- 2003 Jan 03
01-01-2003 : XPECTATION Release (40:53)
Xhalation (2:04) / Xcogitate (3:34) / Xemplify (5:53) / Xpectation (4:01) / Xotica (3:05)
Xogenous (4:12) / Xpand (6:11) / Xosphere (3:34) / Xpedition (8:24)
Xpectation is the 26th full-length studio album by Prince, and the
first instrumental album released under Prince's own name. It was
released as a surprise mp3 download on New Year's Day, 2003 to
members of the NPG Music Club, with no formal artwork (only two
weeks after the commercial release of his previous album, One Nite
Alone... Live !). Subtitled "New directions in music from Prince,"
Xpectation is an album of instrumental music with strong jazz
leanings. Xpectation was originally conceived of as Xenophobia,
which was announced at the "Xenophobia Celebration" in June
2002 as one of the forthcoming albums that NPG Music Club
members were going to receive. Some time after this Prince
apparently made the decision to remove the title track and retitle the
album. "Xenophobia" was included on the One Nite Alone... Live !
set, which probably played a part in the decision to omit it. The
album was recorded by Prince with Rhonda Smith (bass), John
Blackwell (drums). Candy Dulfer (saxophone), and Vanessa Mae
(violin). While Mae was a newcomer in Princes musical world, but
she is an established star on the classical music scene. A child
prodigy, Mae was born in 1979 to a Thai-Chinese couple living in
Singapore. She was raised in London, where she embarked on a
classical recording career. In 1994, she moved to a solo career and
she has released several albums, which have picked up steam in
popular music quarters.
Definitely the year 2002 will have been one year very jazz for Prince.
After CD "One Nite Alone" (piano), the round with Candy Dulfer
and Maceo Parker, and the box live which followed, Prince delivers
to us at the end of the year a new album entitled "Xpectation". The major part of this album was recorded during the winter 20012002, just after the exit of "The Rainbow Children". Announced a long time as being the album "Xenophobia" (there even was a
Celebration with Paisley Park in June 2002 bearing this name), Prince decided with final to eliminate this title from the concept of
the album and to re-elect it "Xpectation". The presence of "Xenophobia" on the box "One Nite Alone... Live" hardly left two weeks
earlier is most probably the cause. Indeed, "Xpectation" was placed at the disposal of the subscribers of the NPG Music Club as of
January 1, 2003, at exactly midnight and a minute, is very right two weeks after
the delivery of the first boxes "One Nite Alone... Live" !! It is shortest interval
between two albums of Prince ! It is possible that the laments of the members
who related to the contents of the Club into 2002 were heard and that Prince
wanted to finish the year in beauty... and to begin the news well in the same way !
This being said, "Xpectation" resembles one "experiment more" (it is besides the
word used by the site to present the project) that with a true album. It is rather a
collection of instrumental pieces making it possible to emphasize the talents of
Candy Dulfer the sax, John Blackwell to the battery and Vanessa Mae to the
violin. Small the wonder Chinese brings either a beautiful tonality melancholic
person, or of the fantastic flights to certain pieces. The style of play of Candy
Dulfer is also very present and one could almost think that it is it the high-speed
motorboat of the disc. However Blackwell strikes extremely behind, and it would
be said that Prince was erased behind his musicians. Its play of keyboard in
particular resembles extremely that of Renato Neto, and much of sounds seem to
us familiar. Remain Rhonda Smith which holds the low one, but it is completely
eclipsed by the others. Thus, as opposed to what one could first of all think,
"Xpectation" does not resemble at all so that Prince made for Madhouse. One
finds here sonorities revealed on "The Rainbow Children" and box live ONA, in
particular with regard to the keyboards, the saturated piano, or certain guitars.
For as much, the music presented here is not truly accessible. One sinks very
deeply in the jazz-rock'n'roll fusion with allusions to the funk and jams
déconstruits that it is sometimes difficult to follow. The addition of the violin in
this context is rather particular. "Xhalation" opens on a bottom of remote
keyboard in echo, carried by the violin melancholic person of Vanessa Mae. Of
entry of play, the style indicates. One passes almost immediately to "Xcogitate"
which remains in a rather slow vein, perfect for a week rainy end. The sounds of
keyboard in the style of "MUSE 2 The Pharaoh" supplement this title rather close
to the slow fox trots made by Madhouse. It should be noted that the sax is out of
Re-recording, it is has to say that Candy played several parts of saxophones mixed at the same time. "Xemplify" is merrier and
sounds like the jazz be-bop of the Thirties. With new, one finds this sound of keyboard. The piece grows louder and louder between
the solos and the harmonies of each musician. "Xpectation" is a little faster and emphasize well the play of John Blackwell, often
accompanied by a guitar to the very strange sound, and keyboards funk. Return to the ballades with "Xotica", rather sympathetic
nerve and "Xogenous" which sees Prince taking the guitar for sonorities that one had ever heard as much jazzy at his place. "Xpand"
is the title more funky of the album, with a sound of saturated keyboard which brings a good groove to the unit. In the content, one
hears like crackings of vinyl. "Xosphere" makes it possible to find at the same time the guitar jazz/soul and the keyboards of "The
Rainbow Children". Finally the album finishes in beauty with the length "Xpedition", which is concluded in a brass band with
multiple solos. A cry of baby will be the final sound of the album. In the last analysis, here certainly one of the most original and
experimental albums of Prince... it had already accustomed us to the odd one but this time it goes really far, and it frankly
dissociates pop label which one knew of him at one time. If "The Rainbow Children" and "ONA Live" sounded brilliant but
accessible, this album is rough music which it will still be necessary to decode during months. It did not finish astonishing us the
Prince !!
In 2003, Prince also put out three original jazz albums: the download-only Xpectation and C-NOTE, followed by the full-scale CD
release of an album, N.E.W.S., that served as the follow-up to The Rainbow Children. For jazz saxophonist Frank Griffith, an
enormous admirer of the work of Dr Clare Fischer, Prince’s jazz-influenced records are solid and worthwhile, the main influences,
he believes, coming from the 1970s. For him, the first release, Xpectation (recorded in 2001, but held back until 2003), is wellplayed 1970s-influenced fusion – with Candy Dulfer the strongest soloist – although he considers the language and improvisational
vocabulary not particularly deep or well-researched. The presence of the classical violinist Vanessa-Mae on the record works
particularly well, indicating a continued desire to blend jazz and classical influences in the manner achieved by Clare Fischer. It’s a
shame that Prince removed the best song from the album, the aforementioned ‘Xenophobia’, which was also the original title of this
record, as it might have given it some much-needed bite.
03&04-01-2003 : C-NOTE Download Release (34:03)
Copenhagen (10:07) / Nagoya (8:53) / Osaka (5:53) / Tokyo (5:09) / Empty Room (4:01)
Nagoya was initially released as a members-only download from the NPG Music Club
on 3 January, 2003 (along with Osaka, Tokyo and a re-release of Copenhagen, with
Empty Room following the next day). As an "experiment", the song was released by an
e-mailed link to Japanese members only, as the track was recorded during the
Japanese leg of the One Nite Alone... Tour (during a NPG Music Club members-only
soundcheck on 29 November, 2002 (the final show of the tour). Empty Room was
initially released as a members-only download from the NPG Music Club on 4 January,
2003. As an "experiment", the song was released by an e-mailed link to European
members only, as the track was recorded during the European leg of the One Nite
Alone... Tour (during a NPG Music Club members-only soundcheck on 25 October,
2002, where Copenhagen was also recorded). The same version was later included as
the fifth and final track on Prince's third live album C-Note (a compilation of these five
soundcheck tracks). The four instrumentals didn't have titles per se, but were named
after the city where the recording took place : "Copenhagen" (October 25th), "Tokyo"
(November 18th), "Osaka" (November
28th), and "Nagoya" (November 29th).
Only a couple of days after Xpectation,
Prince released his second jazz CD, CNOTE, which owes something, Griffith
believes, to 1970s CTI label influences. Recorded at soundchecks by the One Nite
Alone … touring band, the album contains four songs named after the location where
they were recorded (Copenhagen, Nagoya, Osaka, Toyko), and curiously, an official
release of a live version of the long-lost song ‘Empty Room’, also recorded that year in
Copenhagen. ‘Copenhagen’ feels less well thought through than the Xpectation tracks,
the record-scratching from Dudley D giving the track an ersatz feel, more ‘Cantaloop
(Flip Fantasia)’ than ‘Cantaloupe Island’. ‘Nagoya’ has a similar problem, only this
time it’s what sounds like a whistle that disrupts the sound. There’s an anxiety in the
C-NOTE tracks that betrays the circumstances in which they were recorded: even
though the music was performed in front of a sympathetic, fan club-only audience,
their presence seems to stop the players going as far as they might. ‘Osaka’ is far
better: along with ‘Xenophobia’, it’s one of the highlights of Prince’s jazz recordings,
an atmospheric piece with a sense of dread that feels much more significant than the
band just warming up. A relatively undercelebrated feature of Prince’s post-2002 shows is the interplay between Prince and Renato
Neto, and this is at the forefront here, as the two of them dual on piano and guitar. ‘Tokyo’ has vocals, after a fashion, Prince singing
the name of the city in a way that suggests less a shout-out to the audience than an attempt to get the spirit of the city into his
music.
01-2003 : Q (UK)
Purple funkster gets good again on live compendium.
By Paul Elliott
Ironic, given Prince's erratic form in recent years, that a box set should see him refocused. A double CD recorded in the US on the
2002 One Nite Alone tour offers esoteric (read : boring) new songs plus classic hits performed solo on piano. CD3, subtitled 'It Ain't
Over !', features further live highlights from club dates that accompanied the tour, a blistering 'Joy In Repetition' proving he's the
finest guitarist of his generation. But the real treasure is a 10-track studio CD (only available via www.npgmusicclub.com) of piano-
and-vocal only recordings, all live takes, including a version of Joni Mitchell's 'A Case Of U' (his spelling) and some of the best songs
Prince has written in 15 years
Star Tribune
CJ ponders if Prince's wife Manuela is with child in the new MPLS
A Princely event ?
I've been watching for white smoke at Paisley Park. This week I am again hearing rumblings that Manuela Testolini is looking as
though she has put on weight. A musician claims that the consensus among another set of performers is that Prince's wife looks
heavier. The musician swore to me that she looks "thicker" and told me to listen for clues on Prince's next release. Since Prince
spends so much time in Canada, where Manuela is from, and in Europe, I'm not sure anybody in Minnesota actually remembers
what he looks like. For one thing, a couple of people dispute recent Prince sightings at Ping's on the grounds that an employee of the
Asian restaurant looks like Symbolina. Then there's the question of whether I really trust some guys to gauge a subtle weight gain.
"What, she had PMS and someone thinks she's pregnant ?" said a laughing Melinda Jacobs, who sits next to Prince and the Mrs.
when they show for Timberwolves games. "She's tiny. Give her a break. I don't know for sure. Maybe she is." Jacobs says he's great
with kids. "My kids [Cole, 12 and Maddy, 10] forget that he's Prince, an international superstar. Cole is more interested in Look
out, Prince, I'm sorry you paid $200 a seat, but I need to catch that hat they are dropping from that stupid air balloon thing." If
Manuela's pregnant, we'll all know soon, unless Prince keeps her under wraps.
10-01-2003 : The Time @ Chicago
14-01-2003 : Purple house demolition permit
A demolition permit is issued for Prince's "purple house" on Lake Riley. His father, John L. Nelson, had lived in the house from
1986 until his August 2001 death. The house was bulldozed in mid-March 2003.
15-01-2003 : The Time @ Minneapolis
18-01-2003 : ♫ BBC – Purple Reign Pt.1
(0:44)
Programme One - Saturday 18 January
Mica Paris examines Prince's best releases of the 1980s, from the controversial funk rock of Dirty Mind to the breakthrough
success of 1999 and the epoch-defining Sign o the Times. The programme also examines Prince's work as a producer for such
artists as Sinead O'Connor, the Bangles and Alicia Keys. The programme features contributions from Chaka Khan, Alexander
O'Neal and ex-member of The Time, Jimmy Jam, plus
members of The Revolution.
25-01-2003 : ♫ BBC – Purple Reign Pt.2
(0:49)
Programme Two - Saturday 25 January
In this programme we look into the mystery of the most
famous non-release of 1987, the Black Album and at the
meaning of his favourite word of 1988, Lovesexy. We also look
at the souring of his relationship with Warner Brothers in the
1990s when he changed his name to an unpronouncable
symbol and went on the road with "slave" scrawled on his
face. In 2003 his name is Prince again and although he's
without a record deal, he is cultivating a new relationship with
his fams (or family). For one week per year he opens Paisley
Park to celebrate his birthday and his newfound beliefs. The
programme features contributions from George Clinton, Chaka
Khan and producer Jimmy Jam.
26-01-2003 : ! Access Hollywood
31-01-2003 : The Time @ LA
Feb 03
03-02-2003 : SOS To The World
(Mandela / HIV Charity)
06-02-2003 : NEWS session
Prince records the basic tracks for N.E.W.S at Paisley Park with a
band line-up of Renato Neto (keyboard), Eric Leeds (saxophone),
Rhonda Smith (bass), and John Blackwell (drums). Overdubbing
and post-production followed after the initial recording sessions.
North * - N.E.W.S.
East * - N.E.W.S.
West * - N.E.W.S.
South * - N.E.W.S.
16-02-2003 : Basketball game @ Toronto
Prince and Manuela attend the Toronto Raptors versus Orlando
Magic NBA basketball game at the Air Canada Center in Toronto.
02-2003 : Rock & Folk (FR)
One Nite Alone… Live !
By Alain Orlandini
The best entertainer ever, Prince didn’t have until this day, and for dark reasons,
ever published a live album. As hungry men, the most resolute fans, introduced by
the bootleggers, had thrown themselves on the bootleg "City Lights" (an anthology
in a few ten CD, of Prince’s performances live between 1980 and 1986) but the other
? Condemned to fold back on a "It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night", recorded in 1986
le Zenith France and inauspiciously stranded on "Sign ‘O the Times", or "The Ride"
on "Crystal Ball" album, and particularly a weak version to regarding the tentacular
versions of 1995. Therefore, "One Nite Alone... Live !” is destined to them.
Afficionados, object that the album makes the beautiful part to the American tour,
inferior to the recent European benefits, the presence of a CD bonus exclusively
composed of titles played in club is not changing anything, according to them, 'it
comes too late'. But what does “One Nite Alone... Live !” sound like ? First, a jazzy
Prince. Freak like Herbie Hancock, as in the 'Sextant' time. (the dizzy spatiality of
Renato Neto Solo in 'Xenophobia'); orchestral, such like a postmodern Duke
Ellington (the coppers of 'Rainbow Children'); irresistibly smooth crooner - arranger
(the raspberry mid-tempo of 'the Other Side Of the Pillow'); or under ascendancy
blues, paying its debt to Billie Holiday ('Avalanche'): strong of an encyclopedic
learning, Prince cruise the waters of jazz in relaxation, and it is tasty. But another
Prince, high in voice, splash all his astral class the three disks of this set. He sings
the disappointment in love (the broken voice of 'Nothing Compares To U') or the
turgescent desire (the winged coloratura of 'Do Me Baby'), Prince appears again as
an immense singer, centering the ebullient flux of his mad expressivity by a
disarming technical virtuosity. On the guitar side, Prince is not in rest. It obviously
sounds like Carlos Santana ("Xenophobia"), he likes to go deep down in
excessiveness (in the Hendrix Sly Stone and Zeppelin way in "Family Name") when
he doesn’t spill blood in the James Blood Ulmer way ("Rainbow Children"). But all
this is nothing compared to the final medley, sumptuous coronation of a glaring set.
