Re-up on that albums link?
Chris Rock and Talib and others were at at Brooklyn Bl but I went home.
Chris Rock and Talib and others were at at Brooklyn Bl but I went home.
Breaking: PRINCE DEAD AT 57
- Thread starter Spectrum
- Start date
SONGS ABOUT DOIN' IT
i don't know if any Prince song isn't about sex, or at least doesn't contain some secret panel you can access to get to sex. Maybe "Money Doesn't Matter Tonight," sure, but even then that might be Prince reminding you that you're broke, and that's fine, because what you should be worried about is your soul. Your soul, by the way, lost its pants twenty minutes ago, and-- why yes, those are rose petals on the bed. For you. For you.
The rose petals might just be implied, or right around the corner. Not every Prince song was about sex, and not every song he had about sex was just about sex. You can talk about those, sure, especially the ones treading the sex/divinity channel usually highlighted when people write about sex in music.
There are plenty of those, sure. "Adore" is one, even if it does carve out a clear contractual exception for Prince's car as being the one thing your spiritual passions cannot destroy on this earthly plane. "Saviour," or "When 2 R In Love", or like fifteen other songs toe that line between the bedroom and chapel. A lot of other musicians have done that, but Prince did it best because he was pretty much the best at anything he tried.*
*This is a pattern you'll read a lot about when discussing Prince, right down to stories of this tennis prowess or ability to play instruments you didn't even know he could play.
I don't really care about those song as much I care about the ones about, you know: sex, as in the thing Prince is talking in extremely explicit detail about on "Head," or "Dirty Mind," or "Erotic City," or even "Little Red Corvette." (Hi, remember the time Prince got a song about a lady who had used condoms on her person on the radio during the Reagan administration? You do now.) The songs where sex began first and foremost with the unapologetically physical, and didn't rise too much beyond it, and didn't really need to once the hook came around a second time. The songs that came dangerously close to being educational, like "Darling Nikki," the song that for a generation of young men taught them the startling lesson that women could jack off, too.*
*Southern public school educations made this particularly startling for some more than others.
He could express in a few words not just a desire, but the kind of specific desire you didn't even know there were words for. "If I Was Your Girlfriend" alone has thirty variations on erotic infatuation so personal and accurate they hurt with the pain of instant recognition-- the overexplanation, the anxiety of need, the transformation of boring little activities into fraught little erotic episodes. The inability to resist any of it in the moment, because sex just does that whether you want it to or not, and forces you to have nervous little conversations with yourself.
If I was your girlfriend
Baby can I dress U
I mean, help U pick out your clothes
Before we go out (If I was your girlfriend)
Listen girl, I ain't sayin you're helpless
But sometimes, sometimes
Those are the things that bein' in love's about (sugar)
The other thing about "If I Was Your Girlfriend" is its completely rubbery understanding of gender. Three lines in and I'm not really sure where Prince is on any gender spectrum, or who he's addressing specifically other than someone who excites him a a molecular level, sexually speaking. He's nervous, he's confident, he's talking too much and then maybe not enough, all over the place in a level of honesty about sex and being completely infatuated with someone that I'm not sure many people really ever reach. He's fucked up by sex, and really excited about it, and then discombobulated by it all over again in a universal way I'm not sure you can pin down as either masculine or feminine.
Prince's music that was mostly, exclusively about sex is also brutally honest-- or, depending on your taste, outright obscene. For instance: this is where "Let's Pretend We're Married" starts.
Excuse me but I need a mouth like yours
That's where it starts! It goes downhill or uphill from there, depending on your tastes, but don't for one second deny that some percentage of that feeling describes a very particular and intense and mostly universal moment in life. There's also a line about Marsha in that song that is, by any Human Resources standard, a violation of your company's policies on sexual language in the workplace, but all of it isn't just filth for filth's sake. It's obscenity with purpose, and that purpose is to have mind-altering sex in terms Prince could not make clearer. (Like, on an anatomical level.)
Prince was the one who could not only say this, but make it luminesce with the immediacy of the moment that felt like sex itself. Prince could articulate things about sex that you didn't even know you felt, and then deliver with complete conviction. You didn't know you wanted to be someone's mother and their sister, but you've been there, in the moment when desire loosens all but the last finger's grip on sanity or reason. You may not playfully joke about hearing a girl's dress rip when she sits down, but then insist that was a good thing, but Prince could. He could do that and make it seem outright affectionate.
(For the record: you, whomever you are, should never, ever try this in real life. You are not Prince.)
Prince could do all of this in a song about sex, and still perform one more astonishing leap from the ear to the central nervous system. He could be as immediate as sex itself, and joyful and nervous and as freaky, and do all that for anyone listening regardless of identity. It's so hard to write about sex without immediately cordoning off a thousand different seating sections of taste and alignment, but Prince did it, and did it with ease. He did it with joy.
A friend and I were talking about Prince yesterday. She said "I think he taught me how to be gay." I wrote back, "That's weird, because I think he taught me how to be straight." Neither of us are wrong, but it goes beyond Prince just being the nation's unofficial sex ed teacher for three decades. It's not just that he wrote about sex in a completely different grammar than anyone else. Prince invented his own, which is the sneakiest way of Prince creeping into every bedroom of everyone who ever listened to his music. Not that anyone's complaining. These rose petals and candles: just like sex, they're for you, lover. For you.
i don't know if any Prince song isn't about sex, or at least doesn't contain some secret panel you can access to get to sex. Maybe "Money Doesn't Matter Tonight," sure, but even then that might be Prince reminding you that you're broke, and that's fine, because what you should be worried about is your soul. Your soul, by the way, lost its pants twenty minutes ago, and-- why yes, those are rose petals on the bed. For you. For you.
The rose petals might just be implied, or right around the corner. Not every Prince song was about sex, and not every song he had about sex was just about sex. You can talk about those, sure, especially the ones treading the sex/divinity channel usually highlighted when people write about sex in music.
There are plenty of those, sure. "Adore" is one, even if it does carve out a clear contractual exception for Prince's car as being the one thing your spiritual passions cannot destroy on this earthly plane. "Saviour," or "When 2 R In Love", or like fifteen other songs toe that line between the bedroom and chapel. A lot of other musicians have done that, but Prince did it best because he was pretty much the best at anything he tried.*
*This is a pattern you'll read a lot about when discussing Prince, right down to stories of this tennis prowess or ability to play instruments you didn't even know he could play.
I don't really care about those song as much I care about the ones about, you know: sex, as in the thing Prince is talking in extremely explicit detail about on "Head," or "Dirty Mind," or "Erotic City," or even "Little Red Corvette." (Hi, remember the time Prince got a song about a lady who had used condoms on her person on the radio during the Reagan administration? You do now.) The songs where sex began first and foremost with the unapologetically physical, and didn't rise too much beyond it, and didn't really need to once the hook came around a second time. The songs that came dangerously close to being educational, like "Darling Nikki," the song that for a generation of young men taught them the startling lesson that women could jack off, too.*
*Southern public school educations made this particularly startling for some more than others.
He could express in a few words not just a desire, but the kind of specific desire you didn't even know there were words for. "If I Was Your Girlfriend" alone has thirty variations on erotic infatuation so personal and accurate they hurt with the pain of instant recognition-- the overexplanation, the anxiety of need, the transformation of boring little activities into fraught little erotic episodes. The inability to resist any of it in the moment, because sex just does that whether you want it to or not, and forces you to have nervous little conversations with yourself.
If I was your girlfriend
Baby can I dress U
I mean, help U pick out your clothes
Before we go out (If I was your girlfriend)
Listen girl, I ain't sayin you're helpless
But sometimes, sometimes
Those are the things that bein' in love's about (sugar)
The other thing about "If I Was Your Girlfriend" is its completely rubbery understanding of gender. Three lines in and I'm not really sure where Prince is on any gender spectrum, or who he's addressing specifically other than someone who excites him a a molecular level, sexually speaking. He's nervous, he's confident, he's talking too much and then maybe not enough, all over the place in a level of honesty about sex and being completely infatuated with someone that I'm not sure many people really ever reach. He's fucked up by sex, and really excited about it, and then discombobulated by it all over again in a universal way I'm not sure you can pin down as either masculine or feminine.
Prince's music that was mostly, exclusively about sex is also brutally honest-- or, depending on your taste, outright obscene. For instance: this is where "Let's Pretend We're Married" starts.
