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Ten‑page feature with centrespread A major Drummer Magazine feature published in July 2003, spotlighting John Blackwell Jr. at the height of his tenure with Prince. The ten‑page spread — including a full centrespread — presents Blackwell as the heartbeat of Prince’s early‑2000s sound, blending technical mastery, spiritual grounding, and emotional expression. 📰 Excerpt “Whenever I come to the drums, I always play from my heart, I always play from my soul.” Blackwell speaks openly about faith, emotion, and the deep musical intuition that shaped his work with Prince — from The Rainbow Children to the One Nite Alone era and beyond. 📰 Overview This expansive feature positions John Blackwell Jr. as one of the defining drummers of his generation. The article explores: • his spiritual foundation • his emotional approach to performance • his improvisational instincts • his ability to translate Prince’s musical visions into living, breathing rhythm The piece highlights Blackwell’s unique capacity to channel joy, grief, anger, and transcendence through the kit — a quality Prince relied on heavily during the Rainbow Children and One Nite Alone periods. The centrespread showcases Blackwell in full performance mode, capturing the physicality, precision, and elegance of his playing. 📰 Source Details Publication: Drummer Magazine Issue Date: July 2003 Format: Ten‑page feature + centrespread Provenance Notes: Australian publication DRUMscene often reprinted or shared content with Drummer Magazine; this entry reflects the UK‑circulated edition. 📰 The Story The feature dives into Blackwell’s philosophy and technique: • Faith as foundation — Blackwell credits God for his talent, balance, and emotional clarity. • Emotion as technique — he describes crying, laughing, and releasing anger through the drums. • Imagery as inspiration — he visualises keys, colours, and scenes (e.g., A‑minor as “night”) to shape his playing. • Prince’s direction — Blackwell recounts how Prince laid out parts, encouraged intuition, and trusted him to “feel the song come alive.” • The bass connection — he praises Larry Graham and Rhonda Smith as the pillars of funk, describing moments when Prince would stop the band just to let the bass groove breathe. The article also explores Blackwell’s views on what makes a bass player “funky,” emphasising restraint, pocket, and body‑led expression. The closing section paints a domestic scene: Blackwell playing James Brown to his baby daughter at 11am — a reminder that funk, for him, is a way of life. 📰 Key Highlights • Ten‑page feature with full centrespread • Deep interview exploring faith, emotion, and technique • Insight into Blackwell’s work with Prince on The Rainbow Children and One Nite Alone • Praise for Larry Graham and Rhonda Smith • Reflections on funk, pocket, and musical chemistry • A rare, intimate portrait of one of Prince’s most important drummers 📰 Drummer Magazine — Ten‑page feature with centrespread, July 2003. 📰 Article Text Paste your cleaned transcription or selected excerpt here. 📰 Related Material • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This Drummer Magazine feature stands as one of the most comprehensive portraits of John Blackwell Jr. — a musician whose emotional depth, spiritual grounding, and technical brilliance helped define Prince’s early‑2000s sound. 📰 Tags #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #JohnBlackwellJr #DrummerMagazine #RainbowChildrenEra #GlamSlamEscape

Six‑page feature + two pages of adverts 📰 Subtitle or Issue Context A June 2004 Bass Player cover spotlighting Rhonda Smith and her deep musical partnership with Prince during the Musicology era. The issue positions Smith as one of the most versatile and technically gifted bassists in modern funk, with Prince as both collaborator and catalyst. 📰 Overview This issue of Bass Player dives into the musical engine behind Prince’s early‑2000s resurgence. The six‑page feature explores: • Rhonda Smith’s evolution as Prince’s bassist • The technical and emotional demands of playing in his band • The precision, discipline, and improvisational freedom required • The unique musical chemistry between Smith and Prince • The role of bass in shaping the Musicology tour’s sound The article positions Smith not as a sideman but as a co‑architect of the era’s live arrangements — someone who could match Prince’s intensity, adaptability, and exacting standards. 📰 Source Details Publication: Bass Player Issue Date: June 2004 Price: £3.50 Format: Six‑page feature + two pages of adverts Provenance Notes: Comag UK edition; part of the broader Musicology press cycle. 📰 The Story The feature highlights Rhonda Smith’s: • technical mastery • deep musical intuition • ability to anticipate Prince’s shifts mid‑performance • grounding presence in a band built on spontaneity Prince is presented as both demanding and inspiring — a bandleader who pushes musicians to their limits while giving them space to shine. The article also touches on: • the Musicology tour’s emphasis on musicianship • the resurgence of live instrumentation in Prince’s work • the interplay between bass, rhythm guitar, and Prince’s own lead lines • the broader context of funk’s evolution in the 2000s The accompanying adverts reinforce the issue’s gear‑centric focus, with reviews of multi‑effects units, cabinets, and boutique basses. 📰 Key Highlights • Six‑page deep dive into Rhonda Smith’s work with Prince • Focus on technique, tone, and live performance dynamics • Contextualised within the Musicology tour and Prince’s renewed mainstream presence • Two pages of gear adverts reflecting the era’s bass culture • A rare look at Prince’s band from a musician’s perspective 📰 Bass Player — Cover + six‑page feature, June 2004. 📰 Article Text Paste your cleaned transcription or selected excerpt here. 📰 Related Material • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This Bass Player feature stands as one of the most detailed examinations of Prince’s early‑2000s live sound — a testament to Rhonda Smith’s artistry and to Prince’s ability to elevate and be elevated by the musicians around him. #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #RhondaSmith #BassPlayer #MusicologyEra #GlamSlamEscape

An August 2004 Word Magazine cover positioning Prince as newly revitalised in the wake of Musicology, framed by the headline: “Meet the New Prince — ‘We don’t roll like that no more!’” The issue blends cultural commentary, digital‑era anxieties, and a celebration of musical icons, placing Prince at the centre of a shifting early‑2000s landscape. 📰 Overview This Word cover captures Prince at a moment of renewed cultural relevance. Following the success of Musicology and his return to mainstream visibility, the magazine frames him as both veteran and vanguard — someone redefining himself while the music industry undergoes seismic change. The surrounding features — from Ray Charles tributes to digital‑era platform wars — create a snapshot of 2004’s musical anxieties and fascinations. Prince stands at the centre of it all, a figure who has already survived multiple eras and is now stepping confidently into another. 📰 Source Details Publication: Word: Music and More Issue Date: August 2004 Format: Cover feature Provenance Notes: UK music and culture magazine; part of the early‑2000s reassessment of Prince’s legacy. 📰 The Story The cover’s framing — “Meet the New Prince” — reflects the narrative of the time: Prince as reborn elder statesman, newly disciplined, newly focused, and newly engaged with the public after years of perceived distance. The border features reinforce the magazine’s eclectic, era‑defining tone: Border Features • Elvis Presley • Ronnie Wood • Jim Morrison • Shrek 2 • Will Smith • Katie Melua & Womble • Shaznay Lewis • Stuart Maconie on Elvis Costello • Unseen Hendrix • The wit & wisdom of Terry Wogan This constellation of names and topics places Prince within a broad cultural conversation — one that spans rock history, pop cinema, digital disruption, and British humour. The issue’s digital‑era headline — “Napster vs. iTunes: Which one is the best?” — underscores the moment’s technological upheaval, a backdrop against which Prince’s own battles for ownership and autonomy resonate even more strongly. 