Disgraced yesterday, the old index, decorated of the virtues of the spoliation "Prince
is alone to the piano" sparkles of one thousand colors. And the charm of such
"Adore", "Free" or "the Beautiful Ones" to operate again. When will the solo of
apocalyptic guitar of "Joy In Repetition" have sounded (recorded live in "the World" NY-NY, and indisputably the summit of this
album), one spacy "Girls And Boys" crossed of thechno loops, and a fabulous "We Do This", a funk look of the "Willie the Pimp"
from Frank Zappa (all three extra to the summary of the third CD "It Ain’t Over"), how much will they be again to question Prince’s
genius ? How much will they be to refuse to see in Prince’s work the surest Wall against the artistic uselessness of the contemporary
world ?
Vibe
One Nite Alone... Live !
By Aidin Vaziri
Not so long ago, the only thing more awesome than seeing Prince in concert would have been the opportunity to bring the orgiastic
thrills home in a three-CD box like this. But then, around the same time he mangled his name and cut his major-label ties, the man
with the cheek-a-boo trousers decided to stop playing his hits. Barnstormers like Let’s Go Crazy and Purple Rain were shelved in
favor of extended jams at the hands of his slick, note-perfect band, the New Power generation – people who are allergic to melody.
So instead of vintage housequaking Prince, most of the rambling, brass-heavy material here comes from recent spiritual-minded
CDs like The Rainbow Children and Crystal Ball – albums that few bought. When Prince does briefly revisit his past, it’s as if the
skies part. His run through When You Were Mine proves that underneath it all, his lovely falsetto and raw showmanship remain as
whip smart as ever, while his condensed version of Diamonds And Pearls is easily the most compelling 41 seconds in this set. Purple
lace and sex-kitten heels have never been so sorely missed.
20-02-2003 : Time Café (NY)
Prince was in NYC last night. Ironically enough, he was at Fez....except it was
the Time Cafe in the Village on Lafayette (not Uptown). Londell McMillan
threw a little party with Prince. Not sure exactly what it was for, but it seemed
to be more of a networking pre-Grammy thing. I didn’t go myself, but I was
just talking to a few people who went, and one who sat down and talked to P
for a minute. The hosts from BET's 106 & Park were there, etc etc.
22-02-2003 : Regent Wall Street (NY)
Prince participates in Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy Awards
party at the Regent Wall Street ballroom in New York.
Other guests at the star-studded party included Aretha
Franklin, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Lou Reed, Carly
Simon, Naomi Campbell, P. Diddy, Jimmy Jam, and Kid
Rock. Prince slinked in with Manuela and a few
bodyguards. When Davis introduced him from the stage,
Prince took a standing ovation.
23-02-2003 : Hilton Hotel (NY)
Prince attends a “Grammy Brunch” hosted by the Artist
Empowerment Coalition (AEC) and ASCAP, honouring the
Grammy nominees, at the Hilton Hotel Mercury Ballroom in
New York. The AEC was established to protect artists’
long-term investments, health insurance and other benefits, rights to terminate
contracts, and promote “positive music.” BET showed footage from the
ceremony on their news programme. Prince was seen sitting with Roberta
Flack and chatting some with Jill Scott.
27-02-2003 : ScreamingMedia
Prince Stands Strong Against Alcohol
Eccentric pop star Prince has such a strong stance against drinking
alcohol he's even banned his entourage from guzzling any during a
night out. The Alphabet Street rocker showed up at New York hotspot Rehab recently, when the club's owner sent over several
magnums of Veuve Clicquot champagne. But non-drinker Prince
refused the bubbly not only for himself, but for the 50 pals he'd
brought with him. According to American website Page Six, after
Prince insisted all alcohol be removed from their tables, the whole
crew drank bottled water. Also at Rehab - but not part of the
prohibited pack - were Mariah Carey and Wyclef Jean.
28-02-2003 : The Time @ NY (2 shows)
Mar 03
01-03-2003 : The Time @ NY (2 shows)
Hello everybody, I would like to share with you comments of Gi
Dussault about the latest show of the very famous and talented
group THE TIME. This group worked very closely with Prince, the
famous artist, during several years. Their very last show took place
on Saturday, March 1st, 2003 at the B.B. KING Blues Club, located
in Time's Square, in New York City and Gi Dussault, the co-host
and co-producer of the well-known radio show, "THE UPPER
ROOM WITH JOE KELLEY", attended the concert. She tells us
about this unforgettable show that she had the chance to experience
in the company of Joe Kelley. This I can only approve for the reason
I also had the very great pleasure of attending the same show
myself, last year. Thanks to my two great friends, Joe and Gi. I shall
get back at you later on with my comments about this show of last
year. Gi tells us her evening : "We prepared ourselves to go and see
THE TIME at B.B. King's, located in Time,s Square in New York
City. We are going there with a group of friends. Mystic Bowie,
Electric Man and his wife, Robin." Arriving at B.B. King's, we had to wait until the brother of Morris Day, who is the manager of
THE TIME, to bring the guest list in order to be able to take our seats inside. Finally, the list is brought. We are placed at a super
table. We really have an extraordinary view, not far from the stage. We are all very anxious that the show starts. We are very excited.
It is the first time for Mystic Bowie and Robin to see them live. They look excited. Therefore, we decide to raise their level of
excitement by purposely telling them about other shows which we had
gone to see. We even talked about our friend Gamillah (alias Jean-Yves,
myself) who had the chance of being selected last year, to go on stage to
dance with them. Gamillah told us that it was a true dream come true for
him. Well, Joe and I, we were really glad to be part of this dream. We were
really happy to see Gamillah there among these stars, of which he was
dreaming about since a long time. The five of us are still sitting awaiting
anxiously for the show to begin. And then all the lights are shut off and we
suddenly hear "tic tic tic". WOW ! Here they are. This is them. True insane
girl. Everytime I go to their concert I am so happy. I do not know how to
express this joy. And here they come on stage, all aligned there, and they
do all at the same time a dance and people are all filled with enthusiasm
and shout. Yes I believe that I shout myself too. Hahahaha. I looked at my
friends sitting at the table to see whether they are also having fun... and
what do I see ? Mystic Bowie shaking himself from side to side. Robin
clapping her hands and shouting. Electric Man giving me elbow blows and
Joe who is practically climbing on his seat. Hahaha, I say yes, my friends
are really having fun. And there come the tunes; one after the other : What
Time is It ? / Wild and loose / 777-9311 / The walk / Gigolos get lonely too
/ The stick / The bird / Jungle Love and many others which I can't
remember any more. And then, Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin comes and plays a
super solo of guitar for us. WOW ! There we are all filled with goose
bumps. This guy is a genius with the guitar. WOW. Then came the
moment when Jerome Benton comes among the crowd to make his jokes.
Worse it is then he stops at our table and why did I have the feeling that
he was to tease me ? And so my feeling was good :-))) He asked me
whether I was having a good evening. I answered him ohhh yeah. He says
to me, that shows up; you already have the very red nose of excitement.
Hummm.... :-))) If ever somebody has the video of this show, well you'll
see. There, I am :-))). The show was excellent. We all had fun. Then we
went backstage, because Monte Moir said to us : "Come to see us, we'll be
waiting for you after the show". We thus went to meet with these guys,
who, in my opinion, are big stars, but who can nevertheless keep all their
simplicity in their personality. I do not like the backstage room at B.B. King's. It is too small and everyone wants to meet the artists
at the same time. Therefore I waited with Mystic Bowie in the corridor. He didn't not want to enter either. Finally the guys start to
come to see us, one after the other. Monte arrives. Always so nice and friendly. Very very nice. Then arrives Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin, this
tall guy. I always feel so small besides him. Yes, he is tall. Hahaha. We talked also. Then who's coming ? Jerome. He sees me sitting
there in the corridor. What do you think he does ? Well, yes, he comes to see me and he excused himself just in case he would have
embarassed me and he kisses me on the nose. Hahahaha. He did that a few times while talking to me. Hahahaha. Very nice this guy.
I saw Morris Day. He was very busy. Therefore I was not likely to approach him. Then Stanley 'Chance' Howard arrives. Oh boy... I
tell you that he was in good form. A joke did not wait the other. A good guy. He made me laugh quite a bit. :-))) The only one who
did not come outside and I waved at him at the door. This is Jellybean Johnson, the drummer. He was very tired and moreover,
they had another show to perform that evening. But we yelled a few words and he was glad to see me. It was fun. Freeze arrived and
he said a nice hello to everybody. While talking, I had the chance to meet Sonny-Boy, a super funk music singer. I also met George
Benson's son. Then, I see somebody passing by with quite a flashing suit. Immediately Monte leans and says to me (he told me his
name but I can't remember it for the time being) : this guy, he is the former hairdresser, make-up man and stylist of Prince. I know
that it is foolish what I will say, but I look at him as if I was looking at Prince himself. Hahahaha. It was a superb evening, as with
each time we are likely to meet THE TIME. They are super good guys in addition to being incomparable artists. Jellybean also plays
the guitar and co-produces Ronnie Baker Brooks who will be in Montreal next week. He also wrote and produced songs for Janet
Jackson. Monte also wrote songs for Janet Jackson. I try to remember which ones because I know you know them all, but the titles
do not come out for the time being. Sorry. They are all people very full with talent. We returned by train and we were all happy of
our evening. We already look forward for the return of THE TIME on the East coast. And this is it with regards to Gi Dussault's
report of THE TIME's show at BB King's. [...] Should you ever have the opportunity to see THE TIME giving a show somewhere, do
not miss it... You will never regret it. I am telling you : "It's really worth the price."
03-2003 : Vogue Paris (FR - Inc.)
Prince speaks to you.
The one which was one of the last incarnations of the musical genius in XXe century is always there, with, in its drawers, what to
astonish (or disconcert) the world during two more or three decades. First, he found love and God. At the end of october 2002. The
untameable force of nature (sometimes) known as Prince has not placed any album in the world charts for several years and does
not have any large discographic structure to distribute his records, but the six thousand and some witnesses run to the Zenith in
Paris find from the start linked by a submerging obviousness, they attend the performance of a true magician, the most gifted
musician currently in activity on this planet. Dressed of an elegant surprisingly discrete black suit, the tiny performer, after having
guided his excellent new group through several complex musical sequences, danced with the agility of a young James Brown and
carried out a guitar solo that let us breathless, he decides to communicate in a more direct way with the extatic crowd massed in
front of him : "How much among you are disciples ?" while a sea of hands is agitated in front of him. "And now, how many leaders
are there ?" Some individuals raise the hand timidly, but everyone knows that only one leader occupies the place this evening. Mick
Jagger is recently resume the state of mind of the disciples of Prince while declaring : "He has always been a brilliant artist. He is
very prolific, he vacuum-cleaned many traditions and invented a lot of of new styles. He composes in exceptional manner and
eclipse everyone on scene. I place him all in top, at the top.” And what about Miles Davis which, just before his death, recorded
with Prince and write in his autobiography "he is a little genius... he can do everything. For me, he is the new Duke Ellington."
Prince himself agrees entirely with these high opinions : "Did I saw one potential rival these twenty last years ?", repeating the
question which I have just asked him. "You must be joking. Nobody is as good. Nobody comes higher than my ankle" This faith
without fault in his artistic capacities characterizes Prince since the end of the Seventies, when he signed for the first time a contract
for seven albums with Warner Bros and obtained a total control on all the aspects of musical creation. Prince wrote all the songs,
played and sang each note, produced and took part in the recording session. He also builds a reputation of blazing performer and,
in 1982, joined international public with the ambitious double funk-pop album, "1999". Two years later, he became, with Madonna
and Michael Jackson - the most significant superstar in the world with the simultaneous triumphal movie Purple Rain (a hardly
disguised autobiography) and 13 million soundtrack albums sold. Prince said he thought that, at this time of his career, he could
pay a hard tribute to this commercial phenomenon. "I realized that it was impossible to remain at this omnipresent point for a
long time — beeing all, for everyone. And I knew that I have to evolve ant that would not be a piece of cake." However, he do
something more than evolve and the marvelously eclectic albums that he published in the end of the 80's like "Parade" and "Sign O'
The Times" are considered as the most brilliant albums ever. At the same time, his glory seemed to insulate him, turns him more
and more parano and obsessed by the wish to be in total control. According to one of his employees, "Prince never spoke. He
communicated with his crew by small words. No one was authorized to look at him or to speak to him. I saw him fired a guy
which had dared to launch a glance to him." Then came the Eighties and, for Prince, a lot of professional problems. Initially, the
film Graffiti Bridge collected, then the musician who had just renewed his contract with Warner Bros, discovered that he still did
not have the rights of his music, which made him change his name several times and to trott itself in public with the word "slave"
writes on the cheek. Not to hold the rights of his recordings always turns him nuts : "the law does not have any direction for me. I
create : that belongs to me. It is a point of divine law, I cannot help from thinking of a certain form of racial discrimination.
David Bowie has his catalogue, but look at the naked terrible battle the family of Hendrix had to carry out before obtaining the
rights of his work. In quantity, I have more than five times the work of Jimi and I want that all belongs to me before my death."
Prince entered the new millenium by taking again his old patronym and while moving away still more from the usual practices of
musical industry, he publishes from now on his recordings (latest to date, the jazzy conceptual album "The Rainbow Children")
end of part one
07-03-2003 : Greazy Meal @ Cabooze (Minneapolis)
Prince checks out Greazy Meal at the Cabooze in Minneapolis.
08-03-2003 : Jazzmagazine.com
There’s an article about Prince performing at Paisley Park (supposed fake) on http://www.jazzmagazine.com/ March, 8. The article
is in French so I translated it so that you can read it. Here it is :
“A journalist from Saint-Paul Peter Cato attended a Prince concert at Paisley Park on March, 8. He says he was baffled by the
concert and that the performance was tremendous. The show began at 11PM in front of about 200 people. Renato Neto was on
keyboards, Rhonda Smith on bass, John Blackwell on drums, the Hornheads on horns, Esther Godinez (friend of Sheila E’s and exdrummer for George Benson), Eric Leeds on sax and a new guitar player from Los Angeles Ella King. Apart from a few recent tracks
: Avalanche, Mellow, Family Name, The Work and Have a Heart, Prince only played new songs which may be on his next album that
is said to be called “2000 Free : The Revelation Year”. Funk and blues influences were even more present than on the One Nite
Alone Tour. The concert started with a completely changed version of Kiss which sounded like a blues with a lot of horns. Also a
alternative version of Shy with an accelerated beat. He performed other songs that he strongly having rewritten : Dark, I Wish U
Heaven, Walk Don’t Walk, Willing And Able, Come, When U Love Somebody, I Feel For You, Little Red Corvette, Moonbeams Level
and Paisley Park. He also covered three songs : Love Is The Answer by Todd Rundgren, Jesus by Curtis Mayfield and Too High by
Stevie Wonder. Then he played six new songs entitled The War Script (a very political song in which Prince says how much he is
strongly opposed to George W. Bush, a very rock even hard rock track), Love Stories (weird and sad electronic love song), I Ain’t No
Fool (more RnB, talking again about American domestic policy), Incantation ( a three-part instrumental song with once more very
strongly engaged lyrics laughing at Black and White American paranoia), The Silent Majority and Wow (a gospel pop song close to
Forever In My Life). The concert ended at 01:15AM. Peter Cato doesn’t know whether Prince upcoming concerts will sound the
same, with the same setlist and even if the musicians will be the same… However he learned that the NPGMC is currently “under
reconstruction” and that the new album is finished and should be out in June.”
14-03-2003 : Estaire Godinez concert @ St Paul
Prince attends a concert by Estaire Godinez at the Artist’s Quarter in St. Paul. Her band includes Eric Leeds and former NPG
guitarist Mike Scott. John Blackwell guested on drums.
Early 2003 : Musicology sessions
Musicology * - Musicology
Reflection * - Musicology
Although Prince released two albums and multiple downloads during 2003, Reflection is the only studio track to include vocals
released during 2003. The album version of Musicology includes a segue at the end of the track involving a radio changing
between stations (similar to a Segue on Carmen Electra's album Carmen Electra). Each station is playing a Prince song, and
included are clips of If I Was Your Girlfriend, 17 Days, Kiss, Sign O' The Times and Little Red Corvette. Spoken over it are lyrics to
Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance, the following track on the album.