Excuse me but I need a mouth like yours
That's where it starts! It goes downhill or uphill from there, depending on your tastes, but don't for one second deny that some percentage of that feeling describes a very particular and intense and mostly universal moment in life. There's also a line about Marsha in that song that is, by any Human Resources standard, a violation of your company's policies on sexual language in the workplace, but all of it isn't just filth for filth's sake. It's obscenity with purpose, and that purpose is to have mind-altering sex in terms Prince could not make clearer. (Like, on an anatomical level.)
Prince was the one who could not only say this, but make it luminesce with the immediacy of the moment that felt like sex itself. Prince could articulate things about sex that you didn't even know you felt, and then deliver with complete conviction. You didn't know you wanted to be someone's mother and their sister, but you've been there, in the moment when desire loosens all but the last finger's grip on sanity or reason. You may not playfully joke about hearing a girl's dress rip when she sits down, but then insist that was a good thing, but Prince could. He could do that and make it seem outright affectionate.
(For the record: you, whomever you are, should never, ever try this in real life. You are not Prince.)
Prince could do all of this in a song about sex, and still perform one more astonishing leap from the ear to the central nervous system. He could be as immediate as sex itself, and joyful and nervous and as freaky, and do all that for anyone listening regardless of identity. It's so hard to write about sex without immediately cordoning off a thousand different seating sections of taste and alignment, but Prince did it, and did it with ease. He did it with joy.
A friend and I were talking about Prince yesterday. She said "I think he taught me how to be gay." I wrote back, "That's weird, because I think he taught me how to be straight." Neither of us are wrong, but it goes beyond Prince just being the nation's unofficial sex ed teacher for three decades. It's not just that he wrote about sex in a completely different grammar than anyone else. Prince invented his own, which is the sneakiest way of Prince creeping into every bedroom of everyone who ever listened to his music. Not that anyone's complaining. These rose petals and candles: just like sex, they're for you, lover. For you.
Never heard that Creep version. wow
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...he-greatest-recording-artist-of-all-time.html
STEREO WILLIAMS
NOTHING COMPARES 2 U
04.21.16 9:22 PM ET
There Will Never Be Another Like Prince, the Greatest Recording Artist of All Time
Prince Rogers Nelson was—and still is—the gold standard of artistry. A brilliant guitarist, bassist, arranger, and producer, he was more than a visionary. He was an entity unto himself.
Prince’s death gutted music fans everywhere. The iconic musician became synonymous with music over a four-decade-long career that challenged convention and championed freedom—and he became a benchmark for any artist who believes themselves driven by creativity and unwilling to relinquish control. But with his passing, there is something that needs to be stated, once and for all. Whatever your preferred genre of music—you need to understand something:
We just lost the greatest recording artist of all time.
The world is devastated, shocked, and stunned. The biggest icons in music, sports, and even the president of the United States reacted with sorrow and disbelief when it was announced that Prince had died. But this is more than just the death of a popular artist. We lost the gold standard for artistry. We lost the man who was the living, breathing embodiment of everything you could want an artist to be.
Prince’s humble beginnings in Minneapolis, living home-to-home after his parents’ divorce as he began writing and playing his own music around the city, was shrouded in secrecy and half-truths for much of his career. But his father forged his love of music and his mother encouraged his passions; and he began working with childhood friend Andre Anderson (aka Andre Cymone), eventually landing a management deal with businessman Owen Husney and a subsequent contract with Warner Bros.
His debut, For You, would be recorded in L.A. and released to little fanfare in 1978—although “Soft and Wet” would become an R&B hit. Prince was more fully formed on his self-titled sophomore album, moving past the futuristic disco-influenced funk of his debut for a more dense combination of funk, hard rock, and pop. It set the stage for what would be a decade of dominance.
In the 1980s, he released music at a relentless pace: nine official Prince studio albums, two releases from his funk-jazz side project Madhouse, three albums from the Time (which featured mostly Prince’s production and playing), the lone 1985 album from his Time follow-up The Family, various recordings by MAZARATI, another side project—plus bootlegs like The Black Album and scattered recordings from the abandoned, original 1987 Crystal Ball project. It’s an insane amount of content from an artist at his commercial peak—at which Prince certainly was from 1980 to 1989. In the midst of all that music, he was still touring, released two feature films (Purple Rain and Under the Cherry Moon) and managed to shepherd the career or contribute to hits by artists like The Bangles, Sheena Easton, Stevie Nicks, and Sheila E.
His list of musical collaborators has become a famous part of his legend; Andre Cymone, Doctor Fink, Bobby Z, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, Dez Dickerson, Sheila E., Eric Leeds, Tommy Barberella, Rosie Gaines, Sonny T, Ida Neilson, Hannah Welton, and a host of others all contributed to Prince’s tremendous body of work at various points in his career. But there was never any doubt that his vision and creativity was what drove his art and performances. Prince was an entity unto himself and anyone who worked with him was pulled into his orbit.
He started the ’90s on just as much of a tear. He released the movie Graffiti Bridge and its accompanying soundtrack, the hugely successful Diamonds and Pearls album and Love Symbol Album within a two-year stretch. His battles with Warner Bros. famously curtailed his output after 1993, as he dropped his famous moniker for an unpronounceable symbol and released the music he wanted to release—as his former label churned out leftovers like Come and Chaos & Disorder. By 1996, he was finally free from Warner—and in true Prince fashion, his first release, the pointedly-titledEmancipation, was a triple disc, quasi-concept album. He followed it two years later with another triple album, named Crystal Ball but different in conception than the aborted project from the late 1980s. His commercial standing had slipped, but his artistic output never wavered and he didn’t seem to mind that Prince singles weren’t dominating the radio anymore. Prince’s muse was his music. Fuck if you like it. Fuck if the label likes it.
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His personal life had always been a well-documented aspect of his intensely private public persona. His female companions have almost become the musical equivalent of “Bond Girls”: from Vanity to Apollonia to Susannah Melvoin to Susanna Hoffs to Carmen Electra—his infamous libido became almost as talked-about as his music. But with Prince, these women were never presented like ornaments or trophies—they were collaborators, muses, and peers. His adoration of women didn’t come across as hedonistic or exploitative; Prince related to women in a way that most male artists of his popularity and visibility never seemed to.
That persona—his willingness to tear down gender norms and traditional ideas of sexuality—became his calling card. In an era when rock stars were known for displaying women in cages and R&B singers mostly turned women into prizes to pursue, Prince offered a more complex, conflicted, and intriguing depiction of the sexes. He loved women. Women loved him. But he always made seduction a two-way affair, and, with songs like “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” he made it clear that he was just as willing to be his woman’s muse.
He was as prolific as anyone who’s ever set foot in a recording studio, as proficient as anyone who’s ever decided to pick up an instrument. He wasn’t satisfied with being a great singer—he was a great guitarist, great bassist, great arranger, and a brilliant producer. There is no one whose music saturated their peak period in the same way anddelivered that music without a stellar set of musicians or a genius producer directing the show. The Beatles can’t say that. Michael Jackson can’t say that. Bob Dylan can’t say that. Even the genius of luminaries like Miles Davis and John Coltrane is linked to people like Sonny Rollins, Paul Chambers, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, Elvin Jones, and Jon McLaughlin—not to mention each other.
Prince stands as a unique figure, in that regard. A largely self-contained genius who was bursting with creativity. His musical influence stretches through everything since 1980, from the funk-rock riffs of Lenny Kravitz to the percolating beats of the Neptunes. You can hear Prince in Janet Jackson’s ’80s music (via her producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis—former members of the Time and Prince protégés) and you can hear Prince in the INXS hits of the same period—with their combination of rock riffs and danceable grooves. Prince is everywhere.
Which is what made this news so hard for so many. We lost so much today because he’s given us so much for so long. He was always cool; showing up enough to maintain his visibility, but always allowing his mystique to define his public image. Fans know of his personal losses; the death of his newborn son in 1996 and his failed marriages were things that he chose to keep private—or at least as private as he could. But he never leaned on the public for his own sense of purpose or self. He trusted who he was. And we trusted him without demanding he show us more.
It’s a sad day for music. Because we’ve just lost the best. We’ve lost the artist who set the standard for what brilliance should mean. It should mean not giving a shit if your fans don’t always get it or if you release too much; and committing yourself to always delivering a stellar performance for anyone who sees you on a stage. It means loving music like it’s the only thing in the world that matters.
There will never be another one like Prince Rogers Nelson. The beautiful ones you always seem to lose.
STEREO WILLIAMS
NOTHING COMPARES 2 U
04.21.16 9:22 PM ET
There Will Never Be Another Like Prince, the Greatest Recording Artist of All Time
Prince Rogers Nelson was—and still is—the gold standard of artistry. A brilliant guitarist, bassist, arranger, and producer, he was more than a visionary. He was an entity unto himself.