📰 Key Highlights • Cover feature: “Meet the New Prince — ‘We don’t roll like that no more!’” • Surrounding features on Ray Charles, Napster vs. iTunes, and rock‑star iconography • Border lineup spanning Elvis to Hendrix to Wogan • Reflects Prince’s Musicology‑era resurgence and renewed mainstream presence • Captures the early‑2000s digital‑transition anxieties shaping the music industry 📰 Word Magazine — Cover feature, August 2004. 📰 Article Text Paste your cleaned transcription or selected excerpt here. 📰 Related Material • GlamSlamEscape entries on Musicology and early‑2000s revival • GlamSlamChronicles features on digital‑era shifts and press narratives • External references on Napster, iTunes, and industry transformation • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This Word cover captures Prince at a pivotal moment — a veteran artist reclaiming his place in a rapidly changing industry, framed by nostalgia, digital disruption, and a renewed sense of purpose. 📰 Tags #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #WordMagazine #MusicologyEra #2004Prince #GlamSlamEscape

The Observer Music Monthly — February 1, 2006 Cover and five‑page feature A major Observer Music Monthly cover story and five‑page feature published on February 1, 2006, asking whether Prince was a sex‑obsessed pop polymath or a devout Jehovah’s Witness — concluding that one thing was certain: Prince was back to his dazzling best. Barney Hoskyns met Prince in New York and at his Los Angeles home to unravel the continuing enigma. 📰 Excerpt The article opens with a satirical recreation of an SNL sketch: “EEEEEEEEEEEERRRRE’S PRINCEY!!!!!” Fred Armisen plays Prince in a black turban and purple jacket, barely speaking, communicating through Beyoncé (Maya Rudolph), while Steve Martin appears as his French chef complaining about burned pancakes. Prince gazes into a mirror with an ostrich‑feathered eye‑mask as Beyoncé intones: “Prince is gazing into the mirror of reflection.” It’s absurd, affectionate, and the perfect entry point into a feature about an artist who defies categorisation. 📰 Overview This feature captures Prince at a moment of renewed visibility and creative fire. After years of uneven releases and shifting public perception, 2006 finds him re‑emerging with clarity, discipline, and a sharpened artistic identity. Hoskyns frames Prince as a paradox: • A sensualist and a spiritualist • A pop provocateur and a devout Jehovah’s Witness • A recluse and a showman • A man who communicates through silence as much as sound The article moves between New York and Los Angeles, offering glimpses of Prince’s working habits, his humour, his guardedness, and his evolving worldview. 📰 Source Details Publication: The Observer Music Monthly Issue Date: February 1, 2006 Format: Cover + five‑page feature Provenance Notes: UK Sunday supplement; part of the mid‑2000s critical re‑evaluation of Prince’s artistry. 📰 The Story Hoskyns uses the SNL parody as a lens through which to explore Prince’s contradictions. The feature examines: • Prince’s shifting public persona • His religious transformation and its impact on his music • His renewed creative energy following Musicology • His disciplined lifestyle and intense work ethic • His relationship to fame, privacy, and mythmaking The article positions Prince as an artist who has survived reinvention after reinvention — and who, in 2006, stands at a point of renewed brilliance. Hoskyns’ encounters with Prince reveal a man who is: • Playful but controlled • Warm but elusive • Open yet impenetrable • A master of the interview without ever truly giving anything away The feature ultimately concludes that Prince’s genius lies not only in his music but in his ability to remain an enigma — a figure who resists simplification. 📰 Key Highlights • Five‑page feature exploring Prince’s dual identity • Satirical SNL framing device • Interviews conducted in New York and Los Angeles • Examination of Prince’s spirituality, sexuality, and artistic evolution • A mid‑2000s reassessment positioning him “back to his dazzling best” • One of the most widely read UK features of the era 📰 The Observer Music Monthly — Cover and five‑page feature, February 1, 2006. 📰 Article Text The cover and five-page feature in The Observer Magazine (February 1, 2006) asked whether Prince was a sex-obsessed pop polymath or a Jehovah's Witness, concluding one thing was certain: the artist known as Prince was back to his dazzling best. Barney Hoskyns caught up with the superstar in New York and at his home in Los Angeles to unravel the continuing enigma. The article opened with a satirical SNL sketch recreation: "EEEEEEEEEEEERRRRE'SPRINCEY!!!!!" — depicting Prince (impersonated by Fred Armisen) in a black turban and purple jacket, barely speaking, communicating through Beyoncé (Maya Rudolph), with Steve Martin as his chef complaining about burned pancakes, and Prince gazing into a mirror with an ostrich-feathered eye-mask while Beyoncé intones “Prince is gazing into the mirror of reflection. Publication Details Magazine: The Observer Magazine (UK). Date: February 1, 2006. Format: Cover + five-page feature article. Sex-obsessed pop polymath? Jehovah's Witness? One thing is certain, the artist known as Prince is back to his dazzling best. Catching up with the superstar in New York and at his home in Los Angeles, Barney Hoskyns unravels a continuing enigma EEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRE'SPRINCEY!!!!! H Yes, folks, we're live tonight in New York City for The Prince Show, complete with sidekick Beyoncé Knowles and special guest Drew Barrymore. The set is a gaudy conflation of psych-edelic shack and beaux arts boudoir, with our host kitted out in black turban and purple jacket. Except that he's barely deigning to speak, communicating his thoughts and wishes through buxom Beyoncé. Prior to the entrance of La Barrymore there's an unscheduled appearance by a silver-haired Frenchman claiming to be Prince's chef. He says he's been preparing meals for His Royal Highness for many years 'but it's an honneur to finally meet you'. Prince isn't too thrilled to see the guy, com-plaining that he burned his tongue on his pan-cakes that morning. Turning away from the chef he picks up an ostrich-feathered eye-mask and contemplates himself in an ornate gold mirror. 'Prince is gazing into the mirror of reflection,' Beyoncé intones in a bored voice. Confused? You should be. Amused? Possibly not. Beyoncé, of course, isn't Beyoncé at all. This particular night in early February, she's Saturday Night Live's Maya Rudolph, just as the silver-haired chef is none other than Steve Martin, hosting SNL tonight for a record 16th time. Prince himself is being royally impersonated by Fred Armisen, another regular on the late-night show. 📰 Related Material • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This Observer feature stands as one of the defining portraits of Prince in the mid‑2000s — a moment when he reclaimed his narrative, sharpened his artistry, and reminded the world why he remains one of the most compelling enigmas in modern music. 📰 Tags #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #ObserverMusicMonthly #2006Prince #GlamSlamEscape