Musicology
Heard about the party now
Just east o' Harlem
Dougie's gonna b there
But u got 2 call him
Even the soldiers
Need a break sometimes
Listen 2 the groove ya'll
Let it unwind ur mind
No intoxication
Unless u c what eye c
Dancin hot n' sweaty
Right in font of me
Call it what u like
I'm gonna call it how it b
This is just another one
Of God's gifts
Musicology
Keep that party movin
Just like eye told you
Kick the old school joint
4 the true funk soldiers
Musicology
Wish eye had a dollar
4 everytime u say
Don't u miss the feeling
Music gave ya
Back in the day ?
Let's Groove
September
Earth, Wind and Fire
Hot Pants by James
Sly's gonna take u higher
Minor keys and drugs
Don't make a rollerskate jam
Take ur pick - turntable or a band ?
If it ain't Chuck D
or Jam Master Jay
Know what ?
They're losin'
'Cause we got a PhD in
Advanced Body Movin'
Keep the party movin'
Just like eye told u
Kick the old school joint
4 the true funk soldiers
Musicology
Reflection
Two sevens together like time, indefinite
Trying to catch the glass before it falls
Without a frown can you turn up the stereo ?
I wanna play you this old song about love
Can eye do that ?
Did we remember to water the plants today ?
Eye forgot to look up at the moon because
Eye was too busy, said eye was too busy
Eye was too busy
Looking at you, babe
Still it's nice to know that uh, when bodies wear out
We can get another
What does that one thing have to do with the other one ?
Eye don't know
Eye was just thinking about my mother
You know what? Turn the stereo back down
Ain't nothing worse than an old worn out love song
Tell me do you like my hair this way ?
Remember all the way back in the day
When we would compare who's afro was the roundest
Mirrored tiles above the bed
Fishing nets and posters all over the walls, oh yeah
Sometimes eye just wanna go sit out on the stool
And uh, play my guitar
Just watch all the, all the cars go by
Apr 03
09-04-2003 : Star Tribune
Review : ‘Possessed : The Rise and Fall of Prince’
By Jon Bream
From Prince’s legal adversary to his biographer. That’s the leap that Alex Hahn is trying to make. The Boston lawyer’s claim to fame
is that he successfully defended Uptown, the respected Prince fanzine, in a 1999 lawsuit brought by the Purple One. He handled that
case pro bono for the Sweden-based magazine, which is still publishing. Now he’s looking for his payday with “Possessed : The Rise
and Fall of Prince.” The book reads like an in-depth fanzine written by a voracious researcher/fan : Lots of facts (most of them
previously reported, some new, including Prince being hospitalized at Fairview Southdale in April 1996 for heart palpitations and
vomiting); lots of gossip (including women Prince bedded, according to “a knowledgable source,” Hahn writes) and tabloid-like
coverage of the death of Prince’s deformed baby in October 1996. Hahn interviewed several key figures in Prince’s life and career,
including former managers Bob Cavallo and Arnold Stiefel; former band members Dez Dickerson, Matt Fink and Rosie Gaines;
publicists Howard Bloom and Bob Merlis, and road manager and Paisley Park executive Alan Leeds. Hahn also relied heavily on
interviews conducted by others, chiefly Per Nilsen, Uptown contributor and author of the 1999 book “DanceMusicSexRomance :
Prince, the First Decade.” (Nilsen is credited with interviewing 30 sources, Hahn with 19.) In his introduction, Hahn cited Nilsen’s
book and my 1984 biography, “Prince : Inside the Purple Reign,” as sources. Hahn never contacted me. In the first noteworthy
Prince book by a U.S. author in two decades, the Boston lawyer/writer also lists people who turned down his interview requests,
including Vanity, Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Sheila E., Morris Day and Madonna. Apparently, he did not seek an interview with
Prince. “Possessed” does not offer a serious analysis of Prince’s art. Rather, this book chronicles the ups and downs of his career,
with plenty of pseudo-psychoanalysis of the shortcomings that eventually toppled him from the top of the pops. Hahn portrays
Prince as a self-indulgent, obsessive, demanding, capricious, promiscuous, uncaring, petulant, spoiled brat/genius/workaholic. This
is not a Kirby Puckett-type situation where the public and private images don’t jibe. Prince-ophiles have known of these dubious
qualities. It’s just that no book author has gone where lawyer Hahn has : printing the rumors and whispers. With all his digging,
Hahn tells us that a trip on the drug Ecstasy is what prompted Prince’s short-notice cancellation of the release of “The Black Album”
in 1987. The author’s unnamed sources suggest that Prince’s use of the prescription painkiller Percodan contributed to his erratic
behavior circa 2000. “Possessed” too often seems secondhand and gossipy. Reading it, you wonder if Hahn has ever seen Prince in
concert. Could he see the purple through the pain ?
10-04-2003 : NPGMC
! NPGMC
Ad
Then there was nothing
really new for a while,
until the 'Something big
is coming soon' video of
Mani and the whale (did
that ever get explained ?)
and the opening of the
doors of the NPGMC.
11-04-2003 : ! The Time @ Milwaukee (0:52)
(A : Pabst Theater 2003 - ?/10)
Tom Joyner Intro / Instrumental Intro (Incl. Ho-Parade) / Wild And Loose / The Stick / Blondie / My Drawers /
Fishnet / The Oak Tree / Jerk Out
Get It Up / Cool / 777-9311 / Gigolos Get Lonely Too / Jungle Love / The Bird
The show was broadcasted live at the Tom Joyner Morning Show.
12-04-2003 : The Time @ Cincinnatti
18-04-2003 : NPGMC 2003 opening
 NPGMC Ad / Overview
(0:04)
Reflection Release
NPG Music Club makes a song called “Reflection” available for members; the song
was later released on Musicology. Simultaneously, footage (16 minutes) from the
forthcoming Lire At The Aladdin Las Vegas DVD and a song from the Brixton
Academy, London, August 28th 1998 concert were posted.
Sam Jennings Website
These screens are from the 2003 version of the NPG Music Club, and the whole
experience was built around idea of the club as a big mansion that you had to
maneuver around to find what you were looking for. Every section was a room in
this house with a central foyer acting as a hub. The rooms were not specifically 3D
models but instead were altered photos made more "Prince-like." It was a different
approach and made some of the usability challenging, but this was Prince's vision of
how he wanted the club. We kept this basic idea all the way through to the end in
2006 but as the years went by I steered it in the direction of using more standard information consoles resembling a electronic
studio equipment.
 NPGMC Intro
(0:04)
19-04-2003 : The Time @ Detroit
20-04-2003 : NPGMC
Launch Party : In the Glam Slam V.I.P Room
Sunday night at 9:00 P.M. Bring a friend and HOOK UP some BIG
speakers cuz the dane jams r gonna pump.
The Time @ Detroit
21-04-2003 : SF Chronicle
A new spin on Prince Biography depicts artist once hot, turned cold
By James Sullivan
Prince's descent from pop culture powerhouse is tracked in a new book by
Alex Hahn
Possessed The Rise and Fall of Prince
By Alex Hahn
BILLBOARD BOOKS; 288 PAGES; $24.95
For years pop culture fans were confused about what to call the Artist Formerly Known as Prince. "Possessed," Alex Hahn's
painstakingly detailed biography of the peculiar pop star, suggests an earlier identity crisis : As a child, the author reports, Prince
Rogers Nelson insisted that his friends and family call him "Skipper." Prince didn't seem like a "Skipper" when he ascended to the
rare air of mega-stardom in the 1980s with super-funky, erotically charged albums such as "1999" and "Sign O' the Times" and the
blockbuster feature film "Purple Rain." Flamboyantly costumed, astoundingly prolific and deliberately elusive, the diminutive
Minnesotan was a true original. But his deep royal Purpleness has done a steady fade over the past decade or more, as a long,
caustic dispute with Warner Bros., some abject box-office failures and other disappointments have contributed to an erosion of the
singer's hit-making skills. Having recast himself as an industry
outsider, Prince retains a loyal but steadily shrinking following
that accounts for a fraction of the global audience he once
commanded. Hahn's book, the most fully fleshed biography on
the singer to date, cleaves Prince's career in two - the rise and the
fall. Compared with so many salacious, "Behind the Music"worthy pop narratives, it's surprisingly tedious going for stretches
at a time. The book opens with the author revisiting a 1996
episode in which Prince was rushed to the hospital, sick to his
stomach from a combination of aspirin and wine. "After nearly
two decades as a clean-living workaholic," Hahn writes, "Prince
was perhaps the least likely star of his generation to selfdestruct - Yet here he was, inebriated and vomiting in a hospital
emergency room. Somehow, Prince had lost control." As a
dramatic device, it's a little wanting. It's an unfortunate incident,
but aspirin and wine hardly make for a compelling celebrity
scandal. A biographer can only work with the material at hand,
and the story behind Prince's career turns out to be a rather
monotonous cycle of trophy girlfriends, perfunctory tours, bandmember firings and boardroom squabbles. The theme that
emerges finds that Prince, despite his kinky persona ("Life for
him was a sexual hors d'oeuvres tray," says one former
associate) and the radical, often exhilarating musical innovations
of his first decade, is actually a defining product of the ultraconservative 1980s. Hahn, a lawyer who successfully represented
a fanzine called Uptown when Prince tried to put it out of
business, had no direct access to his subject. Given Prince's
lifelong aversion to self-disclosure, however, that's not a
particular problem. At times the author resorts to rock-critic
cliche, referring to Prince's genre "stylings" and describing one
song as "blistering, " and in a brief survey of the singer's fellow
1980 superstars he mistakenly credits U2's distinctive guitar
sound to singer Bono, not the Edge. Still, his insights are often
astute : "Throughout the 1990s and beyond, (Prince) mistook
motion for creative development," he writes. Prince's initial
disparagement of rap music, Hahn observes, was the predictable
reaction of a performer who could feel his own claim to commercially profitable controversy slipping away. Suddenly, songs such as
"Head" or "Darling Nikki" (which prompted Tipper Gore to launch the Parents' Music Resource Center) seemed tame in
comparison to gangsta rap's graphic violence. Years later, Hahn reports, Prince invited two big fans, soul star D'Angelo and the
Roots' drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, to his studio at Paisley Park to jam. But his discomfort was apparent, and he
dominated the session as he did with his own subordinates. "Why do I feel like I have to take a shower ?" D'Angelo said as the two
dismayed proteges left the compound. Though Prince's records, including an ill-fated return to major-label association in 1999
("Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic"), have only narrowly kept his celebrity afloat, his live shows can still be as energetic as any of his
contemporaries'. Prince's creative saga seems to match that of so many pop icons : Feverishly inspired in his first several years in
the spotlight, his ideas no longer seem to move the public, or even the artist himself. "This is not a cat that's going to age
gracefully," predicts one former band member. Another onetime associate, an aspiring songwriter who welcomed Prince's flattery
only to find him filching from her work without credit, puts Prince's undeniable charisma in terms that might help explain his entire
livelihood : "It's a very bright, warm, God-like light. But when he shuts it off, you've never known cold like that." Hahn's book does
what all good books about music do -- it makes the reader want to revisit the records -- but it also leaves us feeling strangely cold
about an artist who once generated such heat.
25-04-2003 : The Time @ Inglewood
May 03
02-05-2003 : The Time @ New Orleans (first show)
Went and saw the Masters of Cool at Ballys Casino in New Orleans on May 2, 2003 and as usual I was not disappointed. My buddy
Jason and I left my house in Pensacola, FL at 5:30 p.m. Unfortunately we were not able to leave earlier and figured we were going to
be late to the first show which we thought was going to start at 8:00 p.m. We hauled ass, but the traffic was bad so it still took us
three hours to get to the big easy. Luckily the show was at 8:30 p.m., instead of 8:00 p.m., so we showed up a few minutes before
show time. Picked up our tickets at the front of the casino and headed down to the club. We were walking in the door and Torrell
'Tori' Ruffin comes out. I hollered at him and he came and shook my hand and said he would see us after the show. Jason thought
that was cool and I had to inform him he hadn't seen cool yet. This was his second THE TIME concert, but the first time seeing
them up close in a club. We walk in the club and it's about 75% full. No front row this show, but there were some seats in the 5th
row on the side so we snagged them. The show started about ten minutes later. Here is the set list : Ho Parade / Wild and loose
/ The stick / Blondie / My drawers / Fishnet / The oak tree / Jerk out / Get it up / Cool / 777-9311 / Gigolos get lonely too / If the
kid can't make you come / The bird / Jungle love. Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin kicks ass at the Ho Parade intro again - same to My drawers.
Jerome comes and gives me five. Nobody got on stage for The bird which was kind of weird, but a great show. We hit the can and let
the club clear out. We went over to the backstage area to where the fellas were and Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin invited to join them.
Everybody was there except Morris and he put in an appearance to grab some food and beverage. We talked to Stanley 'Chance'
Howard and Freeze a little bit. We talked to Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin the most, but also socialized a great deal with Monte and Jellybean.
Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin actually asked about my wife who has been to ever show. I've been to except one, but this was a boy's night out.
The highlight was Jason and I sitting there with Monte, Jellybean and Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin drinking beer and just talking shit. We
ended up hanging out with the fellas for about an hour. The started letting people back in to the club about this time so we thanked
the fellas for their hospitality and went back into the club so we could snag some better seats for the second show. As we went to go
back in, they didn't want to let us in with the beer. Jason was like "The Time gave it to us" and they proceeded to let us in. Too cool.
My lightweight ass was buzzing hard and I really didn't drink that much, but hey when your hanging with the mother fucking TIME
what are you going to do. We snagged front row center seats for the second show.
The Time @ New Orleans (second show)
The second show set list was exactly the same as the first show except they added Ice cream castles. The band was much looser this
show jamming more and playing the numbers longer. I had asked Jerome how come nobody got on stage during The bird at the
first show and he said it had something to do with the insurance. Well, the second show they either didn't care or already got there
money cause they brought the women on stage for Ice cream castles. They also brought some cracked out Issac Hayes looking dude
to dance during The bird. The dude was even worse than me. We got a ton of pictures. At one point Morris and Jerome were about a
foot away from us dancing and Jason got a few really cool pictures. Here is the set list from the second show : Ho Parade / Wild and
loose / The stick / Blondie / My drawers / Fishnet / The oak tree / Jerk out / Get it up / Cool / 777-9311 / Gigolos get lonely too / If
the kid can't make you come / Ice cream castles / The bird / Jungle love. During Blondie Jerome was yelling at me "You like that
one ?". Kick ass. We talked to Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin right after the show. Waited for the club to clear out and went and talked to him
again at the backstage area and then we headed to the hotel. I know I keep saying it, but if you ever get a chance to see these guys
live – GO ! You won't be disappointed.
03-05-2003 : The Time @ Atlanta
Early 05-2003 : NPGMC Musicology remix contest
In early May, 2003, brief 2 second 'stabs' of each instrument, taken from the song Musicology, were playable at the NPG Music
Club in a foyer by clicking on a picture of each instrument. A contest was run for members to submit remixes using the samples,
and starting 9 June, 2003, members' remixes were added to the site (over the course of the Summer, 55 remixes were added in
all).
05-05-2003 : All-Star Celebrity Jam (Studio City)
Prince guests with Sheila E. and the Escovedo family during their concert at the Platinum Live Club in Studio City, California. He
came onstage towards the end of the show, jamming with the band for about 10 minutes on guitar. Sheila smiled and began a
chant of "ain't no party like a Prince party !'' Prince had his back turned to the audience for most of the time, but turned around a
few times when cranking up his guitar for a solo while making some funny faces.