Prince’s death gutted music fans everywhere. The iconic musician became synonymous with music over a four-decade-long career that challenged convention and championed freedom—and he became a benchmark for any artist who believes themselves driven by creativity and unwilling to relinquish control. But with his passing, there is something that needs to be stated, once and for all. Whatever your preferred genre of music—you need to understand something:
We just lost the greatest recording artist of all time.
The world is devastated, shocked, and stunned. The biggest icons in music, sports, and even the president of the United States reacted with sorrow and disbelief when it was announced that Prince had died. But this is more than just the death of a popular artist. We lost the gold standard for artistry. We lost the man who was the living, breathing embodiment of everything you could want an artist to be.
Prince’s humble beginnings in Minneapolis, living home-to-home after his parents’ divorce as he began writing and playing his own music around the city, was shrouded in secrecy and half-truths for much of his career. But his father forged his love of music and his mother encouraged his passions; and he began working with childhood friend Andre Anderson (aka Andre Cymone), eventually landing a management deal with businessman Owen Husney and a subsequent contract with Warner Bros.
His debut, For You, would be recorded in L.A. and released to little fanfare in 1978—although “Soft and Wet” would become an R&B hit. Prince was more fully formed on his self-titled sophomore album, moving past the futuristic disco-influenced funk of his debut for a more dense combination of funk, hard rock, and pop. It set the stage for what would be a decade of dominance.
In the 1980s, he released music at a relentless pace: nine official Prince studio albums, two releases from his funk-jazz side project Madhouse, three albums from the Time (which featured mostly Prince’s production and playing), the lone 1985 album from his Time follow-up The Family, various recordings by MAZARATI, another side project—plus bootlegs like The Black Album and scattered recordings from the abandoned, original 1987 Crystal Ball project. It’s an insane amount of content from an artist at his commercial peak—at which Prince certainly was from 1980 to 1989. In the midst of all that music, he was still touring, released two feature films (Purple Rain and Under the Cherry Moon) and managed to shepherd the career or contribute to hits by artists like The Bangles, Sheena Easton, Stevie Nicks, and Sheila E.
His list of musical collaborators has become a famous part of his legend; Andre Cymone, Doctor Fink, Bobby Z, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, Dez Dickerson, Sheila E., Eric Leeds, Tommy Barberella, Rosie Gaines, Sonny T, Ida Neilson, Hannah Welton, and a host of others all contributed to Prince’s tremendous body of work at various points in his career. But there was never any doubt that his vision and creativity was what drove his art and performances. Prince was an entity unto himself and anyone who worked with him was pulled into his orbit.
He started the ’90s on just as much of a tear. He released the movie Graffiti Bridge and its accompanying soundtrack, the hugely successful Diamonds and Pearls album and Love Symbol Album within a two-year stretch. His battles with Warner Bros. famously curtailed his output after 1993, as he dropped his famous moniker for an unpronounceable symbol and released the music he wanted to release—as his former label churned out leftovers like Come and Chaos & Disorder. By 1996, he was finally free from Warner—and in true Prince fashion, his first release, the pointedly-titledEmancipation, was a triple disc, quasi-concept album. He followed it two years later with another triple album, named Crystal Ball but different in conception than the aborted project from the late 1980s. His commercial standing had slipped, but his artistic output never wavered and he didn’t seem to mind that Prince singles weren’t dominating the radio anymore. Prince’s muse was his music. Fuck if you like it. Fuck if the label likes it.
ADVERTISEMENT
His personal life had always been a well-documented aspect of his intensely private public persona. His female companions have almost become the musical equivalent of “Bond Girls”: from Vanity to Apollonia to Susannah Melvoin to Susanna Hoffs to Carmen Electra—his infamous libido became almost as talked-about as his music. But with Prince, these women were never presented like ornaments or trophies—they were collaborators, muses, and peers. His adoration of women didn’t come across as hedonistic or exploitative; Prince related to women in a way that most male artists of his popularity and visibility never seemed to.
That persona—his willingness to tear down gender norms and traditional ideas of sexuality—became his calling card. In an era when rock stars were known for displaying women in cages and R&B singers mostly turned women into prizes to pursue, Prince offered a more complex, conflicted, and intriguing depiction of the sexes. He loved women. Women loved him. But he always made seduction a two-way affair, and, with songs like “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” he made it clear that he was just as willing to be his woman’s muse.
He was as prolific as anyone who’s ever set foot in a recording studio, as proficient as anyone who’s ever decided to pick up an instrument. He wasn’t satisfied with being a great singer—he was a great guitarist, great bassist, great arranger, and a brilliant producer. There is no one whose music saturated their peak period in the same way anddelivered that music without a stellar set of musicians or a genius producer directing the show. The Beatles can’t say that. Michael Jackson can’t say that. Bob Dylan can’t say that. Even the genius of luminaries like Miles Davis and John Coltrane is linked to people like Sonny Rollins, Paul Chambers, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Tony Williams, Ron Carter, Elvin Jones, and Jon McLaughlin—not to mention each other.
Prince stands as a unique figure, in that regard. A largely self-contained genius who was bursting with creativity. His musical influence stretches through everything since 1980, from the funk-rock riffs of Lenny Kravitz to the percolating beats of the Neptunes. You can hear Prince in Janet Jackson’s ’80s music (via her producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis—former members of the Time and Prince protégés) and you can hear Prince in the INXS hits of the same period—with their combination of rock riffs and danceable grooves. Prince is everywhere.
Which is what made this news so hard for so many. We lost so much today because he’s given us so much for so long. He was always cool; showing up enough to maintain his visibility, but always allowing his mystique to define his public image. Fans know of his personal losses; the death of his newborn son in 1996 and his failed marriages were things that he chose to keep private—or at least as private as he could. But he never leaned on the public for his own sense of purpose or self. He trusted who he was. And we trusted him without demanding he show us more.
It’s a sad day for music. Because we’ve just lost the best. We’ve lost the artist who set the standard for what brilliance should mean. It should mean not giving a shit if your fans don’t always get it or if you release too much; and committing yourself to always delivering a stellar performance for anyone who sees you on a stage. It means loving music like it’s the only thing in the world that matters.
There will never be another one like Prince Rogers Nelson. The beautiful ones you always seem to lose.
"I Never Saw Him Make a Mistake": Prince's Drum Programmer Remembers
In the 1990s, Fafu moved to Minneapolis, where his dad was living, to pursue music, chasing the funk scene that you see in Purple Rain. There, he met and befriended Michael Bland, who was Prince's drummer at the time. In 1995, when Prince needed new drum programming for his live show, Bland recommended his friend, kicking off a working relationship that spanned two years and plane rides across the globe, touring with the New Power Generation. This is what Fafu remembers.
The first time I actually met him? He’s a peculiar guy—you don’t really meet him, you know? It’s not like you shake his hand. Minneapolis’ music scene is a small community and I’d been hanging around with his drummer for probably a year before I got out to Paisley Park; by then, I’d heard a million stories. Everybody’s crossed his path at least once. There are rules, almost. Sound guys and guitar techs—those were the two positions were you'd get fired immediately. If you looked him in the eye and tried to shake his hand, you were gone that day. If you made it past two weeks, then you’d probably get to stick around. He was a rock star, coming off that '80s run. In the mid-'90s, he’d isolated himself.
The drummer, Michael Bland, told me there were three new songs he wanted to play and I had to get whatever drum programming they were using in the studio, sample it, and put it into the system. But Prince also wanted it to sound like the band was performing remixes, wanted it hyped up, so I added my own flavor. Prince liked what I did and said, “Have that guy come back and remix everything.” So I added my own sound to all 50 or so tracks they were doing live at the time.
The first time we talked was at the sound stage at Paisley Park. He wanted to go over everything, give me comments and notes.
He’s so confident on stage, but it’s basically the opposite when you talk to him. He mumbles, he’d stutter a little bit, he’d look down. But when it came to doing the work, he always knew what he wanted. He was so confident in his abilities—even beyond music. He had a tennis court on his property but he never played tennis. Then somebody would say, “Oh, I want to play you.” So Prince would send for his tennis gloves, was completely insane on the court and would beat whoever he was playing. I never saw Prince make a mistake—in anything.
IMAGINE BEING IN HIS BAND. HE COULD PLAY EVERY INSTRUMENT BETTER THAN THE BAND.
