - 1 October 1986) at Prince’s Galpin Blvd Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. No musicians are credited on this record. The album spawned one single, 6. 8 failed to chart in the UK and reached number 107 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums Chart and number 25 on the Billboard Top Black Albums Chart. LP VINYL Artist: Madhouse Title: 8 Label: Paisley Park Country: Europe Catalogue: 925 545 1 Barcode: 07599255451 Side 1: One (7:18) Two (5:29) Three (3:16) Four (2:24) Five (1:18) Side 2: Six (4:28) Seven (4:09) Eight (10:06) TAPE CASSETTE Artist: Madhouse Title: 8 Label: Paisley Park Country: Europe Catalogue: 925 545 4 Side 1: One (7:18) Two (5:29) Three (3:16) Four (2:24) Five (1:18) Side 2: Six (4:28) Seven (4:09) Eight (10:06) CD One (7:18) Two (5:29) Three (3:16) Four (2:24) Five (1:18) Six (4:28) Seven (4:09) Eight (10:06)

A rare French ticket from the Nude Tour’s stadium‑sized Paris stop This original concert ticket is from Prince’s performance at Parc des Princes, Paris, held on Saturday 16 June 1990 as part of the Nude Tour. The show was one of the largest European dates of the tour, staged in a major football stadium and supported by extensive French radio promotion, including NRJ. The ticket grants Pelouse (lawn) access via the Auteuil entrance, with doors opening at 17:00 for an 20:00 start. Priced at 175 Francs, it represents a classic example of early‑1990s French concert ticket design, complete with sponsor branding and the bold typographic style typical of the era. The Nude Tour was notable for its stripped‑back production, tighter band lineup, and a setlist focused on hits, signalling a shift from the elaborate staging of the Lovesexy era. — HIGHLIGHTS Official ticket for Prince’s Nude Tour concert in Paris Date: June 16 1990 Venue: Parc des Princes Entry: Pelouse (lawn) via Auteuil Price: 175 Francs + fees Sponsored by NRJ radio Part of one of the tour’s largest European shows A strong example of early‑90s French ticket design and typography — CONTEXT & TOUR TIMELINE May–August 1990: Prince undertakes the Nude Tour across Europe and Japan June 1990: Major stadium dates in France, Germany, and the UK 16 June 1990: Paris / Parc des Princes performance Tour emphasises hits, dance routines, and a leaner band configuration — PRESS & PUBLIC REACTION French media praised the scale and energy of the Paris show NRJ heavily promoted the event, contributing to strong attendance Fans recall the concert as one of the standout European dates of the tour The Nude Tour is often remembered for its celebratory, hit‑packed setlists — SOURCES Contemporary French concert listings (1990) Nude Tour promotional materials Ticket agency archives Fan recollections and tour documentation

Prince's Four-Track Contribution to Campbell's Breakthrough On October 26, 1993, Tevin Campbell released his sophomore album I'm Ready through Qwest Records (a Warner Bros. imprint), featuring four compositions by Prince: "The Halls of Desire," "Paris 1798430," "Shhh," and "Uncle Sam." This US-exclusive launch at the time propelled Campbell from teen sensation to R&B powerhouse, blending his silky tenor with Prince's eclectic funk and social commentary. Recorded at Paisley Park Studios and other locations, the album's Prince tracks—produced under his Paisley Park pseudonym—infused mature sensuality and political edge, elevating its commercial and critical success. Below, explore the background, significance, and details of this pivotal release. Background and Context Tevin Campbell's Early Rise Born November 12, 1976, in Waxahachie, Texas, Tevin Campbell emerged as a prodigy, discovered at age 12 by jazz flutist Bobbi Humphrey and signed to Quincy Jones' Qwest label. His 1991 debut T.E.V.I.N. yielded hits like "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" (#6 R&B), but at 14, Campbell sought maturity for his follow-up. Collaborating with Prince (initially on "Round and Round" for Jones' 1989 Back on the Block), Campbell returned to Paisley Park in 1992–1993, where Prince crafted tracks that balanced sensuality and substance, helping him navigate adolescence in the spotlight. The I'm Ready Album Era I'm Ready was recorded primarily at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota, and Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, produced by a team including Prince (as Paisley Park), Babyface, and Narada Michael Walden. At 16, Campbell co-wrote several tracks, blending R&B, pop, and funk across 14 songs (including interludes). Released amid the New Jack Swing era, it captured Campbell's vocal evolution, with Prince's cuts providing bold contrasts to Babyface's ballads. The album debuted at #4 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #18 on the Billboard 200, selling over 2 million copies worldwide and earning three Grammy nominations: Best R&B Album (1995), Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Can We Talk" (1994), and "I'm Ready" (1995). Prince's Compositions Prince contributed four tracks, writing, producing, and arranging them during sessions in 1992–1993. "The Halls of Desire" (4:32) is a playful, funky pop tune with cheeky metaphors for