Vendetta Magazine — September 1, 2006 Three pages 📰 Subtitle or Issue Context A three‑page Vendetta Magazine feature published in September 2006, offering a sharp, philosophical, and emotionally conflicted portrait of Prince during his Las Vegas residency. The article blends cultural critique, fan psychology, and literary reflection, anchored by the Borges quote: “Every man is two men, and the truer one is the other.” 📰 Excerpt “This is the fate of geniuses: a handful of fans, specialists, exegetes spy on their every move. The latest example: the purple dwarf arrives in Las Vegas, our funk doctor too.” 📰 Overview Written in French and steeped in literary tone, this Vendetta feature explores Prince’s duality — the adored genius and the exasperating saboteur of his own legacy. The author questions whether Prince’s prolific output, erratic live performances, and uneven discography have alienated even his most loyal fans. The piece is not a celebration, but a reckoning. It asks whether Prince has become “out of tune with the times,” or worse, “plummeted to the bottom rung of insignificance.” Yet it also acknowledges the enduring magnetism of his presence — especially in Las Vegas, where he performs two shows in two venues with two bands and two audiences. 📰 Source Details Publication: Vendetta Magazine Issue Date: September 1, 2006 Format: Three‑page feature Provenance Notes: French cultural magazine; part of the European critical press response to Prince’s Las Vegas residency and 3121‑era output. 📰 The Story The article unfolds as a philosophical meditation on Prince’s contradictions: • His prolific output vs. the diminishing impact of each release • His live shows vs. the mythic after‑shows that eclipse them • His refusal to conform vs. the risk of alienating his audience • His genius vs. his self‑sabotage The author critiques the One Nite Alone Live release, laments the missed potential of recent albums, and describes Prince as “everywhere and nowhere.” Yet in Las Vegas, the writer concedes, Prince is fully present — performing two distinct concerts with two different ensembles, confronting both reality and fantasy. The feature closes with a looping refrain: “Prince has now integrated into the very core of his creative function…” — a mantra that becomes both critique and affirmation. 📰 Key Highlights • Three‑page French feature on Prince’s Las Vegas residency • Philosophical framing via Borges and duality • Critical reflection on Prince’s prolific but uneven output • Commentary on fan psychology and media fatigue • Recognition of Prince’s enduring mystique and live power • A rare example of European literary criticism applied to Prince’s mid‑2000s career 📰 Vendetta Magazine — Three‑page feature, September 1, 2006. 📰 Article Text "Every man is two men, and the truer one is the other" - JL Borges. LAS VEGAS, SPECIAL ENVOY. Gee! Prince in Las Vegas... The kind of thing you can't refuse, right? Objection! For some time now, in fact, since forever - didn't Prince arouse, even among his most ardent fans, a paradoxical feeling where adoration competed with exasperation, not to say hatred? A plethora of production that took our digestive metabolism by surprise, official live performances often inferior to the more confidential - not to say ignored by all - ones of the (famous) after-shows, a live discography based on questionable choices (see "One Nite Alone Live" focused on a US tour that was out of all proportion to the European tour that followed): for his superior extraction, Prince presented himself as the perpetual saboteur of his (Great) Work and, thus arming the judges, incited some - a bit ungrateful, these ones (but they had ended up, like us, losing patience) - to cry out: "Prince is no longer in tune with the times" (or even more frightening: "Prince has now plummeted to the bottom rung of insignificance"). 📰 Related Material • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This Vendetta feature stands as one of the most intellectually rigorous critiques of Prince’s mid‑2000s career — a meditation on genius, fatigue, and the paradox of being both everywhere and nowhere. It captures the tension between myth and reality, and the enduring power of Prince’s presence, even when the music falters. 📰 Tags #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #VendettaMagazine #LasVegas #3121 #GlamSlamEscapePrince's Three-Page Feature in Vendetta Magazine, September 1, 2006. This is the fate of geniuses: a handful of fans, specialists, exegetes spy on their every move. The latest example: the purple dwarf arrives in Las Vegas, our funk doctor too.

Live (The Mail on Sunday) — 8 July 2007 Two pages A bold, full‑page Live magazine advertisement announcing what the Mail on Sunday calls “THE MOST SENSATIONAL CD GIVEAWAY EVER” — the revelation that Prince’s brand‑new 10‑track album Planet Earth will be included free inside the following week’s newspaper. 📰 Overview Published on 8 July 2007, this two‑page promotional spread forms a key part of the build‑up to the Planet Earth release and Prince’s 21‑night O2 residency. The tone is breathless, urgent, and celebratory, positioning the giveaway as a cultural event and a direct challenge to traditional music‑industry distribution. The design leans into spectacle: bold colours, explosive typography, and imagery of Prince holding a glowing orb — a visual metaphor for the world he’s about to drop into readers’ hands. The message is clear: this is exclusive, unprecedented, and collectible. 📰 Source Details Publication: Live (The Mail on Sunday) Issue Date: 8 July 2007 Format: Two‑page promotional feature Provenance Notes: UK national Sunday supplement; part of the coordinated media rollout for the Planet Earth giveaway. Live (The Mail on Sunday) — One ‑page promotional advert, 8 July 2007. 📰 The Story The advert frames the upcoming release as a once‑in‑a‑lifetime moment: • Brand‑new 10‑track album announced as a free giveaway • Exclusive availability: only via the Mail on Sunday and Prince’s concerts • Framed as “the most sensational CD giveaway ever” • Marketed as a unique, collectible edition • Strong call‑to‑action: “Order your copy now” The language positions Prince as a disruptor — someone bypassing the industry to reach fans directly, echoing the themes of autonomy and innovation that defined his mid‑2000s strategy. This advert, paired with the Live cover story and the following week’s full‑album giveaway, forms one of the most talked‑about release campaigns of the decade. 📰 Key Highlights • Announcement of the complete 10‑track Planet Earth album • Exclusive distribution through the Mail on Sunday • Positioned as a historic, sensational giveaway • Strong emphasis on collectibility and scarcity • Part of the build‑up to the 21‑night O2 residency • A defining moment in Prince’s ongoing challenge to industry norms 📰 Live (The Mail on Sunday) — One ‑page article, 8 July 2007. 📰 Related Material • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This advert captures the moment Prince detonated one of the boldest release strategies of the 2000s — a direct‑to‑audience gesture that bypassed the industry, thrilled fans, and reshaped conversations about how music could be delivered. 📰 Tags #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #PlanetEarth #MailOnSunday #LiveMagazine #GlamSlamEscape“THE re urged to order their copy in advance, Marketed as a unique, collectible

This Live magazine cover accompanied one of the most controversial and disruptive moments in Prince’s relationship with the UK music industry: the announcement that his new album Planet Earth would be given away free inside the following week’s Mail on Sunday. 📰 Overview Published on 8 July 2007, this issue of Live served as the official pre‑release salvo for the Planet Earth newspaper giveaway — a move that infuriated UK record shops, delighted fans, and made global headlines. The cover frames Prince as: • a populist hero • a rule‑breaker • an artist bypassing the industry to reach fans directly It’s quintessential 2007 Prince: bold, strategic, and entirely uninterested in playing by the industry’s rules. The feature inside includes a track‑by‑track guide and a celebratory homage to Prince, positioning the upcoming release as “the album of the year.” 📰 Source Details Publication: Live (The Mail on Sunday) Issue Date: 8 July 2007 Format: Cover + two‑page feature Provenance Notes: UK national Sunday supplement; part of the coordinated rollout for the Planet Earth giveaway. 📰 The Story The feature contextualises the upcoming giveaway as a seismic moment in music distribution. It highlights: • Prince’s decision to release Planet Earth free with a newspaper • The shock and backlash from UK retailers • The excitement among fans • The global media attention surrounding the move • The framing of Prince as a direct‑to‑audience innovator Cover text includes: • “The people’s PRINCE” • “THE MOST AMAZING CD GIVEAWAY EVER” • “He’s back – and in a music industry sensation, he’s giving you his stunning new 10‑track Planet Earth album FREE inside every copy of next week’s Mail on Sunday” • “INSIDE: Live’s homage to Prince – and your track‑by‑track guide to the album of the year” • “SEE IT • DO IT • SPEND IT” • “The Mail on Sunday July 8 2007” 📰 Key Highlights • Major pre‑release announcement for the Planet Earth giveaway • Two‑page feature including a track‑by‑track guide • Prince positioned as a populist, disruptive force • A defining moment in 2000s music‑industry history • Part of a coordinated media rollout leading to the 15 July 2007 distribution 📰 Live (The Mail on Sunday) — Cover and two‑page feature, 8 July 2007. pages below 📰 Related Material • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This Live cover captures the moment just before Prince detonated one of the most talked‑about release strategies of the decade — a bold, populist gesture that reshaped conversations about distribution, value, and artistic autonomy. #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #PlanetEarth #MailOnSunday #LiveMagazine #GlamSlamEscape