Imagine being in his band. He could play every instrument better than the band. Except maybe the drums, but only because he didn’t practice them enough. Still, he was a pretty good drummer.
On drum programming, he taught me to do it right, to do it perfectly and never cut corners. He was very strict about the timing. In this era, the mid-'90s, people used drum loops—breakbeats—all the time, and they can be tough to program. I heard a story that he was in the studio working on a song and he said, “I’ll do it live.” He triggered the break every time for the whole song, and it was perfect.
We’d go on these arena tours, and every night he’d want to go to a small club and jam. The arena tours are totally rehearsed, like Broadway performances, with cues and lighting and all. Then we’d go into the Paradiso in Amsterdam and he would rip, sometimes for three or four hours, playing blues and funk, a ton of Sly and the Family Stone, Graham Central Station. We were in Ireland and Bono sat in after a show and sang “The Cross.” Chaka Khan sat in once. Whoever was around, wherever he went, it was an awesome party of talented people.
He was a great band leader. I’d put him up there with Miles Davis in terms of getting a group of musicians together and whipping them into shape. That he could play all the instruments, and because, for the most part, he played every instrument on his records, meant he knew every part. He was hard on people, too. He’d embarrass you to the point where you wouldn’t mess up. James Brown used to fine musicians when they messed up on stage. Prince wouldn’t do that, but he’d ride you. I don’t want to paint an ugly picture, but he was tough. You wanted to please daddy.
There was a rotating cast of sound men. He didn’t like it when the sound guy would tweak the mix while the band was performing; Prince could hear the mix change. The tour manager would try to bring in big-name engineers to mix his shows. I remember they brought in a guy who had just gotten off tour with Celine Dion, or someone like that, this guy who looked a bit like Darius Rucker, at the time when Hootie and the Blowfish were big. We’re doing a show at Paisley Park and halfway through, Prince says—over the PA—“Hootie, turn up my guitar.” Then, three quarters through, Prince says, “Hootie, you’re fired.”
I feel like I was protected because I was Michael Bland’s boy—and also because I did my job right. When there was no sound guy, the crew was in charge of the mix. The drum tech would make sure the drums were loud enough, the keyboard tech had to make sure the keys were loud enough—everyone was fighting for space in the mix, just pushing the faders up. But he clued in that I knew what I was doing to some extent and would let me run the mix if there was no official sound man. One time, we were doing a Paisley Park show on the sound stage and I’m sitting there, behind the console, bobbing my head. At that time, I was really into funk—James Brown, Sly Stone, Punk—and so was Prince and the band. He was also super into hip-hop: Public Enemy, Snoop Dogg, Biggie. So I’m bobbing my head and the band was still jamming but Prince wasn’t on stage. Then I look over and Prince was standing right next to me, bobbing his head in unison—that was a moment.
L-R: Fafu, Michael Bland, Phil Solem, and John Fields
The band at the time, the New Power Generation, were so good, we would do shows and I remember Bruce Springsteen or John Cougar Mellencamp, someone like that, came through and said, “Can I use your band on a record?” And Prince said, “Can I sleep with your woman?” That’s the kind of shit that he would say.
He would rent out movie theaters in the suburbs outside Minneapolis and invite the band and others to watch movies at midnight. He never invited me, but sometimes I’d get wind of it, and one time I went to see Casino with them on the night before Thanksgiving in 1995. He left halfway through. Walked out ofCasino. He was a funny dude.
I remember one time it was just me and him working on the beats on the sound stage, and I used this squeak sound I'd made. I was in love with Public Enemy, and so I reversed this metallic squeak sound and slowed it way down. (I think he used it on Exodus). I played that sound and he got that face, that scrunched upwoo face, and he picked up his bass and started ripping along with this thing that I’d programmed.
I was definitely nervous around him, very new to the music industry and had heard so many stories about him, I wouldn’t try to initiate conversation. It’s funny, later on I was working with Bad Boy and people would ask me, “Why do you stop talking when Puff walks in the room,” and that’s just because Prince was my training. Puffy’s cool—he’ll talk to anybody. But Prince, it was Jedi mind tricks. Working with him was like boot camp. I wasn’t intimidated by anybody after that.
When I heard, I was in a restaurant with my daughter—she’s home from school today—and I got a call from a friend of mine. It was loud in the diner and he said, “You hear that blah-blah-blah died?” I asked, “Who died?” He said, “Prince!” I told my daughter that we had to leave. We walked home and on the way it hit me, and I started crying.
So many of the musicians I knew from that time in my life were of the highest caliber. He was beyond that. He’s the most talented person I’ve ever met.
http://www.complex.com/music/2016/04/fafu-prince-drum-programmer-mid-90s
In the 1990s, Fafu moved to Minneapolis, where his dad was living, to pursue music, chasing the funk scene that you see in Purple Rain. There, he met and befriended Michael Bland, who was Prince's drummer at the time. In 1995, when Prince needed new drum programming for his live show, Bland recommended his friend, kicking off a working relationship that spanned two years and plane rides across the globe, touring with the New Power Generation. This is what Fafu remembers.
The first time I actually met him? He’s a peculiar guy—you don’t really meet him, you know? It’s not like you shake his hand. Minneapolis’ music scene is a small community and I’d been hanging around with his drummer for probably a year before I got out to Paisley Park; by then, I’d heard a million stories. Everybody’s crossed his path at least once. There are rules, almost. Sound guys and guitar techs—those were the two positions were you'd get fired immediately. If you looked him in the eye and tried to shake his hand, you were gone that day. If you made it past two weeks, then you’d probably get to stick around. He was a rock star, coming off that '80s run. In the mid-'90s, he’d isolated himself.
The drummer, Michael Bland, told me there were three new songs he wanted to play and I had to get whatever drum programming they were using in the studio, sample it, and put it into the system. But Prince also wanted it to sound like the band was performing remixes, wanted it hyped up, so I added my own flavor. Prince liked what I did and said, “Have that guy come back and remix everything.” So I added my own sound to all 50 or so tracks they were doing live at the time.
The first time we talked was at the sound stage at Paisley Park. He wanted to go over everything, give me comments and notes.
He’s so confident on stage, but it’s basically the opposite when you talk to him. He mumbles, he’d stutter a little bit, he’d look down. But when it came to doing the work, he always knew what he wanted. He was so confident in his abilities—even beyond music. He had a tennis court on his property but he never played tennis. Then somebody would say, “Oh, I want to play you.” So Prince would send for his tennis gloves, was completely insane on the court and would beat whoever he was playing. I never saw Prince make a mistake—in anything.
IMAGINE BEING IN HIS BAND. HE COULD PLAY EVERY INSTRUMENT BETTER THAN THE BAND.
Imagine being in his band. He could play every instrument better than the band. Except maybe the drums, but only because he didn’t practice them enough. Still, he was a pretty good drummer.
On drum programming, he taught me to do it right, to do it perfectly and never cut corners. He was very strict about the timing. In this era, the mid-'90s, people used drum loops—breakbeats—all the time, and they can be tough to program. I heard a story that he was in the studio working on a song and he said, “I’ll do it live.” He triggered the break every time for the whole song, and it was perfect.
We’d go on these arena tours, and every night he’d want to go to a small club and jam. The arena tours are totally rehearsed, like Broadway performances, with cues and lighting and all. Then we’d go into the Paradiso in Amsterdam and he would rip, sometimes for three or four hours, playing blues and funk, a ton of Sly and the Family Stone, Graham Central Station. We were in Ireland and Bono sat in after a show and sang “The Cross.” Chaka Khan sat in once. Whoever was around, wherever he went, it was an awesome party of talented people.
He was a great band leader. I’d put him up there with Miles Davis in terms of getting a group of musicians together and whipping them into shape. That he could play all the instruments, and because, for the most part, he played every instrument on his records, meant he knew every part. He was hard on people, too. He’d embarrass you to the point where you wouldn’t mess up. James Brown used to fine musicians when they messed up on stage. Prince wouldn’t do that, but he’d ride you. I don’t want to paint an ugly picture, but he was tough. You wanted to please daddy.
There was a rotating cast of sound men. He didn’t like it when the sound guy would tweak the mix while the band was performing; Prince could hear the mix change. The tour manager would try to bring in big-name engineers to mix his shows. I remember they brought in a guy who had just gotten off tour with Celine Dion, or someone like that, this guy who looked a bit like Darius Rucker, at the time when Hootie and the Blowfish were big. We’re doing a show at Paisley Park and halfway through, Prince says—over the PA—“Hootie, turn up my guitar.” Then, three quarters through, Prince says, “Hootie, you’re fired.”