Wow...just got back from a Cinco De Mayo surprise at the 300-capacity "Platinum Live" supper club in Studio City, Calif. Pete
Escovedo, father of Sheila E., held an "all-star celebrity jam" to raise money for their church, the Namaste Interfaith
Center/Community Outreach program of Los Angeles. Lots of celebrity entertainers, including Peggi Blu (former Star Search
Winner), actor Michael De Lorenzo, Najee, Verdine White of Earth Wind and Fire, Jimmy Smits, comedian Tommy Davidson,
Raphael Saadiq of Toni Tony Tone all performed, as, of course, did the Escovedo family, but the big surprise of the night was special
guest star Prince who jammed with the Escovedos at the end of the show. Sheila E., who performed a couple of Latin jazz songs with
her dad's orchestra, which also featured her brothers Juan and Peter Michael, which was the reason I went to the show. Their part
was brief, since there were so many others waiting to perform in the 3 1/2 hour show. Immediately after Sheila's set, comedian
Tommy Davidson, who appeared on "In Living Color," had mentioned that Prince was in the audience, and incorporated the music
to "Sign of the times" when he joked on how Prince ordered food from Mc Donalds. We thought he was joking that Prince was
there, but sure enough, we saw Prince's bodyguards standing in a dark corner of the room, and we knew he was indeed there. After
a couple of other acts, Sheila E took the stage again, with her dad's band, Verdine White on bass, Raphael Saadiq on guitar, and Kat
Dyson, formerly of the NPG, on bass, and Lynn Mabry on vocals with Sheila, and Sheila invited "her brother" Prince to come up and
jam with them, but Prince didn't. Sheila played A Love Bizarre, which became a long medley of funk classics such as One Nation
Under a Groove, Thank You Falletin me Be Mice Elf Again and several others, and then Prince finally grabbed a guitar and jammed
with the band for about 10 minutes. Most noticibly different about Prince was his "new 'do"--a mini Lenny Kravitz-esque afro. He
was wearing a white turtleneck and white slacks. The jam was entirely instrumental, and reminded me of the appearance he made
with James Brown and Michael Jackson...totally improvised, and a really funky guitar riff, similar to "Talking Loud and Saying
Nothing" or "The Jam." After about 10 minutes, the show was over and that was that. An unexpected surprise, and, as usual, an
awesome performance by Sheila E and her family. After the show, Prince was overheard saying to Sheila, “you should do that more
often," and he left the club shortly thereafter. Tune in next hit.
Well, went 2 the Escovedo Charity concert 2night and our fav funky brother not only showed up but brought down the house for a
good 15-20 minutes ! On stage was a new rapper (no not Tony M.s Cousin and so far no relation 2 a Prince protegee) Raphael
Saadiq (formerly of Tony Tone Toni), Najee for a bit, Sheila E, Kat Dyson and several Escovedo family members. For the ladies;
Prince was sportin a new doo, (I guess his afro is the roundest in the song "Reflection") a short lil fro going on. Gone are the long
burns. He was wearin all white (turtleneck sweater and long dress pants covering up the heels)as well as very cool blue shades and a
gold medalion. Prince played a black guitar and could not have been more than 60 people in there at the time. Place went nuts. He
kept his back to the audience most of the time til he warmed up to us and saw no one was gonna bum rush the stage. Yes, me made
those funky ass guitar faces that got every women in the place 2 have wet chonies. Also a few guys had some as well. This
performance was a suprise and quite random even though he did attend her show at the House of Blues on Saturday night. Frankie
(Prince's baby's momma, hehe) had 2 point out that this was the BEST CINCO DE MAYO EVER ! Couldn't agree more cuz everyone
was smiling ear 2 ear. B wild y'll. Thanks again 2 getwild. Pics 2 follow soon along with Paradise7's review.
Prince got up and jammed for about 15-20 minutes with Sheila E., Raphael Saddiq, et. al. at the Cinco De Mayo Benefit at the
Platinum Live Supper Club. It was the last set, and Sheila asked "her brother, Prince" to get up and jam with them several times
before he finally came up. He had on a pale beige cowl neck sweater and matching pants. His hair appears to be growing, (still short
though) it was oh so soft looking. He also had on some cool shades and was popping some gum. I obviously ran up to the front with
my girls and we stood there screaming and dancing the whole time. I'm not sure if he did a particular song that I could name, I just
couldn't believe I had paid $35 and was about 10 ft. from the man. I took photos so let's pray they come out and I'll post them. (I
had a cheap a#$ disposable camera) Ahhhhhhh........my gut told me he was going to be there and I was right ! Of course I went to
see the Escovedo family and they jammed, Tommy Davidson was funny, Najee, Verdeen White of Earth Wind & Fire, etc.....But
when P came on stage you know the place went nuts :-)
07-05-2003 : Matrix Reloaded premiere (Hollywood)
The Hollywood premiere of The Matrix Reloaded took place today at the Mann Village Theatre and Prince was there. The celebrity
roll-out for the Hollywood premiere not only included his royal purpleness but the cast members including Hugo Weaving, CarrieAnne Moss, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Nona Gaye. Others in attendance were Sandra Bullock, Harry Hamlin, Melissa
Joan Hart, Ashton Kutcher, Lucy Liu, Tobey Maquire, Tara Reid, Ice Cube, Chris Judd, Will Smith, Tori Spelling, and Daman
Wayans. The Australian premiere of the movie takes place at the Hoyts cinema complex at Fox Studios on May 15 but unlike the
Hollywood premiere the Sydney showing looks like being devoid of stars with the exception of Australia's rent-a-crowd soapies. The
main stars of the movie including Weaving, Moss, Fishburne and Reeves won't be at the Aussie premiere, even though it takes place
at the exact same location the movie was shot. It appears the stars are too busy spin doctoring the Northern Hemisphere to find
time for their own premiere.
09-05-2003 : The Time @ Richardson
11-05-2003 : Curlio.com
Prince's new NPG Music Club launched
2003-05-11 22:02:38 NPG Records
NPG records, the record company from Prince contacted us to inform us that the brand new NPG Music Club is offering fans : a
concert video footage from the forthcoming DVD called "Prince Live at the Alladin Las Vegas". Thus before the release date ! To be
able to see it though, you have to join and become a member, which costs a total of $25 for the whole 2003. According to my
calculator that's 7 months. There is no word on how much a full year (2004) will cost. In addition to the DVD preview, members of
the interactive virtual estate will experience new music, celebrity chats, news, message forums and a retail area complete with
talking salesclerks. You can see a free "preview" here. The server gives only a maximum throughput of about 50Kb/sec though and
because of that the preview takes quite awhile to download. The preview itself is interesting but doesn't really show much what you
can expect, you will have to read the "join" page to find out what they all offer with memberships Each room of the house offers an
ever-changing array of xperiences, including REFLECTION, KNOWLEDGE, and MUSICOLOGY. Come xperience rooms 2 interact
with other members, view CYBERCLIPS with ur friends, and engage transmissions from the next stage of the New Power
Generation. Essentially everything that a normal artist club offers too. Of course you shouldn't forget the advanced pre-sales and
special seating either. And with this information being everything that is available people have to decide if they want to join or not.
The big real prince fans are most likely to join anyway, however it is to wonder if the other people will join for $25 without really
seeing what they can expect. There are no reviews from the club online yet so for most people it will be one big gamble if it's worth
it's money. On the other hand it is the music club from Prince so it's likely to be worth the money and compared to other clubs that
sometimes cost up to $10 a month and sometimes even more the $25 is quite cheap. Personally I wouldn't take a membership yet,
there is just not enough information what is really inside. What is there under reflection, knowledge and musicology ? It just sounds
all too vague to me. There's just not enough information available, But then again, i'm not a big Prince fan.
14-05-2003 : MN Fam Club Party (Musicology premiere)
17-05-2003 : The Time @ Milwaukee
18-05-2003 : The Front / Jazzmine’s (Minneapolis)
Prince and Manuela are seen at Minneapolis nightclubs Jazzmine's and The Front.
Just received word Prince made an appearance at the FRONT in MPLS. This was a fan party put on called Me~N~U apolis FREE
2045 Monthly MN Fam Club Party Yes...Prince was rocking the new doo short mini fro going on. And… he had Mani sitting on his
lap...NOT looking pregnant. So don't expect Prince to show up tomorrow at the Blackwell Drum Clinic tomorrow in L.A. And can we
this put the XPECTATION rumors 2 bed? Hmm. next time we have a fan party, guess we will put Prince on the guest list.
NPGMC
FLASH : PRINCE and MANUELA graced The Front with their presence and kicked 2 new jams Wednesday Nite !!! Then, they
headed ova 2 Jazzmine's where they hung out with DARREN HENSON, star of the Showtime series SOUL FOOD. This is HIS Music
Club and we don't HAVE the JAMS first ?! Shame on u, Skippy ! Plus some rumors are starting 2 kick about June 3rd in MPLS. We
shall see.
20-05-2003 : The Moors In Spain
(incomplete lyrics to a song posted by Prince in the Vs room of the NPGMC website 20th May 2003)
If this great African culture were alive 2day
We’d b 400 years more advanced
From Arabia they came 2 blossom in Spain
And 2 the beat of the drum they danced
Masters of the Arts and all industry
While France, England and all Germany
Wallowed in the mire of their own bigotry
The Moors were the ones who were truly free
Civilization came 2 Europe thru the Greek
Who were simply Africans who came from the Nile
The Greeks gave it 2 Rome who lost their way home
And it stayed that way 4 quite a while
Under their own misconception of Christianity
The barbaric Europeans suffered greatly
While the Catholic Church was staking it’s claim
The Moors were making great gains
Introducing strawberries, lemons and sugarcane
Algebra, chemistry from the Moors this all came
Their contributions 2 knowledge, 2 numerous 2 name
While in Europe there were no public libraries, the Moors in Spain
Had 70, 600 thousand manuscripts and 17 universities
Not hardly a prisoner in the mind of society
In the Spain the Moors were once truly free
The one who is most gifted cannot lead the way in a world that never respected authority…
The sword of the Moor would have never left its sheath if the longhaired barbarian who opposed them would have only seen
That 2 win a war against the so-called “black infidels”
Brings about a peace that cannot last
But I guess all’s well that ends well… well it ain’t over
24-05-2003 : The Time @ St Louis
31-05-2003 : The Time @ San Francisco
Jun 03
06-2003 : Muzik
A decade on from his last raw flashes of true genius on the still-shimmering 'Diamonds And Pearls', it would be easy to dismiss the
latest Rogers Nelson album as another interesting but inessential funk-out. But as the scintillating JB staccato-funk of '1+1+1 is 3'
and the sweet balladry of 'she loves me for me' prove, Prince's soul can still burn bright when he makes an effort. Rumbling vocoder
interludes and jazz flourishes are dotted throughout - hey, it's a concept album ! - but the meat of the album is provided by a
masterclass in soul-funk songwriting from His Purpleness. The 'Rainbow' ends with the classic 'Last December' where
incongruously grinding GNR guitars, chiming bass and keyboards and gently rising melodies take you to musical nirvana. Rumour
has it that Prince has relaxed his attitude to WEA somewhat and is considering making a sequel to 'Purple Rain'. Let's hope it's true,
because the boy is back...
"8 reasons why Prince is still cool" # We wouldn't have The Neptunes without him # His Minneapolis house is painted purple #
He's still got lead in his pencil : in 2001, he married Manuela Testolini, am employee 18 year his junior # It's rumoured he covers
his windows with foil so he can sleep at any time of the day # '1+1', 'Everlasting Now', 'Last December' and 'The Rainbow Children'
are all purpletastic classics # Behind the scenes documentary 'Purple Rain : the Truth' is scheduled for release next summer # We
put him on our front cover in February
03-06-2003 : NPGMC
Various loops from the song Controversy were included in the NPG Music Club's short-lived Musicology Control Room Mixer,
opened on 3 June, 2003, which appeared to be alternate recordings, but it is unclear when these were made.
Eric Leeds will chat with the members of the NPG Music Club on Thursday, June 5th at 5pm Central Time in the CONFERENCE
room.
04-06-2003 : Jazzmine’s
Prince and Manuela attend Jazzmine's again. They were accompanied by Maceo Parker, Greg Boyer, Candy Dulfer, Larry Graham
and Milenia. Everyone except for Prince and Manuela guested on stage to jam with Conversation Piece. Earlier in the day, Prince
had done some recordings at Paisley Park with the three-piece horn section from the One Nite... Alone tour (Parker, Boyer, and
Dulfer).
05-06-2003 : Sessions with Michael B / Sonny T / Morris Hayes
Prince jams at Paisley Park with ex-NPG members Michael Bland, Sonny Thompson, and Morris Hayes. Then jammed for about
two and half hours, recording the session. Afterwards, Prince took them into the studio to play them some of his new music.
Eric Leeds about N.E.W.S
from NPGMC Chat with Eric Leeds
Chrushin : Hello & much respect 2 u, Mr. Eric Leeds ! [?] : How long did it take 2 complete the NEWS CD with Prince and what can
we expect from the album (the East sample in the Vault III sounds very interesting, I think). Peace & greetings from Europe/
Germany
PaisleyPark1 (Eric Leeds) : The NEWS took long as the cd is ! P counted it off, gave us a key and we just played. At the end of it, I
packed up my horns and went home. Now that's my idea of a session.
...
chrislecorre : hi Eric, do you know when the "NEWS" CD will be released and where (just online for the club or in stores) ? Thanks a
lot for all your wonderful music, Peace.
PaisleyPark1 (Eric Leeds) : Think it will,
PaisleyPark1 (Eric Leeds) : sorry, it will be soon. Only on the web I think.
08-06-2003 : The Time @ Norfolk
11-06-2003 : The Front
Prince and Manuela show up at The Front, Minneapolis, where a local community of Prince fans is enjoying a get-together. They
remained in their limousine while the driver instructed the DJ at the club to invite everyone to a party at Paisley Park.
Paisley Park Party
A Paisley Park party is held, beginning at 1:00 am. A DJ played some Prince tracks and they showed the Live At The Aladdin Las
Vegas DVD on a big screen. The party ended at 4:00 am.
13-06-2003 : NPGMC
New N.E.W.S room :
"Join Us June 19th - 22nd 4 a Special Online Listening party 4 N.E.W.S Onsale 2 The NPGMC June 19th"
with same teaser 2 download
The Time @ Indianapolis
14-06-2003 : The Time @ Cincinnatti
 NEWS NPGMC Ad
18-06-2003 : NPGMC
(0:02)
High NPGMC,
N.E.W.S., the new CD from Prince, is now available 2 all the
members of the NPG Music Club. Come an join us 4 a special
online listening party from now until Sunday in the N.E.W.S.
Room (up the back stairway on the right from the foyer). 4
days, 4 songs : Hear a different promo clip of an entire track
each day from this xciting new release. Order ur copy of the CD
starting NOW ! Shipping begins on June 25th. Spread the
N.E.W.S !
Love4oneanother,
The NPG Music Club
20-06-2003 : The Time @ Tulsa
22-06-2003 :  Celebrity Justice
(0:02)
24-06-2003 : Maceo Parker @ NY
Prince attends the Apollo, New York, to check out a show by Maceo Parker.
At the beginning of the show Parker's manager announced : "Ladies and
gentlemen, the great Maceo Parker." Prince then strolled up on stage holding
Parker's saxophone, pretending to jam on it. As the audience erupted in
cheers Prince handed the instrument to Parker and exited the stage to watch
the show from the balcony with a bodyguard and a friend, possibly John
Blackwell.
I saw Maceo Parker last night at the Apollo Theatre in NYC. Also playing with
him was Greg Boyer on trombone and Morris Hayes on keyboards. And in the
one balcony suites was Prince. It was pretty cool….after about the first song,
Prince and two of his bodyguards walked out onto the balcony. The audience
went a crazy. Prince didn't look out do anyone he just smiled and kept talking
and joking with his bodyguards. There was a guy sitting next to him who
could have been John Blackwell but I'm not sure. After the second song,
Maceo stopped and said, "Would you folks mind if I get nostalgic for a minute…but first, let's give it up for Prince." He said,
"Yeah that's Prince up there." Then he said, "How about it- from James Brown to Prince…not so bad huh ?" It was very touching.
He went on to explain that the whole first row were people from his high school. He might have grown up in Harlem, New York
but I don't know. Anyway, Maceo was on fire all night. He played Baby Knows, Think, Pass The Peas, Just Gimme Some More. It
was a great set. He went into a couple of hard driven funk jams that he really tore up. He also play the flute which was very cool.
Of course, I was waiting for Prince the get up and play all night. Unfortunately, he never did. At the end of the Maceo yelled,
please give it up for special guest Prince….but that was it. Either way it was still an awesome show. I highly recommend it if he
tours near you.