A landmark Mail on Sunday cover and four‑page feature published on 15 July 2007, announcing the world‑exclusive release of Prince’s new album — included free inside that day’s newspaper. 📰 Excerpt The front page declares a historic first: a major new Prince album, all ten tracks identical to the global retail edition, distributed free with a national Sunday paper. 📰 Overview This issue of The Mail on Sunday marks one of the most disruptive moments in modern music distribution. Prince partnered with the newspaper to give away his new album — a move that stunned the industry, infuriated traditional retailers, and demonstrated his long‑standing commitment to autonomy, experimentation, and direct‑to‑audience strategies. The cover frames the release as a world exclusive, emphasising that the CD is not a sampler or promotional edit but the full commercial album, identical to the version sold worldwide. This bold distribution model prefigured later experiments in digital drops, surprise releases, and unconventional album rollouts. 📰 Source Details Publication: The Mail on Sunday Issue Date: 15 July 2007 Format: Front‑page announcement + four‑page feature + physical CD insert Provenance Notes: UK national newspaper; part of Prince’s broader push toward independent distribution in the mid‑2000s. 📰 The Story The feature explores the significance of the release and the shockwaves it sent through the music industry. Key themes include: • Prince’s decision to bypass traditional retail channels • The newspaper’s claim of a world first in album distribution • The insistence that all ten tracks match the global retail edition • The commercial and cultural implications of giving away a brand‑new album • The tension between Prince’s innovative strategies and industry expectations The article positions Prince as a disruptor — an artist willing to challenge entrenched systems to reach listeners directly. Retailers and labels expressed frustration, but fans embraced the move, and the newspaper saw a dramatic spike in circulation. This moment stands as a precursor to Prince’s later experiments with online distribution, subscription models, and exclusive partnerships. 📰 Key Highlights • Major headline: Prince’s new album free inside the newspaper • Emphasis that the CD contains all 10 full‑price retail tracks • Historic claim: first time a major new album was released free with a newspaper • Four‑page feature contextualising the release and industry reaction • A defining example of Prince’s commitment to independence and innovation 📰 Related Material • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This Mail on Sunday release stands as one of the boldest distribution experiments of Prince’s career — a moment when he rewrote the rules of album release strategy and demonstrated, once again, that he would define his own path, regardless of industry norms. 📰 Tags #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #MailOnSunday #AlbumRelease #DistributionHistory #GlamSlamEscape

A rare, tightly managed interview with Prince conducted by Joachim Hentschel for The Times Saturday Review, published on July 24, 2010, during the 20Ten era — a period defined by selective press access, unconventional distribution methods, and Prince’s renewed but carefully controlled engagement with the media. 📰 Excerpt The feature captures a rare moment of proximity: Prince at home, speaking under strict no‑tech conditions — no tape recorders, no phones, no cameras — reinforcing the mystique and discipline that shaped his relationship with journalists throughout his career. 📰 Overview This edition of The Times Saturday Review places Prince at the centre of its arts‑and‑ideas coverage, signalling the cultural significance of securing such an interview in 2010. The headline “At home with Prince” suggests intimacy, but the subheading makes clear that access comes entirely on Prince’s terms. The cover’s bold, close‑up portrait anchors the page, framed by the Review’s signature layout. Around it sit teasers for other arts features — but Prince dominates the visual field, reflecting the weight of the moment. 📰 Source Details Publication: The Times — Saturday Review Issue Date: July 24, 2010 Format: Cover story + multi‑page feature Provenance Notes: UK newspaper; part of The Times’s respected weekend arts and culture section. 📰 The Story Joachim Hentschel’s interview unfolds under the strict conditions Prince demanded throughout the 2000s and 2010s: no recording devices, no note‑taking, no cameras. The conversation is reconstructed from memory — fluid, impressionistic, and shaped by Prince’s desire to control not only the message but the medium. The feature explores: • Prince’s guarded approach to the press during the 20Ten era • His unconventional distribution strategy for the 20Ten album • His views on technology, privacy, and artistic autonomy • His reflections on music, spirituality, and the industry’s shifting landscape • The atmosphere of Paisley Park and the aura of controlled access The article positions Prince as both gracious and enigmatic — a host who invites the world in only on his own terms, and a creator who remains fiercely protective of his process. 📰 Key Highlights • Main feature: “At home with Prince” • Interview conducted under strict no‑tech conditions • Prominent full‑page cover photograph • Part of The Times’s prestigious Saturday Review section • Additional arts features include Sylvain Chomet and Natalie Haynes • Reflects Prince’s enigmatic, tightly managed media presence in 2010 📰 The Times — Saturday Review feature, July 24, 2010. 📰 Related Material • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This Saturday Review cover stands as a snapshot of Prince’s 2010 persona — elusive, disciplined, and fiercely protective of his narrative. It captures the tension between access and mystery that defined his relationship with the press, offering a rare glimpse into the world he allowed so few to enter. #MusicEphemera #Prince #TheTimes #SaturdayReview #20Ten #GlamSlamEscape