I feel like I was protected because I was Michael Bland’s boy—and also because I did my job right. When there was no sound guy, the crew was in charge of the mix. The drum tech would make sure the drums were loud enough, the keyboard tech had to make sure the keys were loud enough—everyone was fighting for space in the mix, just pushing the faders up. But he clued in that I knew what I was doing to some extent and would let me run the mix if there was no official sound man. One time, we were doing a Paisley Park show on the sound stage and I’m sitting there, behind the console, bobbing my head. At that time, I was really into funk—James Brown, Sly Stone, Punk—and so was Prince and the band. He was also super into hip-hop: Public Enemy, Snoop Dogg, Biggie. So I’m bobbing my head and the band was still jamming but Prince wasn’t on stage. Then I look over and Prince was standing right next to me, bobbing his head in unison—that was a moment.
L-R: Fafu, Michael Bland, Phil Solem, and John Fields
The band at the time, the New Power Generation, were so good, we would do shows and I remember Bruce Springsteen or John Cougar Mellencamp, someone like that, came through and said, “Can I use your band on a record?” And Prince said, “Can I sleep with your woman?” That’s the kind of shit that he would say.
He would rent out movie theaters in the suburbs outside Minneapolis and invite the band and others to watch movies at midnight. He never invited me, but sometimes I’d get wind of it, and one time I went to see Casino with them on the night before Thanksgiving in 1995. He left halfway through. Walked out ofCasino. He was a funny dude.
I remember one time it was just me and him working on the beats on the sound stage, and I used this squeak sound I'd made. I was in love with Public Enemy, and so I reversed this metallic squeak sound and slowed it way down. (I think he used it on Exodus). I played that sound and he got that face, that scrunched upwoo face, and he picked up his bass and started ripping along with this thing that I’d programmed.
I was definitely nervous around him, very new to the music industry and had heard so many stories about him, I wouldn’t try to initiate conversation. It’s funny, later on I was working with Bad Boy and people would ask me, “Why do you stop talking when Puff walks in the room,” and that’s just because Prince was my training. Puffy’s cool—he’ll talk to anybody. But Prince, it was Jedi mind tricks. Working with him was like boot camp. I wasn’t intimidated by anybody after that.
When I heard, I was in a restaurant with my daughter—she’s home from school today—and I got a call from a friend of mine. It was loud in the diner and he said, “You hear that blah-blah-blah died?” I asked, “Who died?” He said, “Prince!” I told my daughter that we had to leave. We walked home and on the way it hit me, and I started crying.
So many of the musicians I knew from that time in my life were of the highest caliber. He was beyond that. He’s the most talented person I’ve ever met.
http://www.complex.com/music/2016/04/fafu-prince-drum-programmer-mid-90s
Why There Will Never Be Another Prince
https://www.playboy.com/articles/why-there-will-never-be-another-prince
Prince is dead. It sounds implausible, even in a world where the only kinds of people are those who will die and those who already have. But if there were two types of people on the planet, Prince always seemed to belong to a third. And now he’s done the only ordinary thing any of us could ever imagine him doing.
There is no fear of hyperbole when remembering Prince. He was the best recording artist of his time, the most versatile, more influential to a broader array of artists and genres than anyone. As long as it’s not a horn, he might have been the best at playing any basic pop instrument. He was a singular tour de force, using each of his albums to defy silly record-store categories. He could be as energetic and defiant as James Brown, as traditionally masculine as Teddy Pendergrass, as unbounded as David Bowie, as vulnerable as Marvin Gaye, as insightful as Paul Simon and as electric as Michael Jackson. At the same damn time.
He was the only one who could dream of being so much and then summon the talent and ambition to pull it off.
No one could simply encapsulate his career or his influence. When he was with us, it was hard enough to make sense of him, let alone sum him up. He moved too fast for that, almost to his own detriment. By the time the world could digest 1999, he was already ontoPurple Rain, which somehow managed to be hard rock, soul, pop and gospel at once. Before we could fully comprehend that—but after buying roughly a zillion copies—he was on to Around the World in a Day. Two years (and one bad movie) later, he was on to Sign O the Times, a double album with no filler to be found. Next thing you knew, he was butt naked on the cover of Lovesexy, rebelling against the strictures of the nascent CD format by making the whole thing one continuous track. That’s how he wanted us to listen.
His mistakes came when he tried too hard to be like someone else, whether it was the awkward attempts at incorporating hip-hop (dear God, the gun microphone) or smoothing his sound to make R&B more palatable to ’90s urban radio.
But doing what he wanted? That’s what Prince at his best was all about. Appearing on the cover of Dirty Mind in a trench coat and G-string, releasing “When Doves Cry” without a bass line or demanding to do a movie when he’d never acted in his life. He wore what he wanted. He said what he wanted. He did what he wanted, fully aware that we couldn’t help but indulge him. Why? Because he was the baddest motherfucker on Earth, a tiny man who somehow oozed masculinity while playing with a traditionally female aesthetic.
He was the only man who would dare tell Michael fucking Jackson that he wouldn’t join him on the title track to the follow-up to Thriller.
His songs all center on that most precious commodity in music: audacity. Few things are more daring than emotional intelligence combined with physical freedom. They were ever-shifting Venn diagrams of sex and love, confidence and insecurity, hope and resignation. He had the rare talent to write songs for women that actually sounded like they were written by women. In other words, he was man enough to sound like he wasn’t.
Where Bowie was great at being so many people, Prince’s gift was showing so many sides of himself. The expressions of raw sexuality were so pointed and clever, and the romanticism was so measured, each with equal parts self-assuredness and self-awareness. He knew what he was capable of on “Do It All Night,” but was fully aware someone else might get there first. He’d somehow lost his woman to the dude she brought for them to play with on “When You Were Mine,” and yet wanted her back with no equivocation. And “Adore,” with its soaring declarations of love and the groundedness to say that she better not lay a finger on his car, is as real as any love song has ever been, even if some of that love was for an automobile. Being shy in Prince’s world was useless, no matter how crass or uncomfortable the truth may have been.
Prince wasn’t Bob Marley. His music wasn’t supposed to change the world. It was the world as most could only wish it was. It was the soundtrack to dreams, even if it seemed like his real life. Because the dream for so many is freedom, to be liberated from convention and guided by how they felt, no matter what that feeling was.
There’s just no way anyone would ever dream that Prince would die, and there’s no point in dreaming up a replacement. We had our one, and I hope you had a funky good time, because nothing like this will ever happen again.
https://www.playboy.com/articles/why-there-will-never-be-another-prince
Prince is dead. It sounds implausible, even in a world where the only kinds of people are those who will die and those who already have. But if there were two types of people on the planet, Prince always seemed to belong to a third. And now he’s done the only ordinary thing any of us could ever imagine him doing.
There is no fear of hyperbole when remembering Prince. He was the best recording artist of his time, the most versatile, more influential to a broader array of artists and genres than anyone. As long as it’s not a horn, he might have been the best at playing any basic pop instrument. He was a singular tour de force, using each of his albums to defy silly record-store categories. He could be as energetic and defiant as James Brown, as traditionally masculine as Teddy Pendergrass, as unbounded as David Bowie, as vulnerable as Marvin Gaye, as insightful as Paul Simon and as electric as Michael Jackson. At the same damn time.
He was the only one who could dream of being so much and then summon the talent and ambition to pull it off.
No one could simply encapsulate his career or his influence. When he was with us, it was hard enough to make sense of him, let alone sum him up. He moved too fast for that, almost to his own detriment. By the time the world could digest 1999, he was already ontoPurple Rain, which somehow managed to be hard rock, soul, pop and gospel at once. Before we could fully comprehend that—but after buying roughly a zillion copies—he was on to Around the World in a Day. Two years (and one bad movie) later, he was on to Sign O the Times, a double album with no filler to be found. Next thing you knew, he was butt naked on the cover of Lovesexy, rebelling against the strictures of the nascent CD format by making the whole thing one continuous track. That’s how he wanted us to listen.
His mistakes came when he tried too hard to be like someone else, whether it was the awkward attempts at incorporating hip-hop (dear God, the gun microphone) or smoothing his sound to make R&B more palatable to ’90s urban radio.
But doing what he wanted? That’s what Prince at his best was all about. Appearing on the cover of Dirty Mind in a trench coat and G-string, releasing “When Doves Cry” without a bass line or demanding to do a movie when he’d never acted in his life. He wore what he wanted. He said what he wanted. He did what he wanted, fully aware that we couldn’t help but indulge him. Why? Because he was the baddest motherfucker on Earth, a tiny man who somehow oozed masculinity while playing with a traditionally female aesthetic.