30-06-2003 : N.E.W.S. Download Release
(56:00)
n North
(0:14)
North (14:00) / East (14:00) / West (14:00) / South (14:00)
N.E.W.S. is the 27th full-length
studio album by Prince. It was
initially available only to NPG Music
Club members, with first shipments
arriving on 30 June, 2003 (almost six
months after the previous album
Xpectation), but it also received a
low-key retail release the following
month. In 2004, a digital download of
the album was offered through the
NPG Music Club. N.E.W.S. was the
second instrumental album in succession, and contained only four tracks, each exactly
14:00 long. At the time of release, Prince's succession of releases from 2001-3 indicated
that he was entering into a more permanent jazz/funk territory for his music, although his
return to vocal pop music the following year with Musicology and later releases confirms that
this was a more temporary era. Stating "new directions in music," N.E.W.S contains
instrumental music that can loosely be termed jazz-infused funk and rock, although there are
also Oriental and classical influences. Prince employed the same “new directions" phrase for
Xpectation, which showcased jazz/funk-infused instrumental music in the vein of Madhouse’s two 1987 albums, 8 and 16.
Considering the jazz tendencies of The Rainbow Children and the One Nite Alone... show, it thus seemed as if Prince had entered
a new, more jazz-influenced musical phase of his career. N.E.W.S contains four instrumental pieces, titled "North," “East,” “West,"
and "South," the initial letters making up N.E.W.S. The length of each track is exactly 14:00 minutes. Distribution of the album was
limited and it didn't reach beyond Prince’s core audience. In fact, the music media hardly noticed the release. Still, the album was
later nominated for a Grammy award.
Clare Fischer gets a credit on N.E.W.S., the only jazz record of Prince’s to get a full-scale official release, but his son Brent believes :
‘I would just guess that he again took snippets of string recordings that we’ve made for him over the years, stuff that my father
had written, just lifted it and placed it on an entirely different track. So I would say this is a case of Prince sampling Clare
Fischer’s orchestral track, and it may not even be the entire orchestra; it may just be part of the orchestra.’ This sampling of
Fischer’s work indicated how much of an influence he remained on Prince’s jazz, and a source who wishes to remain anonymous
told me that a couple of people who were close to Prince and worked with him in the 1980s and 1990s observed him listening to
every single individual track of a Fischer arrangement, as if trying to crack the code of the composition and unlock the Clare Fischer
secret. Recorded, the sleeve notes claim, on 6 February 2003, N.E.W.S. is by no means a bad album, but it has fewer of the
dynamics of Xpectation and is less distinguished light jazz, representing something of a dead end instead of a fresh start. Now that
Prince has returned to making conventional albums, it’s possible to see this era as a self-contained period of experimentation, but at
the time it seemed perfectly possible that Prince had turned his back on a wider audience and might go on recording jazz albums for
ever. If all the Prince albums from Lovesexy onwards force the listener to make a mental readjustment – this is what Prince sounds
like now – N.E.W.S. was, for all its smoothness of sound, his most radical gesture yet. While Prince would remain more open to jazz
influences in all of his subsequent bands, perhaps the most lasting evidence of his continued interest in making jazz part of his
sound is his regular performance of jazz drummer Billy Cobham’s ‘Stratus’ (famously also sampled by Bristol’s Massive Attack) in
his live shows. Cobham covered ‘Sign o’ the Times’ in the year of its release, and Prince has repaid the compliment by covering
‘Stratus’ live over thirty times. Indeed, in recent years, hearing what Prince decides to do with this song on any given night is usually
a concert highlight.
What follows is a hybrid of sorts; part review, part listing of my favorite musical moments, part general observations, part thinking
out loud as to the possible story locked inside this musical work. And it seems somewhat logical to do it this way, as this album
sounds like a hybrid of live improvisational jamming on loosely sketched-out blueprints and after-the-event studio wizardry that
brought it all into a cohesive, deliberate, mostly premeditated whole.
“North” Highlights and Musings :
1) I like its overall unforced, serious-but-laid-back, organic charm.
2) So smooth and chilled out that it makes for the perfect antithetical complement to the album’s feverish closer.
3) It feels spot on at nearly 14 minutes. Not like a 4-minute track stretched out beyond purpose, or even 3 or 4 pieces molded
together like we’ll hear later.
4) The near flawless nature of the composition that seamlessly melds the worlds of jazz, ambient, funk and rock. This is a very
original piece that beautifully preps the vibe for what’s to follow. There are certainly traces of “North” in past Prince music, but he’s
never been this successful or natural in pulling it all off.
5) The little quirks that are added here and there, like being able to hear the clacking of Eric Leeds’ sax keys at one point.
6) The train-whistle synths at 1:00 that signal the oncoming sax.
7) The way the conflictive sounds of the mystical strings and the gravel-throated guitar intertwine at 3:10.
8) The anguished guitar that peeks and pokes about before becoming “North’s” stunning centerpiece at 6:19.
9) The calming piano at 8:58 that caresses us back to health after the onslaught of melancholy.
10) Leeds’ sweetly coaxed butterfly sax notes at 11:38 that appear to give rise to the north wind.
11) The barren north winds that blow us out of the experience. A cry from a
whale or a wolf can be heard in the distance at 12:43 and again at 13:14. It feels
cold and lonely here. Snow blowing, causing a whiteout. Waves crashing against
the icy shore. We long for some warmth, energy, neighbors, kinship.
“East” Highlights and Musings :
1) The musical changes and transitions, the challenge, the complexity and the
experimental vibe of the entire piece. Nothing Prince had done previously -outside of perhaps the avant-garde “Cutz” from “Kamasutra” -- could have
prepared you properly for this.
2) The “steel-drum” sound that eventually persuades the snake-charming flute
out of its comfort zone. Are the natives being seduced out of their homeland ?
3) The drum breakdown that foretells of building strife.
4) The angered metal guitar thrusts like that of a powerful army surging forward
to stomp out rebellion, matched by oriental key figures that build in fervency and
incite anxious, circling, hornet’s-nest guitar, and a sax that answers in kind. The
pieces most troubling, most hostile, most intense moment. Colonialism pushing
eastward ? Communism forcing its hand in China and southeast Asia ? Perhaps
just the general and constant unrest in the region ?
5) The nice transition from the powerful entangled sounds of west-meets-eastwithout-an-invite through the use of funk guitar that leads us straight into a wall
of modern jazz, and later fusion with intensified sax that’s matched by gurgling organ and more funky guitar.
6) The irresistible combination of chicken-scratch guitar at 10:03 and the deeply funky baritone sax that it conjures.
7) Perhaps the sounds of the last gasps of a once great army’s influence slowly being deflated at 11:07. Listen in particular to the
sounds at 12:02, that’s the same aggressive rock surges heard earlier. But this time they come across as weakened and in retreat. Is
this the resistance giving out or the occupying force ?
8 ) The standup electric double bass solo that stirs memories of the middle-marker breakdown in John Coltrane’s “A Love
Supreme”. The aftermath of war ? Digging out from under foreign rule ?
9) Bringing the piece to a sober place of mourning with only the sad, lonely strings of the sitar. Perhaps grieving the current wartorn nations of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine, to name but a few ?
“West” Highlights and Musings :
1) The opening 3:30 that nearly packs the aching, bittersweet beauty of “Purple Rain” or “Just My Imagination”. I wouldn’t be the
least bit surprised to hear this turn up on a future project as a fully structured gospel/blues/rock/soul anthem.
2) After the harsh complexity of “East”, starting the “West” off in a more soulful and accessible direction seems just what the doctor
ordered.
3) At 3:58 is that Columbus and his boys that can be heard sailing west in search of riches or the slave ships bringing over the
human riches that will build much of the west ?
4) The striding and soulful neo-Madhouse groove that is the “West’s” mid-section, delivering a strong sense of purposeful
adventure. It feels as if we’re on a journey into the unknown, yet still confident and hopeful of what lies ahead.
5) Eric stepping proudly forward at 7:36 and delivering a statement funky enough to inspire a hip-hopper who has never even
cracked a jazz album.
6) The way in which at 8:31 the groove immediately turns deadly serious with the introduction of Prince’s shrieking guitar that later
gets squeezed out urgently in energetic licks of stinging pain until the whole piece slows down and settles in a dark place of utter
depravity. Is this the slavery era in America and some of its aftermath ? This section just shreds the soul. It’s like you’re being
chained and whipped. One of the most starkly poignant passages in Prince history.
7) You almost get lost in each piece but there is always something at the end to snap you back to reality. On “West” it’s the drum
rolls and sitar strings that signify the passing of another time and space. It feels as though we’ve mined everything we can out of this
experience and so we knowingly shift our attitudes towards one of parting. But you can’t help but feel a great weight and regret for
that which has passed as we roll onward to the pieces final movement.
“South” Highlights and Musings :
1) Is that the Mothership landing on the “South” (or perhaps Prince’s version of Parliament’s Mothership, a whale with it’s soothing,
discerning, cognitively omnipotent sounding cries, howls, whistles and songs), sent to deliver the enslaved from pain through the
healing and understanding power of music ? This could perhaps signify the staggering contribution to 20th century music of Black
Americans that came directly out of the pain of hundreds of years of slavery. Music that has been and will be helping people of all
races, cultures and creeds in good times and in bad for hundreds of years to come. Perhaps there’ll never be another artistic period
so astonishing as the one which saw the creation of jazz, blues, R&B, soul, funk, disco/dance and rap, with huge contributions in
gospel, rock & roll and eventually a majority holding on that which becomes pop.
2) It’s almost as if the Mothership is sending a perceptive beam of inspirational energy directly to Rhonda’s bass, moving her fingers
to the fore with a bass line that sets the tone for perhaps the funkiest moment of our entire journey.
3) The section of long lament that is encouraged by the still fluttering Mothership. Could this signify the brutally prolonged struggle
from 2/3rds human status to equality ? And this too shall pass.
4) About 8:44 when the piano enters and the slow, mournful dirge starts to deliberately build into modern jazz ecstasy, eventually
made climactic with the inclusion of dueling other-worldly guitar and sax exhalations at 10:00 that reach Charlie Parker-like
spirituality. This just might be the album’s watermark. Upon first listen I was disappointed that Prince did not go completely
interstellar on guitar. But upon further reflection of the piece as a whole, the explosion is perhaps tempered properly at just beneath
boil until complete freedom and equality is a reality for all (North, East, West, and South).
5) The moody and bittersweet strings encountered at 12:00 that softly move us toward closure on waves of breathtaking emotion.
6) The piano that offers a solemn serenade to the purring Mothership poised for liftoff (or decent back into the hidden depths of the
ocean). We’ve come a long way. We have a long way to go. Can we all come together or will we continue to fight and hate ? Is this
the end or merely the beginning of a whole new era ?
General Highlights and Musings :
1) The most amazing overall impression I get from listening to this album is that Prince has finally found his natural instrumental
voice. And the result is a wonderful fusion of all that he was and all that was before him. It’s no longer like, “Oh, listen to the
amazing ability of the rock/pop/soul man trying his hand at new things. Isn’t that nice and different and good for a rock/pop/soul
man ?” Now it’s like, “Oh, this makes complete sense.”
2) Perhaps this project was inspired in part by Prince jamming with his band on his last tour (see : “Tokyo”, “Copenhagen”,
“Nagoya” and “Osaka”.)
3) There are many wonderfully toned keyboard synths scattered throughout this work. Think 70’s soul with a 21st century
freshness.
4) The production is so right on that even the sound effects come across as purposeful. None of that plastic quality that has at times
tainted Prince’s sound.
5) I like the silence at the end of each track that acts as a palette cleanser before each new taste.
6) A couple of the transitions – especially the first one out “West” -- are not as wonderfully inspired as the pieces they connect. But
that flaw diminishes somewhat with familiarity.
7) A very visual/cinematic work. I can see a interpretive dance piece being produced for this music. And of course it would include
Prince, his band and a string section laying low and playing live in the orchestra pit.
8 ) Defies categorization. To call “N*E*W*S” jazz is no more accurate than calling “SOTT” funk. There is truth in both labels. But
there is also great disservice.
9) No doubt a terrifically talented quintet of world-class musicians. Everyone of the five players gets their time to stretch and shine.
But Prince and Eric are most definitely the show. If Eric’s part was mostly his own voice -- and I suspect that it was -- this is a strong
candidate for the greatest contribution/collaboration to a Prince project ever.
10) There are many small details scattered throughout that keep the experience richly rewarding. And the journey is a diverse one,
allowing for plenty of time to think, plenty of time to relax, plenty of time to fret, plenty of time to groove, plenty of time to regret,
plenty of time to expect, plenty of time to feel, plenty of time to hurt, and plenty of time to heal. And as is true almost always with
Prince, no matter how angered, troubled, depressed or stressed the music gets, he always finds a way to end it with some level of
hope and resolution.
Summation : “N*E*W*S.” is a mature, nuanced, progressive, exhilarating work of art. Many years from now it perhaps gets viewed
as the stunning achievement that it is relative to Prince’s oeuvre; or at the very least, the path that led Prince into territory that kept
him an important voice in music well into his seventies.
NPGMC
Join Rhonda Smith and John Blackwell in the CONFERENCE ROOM on Thursday July 3 at 5pm CT 4 a special chat with all the
members of the NPG Music Club.
Jul 03
03-07-2003 : New Orleans
Prince visits New Orleans. He checked out the local House of Blues.
04-07-2003 : Essence Festival (New Orleans)
Prince makes a backstage visit at the Essence festival in New Orleans, where amongst others Stevie Wonder and Patti LaBelle
performed.
The Time @ Richmond
I got to the show around 7:30 p.m., just in time to hear the opening band play a 25 minute long version of "Brick House." Every
fucker in the band did a solo, even the backup dancers had to dance. It was, as they say, tedious. Then some really lame DJ's
"entertained" the middle-aged crowd, who had been sitting in lawn chairs for four hours in 95 degree heat, by "kickin' it old school".
If I hear "Flashlight" one more time I'll scream. I spotted Monte and Jerome standing over behind the stage/tent thing - Jerome
wearing a real nice suit, with aqua colored tie and matching shoes. About twenty minutes later, after enduring the lame DJ saying
"Let me hear you make some nooooiise !" and "Any old schools peeps in tha house ?" over and over and over, Morris showed up in a
red suit. The show finally starts, they do what I guess is the standard set - a looong medley that included Wild and loose, Get it up,
Jerk out, The stick, Cool, 777-9311, Skillet (just kiddin Rhastus !) and probably a few I'm forgetting. Then there was Gigolos get
lonely too and they go into the vamp for another slow song that I can't remember (maybe If the kid can't make you come ?). This
went on for at least 20 minutes - Jerome went out to get women on the stage - and one of the women I had spotted earlier. She was
dressed in an undescribably hideous outfit of red white and blue halter top with red white and blue skin-tight low rider spandex-y
pants. I mean-maybe a nice outfit to wear at the strip club, but whatever. So Morris immediately asked her how old she was (23) he was making sure in case things got 'off the chain'. Jerome kept calling her red, white, and blue and at one point recited the entire
"pledge of allegiance" - which was HILARIOUS. They did a "Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin's gonna play for you and move only if he's gettin
through to you" kind of thing with her. She ended up practically dry humping Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin - and Morris said "Man, your
boyfriend has done left outta here mad now. All hot and mad." and Jerome took a look at her and said "Don't worry, though, he'll
forgive you !" I'd forgotten how funny those guys are - they are naturally entertaining and a downright hot. There was the
prerequisite 'big-boned gal' who glommed onto Morris and had him trapped in the corner for awhile until he hollered "Jerome,
come take care of this !". There was one point they said "That was for the fellas in Kuwait !" and Jerome answered with "And the
one's that can't wait !" They played Ice cream castles with the women still onstage and had the butt shakin contest - Ice cream
castles musta been 15 minutes long - then after the song Jerome said "Alright ladies, we've been doing this about 15 minutes ? Well
your 15 minutes is UP ! Get the hell off the stage !". He had to repeat himself a few times. Morris said "Shit !" at one point and sort
of apologised, 'cause there were kids there. Jerome said "It's not like they ain't heard it before from mama and daddy." and Morris
goes "Well, I guess I'll talk some shit then !" Wrapped it up with The bird and Jungle love, well worth it - if they come to yer town –
Go ! Jerome stayed onstage after the show while Torrell 'Tori' Ruffin was selling his "Freak Juice" CD Juicemaker and signed
autographs. I think he's the nicest man in the world, and one of the funniest.