Major Billboard  cover story in which Prince speaks candidly — and strategically — about the issue that defined his career: ownership . Published as he prepared to receive the 2013 Billboard Icon Award, the feature offers a rare, extended conversation with Prince at Paisley Park during the early 3RDEYEGIRL era. “I was reluctant to let you come,” Prince says, “until I heard that you’re planning to do a story about ownership.” 📰 Overview Published on January 26, 2013, this Billboard cover story marks one of Prince’s most significant interviews of the 2010s. Written by Gail Mitchell, the piece captures Prince in a fiercely articulate, philosophically charged mood — ready to discuss his decades‑long battle for artistic control, his evolving business strategies, and his renewed creative energy. The feature unfolds inside Paisley Park, where Prince is rehearsing with the newly formed 3RDEYEGIRL. It blends reportage, personal observation, and industry analysis, offering a rare look at Prince’s thinking on technology, media, and the economics of music. 📰 Source Details Publication: Billboard Issue: January 26, 2013 Format: Cover story + multi‑page feature Provenance Notes: US print edition; part of Billboard’s coverage leading up to Prince receiving the 2013 Icon Award. 📰 The Story The feature begins with Prince’s opening line — a test, a boundary, and an invitation. Mitchell travels to Minneapolis on 24 hours’ notice, unsure whether the interview will happen at all. Prince’s manager instructs her to watch The Adjustment Bureau, read a bootlegger’s Twitter feed, and study fan discourse — a pre‑interview gauntlet that signals Prince’s expectations. Inside Paisley Park, Mitchell witnesses: • Prince rehearsing with 3RDEYEGIRL — Donna Grantis, Ida Nielsen, Hannah Ford Welton • A tight, guitar‑heavy set including “What If,” “Cause and Effect,” and “She’s Always in My Hair” • Prince alternating between guitar and keyboards, shaping arrangements in real time • His mentorship style: exacting, warm, humorous, and deeply musical The interview itself is unrecorded — Prince forbids both recording devices and note‑taking. Mitchell reconstructs the conversation from memory, as many journalists before her have done. The central theme is ownership: • Prince recounts his break with Warner Bros. • His “slave” era and the Love Symbol name change • His belief that artists must control their masters, likeness, and distribution • His critique of digital platforms and media exploitation • His insistence that independence is the only path to longevity Prince frames The Adjustment Bureau as a metaphor for his fight against corporate predestination — a struggle for free will in an industry designed to limit it. The feature also touches on: • His spontaneous touring model • His vault and unreleased material • His philosophy on technology and scarcity • His selection as Billboard’s 2013 Icon Award recipient The portrait is of an artist who is both battle‑scarred and newly energized — a strategist, a teacher, a futurist, and a man still reshaping the industry around him. 📰 Key Highlights • One of Prince’s most substantial interviews of the 2010s • Deep exploration of ownership, autonomy, and industry politics • Behind‑the‑scenes access to 3RDEYEGIRL rehearsals • Insights into Prince’s mentorship, philosophy, and business strategy • Context for his 2013 Billboard Icon Award • Rare, unrecorded, memory‑reconstructed conversation 📰 Article Text Paste your cleaned transcription or selected excerpt here. (Short excerpts only — no full copyrighted reproduction.) 📰 Related Material • GlamSlamEscape entries on Prince’s ownership battles and industry strategy • GlamSlamChronicles features on 3RDEYEGIRL, Paisley Park, and the 2010s press cycle • External references on Prince’s Warner Bros. renegotiation and post‑2014 rights reclamation • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This Billboard feature stands as one of the clearest articulations of Prince’s lifelong mission: to own his work, define his path, and protect the integrity of his art. It captures him in full command — philosophical, playful, uncompromising, and utterly himself. 📰 Sources & Copyright All original text and images remain the copyright of their respective publishers and creators. This post is presented for historical, educational, and archival purposes only. #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #Billboard #Ownership #3RDEYEGIRL #GlamSlamEscape 📰 Excerpt Text Prince fights for ownership – three decades in, the battle rages on! “I was reluctant to let you come,” says the man sitting in front of me, “until I heard that you’re planning to do a story about ownership.” Gail Mitchell’s The O Word – Billboard cover story on Prince, January 26, 2013. More than three decades into his career, Prince is still selling out arenas, recording amazing music — and fighting as hard as he can for the ownership of his songs. More than three decades into his career, Prince is still selling out arena, recording amazing music — and fighting as hard as he can for the ownership of his songs Gail Mitchell “I was reluctant to let you come,” says the man sitting in front of me, “until I heard that you’re planning to do a story about ownership.” I have flown out from Los Angeles to the ice fields of Minneapolis (“Well, it’s back to the tundra,” says one of my fellow passengers as we touch down on a crisp 12-degree day) on 24 hours’ notice. I am hoping I will get a chance to discuss the spontaneous touring strategy Prince has raised to an innovative art in the last few years, as well as what plans he may have for his storehouse of unreleased material (his last album was 2010’s 20Ten). And I’m planning to talk with him about his being chosen as Billboard’s 2013 Icon honoree at the Billboard Music Awards in May. But I begin wondering how much of that we’ll get to when I get word from Prince’s manager, Julia Ramadan, that I should spend what little time I have to prepare by watching “The Adjustment Bureau” (more on this later), reading the Twitter feed of an apparent (and mysterious) Prince bootlegger and watching an online video discussion between a Prince superfan and the blogger Dr. Funkenberry. And now I’m worried that the interview I’ve come here for may not happen at all. One thing you learn quickly about Prince: He doesn’t suffer fools or folks who don’t know what they’re talking about. For the next three hours, we ricochet back and forth on a variety of topics. Later, back at my hotel, I’ll be re-creating our conversation from memory. This is how Prince interviews have unfolded for many years. He remains adamant about not allowing reporters to record their conversations with him. (“Some in the past have taken my voice and sold it,” he says. “I can’t remember the incident that triggered it and it’s probably best that I don’t.”) And he still frowns at the idea of a reporter taking notes. (“That would be just like texting.”) Later on, I will watch Prince audition a drummer. Right now, I’m involved in an audition of my own. “Let’s talk a little,” Prince says as I follow him into a second-floor conference room, “and see if we vibe first.” Without missing a beat and keeping steady eye contact, he makes a few comments about media ownership and control, then shoots out a question. How would I get the word out about, and then monetize a lyric video for, one of his new songs, “Screw Driver,” that I’d been shown a few minutes earlier? I tell him an online post will generate enough interest to get us to monetization-given the fan clamor for new Prince music, there’s a community ready to pay a nominal price to get their hands on said track. Nothing revolutionary, but Prince pauses and thinks it over. I think I may have passed the audition. It’s a 40-minute drive from the airport to the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen, Minn. As the driver makes a left turn, two stark white buildings materialize seemingly out of nowhere. Other than a small gray sign at the foot of the driveway noting the address and where trucks should make deliveries, there is no signage or any other vehicles, let alone human activity. The cabbie, hesitant as to whether we’ve found the right place, keeps the meter running for the three minutes it takes for someone to come outside and let me in. But there’s no denying the aura: This is Paisley Park. Ramadan — a tall, svelte recent USC graduate who met Prince during his run of 21 shows at the L.A. Forum and quickly ascended to management status — welcomes me and ushers me down a hallway with a light-blue carpet accented with stars and crescent moons. Album plaques line the walls. We arrive at the doorway of a cavernous soundstage, with an oddly elongated piano just outside. On it is the Love Symbol, first introduced on the 1992 album that marked his Artist Formerly Known As period. The Love Symbol is emblazoned all around Paisley Park. Once inside the soundstage, you can’t miss it hanging on the wall facing the stage. And that’s when I first see the man himself, onstage, guitar in hand, rehearsing with a female backing trio: Donna Grantis on guitar, Ida Nielsen on bass, Hannah Ford Welton on drums. The foursome is jamming tight and hard on “What If,” from contemporary Christian singer/songwriter Nichole Nordeman’s 2005 