He was the only man who would dare tell Michael fucking Jackson that he wouldn’t join him on the title track to the follow-up to Thriller.
His songs all center on that most precious commodity in music: audacity. Few things are more daring than emotional intelligence combined with physical freedom. They were ever-shifting Venn diagrams of sex and love, confidence and insecurity, hope and resignation. He had the rare talent to write songs for women that actually sounded like they were written by women. In other words, he was man enough to sound like he wasn’t.
Where Bowie was great at being so many people, Prince’s gift was showing so many sides of himself. The expressions of raw sexuality were so pointed and clever, and the romanticism was so measured, each with equal parts self-assuredness and self-awareness. He knew what he was capable of on “Do It All Night,” but was fully aware someone else might get there first. He’d somehow lost his woman to the dude she brought for them to play with on “When You Were Mine,” and yet wanted her back with no equivocation. And “Adore,” with its soaring declarations of love and the groundedness to say that she better not lay a finger on his car, is as real as any love song has ever been, even if some of that love was for an automobile. Being shy in Prince’s world was useless, no matter how crass or uncomfortable the truth may have been.
Prince wasn’t Bob Marley. His music wasn’t supposed to change the world. It was the world as most could only wish it was. It was the soundtrack to dreams, even if it seemed like his real life. Because the dream for so many is freedom, to be liberated from convention and guided by how they felt, no matter what that feeling was.
There’s just no way anyone would ever dream that Prince would die, and there’s no point in dreaming up a replacement. We had our one, and I hope you had a funky good time, because nothing like this will ever happen again.
Last edited:
THE BEST VERSION
My man you sound just like my dad!!! I read your post with his voice in my head!!!
Purple Rain Is Returning to U.S. Theaters This Weekend
Get ready to laugh, cry, and grind grind grind grind grind grind grind grind grind. Purple Rain, directed and written by Albert Magnoli and starring Prince, is coming to 87 AMC theaters from Saturday, April 23, through Thursday, April 28, in honor of the late musician. Carmike Cinemas is also screening the film, in 80 theaters. Prince earned an Academy Award for the Purple Rain score, while its soundtrack album went platinum 13 times over and spun off two No. 1 singles, "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy." If you have a few hours to spare this weekend, why not give them over to the spirit of funk?
See the full list of theaters below:
Atlanta
AMC North Dekalb Mall 16
AMC Phipps Plaza 14
AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18
Baltimore
AMC White Marsh 16
Baton Rouge
AMC Baton Rouge 16
Boston
AMC Loews Boston Common 19
AMC Liberty Tree Mall 20
AMC Methuen 20
Charlotte
AMC Carolina Pavilion 22
Chicago
AMC 600 North Michigan 9
AMC Naperville 16
AMC South Barrington 30
AMC Schererville 16
Cincinnati
AMC Newport on the Levee 20
Columbus
AMC Easton Town Center 30
AMC Lennox 24
Dallas
AMC Grapevine Mills 30
AMC Mesquite 30
AMC Stonebriar Mall 24
AMC Parks @ Arlington 18
Denver
AMC Highlands Ranch 24
AMC Westminster Promenade 24
Detroit
AMC Forum 30
AMC Great Lakes 25
Hartford
AMC Plainville 20
Houston
AMC Gulf Pointe 30
AMC Studio 30
AMC Willowbrook 24
Indianapolis
AMC Indianapolis 17
Jacksonville
AMC Regency 24
Kansas City
AMC Barrywoods 24
AMC Town Center 20
Los Angeles
AMC Atlantic Times Square 14
AMC Broadway 4
AMC Covina 17
AMC Norwalk 20
AMC Ontario Mills 30
AMC Orange 30 W/IMAX
AMC Promenade 16
AMC Rolling Hills 20
Miami
AMC Aventura Mall 24
Minneapolis
AMC Arbor Lakes 16
AMC Coon Rapids 16
AMC Eden Prairie Mall 18
AMC Inver Grove 16
AMC Rosedale 14
AMC Southdale Center 16
Montgomery
AMC Festival Plaza 16
New Orleans
AMC Elmwood Palace 20
New York
AMC 19th St. East 6
AMC Empire 25
AMC Jersey Gardens 20
AMC Kips Bay 15
AMC New Brunswick 18
AMC Palisades 21 and IMAX
AMC Stony Brook 17
Norfolk
AMC Hampton 24
Oklahoma City
AMC Quail Springs Mall 24
Omaha
AMC Oak View 24
Orlando
AMC Disney Springs 24
AMC Universal Cineplex 20
Philadelphia
AMC Cherry Hill 24
AMC Hamilton 24
AMC Neshaminy 24
Phoenix
AMC Ahwatukee 24
AMC Arizona Center 24
AMC Westgate 20
Pittsburgh
AMC Waterfront 22
Raleigh
AMC Southpoint 17
Salt Lake City
AMC West Jordan 12
San Diego
AMC Mission Valley 20
San Francisco
AMC Mercado 20
AMC Metreon 16
Seattle
AMC Alderwood 16
AMC Oak Tree 6
AMC Southcenter 16
AMC Pacific Place 11
Spokane
AMC River Park Square 20
St. Louis
AMC Chesterfield 14
AMC West Olive 16
Tallahassee
AMC Tallahassee Mall 20
Tampa
AMC Veterans Expressway 24
AMC Woodlands Square 20
Tulsa
AMC Southroads 20
Washington, D.C.
AMC Hoffman 22
AMC MJ Capital Center 12
West Palm
AMC Indian River 24
CARMIKE LOCATIONS:
Alabama
Wynnsong 14 Auburn, AL
Jubilee Square 12 Daphne, AL
Carmike 12 Dothan, AL
Patton Creek 15 Hoover, AL
Valley Bend 18 Huntsville, AL
Wynnsong 16 Mobile, AL
Chantilly 13 Montgomery, AL
Wharf 15 Orange Beach, AL
Arizona
Carmike 14 Fort Smith, AR
Central City 10 Hot Springs, AR
Colorado
Carmike 7 Grand Junction, CO
Delaware
Carmike 14 Dover, DE
Florida
Royal Palm 20 Bradenton, FL
Hialeah 12 Hialeah, FL
Avenue 16 Melbourne, FL
Carmike 10 Panama City, FL
Bayou 15 Pensacola, FL
Broward 18 Pompano Beach, FL
Lakeshore 8 Sebring, FL
Sundial 19 + IMAX St Petersburg, FL
Starlight 20 Tampa, FL
Parisian 20 West Palm Beach, FL
Georgia
Wynnsong 16 Albany, GA
Ovation 12 Athens, GA
Movies ATL Atlanta, GA
Riverstone 15 Canton, GA
Carmike 12 Cartersville, GA
Carmike 15 Columbus, GA
Crossroads 16 Conyers, GA
Movies 400 Cumming, GA
Movie 278 Hiram, GA
Carmike 10 Newnan, GA
Wynnsong 11 Savannah, GA
Carmike 12 Snellville, GA
Iowa
Wynnsong 12 Cedar Rapids, IA
Wynnsong 16 Des Moines, IA
Southern Hills 12 Sioux City, IA
Illinois
Carmike 13 Champaign, IL
Grand Prairie 18 Peoria, IL
Rosemont 18 Rosemont, IL
Indiana
Encore Park 14 Elkhart IN
Jefferson Pointe 18 Fort Wayne, IN
Carmike 18 Plainfield, IN
Kentucky
Stonybrook 20 Louisville, KY
Michigan
Fashion Square 10 Saginaw, MI
Cherry Blossom 14 IMAX Traverse City, MI
Minnesota
Carmike 15 Apple Valley, MN
Cinema 6 Mankato, MN
Wynnsong 15 Mounds View, MN
Oakdale 20 Oakdale, MN
Montana
Shiloh 14 Billings, MT
North Carolina
Carmike 10 Asheville, NC
Wynnsong 15 Durham, NC
Marketfair 15 Fayetteville NC
Carmike 18 Greensboro, NC
Carmike 15 Hickory, NC
Carmike 16 Jacksonville, NC
Park Place 16 Morrisville, NC
Carmike 15 Raleigh, NC
New Jersey
Ritz Center 16 Voorhees, NJ
Ohio
Carmike 12 Findlay, OH
Solon 16 Solon, OH
Oregon
Carmike 12 Corvallis, OR
Pennsylvania
Carmike 16 Allentown, PA
Carmike 15 Greensburg, PA
Carmike 10 Pittsburg, PA
South Carolina
James Island 8 Charleston, SC
Carmike 14 Columbia, SC
Broadway 16 Myrtle Beach, SC
Tennessee
East Ridge 18 Chattanooga, TN
Bradley Sq. 12 Cleveland, TN
Thoroughbred 20 Franklin, TN
Carmike 14 Johnson City, TN
Wynnsong 16 Knoxville, TN
Wynnsong 16 Murfreesboro, TN
Texas
Lufkin Mall 9 Lufkin, TX
Carmike 14 Tyler, TX
Sikes 10 Wichita Falls, TX
Virginia
Apple Blossom 12 Winchester, VA
Washington
Carmike 12 Kennewick, WA
Wisconsin
Oakwood Mall 12 Eau Clair, WI
VARIETY
Get ready to laugh, cry, and grind grind grind grind grind grind grind grind grind. Purple Rain, directed and written by Albert Magnoli and starring Prince, is coming to 87 AMC theaters from Saturday, April 23, through Thursday, April 28, in honor of the late musician. Carmike Cinemas is also screening the film, in 80 theaters. Prince earned an Academy Award for the Purple Rain score, while its soundtrack album went platinum 13 times over and spun off two No. 1 singles, "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy." If you have a few hours to spare this weekend, why not give them over to the spirit of funk?