10-07-2003 : Paisley Park party
A dance party is held at Paisley Park. There was a $7 admittance fee. A DJ played music, amongst them two new Prince tunes,
one of which was "Musicology" from the forthcoming Musicology album. The Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas DVD was also
showed.
Hey Every1, Just got back from the Park last night. I am so dazed N confused that I am not sure where to begin on giving a post so, I
will just give U the highlights of my "twisted" Paisley Park Xperience. U know how I do.... First and foremost I want to thank my
sister Viv for taking me on the road to Moneyapolis !! I love U girl !!! Thursday night was basically an NPGMC dance party. $7.00
cover. Unfortunately I did not wear a watch so I am not sure how long it was before the doors actually opened but, as usual there
was a wait b4 we could enter. Even though it is July it was pretty cold outside and windy ! I am sure I was in line at about 9:15PM or
so and around this time Takumi came to the door and jokingly asked why we where there so early. Many of us Xpected there to be a
much larger crowd. But, I did not take a headcount so I am not sure how many were actually there but, I thought it was a nice
intimate group. The party was held in the NPGMC room and the stage was set up as if Prince was going to perform. Based on
information from others in line Prince's band was doing a sound check as we waited outside. I did see the band (Rhonda, John,
Renato, Eric) exit the building so I assumed they were going to leave and come back later to perform. I was OH so wrong. The buzz
is there was some tension between Prince and what's her name..the Mrs ? LOL So for whatever reason he did not play. I was
disappointed but, with Prince this is to be expected so it was not out of the ordinary. Or was it ? I am blaming all unusual events on
the FULL MOON. I do not even consider myself to be superstitious but, I do know when the moon is full weird and unexplained
things do take place.
Thursday night I saw some familiar faces at the Dance Party and everyone seemed to be having a good time. I love to watch people
dance and thrive on their energy ! So I enjoyed myself !! Prince made his appearance at the sound board sporting his afro (puff) but,
I missed it yes what's her name was with him. I do think many were disappointed that he did not perform. (I was !!)
The Time @ Anaheim
11-07-2003 : Paisley Park party
Another party takes place at Paisley Park. Conversation Piece performed a set. The band featured Todd Burrell on keyboard,
Walter Chancellor on saxophone, Stanley "Chance" Howard on bass and former Prince-band members Kirk Johnson on drums,
and Mike Scott on guitar. At the time, Howard also played keyboard with Morris Day and The Time. Soon afterwards, Prince asked
him to join The NPG as keyboard player.
Friday night there was again a wait but, this time due to rainstorms earlier in the day we were greeted by...what else ? A massive
group of mosquitos !! Most of us waited in our cars until they began to let people in which was around 11:30PM. At one point they
actually were passing around a bottle of bug repellent while people were in line !! I thought oh no let me head back to the car. Was I
actually suppose to rub all that stuff on me and smell like a "rose" for the rest of the night ? Not !! Once again, $7.00 cover and the
NPGMC room was the only area open. They also had a few items for sale Xenophobia T-shirts, DOW CD, ONA tourbook, skull caps,
ONA Live etc. nothing new. This was not set up in the normal store location. It was set up in the teeny-tiny entrance way next to the
NPGMC room ?? "Strange but, True". As I was browsing in the "mock" store a gentlemen asked if the Xenophobia DVD was
available or anything new and the woman selling the items said she works for Prince but, she did not know anything about the
merchandise...OUCH !. I explained to him about N.E.W.S. and the upcoming Aladdin DVD etc....once again "Strange but, True" The
cover band Conversation Peace took the stage at 11:50PM and I believe their set was over at around 2:15AM. I did not stay in the
NPGMC room for entire set. I went into the foyer but, still enjoyed the band. At one point there was some type of footage running
on the big screen. It look like some type of religious ritual or something.. ?? I have no clue but, it was playing and appeared to have
nothing to do with the bands performance ??? Prince made his way in and out of the NPGMC room about 10,000 times back and
forth to the sound board etc. I am not even going to begin to go into details here. Why ? Because if I did no one would believe me.
You all know I am a fan who is an addict so I have my own twisted way of analyzing Prince and I will not get into here. But, all that
happened will not be forgotten..."Strange but, true." Trust me U just had 2 be there! Later Prince brought out a box of the N.E.W.S.
Cd's and Takumi was selling them by the door for $7.00. I thought Takumi asked who wanted to buy I "USED" CD so I rushed to
see what he had to offer ! LOL But, it was N.E.W.S. I tried to negotiate with him on the price and he was not buying my sob story
about not receiving my N.E.W.S. CD yet etc. so then I asked for 5 CD's of course to confuse him...LOL And at this point I think he
undercharged me for my copy of N.E.W.S by mistake OOPS ! Sorry ! I am surprised my copy has not arrived by mail yet. So I guess I
will just end up with two if it ever arrives ! Anyway, after the Conversation Peace set was over, the Aladdin DVD was being played-14
tracks in total from what I could see. About half way through I saw security walk a guy to the door, the DVD stopped, the lights
came on and everyone was leaving ??? I still do not know what happened. "Strange but, true."
Friday night was a more upscale crowd the atmosphere was totally the opposite of the night before. Once again "Strange but, true !"
I would really like to read some more posts from other people. All in all I had a good time or as good as could be expected for an
impromptu party at the Park. I think there were just a lot of unusual events that took place but, maybe it is just me. Maybe it ain't !!!
For the ladies : Prince wore cream colored attire on Friday and that Afro (puff) LOL Saturday night he tamed down the Fro with
some "sheen" and which gave it some curl LOL and wore a black ensemble. Needless to say He Looked GOOD !!!! Ok, that is about
all that comes 2 mind 4 now...I am listening to my N.E.W.S. CD and I love it..Thanks for hooking me up Prince ! I know you brought
these out just 4 me !! LOL FYI-Full Moon 2nite...B Ware !!! Peace & Be WILD !!
19-07-2003 : The Time @ Yuma (2 shows)
21-07-2003 : NPGMC
High NPGMC,
The NEW DVD titled "Prince Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas" brings home selected per4mances recorded live at the final concert of
the One Nite Alone 2002 Tour. This DVD features classics, covers, and recent songs NOT found on the "One Nite Alone...Live !"
Box Set. Plus special guests NIKKA COSTA, MACEO PARKER AND SHEILA E. GET THIS DVD ! Onsale in advance 2 all the
members of the NPG Music Club xclusively on August 12th 4 a special members-only price of $14.99. All DVDs will be ready 2 ship
on the same day u place ur order so don't hesitate 2 get this one.
Love4oneanother,
The NPG Music Club
23-07-2003 : NPGMC Mail
An e-mail from NPG Music Club asks members to "help the cause" and send in "anything with a WB logo that was unoficially
released during Prince's tenure at that label." Many examples were provided. The e-mail listed a post office box number in
Vermillion, Ohio, to where fans could send the records, but there was no mention of a reward, reimbursement or compensation.
The Prince fan community responded very negatively to the request although most fans simply laughed off the idea that they
would send in expensive, rare recordings simply out of respect for Prince .
Billboard.com
By Troy Carpenter
The ever-elusive Prince will on Aug. 19 unveil the first official DVD from his NPG Music Club, "Prince Live at the Aladdin Las
Vegas." The set will be available to members of the artist's NPG Music Club Web site as well as to traditional retail outlets via Hip-O
Records. The 80-minute DVD, recorded Dec. 15, 2002, during Prince's most recent U.S. tour, was previewed on the Web site in
June, coinciding with the release of Prince's latest studio effort, the experimental "N.E.W.S." The DVD features Prince and his New
Power Generation band with guest appearances by Nikka Costa, Maceo Parker and Sheila E. During the show, Prince visited his
classic '80s era with tunes like "Take Me With U," "Pop Life," "Gotta Broken (Heart) Again," "Housequake" and "Strange
Relationship." He also includes a portion of a yet-to-be released song titled "U Want Me." Other cuts on the concert DVD include
"Family Name" and "The Everlasting Now" from 2001's "The Rainbow Children," Costa's "Push and Pull" and covers of the JB's
"Pass the Peas" and Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love."
24-07-2003 : George Clinton @ Toronto
Prince together with Manuela and her mother attend a show by George Clinton, in town for the Toronto Blues Festival at
Exhibition Place, Toronto. They only stayed for about 15 minutes.
Rolling Stone
By Karen Bliss
Sheila E. is planning a benefit concert in Los Angeles featuring the alumni of Prince's many backing bands. Actress Carmen Electra,
discovered and named by Prince in 1991, will host. "It's going to be all the Prince band members from all the bands, together, for
one night only," says Sheila, who goes back twenty years with Prince. "It's never been done before." All proceeds from the concert -to be held at either the Los Angeles Forum or the Universal Amphitheater on December 13th or 15th ("we have the time on hold
right now," Sheila says) - will go towards the creation of the Compassion Care Center in Los Angeles, a safe haven for abused or
abandoned children that provides education, counseling and mentoring. The members of the Revolution who've already signed on
include guitarist Wendy Melvoin, keyboardist Lisa Coleman, keyboardist Matt Fink and drummer Bobby Z. "It's fabulous because
they haven't played together as a band in twenty years," Sheila says. Onboard from the Family ("the band that Prince had that
never really toured") are saxophonist Eric Leeds, singer Susannah Melvoin (Wendy's twin), percussionist Jerome Benton and
singer/keyboardist Paul Peterson. The one member who has not yet been invited is Prince himself. "There's no pressure on him, but
we'd like for him to come," Sheila says. "He's why we're doing this, because he started all of it." Prince first recruited Sheila to sing
on "Erotic City," the flip side to his Number One 1984 single "Let's Go Crazy." He also helped her land a solo deal with Warner
Bros. and penned the title track to her debut album, Glamorous Life, a Top Ten single. After two more solo albums, (Sheila E. in
Romance 1600 and Sheila E.) she rejoined Prince's band for 1987's Sign O' the Times tour. The building of the Compassion Care
Center is just one of many projects of Sheila and business partner Lynn Mabry's Lil' Angel Bunny Foundation (LABF). Sheila herself
was sexually abused by a babysitter, as was Mabry by a family friend. "We're going to use music as a therapy for the children,"
Sheila explains. Sheila also has her own line of drum kits for children, the Sheila E. Player's Series, and she has donated instruments
to foster homes. "A lot the kids have been abused so severely they have not been able to speak," she says, "and since they've had the
drums, they're talking." Sheila E. is touring as a member of Ringo Starr's All Starr Band through September
MTV.com
Prince Wants His Music Back ... Now
Prince wants his music back. Just a month before he releases the first DVD from his New Power Generation Music Club, the club
has sent its paid members a list of album rarities Prince would like returned in his continuing struggle to guard against bootlegging
and to control his own sonic real estate. In an e-mail sent Wednesday to the NPGMC, fans were asked to "Help the cause !" and look
for "anything with a WB logo that was unofficially released during Prince's tenure at that label." Among the suggested discs to send
in, according to a list provided by the NPGMC, were releases by such companies as Back 2 Back, 2-on-1 and BackTrax, which
included such classic Prince singles as "Purple Rain," "Little Red Corvette," "Erotic City," "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy."
Much of the material on the list — from CD and cassette singles to box sets and home videos — was released as imports sold in
Germany, Japan and the U.K.. The e-mail asks for the material to be mailed to The Ways of the Pharoah, PO Box 169, Vermilion,
OH 44089-0169, but without mention of a reward, reimbursement or compensation. Fans are already in an uproar over the
missive. One fan posting to a message board on Prince.org under the name Goldie's Parade wrote, "I bought all those in a shop, so I
legally own them, and Prince wants me to send them back free of charge. Fool." An explanation was later posted on the NPGMC
Web site. "Not long ago, an unauthorized version of the concert film 'Sign O' the Times' surfaced online," the message read.
“Supposedly originating in Brazil and distributed by WEA International, this DVD is not something that was approved by Prince
or any of his affiliates. ... We all know that Prince is one of the most bootlegged artists of his generation, and while much of the
activity is tolerated, it crosses the line when Prince's [former] record company ... gets in the mix. The [reason for this request is] to
show a federal court the actual truth of this age-old rift between artist and label." "Let Prince steward his own catalogue," the
message pleaded. "Then the 'coupled,' poor-quality, unmastered versions of his classics would cease. Imagine in 2004, a brand
new, pristine, remastered version of 'Purple Rain,' released on high-definition DVD with extras, outtakes and liner notes from the
Artist himself. " Prince recorded albums between 1978 and 1996 on Warner Bros., whom he's accused of unfair business practices.
He split from the label circa the release of Chaos and Disorder, citing issues of control. Though he failed to get Warner Bros. to
return the ownership of his master recordings (the label still owns Prince's back catalogue), Prince is legally allowed to re-record
any of his Warner Bros. songs. A spokesperson for the singer could not reach Prince for comment at press time.
NPGMC
Perhaps this notice will clear up any confusion brought on by the CAUSE emale u received recently. Not long ago, an UNauthorized
version of the concert film SIGN O THE TIMES surfaced online. Supposedly originating in Brazil and distributed by WEA
International - this DVD is not something that was approved by Prince or any of his affiliates. Enuff is enuff... We all know that
Prince is one of the most bootlegged artists of his generation and while much of this activity is tolerated, it crosses the line when
Prince's 4mer record company who is entrusted 2 steward his catalogue gets in the mix. The CAUSE emale is a simple request 2
show a Federal Court the actual truth of this age-old riff between ARTIST and LABEL. Even if u were kind enuff 2 send us just ONE
cd that is shown on the list u were mailed, it will serve as ample notice that we r tired of this endless MISrepresentation of this
man's life-long work. He deserves better. Let Prince steward his OWN catalogue, then the "coupled", poor-quality, unmastered
versions of his classics would cease. Imagine in 2004, a brand-new, prisitine, RE-mastered version of PURPLE RAIN released on
high definition DVD with xtras, outtakes and liner notes from the Artist himself arriving at ur door. That alone is worth the effort of
helping us with the CAUSE.
-love4oneanother, NPGMC
26-07-2003 : The Time @ Minneapolis
28-07-2003 : MSN.com
Family Jam planned for December
The Lil' Angel Bunny Foundation is planning a benefit concert in Los Angeles featuring many of the bands that defined the
"Minneapolis Sound" in the 1980s. Among the acts confirmed are Sheila E., Apollonia, Carmen Electra (host of the evening) as well
as members of the The Family and Prince's backing band, The Revolution. All proceeds from the concert - to be held at a venue in
Los Angeles, Calif., in December - will go towards the creation of the Compassion Care Center in Los Angeles, a safe haven for
abused or abandoned children that provides education, counseling and mentoring. The concert is still in the early planning stages.
We will be announcing band lineups and more details on this site as soon as they are confirmed.
29-07-2003 : Village Voice
Deep Purple
Race Matters in New Books on Prince and Hendrix
By Miles Marshall Lewis
For those who were teenagers during the 1980s, Prince Rogers Nelson was the closest equivalent to the baby boomers' beloved
Beatles this side of the whole hiphop cultural movement. Meeting Prince at Life in the late '90s, I thanked him for structuring my
adolescent conception of what a true artist is : Watching him buck moneymaking inclinations for creative growth (e.g. brilliantly
quirky stopgap records like Parade) taught me - not to mention students like D'Angelo, Me'Shell NdegéOcello, ?uestlove, et al. - a
lot about the path of the artiste. Possessed : The Rise and Fall of Prince tracks one of the most captivating career arcs as yet
unmined by the likes of Behind the Music - an up-to-the-minute biography superior to Dave Hill's 1989 Prince : A Pop Life for its
eyewitness accounts and inclusion of the musician's highly publicized woes with his former record company, Warner Bros.