album “Brave.” (It’s about Jesus and non-believers-what if you’re right and he’s just another nice guy? But what if you’re wrong and there’s more than you ever dreamed of?) Motioning Ramadan and I to come forward as he continues to play, Prince directs us to come onstage. Lining the perimeter are assorted instruments, microphones, stereo equipment and-atop one mic stand-a cinnamon-colored wig. Prince is rehearsing with this trio for performances that he cryptically says will begin in two days. (Two days after we speak, he announces six last-minute shows at Minneapolis’ Dakota Jazz Club. Tickets for all six, ranging from $70 to $250, sell out in one morning.) The ever-slender Prince-a strikingly ever-youthful advertisement for the maxim “black don’t crack”-is garbed in yellow pants and a long, oversized button-front white-and-yellow jersey emblazoned with “MPLS” on the front. His Afro is covered by an incongruous hat in the shape of a lion. His other eye-catching accessory: wedged silver shoes adorned with periodically flashing red lights. A full-fledged rock star, even in rehearsal. Prince alternates between guitar and keyboards, and the songs they play spark to life with every touch he adds. “What If” is followed by new arrangements of two Prince songs-the springy funk-rocker “Cause and Effect” from 2010 and the vintage “Around the World in a Day” B-side “She’s Always in My Hair”-and all three songs provide a bird’s-eye view of Prince’s skills as an artist and multitasker. There’s the singer/songwriter for whom music remains a deep-rooted passion-and above all, fun. There’s the mesmerizing instrumentalist on guitar and keyboard, sounding just as improvisational, energetic and fresh as he did when he hit the scene in 1978. Then there’s also the teacher/mentor who gets off on finding and molding new talent. He suggests the drummer take a solo on the end of the last song and has the trio go back and practice the last four bars with that in mind. Despite the cavernous feeling of the room, a camaraderie and warmth permeate the premises as he and the ladies go through their paces. Signaling the end of the practice session (“We work for 15 minutes and then take a break,” he says with a chuckle), he offers his hand to help me down the stairs and I’m spirited away to another office in the Paisley Park maze. Here I meet a young man named Jason Franzen working on a computer, putting the finishing touches on a lyric video for the previously mentioned double-entendre rocker “Screw Driver.” Then it’s on to the second floor of the complex. As we’re walking down the hall to a conference room where we can sit and talk, Prince throws me for a loop: “I hear you may be writing about the ‘O’ word,” he says. It takes me a few minutes to understand what he’s referring to. There was a time in Prince’s career when “the ‘O’ word” might have had a more lascivious connotation. But the O word he’s referring to now is “ownership.” It’s been the key issue for him since the dissolution of his nearly 20-year relationship with Warner Bros. Records in 1996. That year he released a final album of new material for the label, Chaos and Disorder. The album’s subsequent lack of commercial success underscored Prince’s dissatisfaction with Warner Bros., percolating since the 1992 release of the infamous Love Symbol album. In 1993, faulting Warner’s ineffective marketing as the reason for that project’s disappointing performance, he dropped the Prince moniker, began using Love Symbol as his stage name and wrote the word “slave” on his face. Seeking to emancipate himself from a label that he believed was now stifling his artistic freedom, Prince began issuing albums in quick succession (Come, The Black Album and The Gold Experience) to speed up the end of his contractual obligations. And here’s where Prince’s request that I watch “The Adjustment Bureau” begins to make sense. The 2011 movie, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, is about a man struggling to establish his own free will, pitted against a mysterious group of grey-suited men — the Adjustment Bureau — whose job is to make sure that people follow their predestined paths. Flashback to Prince’s storied fight against Warner Bros. “It was also about Madonna,” he says. “She was getting paid, but at the time we were selling more records and selling out concerts on multiple nights. It wasn’t about her. This was about business.” Around the same time he was exiting Warner Bros., the musical visionary was setting his sights on the fledging Web. His marketing of the CD boxed set Crystal Ball as an exclusive to online consumers was ahead of its time. But since then, Prince and the Internet have engaged in a doves-cry-like love/hate relationship. The artist has launched several sites through the years, including 2009’s LotusFlow3R.com, only to shut them down and leave his fans hanging. A host of cease-and-desist orders have been handed down to fans and websites for using his image without permission. And you’ll be hard-pressed to find any classic videos or performance footage of Prince on YouTube or anywhere else on the Web. (“I have a team of female black lawyers who keep an eye on such transgressions,” Prince says. “And you know they’re sharp,” he adds with a laugh.) In recent years, he’s bundled releases like 2004’s Musicology, 2007’s Planet Earth and 2010’s 20Ten for free along with ticket purchases or in such newspapers as the Daily Mirror and the Mail. As we talk, it’s clear that Prince thinks the music business is as artistically destructive as ever. He decries radio’s airplay stranglehold and sees playlists for both terrestrial and satellite radio subject to the demands of corporate boards. He laments there’s too much gaming of the system with the cost being fewer opportunities for minority ownership and the silencing of important voices in both business and the community. Ownership is control and power. “Those are the issues that a magazine like Billboard needs to be writing about,” he says. “Billboard needs to tell the truth, shake things up.” Talk turns to his latest protégé, Andy Allo. “What does it take to get a record played these days?” he asks. He executive-produced Allo’s Superconductor (Allo Evolution), a funk and jazz romp through very Princely territory featuring Trombone Shorty and Maceo Parker and released in November. A guitarist/vocalist who joined Prince’s NPG band in 2001, she recently appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” But so far there’s no appreciable radio attention around her project. His frustration with radio restrictions dovetails into his own music and the role of indie promoters, which can be a costly endeavor. “I’m selling out multiple nights, but how come I can’t get music on the radio? You have the indie promoters and you ask, ‘Who are you and where do you come from? What are your references? And can you guarantee your work [getting airplay]? No. But I have to make sure and guarantee mine, right?’” — a possible allusion to the no-pay, no-play gambit that most associate with the indie arena. We turn to compulsory licensing, long a pet peeve of his. The compulsory was actually codified in 1909, mostly governing piano rolls. By the 1930s, record labels were using the compulsory to pay a statutory rate on songs. While that rate has grown over the years, the fundamental dynamics of how the compulsory allows for the licensing of songs has not. Prince says he doesn’t understand why people want to cover someone else’s songs. In the moment, I don’t think to mention the 1996 Emancipation album features his covers of “Betcha by Golly Wow!” and “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” but I do point out that he sometimes plays covers during his performances. “I do pay performance royalties on others’ songs I perform live, but I’m not recording these songs and putting them up for sale,” he says. “Why do we need to hear another cover of a song someone else did? Art is about building a new foundation, not just laying something on top of what’s already there.” At this point he references Maroon 5’s cover of his “Kiss,” letting it be known he wasn’t thrilled by it. The group released the cover