See the full list of theaters below:
Atlanta
AMC North Dekalb Mall 16
AMC Phipps Plaza 14
AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18
Baltimore
AMC White Marsh 16
Baton Rouge
AMC Baton Rouge 16
Boston
AMC Loews Boston Common 19
AMC Liberty Tree Mall 20
AMC Methuen 20
Charlotte
AMC Carolina Pavilion 22
Chicago
AMC 600 North Michigan 9
AMC Naperville 16
AMC South Barrington 30
AMC Schererville 16
Cincinnati
AMC Newport on the Levee 20
Columbus
AMC Easton Town Center 30
AMC Lennox 24
Dallas
AMC Grapevine Mills 30
AMC Mesquite 30
AMC Stonebriar Mall 24
AMC Parks @ Arlington 18
Denver
AMC Highlands Ranch 24
AMC Westminster Promenade 24
Detroit
AMC Forum 30
AMC Great Lakes 25
Hartford
AMC Plainville 20
Houston
AMC Gulf Pointe 30
AMC Studio 30
AMC Willowbrook 24
Indianapolis
AMC Indianapolis 17
Jacksonville
AMC Regency 24
Kansas City
AMC Barrywoods 24
AMC Town Center 20
Los Angeles
AMC Atlantic Times Square 14
AMC Broadway 4
AMC Covina 17
AMC Norwalk 20
AMC Ontario Mills 30
AMC Orange 30 W/IMAX
AMC Promenade 16
AMC Rolling Hills 20
Miami
AMC Aventura Mall 24
Minneapolis
AMC Arbor Lakes 16
AMC Coon Rapids 16
AMC Eden Prairie Mall 18
AMC Inver Grove 16
AMC Rosedale 14
AMC Southdale Center 16
Montgomery
AMC Festival Plaza 16
New Orleans
AMC Elmwood Palace 20
New York
AMC 19th St. East 6
AMC Empire 25
AMC Jersey Gardens 20
AMC Kips Bay 15
AMC New Brunswick 18
AMC Palisades 21 and IMAX
AMC Stony Brook 17
Norfolk
AMC Hampton 24
Oklahoma City
AMC Quail Springs Mall 24
Omaha
AMC Oak View 24
Orlando
AMC Disney Springs 24
AMC Universal Cineplex 20
Philadelphia
AMC Cherry Hill 24
AMC Hamilton 24
AMC Neshaminy 24
Phoenix
AMC Ahwatukee 24
AMC Arizona Center 24
AMC Westgate 20
Pittsburgh
AMC Waterfront 22
Raleigh
AMC Southpoint 17
Salt Lake City
AMC West Jordan 12
San Diego
AMC Mission Valley 20
San Francisco
AMC Mercado 20
AMC Metreon 16
Seattle
AMC Alderwood 16
AMC Oak Tree 6
AMC Southcenter 16
AMC Pacific Place 11
Spokane
AMC River Park Square 20
St. Louis
AMC Chesterfield 14
AMC West Olive 16
Tallahassee
AMC Tallahassee Mall 20
Tampa
AMC Veterans Expressway 24
AMC Woodlands Square 20
Tulsa
AMC Southroads 20
Washington, D.C.
AMC Hoffman 22
AMC MJ Capital Center 12
West Palm
AMC Indian River 24
CARMIKE LOCATIONS:
Alabama
Wynnsong 14 Auburn, AL
Jubilee Square 12 Daphne, AL
Carmike 12 Dothan, AL
Patton Creek 15 Hoover, AL
Valley Bend 18 Huntsville, AL
Wynnsong 16 Mobile, AL
Chantilly 13 Montgomery, AL
Wharf 15 Orange Beach, AL
Arizona
Carmike 14 Fort Smith, AR
Central City 10 Hot Springs, AR
Colorado
Carmike 7 Grand Junction, CO
Delaware
Carmike 14 Dover, DE
Florida
Royal Palm 20 Bradenton, FL
Hialeah 12 Hialeah, FL
Avenue 16 Melbourne, FL
Carmike 10 Panama City, FL
Bayou 15 Pensacola, FL
Broward 18 Pompano Beach, FL
Lakeshore 8 Sebring, FL
Sundial 19 + IMAX St Petersburg, FL
Starlight 20 Tampa, FL
Parisian 20 West Palm Beach, FL
Georgia
Wynnsong 16 Albany, GA
Ovation 12 Athens, GA
Movies ATL Atlanta, GA
Riverstone 15 Canton, GA
Carmike 12 Cartersville, GA
Carmike 15 Columbus, GA
Crossroads 16 Conyers, GA
Movies 400 Cumming, GA
Movie 278 Hiram, GA
Carmike 10 Newnan, GA
Wynnsong 11 Savannah, GA
Carmike 12 Snellville, GA
Iowa
Wynnsong 12 Cedar Rapids, IA
Wynnsong 16 Des Moines, IA
Southern Hills 12 Sioux City, IA
Illinois
Carmike 13 Champaign, IL
Grand Prairie 18 Peoria, IL
Rosemont 18 Rosemont, IL
Indiana
Encore Park 14 Elkhart IN
Jefferson Pointe 18 Fort Wayne, IN
Carmike 18 Plainfield, IN
Kentucky
Stonybrook 20 Louisville, KY
Michigan
Fashion Square 10 Saginaw, MI
Cherry Blossom 14 IMAX Traverse City, MI
Minnesota
Carmike 15 Apple Valley, MN
Cinema 6 Mankato, MN
Wynnsong 15 Mounds View, MN
Oakdale 20 Oakdale, MN
Montana
Shiloh 14 Billings, MT
North Carolina
Carmike 10 Asheville, NC
Wynnsong 15 Durham, NC
Marketfair 15 Fayetteville NC
Carmike 18 Greensboro, NC
Carmike 15 Hickory, NC
Carmike 16 Jacksonville, NC
Park Place 16 Morrisville, NC
Carmike 15 Raleigh, NC
New Jersey
Ritz Center 16 Voorhees, NJ
Ohio
Carmike 12 Findlay, OH
Solon 16 Solon, OH
Oregon
Carmike 12 Corvallis, OR
Pennsylvania
Carmike 16 Allentown, PA
Carmike 15 Greensburg, PA
Carmike 10 Pittsburg, PA
South Carolina
James Island 8 Charleston, SC
Carmike 14 Columbia, SC
Broadway 16 Myrtle Beach, SC
Tennessee
East Ridge 18 Chattanooga, TN
Bradley Sq. 12 Cleveland, TN
Thoroughbred 20 Franklin, TN
Carmike 14 Johnson City, TN
Wynnsong 16 Knoxville, TN
Wynnsong 16 Murfreesboro, TN
Texas
Lufkin Mall 9 Lufkin, TX
Carmike 14 Tyler, TX
Sikes 10 Wichita Falls, TX
Virginia
Apple Blossom 12 Winchester, VA
Washington
Carmike 12 Kennewick, WA
Wisconsin
Oakwood Mall 12 Eau Clair, WI
VARIETY
Nice tribute to Prince at the start of the episode ...
https://soundcloud.com/thecornerpod
https://twitter.com/thecornerlsn
https://twitter.com/AndreasHale
https://twitter.com/KelDansby
https://soundcloud.com/thecornerpod
https://twitter.com/thecornerlsn
https://twitter.com/AndreasHale
https://twitter.com/KelDansby
I almost forgot about this soundtrack.