Journalist Alex Hahn (also an attorney who successfully defended the Uptown Prince fanzine pro bono against the object of their
affection in 1998) blends commentary from dozens of confidantes - including bandmates Bobby Z. and Dez Dickerson, tour
manager Alan Leeds, and engineer Susan Rogers - into an often third-eye-opening view of Prince's musical genius and control-freak
issues. Fanboys will find satisfaction in the minutiae here. A quick handful for the initiated : Revolution guitarist Wendy Melvoin
and pianist Lisa Coleman were indeed once lovers; an alleged Ecstasy trip provoked Prince to shelve The Black Album in lieu of
1988's Lovesexy; "The Beautiful Ones" and "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" were written for ex-girlfriend Susannah Melvoin, "Vicki
Waiting" about ex Anna Garcia, "When Doves Cry" about Vanity 6 singer and ex Susan Moonsie; titles like "When We're Dancing
Close and Slow" and protégé group the Time's Ice Cream Castle were taken directly from Joni Mitchell, whom Prince has admired
since taking in a concert at around age 10.
Possessed : The Rise and Fall of Prince
By Alex Hahn
Billboard, 280 pp., $24.95
Hahn's narrative reads like a soap opera. Prince was born in Minneapolis, the sheltered son of plastic molder John Nelson
(nighttime pianist of his own Prince Rogers Trio) and local jazz singer Mattie Shaw. Following their divorce, young Prince consoled
himself with his dad's left-behind piano, quickly forming a high school band (originally Grand Central, then Champagne) influenced
by James Brown and Sly & the Family Stone. Offered the opportunity to go solo, he ditched his friends for fame, signing to Warner
Bros. as a one-man band at 19. Patenting a sex-and-salvation paradigm through songs ranging from "Head" to "God," with a
musical backdrop fusing New Wave with funk and rock, Prince led his own Revolution to the toppermost of the poppermost until
1984's Purple Rain commercial summit. "He was precocious and brilliant, but lacked focus in his apprehension of new influences,"
Hahn says, relating the onset of Prince's creative wane, which the author pegs as beginning with 1987's heavily bootlegged Black
Album. "After Prince decided to stop learning, the lack of continued stimulus, coupled with the absence of strong personalities like
Wendy and Lisa from his band, quickly became apparent in his work." Possessed pinpoints other factors in describing the freefall
of Prince's reputation and creativity : an inability to expose himself to new ways of seeing the world, an obsession with owning his
master recordings (contrary to record industry practice), and the pursuit of his original black audience through the ill-fitting
incorporation of wack rappers like Tony M. into his post-Revolution band, the New Power Generation. "We were his first black
band, and our thing was to help him get his black audience back, because he had lost that," admits ex-N.P.G. singer Rosie Gaines.
Race is the place where Midnight Lightning : Jimi Hendrix and the Black Experience resides. Written by Voice cultural critic Greg
Tate, this skinny hardcover admits to being "a Jimi Hendrix book with A Racial Agenda . . . plantation baggage, darkskin biases
and Black Power axes to grind." Purposely no rival of Harry Shapiro and Caesar Glebbeek's excellent Electric Gypsy for
biographical completeness, Tate says his book could very well have been titled A Jimi Hendrix Primer for Blackfolk for its
intentions. Though Prince himself has cited Carlos Santana as a bigger influence on his guitar playing than the late James Marshall
Hendrix, clearly there is no Prince without Hendrix, no "Purple Rain" without "Purple Haze." What has never occurred to white
critics who have never chad to think twice about it is that Hendrix is an icon of what might be called bohemian black America :
those so-called cultural mulattos who color-blindly glean as much from the overriding white culture as from the black, filtering it all
through a prism that makes our walk/talk/artistic output resolutely the latter. Despite overtures to the black experience ("House
Burning Down") and his use of drummer Buddy Miles and bassist Billy Cox - the all-black Band of Gypsys behind Live at the
Fillmore East - Hendrix still fails to get a fair shake in the black community. Midnight Lightning's raison d'être is to remedy this,
and Tate does so in his patented scatman-meets-academe prose. "No other Black artist was performing 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely
Hearts Club Band' right in front of Paul McCartney and John Lennon two days after the Sgt Pepper album had hit the street,"
Tate mentions. "You got to do what you have to do and I have to do what I have to do," Hendrix himself said in his defense to a
black nationalist after a rare Harlem performance - a statement that, however simplistic, in many ways says it all.
N.E.W.S. Release
This album did not enter the charts in the USA, and is currently out of
print. It charted in Germany and the Netherlands albums charts, but
at quite low positions and for a very limited time. N.E.W.S. was
nominated for the 2004 Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album.
??-??-2003 : NZOOM
By Cameron Officer
Did U know Prince's new album was recorded in only 1 day ? And that
it's only 4 tracks long 2 ? U better believe it. Cameron Officer tackles
the latest confounding musical statement from 1 of the most eccentric
pop geniuses ever. Will the real Prince Rogers Nelson please stand up
? It's almost as if the pint-sized pop perfectionist was mysteriously
replaced with a completely mad, talentless look-a-like sometime
around 1998. Surely few other artists in contemporary music have
fallen so far in both popular standing and critical opinion. Well,
maybe the name Paul McCartney could be chalked up under that
heading also, but he managed to garner quite a bit of praise for
Driving Rain and people even ventured out to purchase it in small
knots of 10 or 20. The same can't be said for Prince. Surely one of the
most prolific artists this side of Frank Zappa, Prince has been through
more reinventions than Madonna in a costume shop and, for a while
in the mid-to-late '80s and early '90s, he was an eccentric leading
light in pop. A multi-platinum selling eccentric leading light. But
while tracks like "Little Red Corvette", "Sign O' The Times", "Purple Rain" and the still utterly masterful "When Doves Cry", with its
robo-pulse and emotive lyric, will get people out on the dance floor like no other neo-psychedelic funk rock will, these days his
album releases garner about as much attention as Steve Urkel in a supermarket. Some online biographies completely give up at
about the Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic stage, while others don't have a good word to say about him after he changed his name to a
squiggle, pissing off typesetters the world over. The 'Love Symbol' thing was done to prove a point and get out of a recording
contract he no longer wanted to be in. He officially changed his name back some time ago, but the music didn't seem to change back
with him. He remains the reclusive Howard Hughes of music in his Minneapolis base, making Kraftwerk look positively outgoing by
comparison. Since the late '90s, he's released triple and double albums, rarities and demo compilations, all primarily on the
Internet. He's apparently become a Jehovah's Witness of late, and his last commercially released album (2001's The Rainbow
Children) was a musical exploration of themes dealing with his adopted religion. Sheesh, whatever happened to "Raspberry Beret",
man ? What about that yellow guitar, Sheila E's lacey fingerless gloves and promiscuous, nudge-nudge lyrics about "cream" ? Things
are never that simple in Princeland. And so we come to his latest release. It's a concept album (What ? Prince releasing a concept
album ? No, surely not !) called N.E.W.S . It features four tracks, which all play out to around the 14 minute mark. It's bland free
form funk jazz that is so featureless, I actually forgot it was on twice. The tracks have fey names ("Love", "Peace", "Faith" and
"Charity") and, although I gave up on the whole thing about seven minutes into track number three, I'm pretty sure it's an
instrumental album. No, N.E.W.S isn't going to be heralded as a return to form for Prince. In fact the only thing left for him to do to
alienate his audience even further is to perhaps send us all some of his poo in a bag. I really, truly wouldn't put it past him. It's
funny though, isn't it ? We abhor factory conveyor belt sound-a-like music, yet when someone like Prince comes along - someone
who is clearly mad but still willing to experiment with sound even if no one else in the world cares - we all screw up our noses and
go "Oh no, I don't like that . In fact I don't even want to give it a go." But I'm not standing on the sideline waggling my finger at all
you naughty close-minded people here. Like you're bound to, I think N.E.W.S is bloody awful, as was The Rainbow Children and
pretty much everything else he's put out since Diamonds And Pearls. But I know that once Prince has popped his tiny clogs, he'll be
hailed as a revolutionary genius of sound, despite even those who claim to be big Prince fans not knowing the names of any of his
albums beyond Graffiti Bridge. We've all got selective memories when it comes to this particular pop genius, and mine stops at
about 1990. Still, for some reason it feels comfortable knowing that he's around. Knowing that in this be-media-savvy-or-die,
demographic driven age, there's room for someone who plays and understands music so well, but just can't get anyone to sing along
with him. Long live the Prince.
Wilson & Alroy
N.E.W.S. (2003)
Another instrumental fan club release, and this one really sounds like a Madhouse record, with Leeds on sax, Prince mostly on lead
guitar, and the tunes verging between midtempo funk and soft mood music (the interminable second half of "South"). The disc is
organized into four fourteen-minute tracks, but except for "North," each track is made up of several unconnected sections : "East"
starts as a drum solo, shifts to a funk dirge with Prince repeating a three-note riff, then breaks into fast James Brown-style R&B for
a few minutes before an impressionistic, gossamer denouement. Which would be great if the individual sections were up to Prince's
standard, but they're just undistinguished vamps : the middle section of "West" is probably the high point, and even that's no more
than a solid groove. The featured soloists - Leeds and Prince - don't play anything we haven't heard from them before, so though
Renato Neto plays some exceptionally delicate keyboards ("West"), the disc is less interesting and no more entertaining than
Xpectation. Maybe Prince should have pressed that one on CD and kept this for MP3.
All Music Guide
"Recorded on February 6 (presumably 2003), N.E.W.S.
consists of four 14-minute instrumentals, "North,"
"East," "West," and "South," performed by Prince on
guitar, keyboards, and percussion, with Eric Leeds on
baritone and tenor saxophone, John Blackwell on
drums, and Rhonda Smith on acoustic and electric bass.
("North" includes string samples "courtesy of" Clare
Fisher.) The seemingly improvised music ranges from
funk to jazz to new age without any apparent direction or
intention. There are attractive passages here and there,
such as some solo piano work on "North" and Leeds'
warm horn playing throughout. Needless to say, this
aimless studio jam is not what Prince fans are used to
hearing from him, even given his eclectic and
exploratory nature, and this is not the kind of album he
might have been expected to deliver if he were still
working for an established record company instead of
putting out his own discs. But that may be the point. The
listener, who will have to be a particularly rabid
aficionado of all things Prince to be interested, must
throw out all expectations and simply revel in the joy of
hearing the musician and his cohorts experiment with
relaxed musical textures for 56 minutes. Of course, no
one else needs to bother. -- William Ruhlmann"
Onion
Least essential album of 2003
Prince - N.E.W.S.
There was a time when Prince's every eccentric move was extensively documented, from his name changes to label battles that
culminated in him scrawling the word "SLAVE" on his face to document the harrowing plight of internationally beloved
multimillionaire pop superstars. Now, he's been reduced to a puzzling obscurity, as he self-releases a string of increasingly
indulgent vanity projects to a tiny circle of loyalists. (Today, it's easier to find any of The String Cheese Incident's dozens of live
albums than it is to track down a new studio album by Prince.) Remember when The Artist's "emancipation" from his record label
meant fans would finally have the chance to crack open his mythical vault - which many assumed would contain 15 or 20 longsuppressed equivalents of Sign O' The Times or The Black Album ? Instead, in 2003, they have the chance to almost unanimously
ignore N.E.W.S., which contains four dull, 14-minute jazz-funk instrumental odysseys : "North," "East," "West," and "South."
N.E.W.S., get it ? The result is uncompromising, to be sure, but rarely has a once-great musician sounded so uncompromising and
so inessential at the same time.
Jazzmag (FR)
Par Frédéric Goaty
Quatre jours durant, entre le jeudi 19 et le dimanche 22 juin, Prince a organisé sur son site (www.npgmusiccclub.com) une
“listening party” qui a donné l’occasion à ses “Members” de découvrir en avant-première les quatre suites instrumentales de son
nouveau disque, “N.E.W.S.” – “North”, “East”, “West” et “South”. Impressions. Quatre faces ? (Comme celles d’une pyramide ?
Peut-être...) Nouvelles directions ? (Comme les “directions in music” jadis explorées par Miles Davis ? Sans doute.) Nouvelles
orientations ? (Prince choisissant alors d’aller dans TOUS les sens…) Équation esthétique cherchant à résoudre la quadrature du
cercle de ses musiques chéries ? (Prince s’improvise géomètre jazzy-funky ?) Vision récente du dvd live de son idole Joni Mitchell
(“Painting With Words And Music”, Eagle Vision/Sony Music), où la divine se produit sur une scène circulaire divisée – du moins
dans son esprit… – en quatre points cardinaux ? Envie soudaine de voyages soniques entre les quatre murs de son studio ? Jazz
expérimental ? Funk progressiste ? Musique d’ambiance alambiquée ? Sorte de discret hommage à Miles ? (Que l’on pourrait alors
rebaptiser, non sans malice, “Cardinal Points Brew”…) « Le bonheur princier, c’est simple comme un petit clic (Se munir tout de
même de sa Carte Bleue Visa...) » Quoi qu’il en soit, Prince et ses musiciens – Renato Neto aux claviers, Ronda Smith à la
(contre)basse électrique, John Blackwell à la batterie, soit le “cœur” de son NPG 2002 featuring (chouette !) l’indispensable Eric
Leeds aux saxophones et à la flûte – se sont mis en… quatre pour enregistrer autre chose : un disque qui, même s’il finit par être
distribué “normalement” (pour l’instant, seuls les Members peuvent le commander sur le site pour une vingtaine de dollars, frais
d’envoi compris) chez vos disquaires favoris, est de toute façon hors-commerce – pas formaté pour un sou (quatre suites
instrumentales de quatorze minutes chacune !), un rien intemporel, à la fois rassurant et intriguant, classique et risqué. Principale
satisfaction pour les jazzfans, frustration, peut-être, pour les
autres (ceux qui préfèrent avant tout que leur natif de
Minneapolis préféré se serve de sa voix au lieu d’indiquer la
voie...) : Prince « laisse la parole à la musique »…. Oui, vous avez
bien lu quatre points de suspension, et ils résument finalement
assez bien le contenu de “N.E.W.S.” : expérimentation et
improvisation, rigueur et abandon, mon tout, évidemment, à la
puissance quatre. « Attention : il faut d’abord payer 25 $ avant
d’avoir le droit d’entrer... » Pas de prêchi-prêcha, que de la
musique donc, et – un peu comme dans “Xpectation” (son
précédent opus instrumental distribué on line début 2003, cf.
Remix Tangentiel.12bis) – cinq musiciens qui jouent dans le
même sens. Avec “N.E.W.S.”, Prince s’impose discrètementsubtilement comme un vrai chef d’orchestre, motus et bouche
cousue : sa guitare parle (chante, miaule, rugit, etc.) pour lui. De
prime abord, cette petite heure de musique, que nous avons
découverte en quatre tranches/jours/épisodes (Prince ne fait
décidémment RIEN comme les autres) laisse d’emblée songeur,
un peu sur sa faim et, malgré sa logique cardinale, plutôt
désorienté… Puis, après plusieurs écoutes [Ndlr - Special thanks à
LL, qui nous a gentiment prêté son MD Walkman Sony™ et sa
double-prise mâle jack 3,5 mm : en attendant l’objet-disque qui
s’annonce magnifique, nos captures “live” de son “mp3” nous ont
permis de vous livrer ces modestes “points d’ouïe” en exclusivité
mondiale !], un paysage prend forme. Riche de reliefs et de zones
d'ombres surprenants, abondant de pics sonores, de grandes
plaines calmes et de petits jardins convulsifs. Une fois digéré
(deux ou trois écoutes conseillées), North quitte ses faux habits
easy listening ; plus vite encore, East provoque un vrai émoi ;
West et South divertissent sans lourdeur. « N.E.W.S., c'est
l’escalier à droite... Attention, les marches sont un peu étroites... »
Est-ce du jazz ? Oui, mais pas que. Du funk ? Par moments, par
flashes. Du jazz-funk ? Si on veut, oui. Avec des touches ambient ?