as a bonus track on the deluxe version of its 2012 Overexposed album. However, the deluxe version on iTunes no longer includes the “Kiss” cover. A source close to the situation says that Maroon 5 removed the cover when it learned that Prince didn’t approve. (Maroon 5 representatives were unable to clarify this point at press time.) When I bring the discussion around to his being chosen as Billboard’s 2013 Icon honoree, attempting to get him to reflect on what’s been a remarkable career, he downplays the situation. “I thank Billboard for giving me this honor. It’s always nice to be recognized for what we’ve done here,” he says. “But I’m all about moving forward.” Beyond finding and introducing new talent — like Allo, or the backing trio he was rehearsing with when I arrived — moving forward also means projects like the documentary he’s working on about bassist Larry Graham, who’s played with Sly & the Family Stone, Graham Central Station and Prince himself. Taking me into another room down the hall — where a tabletop is temptingly laden with CDs of various songs — he pops in the documentary and gives me a peak of the rough cut. The planned 83-minute film is full of performance footage from such ’70s shows at “Midnight Special,” vintage photos and commentary from Graham. Halfway completed, the project has hit an impasse, and ownership is again the issue: Some $500,000 is needed to clear Graham songs that Prince wants to integrate into the story. “Some of these songs have been sitting on the shelf for years and they’ve done nothing with them. Now this.” Before heading back downstairs, I spy a large, nearly floor-to-ceiling white cage across the hall. At first it appears empty so I’m wondering just what kind of animal it had contained. Approaching closer, I can see white doves, at least four or five of them, chilling inside. Their coos echo ethereally through the building as I descend the stairs. We return to the same soundstage, where a young man named Ronald Bruner Jr. who looks no more than 30 is waiting to audition as a drummer. He explains he hails from Compton, Calif., and grew up playing to recordings by everyone from John Coltrane to Led Zeppelin. Settled behind the same drum kit as Hannah Ford Welton was playing earlier, Bruner proceeds to give the kit a fierce workout on improvised jazz- and funk-vibed tracks led by a female keyboardist named Cassandra O’Neal and bassist Andrew Gouche with Prince sliding in signature guitar licks of his own after standing off to the side and taking in Bruner’s vibe. You can tell by Prince’s face that he’s pleased by the audition. And then it’s back to the conference room, where we talk about the recent leak of unreleased Prince material. A mysterious person with the Twitter handle 3rdeyegirl (whose Twitter bio describes her as an “International Art Thief ”) was posting links — since removed — to new material. Was this a publicity stunt or Prince himself? He counters that it was indeed a bootlegger. But why then is 3rdeyegirl’s Twitter avatar pasted on the face of the drum kit on the soundstage I’ve seen him rehearsing on? Prince says it’s just the girls (his backing trio and Ramadan) poking fun at the situation. “As a band, they don’t even have a name. They’re not 3rdeye.” So is a new album in the offing — the hope of many fans, as evidenced by responses following a recent Spree.com chat between super fan and TV/radio announcer Seth Everett and Prince blogger Dr. Funkenberry? Prince dismisses that notion — for now at least. “That kind of album talk always comes up when something leaks,” he says. “But I don’t do albums anymore — I don’t have a deal. I do songs.” Will he be releasing those songs online? “If my fans want this, they will tell me what to do and how much they want to pay.” The consensus of fans who participated in the chat-cast is that they’d be willing to spend money on his music if an equitable online solution could be determined. And indeed, a new site, 20PR1NC3.com, is being readied as we speak. The plan is for it to tease future projects — music, videos — for purchase. Prince talks about playing new songs at his upcoming shows and relying less on his previous heavy ratio of hits. (Reviews of the first Dakota shows have the set lists running toward jams.) He also wants to reopen Paisley Park for concerts, as he’s done in years past. He wants fans to get up close and personal, tossing out the idea of inviting two to four partygoers at a time to sit onstage with him and his band and feel what he feels from the music. “2013 is just about introducing talented, young musicians and doing something different musically,” he says. Speaking of young, from Ramadan to the auditioning drummer and his female backing trio, the 54-year-old Gemini is surrounding himself with and drawing inspiration from the next generation. “I don’t talk to old people,” he says. That’s because even as things are quickly changing, “they try to find ways to stay static. Young folks are the ones with the ideas and constantly moving forward.” Three hours later, our chat is winding down. I ask Prince what he has planned for the evening. He considers taking the musicians into town so they can jump on a couple of jam sessions. If so, he says he’ll give me a shout to see if I want to tag along (unfortunately, that shout doesn’t happen). In the meantime, he takes me back downstairs through the kitchen where Ramadan is ready to take me to the hotel. He asks her to order me dinner to be delivered to my room. I must say Houlihan’s cooks a mean salmon steak. In the meantime, as the underground garage door shuts on the Paisley Park complex, I come away with more questions than answers. Is there a new album in the works? Is Prince considering a return engagement on the Internet? Where does he house that storied vault of songs? There’s only one person in control who knows: Prince. Thanking me for our chat as we leave the conference room, he can’t resist one last double-check: “You didn’t record this, right?” Billboard January 26, 2013

A twelve‑page V Magazine feature and cover story capturing Prince in the midst of his 3RDEYEGIRL era — a period defined by late‑night shows, guitar‑heavy reinvention, and a renewed willingness to speak (briefly, intensely) to the press. 📰 Excerpt Nearly forty years into his career, Prince is still playing two shows a night, still reinventing himself, and still preaching — at 2 a.m. — about sex, religion, and rock and roll. This feature follows him backstage, onstage, and into the philosophical spaces where his music is born. 📰 Overview Published on September 10, 2013, this V Magazine issue presents Prince through the lens of high fashion and high voltage performance. Photographed by Inez & Vinoodh and styled by Melanie Ward, the editorial frames him as both timeless icon and contemporary force — a musician in full command of his image, his band, and his message. The accompanying profile by Vanessa Grigoriadis captures Prince in motion: touring with 3RDEYEGIRL, playing marathon sets, enforcing strict no‑phone policies, and exploring a harder, rock‑leaning sound. The feature positions him as a figure who remains mysterious not because he hides, but because he refuses to dilute himself. 📰 Source Details Publication: V Magazine Issue: Fall Preview Issue (No. 84) Date: September 10, 2013 Format: Cover story + twelve‑page feature Provenance Notes: US fashion and culture magazine; part of V’s tradition of spotlighting boundary‑breaking artists. 📰 The Story The feature opens at the City National Grove of Anaheim, where Prince is performing two full sets in one night. He tells the writer he feels more energized after the second show — a testament to his stamina and his deep connection to live performance. The article explores: • His strict no‑phone policy, enforced with zero negotiation • His evolving look — a tight Afro, a black bodysuit with white lines, a spider‑like silhouette • His complicated relationship with technology and digital culture • His duality as a devout Jehovah’s Witness and a writer of erotic, spiritually charged music • His refusal to conform to labels around gender, sexuality, genre, or identity • His creative sanctuary at Paisley Park, including the legendary vault • His shift toward a rock‑driven sound with 3RDEYEGIRL, including songs like “Screwdriver” • His stripped‑down reinterpretations of classics such as “Raspberry Beret,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Computer Blue” The profile paints a portrait of an artist who is both intensely private and intensely present — a man who controls his environment completely, yet gives everything onstage. 