romance. "Paris 1798430" (3:35) is a horn-driven funk critique of American racism, imagining escape to Paris (the zip code a nod to the city's arrondissement). "Shhh" (4:55) is a sultry slow jam with explicit undertones, later covered by Prince on The Gold Experience (1995). "Uncle Sam" (3:53) is a poignant ballad confronting racial injustice ("Sam, why'd you let them rape my great grandmother?"). Prince also provided background vocals on "Paris 1798430" and instrumentation across the tracks, infusing his Minneapolis sound while tailoring to Campbell's youth. Chart Performance ChartPeak Position Billboard 200#18Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums#3 Singles: "Can We Talk" (#1 Hot 100, #1 R&B), "I'm Ready" (#9 Hot 100, #4 R&B); Prince tracks like "Shhh" (#7 R&B Airplay) gained radio play but no major singles. Certified 2x Platinum (RIAA, 1994); international success in UK (#20) and Japan. Promotion: Campbell's world tour and TV appearances (e.g., The Arsenio Hall Show) boosted visibility; the album's mature themes sparked discussions on youth in R&B. Cultural Context October 1993 aligned with the peak of 90s R&B, with Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard soundtrack dominating charts. Prince's tracks added political depth amid Rodney King riots' aftermath, influencing peers like Usher and Brandy. Campbell's crossover appeal bridged teen pop and adult R&B, prefiguring the boy-band boom. The US Album Release Formats I'm Ready launched in standard formats via Qwest/Warner Bros., with Prince's tracks integrated seamlessly. Below are the primary US variants, sourced from Discogs and Prince Vault. Cassette Album Label: Qwest Records – 9 45388-4 Format: Cassette, Album Country: US Released: October 26, 1993 Genre: R&B, Pop Style: New Jack Swing, Funk, Contemporary R&B Details: J-card with Campbell in a white suit against a starry background; Dolby HX Pro for enhanced sound. Track Listing: Can We Talk – 5:08 Don't Say Goodbye Girl – 4:56 Interlude – 0:29 The Halls of Desire – 4:32 I'm Ready – 4:46 What Do I Say – 4:56 Uncle Sam – 3:53 Interlude – 0:29 Paris 1798430 – 3:35 Always in My Heart – 5:39 Interlude – 0:09 Shhh – 4:55 Brown Eyed Girl – 4:02 Infant Child – 2:50 Notes: Prince tracks: 4, 7, 9, 12. Popular for portability; Estimated Value: $5–$15 (mint condition). CD Album Label: Qwest Records – 9 45388-2 Format: CD, Album Country: US Released: October 26, 1993 Track Listing: Can We Talk – 5:08 Don't Say Goodbye Girl – 4:56 Interlude – 0:29 The Halls of Desire – 4:32 I'm Ready – 4:46 What Do I Say – 4:56 Uncle Sam – 3:53 Interlude – 0:29 Paris 1798430 – 3:35 Always in My Heart – 5:39 Interlude – 0:09 Shhh – 4:55 Brown Eyed Girl – 4:02 Infant Child – 2:50 Details: Jewel case with booklet featuring lyrics and credits; Prince as "Paisley Park." Track Listing: Same as cassette. Notes: Preferred for sound quality; 2021 streaming reissue restored all tracks. Estimated Value: $10–$20 (mint condition). Vinyl LP Album Jamaican Only Release Label: Qwest Records – 9 45388-1 Format: Vinyl, LP, Album Country: Jam Released: October 26, 1993. Track Listing: Side A: 1–7 Track Listing: Can We Talk – 5:08 Don't Say Goodbye Girl – 4:56 Interlude – 0:29 The Halls of Desire – 4:32 I'm Ready – 4:46 What Do I Say – 4:56 Side B: 8–14 Uncle Sam – 3:53 Interlude – 0:29 Paris 1798430 – 3:35 Always in My Heart – 5:39 Interlude – 0:09 Shhh – 4:55 Brown Eyed Girl – 4:02 Infant Child – 2:50 Cultural and Musical Significance Musical Innovation Prince's tracks infused I'm Ready with bold funk ("Paris 1798430") and sensuality ("Shhh"), contrasting Babyface's sweetness. "Uncle Sam" addressed racism poetically, influencing 90s R&B activism (e.g., Arrested Development). Critics lauded the blend as "mature yet youthful" (LA Times). Campbell's Breakthrough At 16, the album catapulted Campbell to stardom, with Prince's guidance helping him balance innocence and edge. It earned Grammy nods and set a template for teen R&B crossovers. Broader Context of October 26, 1993 Amid Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle debut (#1), I'm Ready bridged New Jack Swing and emerging hip-hop soul, released during Campbell's T.E.V.I.N. tour. Collectibility and Modern Availability Collectibility: Vinyl rare ($20–$40); CD common but 1993 pressings valued for Prince credits. Streaming and Reissues: Full album on Spotify/Apple Music (2021 digital debut); Prince tracks restored. No deluxe yet, but 2025 Estate may add demos. Physical Media: Available on Discogs; 30th-anniversary vinyl rumored. Additional Notes Prince-Campbell Bond: Sessions at Paisley Park fostered mentorship; "Shhh" later on Prince's Gold Experience. Fan Reception: Albumism (2023) calls it a "masterclass"; Reddit praises "Uncle Sam"'s timeliness. October 26, 1993, Context: Coincided with Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard dominance, amplifying R&B visibility. Legacy I'm Ready's October 26, 1993, release cemented Tevin Campbell's legacy, with Prince's tracks adding funk and fire to his velvet voice. A double-platinum triumph, it bridged eras for teen R&B. Collectors chase vinyl; streams revive its soul. Dive deeper at princevault.com.