Royal Purple! Michelle Obama Meets Queen Elizabeth in Prince-Approved Color
04/22/2016 AT 01:20 PM ET
As the Obamas’ term in the White House nears its end, we’re cherishingMichelle Obama’s dwindling style moments as First Lady. On Friday, she joined President Obama for a celebratory 90th birthday lunch for Queen Elizabethheld at Windsor Castle. FLOTUS selected a vibrant purple floral-embroidered Oscar de la Renta gown for the occasion, which seemed like a direct nod to late singer Prince, who passed away suddenly Thursday at the age of 57.
But the purple dress on America’s reine was not a planned tribute.
A U.S. official tells PEOPLE that the First Lady’s choice of purple for today was “not intentional” (though the president did “warm up” for his day by playing a few of Prince’s hits at the Prime Minister’s home.)
Michelle accessorized the dress with an iris wool Narciso Rodriguez coat and sleek black pumps, proving that bold colors have been her steadfast style M.O.throughout her eight years as FLOTUS. Queen Elizabeth opted for a softer hue in a pastel blue suit. The event marked President Obama’s third visit with the Queen during his presidency.
Before his trip to England, the President issued a statement addressing Prince’s tragic death.
“Today, the world lost a creative icon,” he said. “Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince. Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer.”
http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2016/04/22/michelle-obama-purple-dress-queen-elizabeth-lunch/
04/22/2016 AT 01:20 PM ET
As the Obamas’ term in the White House nears its end, we’re cherishingMichelle Obama’s dwindling style moments as First Lady. On Friday, she joined President Obama for a celebratory 90th birthday lunch for Queen Elizabethheld at Windsor Castle. FLOTUS selected a vibrant purple floral-embroidered Oscar de la Renta gown for the occasion, which seemed like a direct nod to late singer Prince, who passed away suddenly Thursday at the age of 57.
But the purple dress on America’s reine was not a planned tribute.
A U.S. official tells PEOPLE that the First Lady’s choice of purple for today was “not intentional” (though the president did “warm up” for his day by playing a few of Prince’s hits at the Prime Minister’s home.)
Michelle accessorized the dress with an iris wool Narciso Rodriguez coat and sleek black pumps, proving that bold colors have been her steadfast style M.O.throughout her eight years as FLOTUS. Queen Elizabeth opted for a softer hue in a pastel blue suit. The event marked President Obama’s third visit with the Queen during his presidency.
Before his trip to England, the President issued a statement addressing Prince’s tragic death.
“Today, the world lost a creative icon,” he said. “Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince. Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer.”
http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2016/04/22/michelle-obama-purple-dress-queen-elizabeth-lunch/
I'm sure someone else prob said this earlier but the lyrics to Let's Go Crazy just hit me : "Not gonna let the elevator bring us down"
And he met his end in an elevator.
Called the shots and lived life on his own terms!
I wonder if it was traveling up at the moment he left?
"Dearly beloved
We are gathered here today
To get through this thing called life
Electric word life
It means forever and that's a mighty long time
But I'm here to tell you
There's something else
The after world
A world of never ending happiness
You can always see the sun, day or night
So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills
You know the one, Dr. Everything'll Be Alright
Instead of asking him how much of your time is left
Ask him how much of your mind, baby
'Cause in this life
Things are much harder than in the after world
In this life
You're on your own
And if the elevator tries to bring you down
Go crazy, punch a higher floor1
If you don't like the world you're living in
Take a look around you
At least you got friends
You see I called my old lady
For a friendly word
She picked up the phone
Dropped it on the floor
(Ah, ah) is all I heard
Are we gonna let the elevator
Bring us down
Oh, no let's go!
Let's go crazy
Let's get nuts
Let's look for the purple banana
'Til they put us in the truck, let's go!
We're all excited
But we don't know why
Maybe it's 'cause
We're all gonna die
And when we do (When we do)
What's it all for (What's it all for)
You better live now
Before the grim reaper come knocking on your door
Tell me, are we gonna let the elevator bring us down
Oh, no let's go!
Let's go crazy
Let's get nuts
Look for the purple banana
'Til they put us in the truck, let's go!
C'mon baby
Let's get nuts
Yeah
Crazy
Let's go crazy
Are we gonna let the elevator bring us down
Oh, no let's go!
Go crazy
I said let's go crazy (Go crazy)
Let's go, let's go
Go
Let's go
Dr. Everything'll be alright
Will make everything go wrong
Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill
Hang tough children
He's coming
He's coming
Coming
Take me away!
And he met his end in an elevator.
Called the shots and lived life on his own terms!
I wonder if it was traveling up at the moment he left?
"Dearly beloved
We are gathered here today
To get through this thing called life
Electric word life
It means forever and that's a mighty long time
But I'm here to tell you
There's something else
The after world
A world of never ending happiness
You can always see the sun, day or night
So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills
You know the one, Dr. Everything'll Be Alright
Instead of asking him how much of your time is left
Ask him how much of your mind, baby
'Cause in this life
Things are much harder than in the after world
In this life
You're on your own
And if the elevator tries to bring you down
Go crazy, punch a higher floor1
If you don't like the world you're living in
Take a look around you
At least you got friends
You see I called my old lady
For a friendly word
She picked up the phone
Dropped it on the floor
(Ah, ah) is all I heard
Are we gonna let the elevator
Bring us down
Oh, no let's go!
Let's go crazy
Let's get nuts
Let's look for the purple banana
'Til they put us in the truck, let's go!
We're all excited
But we don't know why
Maybe it's 'cause
We're all gonna die
And when we do (When we do)
What's it all for (What's it all for)
You better live now
Before the grim reaper come knocking on your door
Tell me, are we gonna let the elevator bring us down
Oh, no let's go!
Let's go crazy
Let's get nuts
Look for the purple banana
'Til they put us in the truck, let's go!
C'mon baby
Let's get nuts
Yeah
Crazy
Let's go crazy
Are we gonna let the elevator bring us down
Oh, no let's go!
Go crazy
I said let's go crazy (Go crazy)
Let's go, let's go
Go
Let's go
Dr. Everything'll be alright
Will make everything go wrong
Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill
Hang tough children
He's coming
He's coming
Coming
Take me away!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanity_(singer)
Died April 21, 2016 (aged 57)
Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S.
Died February 15, 2016 (aged 57)
Fremont, California, U.S.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanity_(singer)
Died April 21, 2016 (aged 57)
Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S.
Died February 15, 2016 (aged 57)
Fremont, California, U.S.
Prince’s Emergency Plane Landing in the Week Prior to His Death Due to an Overdose of Percocet
More details have emerged about the medical emergency Prince suffered in the week prior his death. According to TMZ, Prince’s overdose and subsequent hospitalization in Moline, Illinois, last weekwas brought on by his use or overuse of Percocet, an opioid combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone that is used to treat moderate to severe pain. The singer was allegedly “unresponsive” during his plane’s emergency landing, which called ahead with a report concerning an "unresponsive male" aboard. Prince was subsequently treated in the airport by emergency medical personnel who administered an opiate antidote, or “save shot.” After being hospitalized for three hours, Prince left to return to Paisley Park in Minnesota. The singer's autopsy is scheduled to be performed today.
http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/...ight-stopped-unresponsive-male-source-n560416
More details have emerged about the medical emergency Prince suffered in the week prior his death. According to TMZ, Prince’s overdose and subsequent hospitalization in Moline, Illinois, last weekwas brought on by his use or overuse of Percocet, an opioid combination of acetaminophen and oxycodone that is used to treat moderate to severe pain. The singer was allegedly “unresponsive” during his plane’s emergency landing, which called ahead with a report concerning an "unresponsive male" aboard. Prince was subsequently treated in the airport by emergency medical personnel who administered an opiate antidote, or “save shot.” After being hospitalized for three hours, Prince left to return to Paisley Park in Minnesota. The singer's autopsy is scheduled to be performed today.
http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/...ight-stopped-unresponsive-male-source-n560416
they lit the Terminal Tower here in downtown Cleveland Purple in honor of Prince!
i love it!
i love it!
R.I.P
A brother in a Dashiki and an Ankh will always get respect from me.
I just listened to Diamonds and Pearls like 30 times in a row.
Still in disbelief.
Still in disbelief.
His shows were incredible. I will always hold him in high regard for kicking kim kardasian off the stage. We should have all taken a cue from that.