📰 Key Highlights • Twelve‑page feature with photography by Inez & Vinoodh • Fashion direction by Melanie Ward • In‑depth profile by Vanessa Grigoriadis • Behind‑the‑scenes look at Prince’s 3RDEYEGIRL tour • Exploration of his philosophy on technology, spirituality, and performance • Rock‑focused reinterpretations of classic songs • Rare mid‑2010s interview during a period of creative resurgence 📰 Visual Archive all pages are listed at the bottom of the post Caption V Magazine — Cover and twelve‑page feature, September 10, 2013. 📰 Article Text Paste your cleaned transcription or selected excerpt here. (Short excerpts only — no full copyrighted reproduction.) 📰 Related Material • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This V Magazine feature captures Prince at a moment of raw power — a performer pushing himself harder than ever, a philosopher wrestling with modernity, and a fashion icon whose image remains as controlled and compelling as his music. It stands as one of the defining documents of his 2010s renaissance. 📰 Sources & Copyright All original text and images remain the copyright of their respective publishers and creators. This post is presented for historical, educational, and archival purposes only. 📰 Tags #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #VMagazine #3RDEYEGIRL #GlamSlamEscapeNEARLY 40 YEARS INTO HIS CAREER, PRINCE IS STILL CHURNING OUT MIND-BLOWING MUSIC. CURRENTLY PLAYING TWO SHOWS A NIGHT WHILE ON TOUR WITH HIS NEW BAND, 3RDEYEGIRL, THE ICON TAKES A MOMENT (AT 2 AM) TO SERMONIZE ON SEX, RELIGION, AND ROCK AND ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY INEZ & VINOODH FASHION MELANIE WARD TEXT VANESSA GRIGORIADIS It's no sweat for Prince to play two sets a night, as he does this evening at the 1,700-seat City National Grove of Anaheim California. IIe tells me that if anything he's more energized after the second show, not less. Both shows stretch to a delicious two hours, as the crowd, in blowouts and Vegas-style cocktail dresses (it's worth dressing up for Prince, even in California), screams and sings along with glee. The only tense moment comes when we file into the theater and a security guard says, "No cameras, no cellphones-don't even take them out of your pocket. Tonight, we're not asking, we're just escorting." I ask her what that means. "If we see you with your phone out, we're not going to ask what you're doing-you're just gone." This demand might seem extreme coming from the Purple One-a very young-looking 55, with a tight Afro instead of his usual loose curls, clad in a black bodysuit with white lines that makes him look like a spider-but in fact it's not out of character. You could argue that Prince was an carly adopter of phone-text-speak ("I Would Die 4 U" and all that), but he's eschewed the PR opportunities afforded by the latest tech almost completely, refusing to put his videos on YouTube and offering new music mostly for sale on his websites. And in part by making himself so unavailable, he's remained as mysterious as ever. Prince has always refused any label the world wants to slap on him. A devout Jehovah's Witness since 2001, he writes music that is explicit about both Jesus and sexual desire. IIc's a black man with light skin who usually dresses in clothes that seem inspired by female icons, from Twiggy to Marie Antoinette. A heterosexual man who deeply worships sexually confident women, he nonetheless wants to dominate them. Prince keeps his private life private: he's usually either on the road or at Paisley Park, his $10 million compound in the suburbs of his hometown of Minneapolis, with multiple recording studios, wardrobe rooms, a video-editing suite, a sound stage, production offices, rehearsal arcas, and "the vault," which includes his extensive library of unreleased recordings. Tonight's show is a lot less about pop, R&B, and funk than his music has been in the past-in fact, he's playing rock, like his new song "Screwdriver," and doing guitar-heavy, stripped down versions of his old hits, including "Raspberry Beret," "When Doves Cry," and "Computer Blue." for which the stage is suffused in blue light. For this tour he's backed by 3RDEYEGIRL, a new rock band that he assembled himself. It's made up of Danish bassist Ida Nielsen, wearing pigtails, blonde Chicago College

A major MOJO cover story from April 2014 (Issue 245), spotlighting Prince during a period of renewed visibility, surprise releases, and a revitalised public presence. 📰 Excerpt The feature captures Prince in full command — playful, sharp, and musically restless — offering rare insight into his creative mindset at a moment when he was reasserting his place in the contemporary music landscape. 📰 Overview Published in April 2014, this MOJO issue places Prince front and centre with the headline “Exclusive Interview — Prince Rocks!” The cover image — Prince gripping a guitar, staring directly into the lens — underscores the magazine’s framing of him as a rock force, not merely a pop icon. The issue arrives during a period of renewed activity: surprise singles, spontaneous live shows, and a more open relationship with the press. MOJO uses this moment to explore his evolving sound, his shifting public persona, and the creative energy surrounding his 2014 output. Alongside the Prince feature, the issue includes a free CD and a broad slate of articles on artists such as Captain Beefheart, Aztec Camera, Pete Seeger, My Morning Jacket, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Neneh Cherry — a reminder of MOJO’s eclectic editorial range. 📰 Source Details Publication: MOJO: The Music Magazine Issue: No. 245 Date: April 2014 Format: Cover story + multi‑page interview Provenance Notes: UK print edition; part of MOJO’s long‑running tradition of deep, archival‑minded artist profiles. 📰 The Story The feature presents Prince in a candid, energized mood. It highlights: • His renewed engagement with the press after years of distance • His creative resurgence, including new recordings and surprise releases • His guitar‑driven approach during this era, emphasising rock power and live immediacy • His reflections on independence, control, and artistic evolution • The excitement surrounding his 2014 performances and public re‑emergence The interview positions Prince as both legend and contemporary force — an artist uninterested in nostalgia and fully invested in the present moment. His comments reveal a blend of humour, confidence, and philosophical clarity, offering a rare window into his thinking during this transitional period. 📰 Key Highlights • Exclusive interview with Prince during his 2014 creative resurgence • Focus on his guitar work, live shows, and evolving sound • Insight into his renewed public presence and media engagement • Contextual placement alongside MOJO’s eclectic music journalism • Cover image reinforcing Prince’s rock credentials and intensity 📰 Related Material • GlamSlamEscape entries on Prince’s 2014 resurgence and live performances • GlamSlamChronicles features on magazine interviews and mid‑2010s press cycles • External references on Prince’s 2014 releases and public re‑engagement • Explore the tags below for connected eras and themes. 📰 Closing Notes This MOJO issue captures Prince at a moment of renewed fire — a period when he was reclaiming the spotlight on his own terms, blending rock ferocity with creative reinvention. It stands as one of the defining documents of his mid‑2010s resurgence. 📰 Sources & Copyright All original text and images remain the copyright of their respective publishers and creators. This post is presented for historical, educational, and archival purposes only. 📰 Tags #GlamSlamChronicles #MusicEphemera #Prince #MOJO #2010sPrince #GlamSlamEscape