Oui, aussi, on aurait dit planantes, même, dans les années 70…
Est-ce démonstratif ? Non, jamais, toujours musical, tout en
retenue. Est-ce bien produit ? Oui, et surtout bien mixé-monté :
on jurerait que tout ce joli monde a jammé à heures fixes, avec méthode et précision, sous l’œil du Boss, guitare en bandoulière…
Est-ce un bon disque ? Oui, un très bon disque même, plus osé, généreux, libre, dégagé de toute pression mercantile. C’est un vrai
disque de groupe, sans conteste le plus “npgiesque” des disques enregistrés par le NPG : œuvre bien plus collective et homogène que
“Gold Nigga” ou “Exodus”, opus crédités au NPG mais totalement dominés par Prince. C’est, in fine, nettement plus convaincant
que “Xpectation”, et au moins aussi excitant et inclassable que le premier Madhouse. Voici nos quadruples impressions “live”,
brutes, à peine remixées, sans filet, sans arrières-pensées. Ce ne sont que les nôtres, n’hésitez pas à nous envoyer les vôtres… «
Prince, docteur ès-jazz-funk, va bientôt vous recevoir... » Premières mesures : on se croirait revenu en arrière, oh !, pas si loin, l’an
dernier, lors de ces before uniques en leur genre ceux de la tournée One Nite Alone 2002 – vraies-fausses répétitions mises en
scène, jam-sessions parfois passionnantes (un dvd du concert de Las Vegas doit bientôt paraître). Ligne de basse hypnotique,
mécanique et souple à la fois, nappes synthétiques en voile diaphane, griffes de cordes félines (miaulement wah wah du Boss,
réincarné Melvin Ragin mâtiné Santana). Le ténor de Leeds souffle tiède (brise cuivrée), une flûte passe par-là, un thème-riff surgit
après quatre minutes. On pense, allez savoir pourquoi, au Mister Magic de Grover Washington… Leeds sort son baryton, improvise
serré, les cordes de (où “à la” ?) Clare Fisher drapent la musique, Prince plante quelques banderilles, le thème-riff tourne en boucle,
bref solo de guitare vive. Neuf minutes : tout s’évapore dans un bain de cordes, break de piano light (esquisse du thème), le vent
commence à souffler, le ténor revient. Onze minutes, trente secondes : le vent souffle encore, et encore, et encore… Fin. On pense,
allez savoir pourquoi, au Eight (deux fois quatre…) du premier Madhouse (“8”, Paisley Park, 1987). East : Longue intro technobigarrée de claviers clignotants, et la batterie de Blackwell plante le rythme (polygroove futé). Architecture étonnante, ambiance
inouïe. Quatre minutes : le ténor de Leeds déroule sinueux, et très vite : unissons avec la guitare de Prince, puis break soudain, le
tempo devient plus lent, ambiance franchement moyen-orientale – il l’est, à l’est… Heavy-riffs de guitare-métal, thème jazzrockisant, guitare rugissante (colère solotante), saxes en cascade… Nouveau break saisissant (cocotte funky joliment désarticulée),
tempo plus funky au redémarrage, nouveau break (la cocotte funky joliment désarticulée repointe le bout de ses plumes), John
“Gimme a beat” Blackwell pousse les meubles, solo de piano électrique enrobé d’orgue, re-re-break de guitare (on adore ça). Une
corne de brume ? Non ! Un solo de baryton au goût de chocolat (noir 70 %). Stop chorus de guitare : vous je ne sais pas mais moi,
non, franchement, je n’ai pas si souvent entendu Prince jouer comme ça… Blackwell repart en cadence presque martiale, comme
une marche inquiétante, la guitare distordue crache son venin, la contrebasse pizzicate – on adore aussi. C’est quoi à la fin ? Un
koto ? On dirait, oui… Le morceau de choix du disque, sans aucun doute ! West. Intro romantique : guitare claire sur nappe de
synthé. Et tout de suite : œillades wah wah (intro de Just my Imagination dans le célèbre bootleg “Small Club” de 88) plus ténor soft
plus guitare Santana. Quatre minutes : balayée la romance, place à la jam funky, la pluie tombe, basse et batterie nous la jouent
jazz-funk dans la plus stricte orthodoxie seventies, solo de ténor inspiré, solo de synthé, baryton en spécial bonus. 8’35” : la guitare
se plaint (et puis crépite), le tempo ralentit, Leeds et Blackwell tiennent la baraque – sans vraiment la casser. Bruits synthétiques
rigolos (entre p-funk et Star Wars), grouve funk, thème malin dessiné par le ténor et guitare, à l’unisson. Vite : solo de ténor, good
job de Neto (claviers en ébullition), baryton (décidémement, l’ami Leeds adore zapper…), pont métallique de guitare rock, (tempo à
la Family Name), micro-solo de batterie. Cinq minutes au compteur : changement de tempo radical. Lenteur lancinante,
métronomique. Synthés tournoyants, basse et batterie très prégnantes (sœurs siamoises), impro inspirée de ténor, piques de
guitare, gouttes de piano, et montée en flèche : la guitare est pointée vers le ciel, le ténor surfe sur les vagues de claviers, la basse
vrombit et bang ! Fin du voyage sur canapé de cordes synthétiques et mélodramatiques. Neto éteint la lumière. Au lit ! « Installezvous confortablement, mais nous avons le regret de vous informer que la “listening party” est terminée depuis plusieurs jours...
Mais vous pouvez néanmoins acheter le disque ! (10 $ + frais d’envoi) »
Summ 2003 : LIVE AT THE ALADDIN Sampler Release
Pop Life (4:03) / Gotta Broken Heart Again (5:24)
Strange Relationship (3:52) / Sometimes It Snows In April (3:02)
Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas is a promotional single sent to US radio stations in Summer 2003 to
promote the Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas DVD (released in August, 2003).
Aug 03
02-08-2003 : The Time @ Agoura Hills
03-08-2003 : The Time @ Concord
09-08-2003 : Billboard
Screen scene
By Gail Mitchell
On the heels of Prince’s latest release, the four-song N.E.W.S. (North, East, West and South), comes word of his first DVD project,
Prince Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas. The set hits the stores Aug. 19 by way of the artist’s NPG Music Club and Universal Music
Enterprises’ Hip-O Records. The concert was recorded last December during a stopover on Prince’s tour. Joining Prince are special
guests Nikka Costa, Maceo Parker and Sheila E. The DVD will also be released internationally, complemented by major campaigns
in Europe and South America during August and September. Prince is affiliated worldwide with Universal Music Publishing Group.
12-08-2003 : LIVE AT THE ALLADIN LAS VEGAS NPGMC DVD Release
Release of Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas, a DVD
film, to NPG Music Club members. The film features
Prince and The NPG's conclusive One Nite Alone...
show, held at Aladdin Theatre for the Performing
Arts, Las Vegas, December 15th 2002. The film
includes the previously unavailable "U Want Me" as
well as three cover versions : The JB's "Pass The
Peas," Nikki Costa's "Push And Pull" (with Costa
guesting), and Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love."
NPGMC
BALTIMORE
Whitemarsh
8141 Honeygo Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21236
Reserve ur spot : August 12th, 2pm ET
WASHINGTON DC
Rio Theater
9811 Washingtonian Ctr., Gaitherburgh, MD 30112
Reserve ur spot : August 12th, 2pm ET
DETROIT
Southfield Theater
25333 West 12 Mile Rd., Southfield, MI 48034
Reserve ur spot : August 12th, 4pm ET
High NPGMC,
Come c the new PRINCE LIVE AT THE ALADDIN
LAS VEGAS DVD on the BIG SCREEN ! As a special
promotion 4 the DVD release, Loews Cineplex will
screen the new DVD in 10 theaters thruout the U.S.
on Monday, August 18th at 8pm. We r inviting Music
Club members in these cities 2 join us 4 this special
event. Reserve ur spot ! U can reserve 2 spots per
member 4 the screenings. There is no charge 2
attend. Please do not reserve a spot 4 more than one
city since the screenings will all be happening at the
same time. And please only reserve a spot if u r
absolutely sure u can attend. 2 reserve ur spot, please
go 2 the BACKSTAGE PASS room and click on the
PRINCE LIVE poster on the wall starting Tuesday,
August 12th (see individual theater listings below 4
times). Spaces r limited. Here is the list of the 10
cities and theaters 4 Monday, August 18th, 8pm :
NEW YORK CITY
34th Street Theater
316 West 34th Street, NY, NY 10001
Reserve ur spot : August 12th, 2pm ET
BOSTON
Boston Commons
175 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02116
Reserve ur spot: August 12th, 4pm ET
ATLANTA
MJT Greenbrier
2841 Greenbriar Pkwy SW, Atalanta, GA 30331
Reserve ur spot : August 12th, 4pm ET
LOS ANGELES
Universal City Theater
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
Reserve ur spot : August 12th, 4pm PT
SAN FRANCISCO
Metreon Theater
101 Fourth Street, San Fran, CA 94103
Reserve ur spot : August 12th, 4pm PT
CHICAGO
600 North Michigan Theater
600 North Michigan, Chicago, IL 23183
Reserve ur spot : August 12th, 4pm CT
HOUSTON
Fountains
11225 Fountain Lake Drive, Stafford, TX 77477
Reserve ur spot : August 12th, 4pm CT
Once u have made ur reservation. Just come 2 the theater and ur name will be on an NPGMC list, just like at the concerts. Bring a
photo ID. The screening starts at 8pm but u should arrive earlier. 4 specific directions and in4mation on the individual theaters,
please visit the Loews website at www.EnjoyTheShow.com.
Love4oneanother,
The NPG Music Club
17-08-2003 : JVC Jazz Festival (LA)
Prince takes in the JVC Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles. One of the performers was saxophone player David
Sanborn, whose band included Ricky Peterson on keyboard. Prince surprised Peterson after the show by giving him a hug and
complimenting him on the performance.
18-08-2003 : Alladin DVD multidiffusion in US theatres
The Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas DVD is screened at theatres in 10 US cities, including Los Angeles' Loews Cineplex Odeon.
NPG Music Club members were invited. Prince attended the Los Angeles screening along with 150 NPGMC members and Morris
Day, Nikki Costa, and No Doubt member Tony Kanal.
L.A. BB King’s
* Start : 10:30PM / Duration : 0:50
Shhh (Instr.) / East (Incl. 11) / Instrumental (Incl. Brown Eyes) / West (Incl. When The Saints Go Marching In)
Following the Los Angeles screening of Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas, Prince plays an unannounced concert at B.B. King's, a
600-capacity club in Los Angeles. Taking the stage at 10:30 pm, Prince was joined by Rhonda Smith on bass, John Blackwell on
drums, Renato Neto on keyboard, and Eric Leeds on saxophone. They played the N.E.W.S album in its entirety, only adding an
instrumental rendition of "Shhh" and a jazzed-up "When The Saints Go Marching In," which saw the audience singing the lyrics. At
no time did Prince sing or even speak to the crowd, confining his communication to hand signals, a finger to the lips during a
saxophone solo in "Shhh" or a nod of his guitar to the B.B. King logo above the stage during a guitar solo. Prince occasionally
stepped to the side of the stage to sip some bottled water and listen to his band. Once he left the stage and went upstairs into the
VIP area, took a seat near the balcony, talked with friends, sometimes casually peering down at the band. When it was over, he
flashed a peace sign to the crowd and disappeared. After the show, the DJ played "Musicology."
Hey guys...just got home from the Los Angeles screening/afterparty of the Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas DVD at Universal City
Walk in Universal City, Calif. First off, after being at the Vegas show, it was cool to see it on the big screen of the movie theater,
though it would have been better if the sound was louder. The theater was, expectedly, full of Prince fans who sang along with most
of the DVD, which was pretty cool. It was actually almost as good as being at the concert, even though someone who didn't go to the
show wouldn't even know that all of the best songs played that night, including all but "Sometimes it Snows in April" from the hourplus encore was cut out. But before the show, the people handing out the wristbands and checking in people told the crowd that
there was going to be a performance at the nearby BB King Blues club at Universal City Walk. What this did is cause people to leave
early during the showing so that they could get the best positions at the show. About a quarter of the crowd exited the club during
"The Everlasting Now" which was the second-to-last song on the DVD to make a beeline for the club. We got into the club around
9:30, and waited around for an hour for the band to take the stage for a short 50-minute set which began at 10:30. Before the show
as we were waiting, the DJ switched to mostly Prince music, all songs of which seemed to be fan favorites, which didn't make the
wait seem quite as bad. The band, which consisted of Eric Leeds on sax, Renato Neto (sporting his new Prince circa "Gold
Experience-era" haircut) on keyboards, Rhonda Smith on bass, John Blackwell on drums, and Prince on keyboards and guitar, took
the stage at 10:30, which has to be the earliest they've ever played at an aftershow, at least to my knowledge. The setup was
interesting...there was no microphone in the middle of the stage, and throughout the entire show, Prince didn't talk to the audience
or sing at all. The band all wore suits, including Prince, who wore a burgundy one. Prince did not have the mini afro-puff fro this
time, but his hair was longer but in the same style as the cover of the Aladdin dvd. Here was the setlist for the show: - Shhh
(instrumental) - East (?) / Madhouse jam (possibly Baby Doll House ?) - Slow jam (without Prince) - funk jam (West ?) / When the
saints go marchin' in (instrumental) The audience went crazy when the drum opening to "Shhh" was played. The instrumental
version of the song went on for about 10 minutes, including solos by everyone in the band. Prince pointed at band members to
signal who got the next solo. Eric Leeds' solo was random, since there aren't any horns in the original song. During the last verse,
Prince played guitar and lipsynched to the crowd as the crowd sang the words. The next jam, was possibly "East" from the NEWS
cd, which was a funky groove that included Eric Leeds' sax on a Madhouse jam that I recognized (possibly Baby Doll House ?). The
jam went on for about 20 minutes, and again Prince pointed to different members of the band, all of whom got 2 different solos
during this jam. What was interesting to me was that Eric Leeds played keyboards during a couple parts of the song while Prince
played guitar. The next song was a slow jam (most of which happened without Prince on stage) as Prince seemed to get mad at one
of the techs over something. For the rest of this jam, which lasted more than 10 minutes, Prince stayed to the side of the stage, and
at the end of the song played a little guitar with his face to the wall, away from the audience. The song also incorporated another
cover song that sounded familiar, but nobody I was around seemed to know what the song was. The final song, which was a funk
jam (West ?) which included 2 solos again from each band member, and which incorporated "When the saints go marchin' in" (as
an instrumental) at the end of the song, which also was a 10-minute jam. With that, Prince made a peace sign and walked off the
stage with the rest of the band, and the show was over at around 11:20. After the show, the DJ played a new song called Musicology
over the loudspeaker, which sounded like a retro funk song. Celebrities spotted in the crowd at the concert were Morris Day, Koi (?)
(finalist from Fame reality show), and actors Danny and Chris Masterson (That 70s Show, Malcolm in the middle). Just thought I'd
share...
The DVD screening was pretty cool...but I agree with GetWild that it's a shame that some of the best parts of that concert were cut
out. It's good at giving you an idea of what the show was like, but it really didn't capture the true feel of what it was like to be
THERE...but I'm still getting my DVD and I had a few people tell me they were going to rush out and get it today as well, so it was
still impressive nonetheless... - It wasn't loud enough !!! People kept shouting for the theater to turn up the volume !! And I think
better sound would have added to more of a "concert" feel...but you know, it didn't seem to matter to anyone - people were still
clapping and singing along and some of us couldn't resist that urge to just get up and dance in the aisles !!! My thoughts on the
aftershow... - I wouldn't be surprised to find out that at the end of the screening, all you could hear in the theater were the crickets
chirping because everyone BOOKED IT out of the theater during "Everlasting Now" which was the second to last song on the DVD I'm not even sure they played the bonus track at all...Does anyone know if they did ? - You're right, GetWild - the wait didn't seem
so bad. The DJ helped by playing a lot of Prince favorites and I'm thankful that BB Kings had an awesome air conditioning system.
Even being surrounded by everyone waiting for the show to start, I didn't feel as smothered and hot even when people were getting
their grooves on around me and getting hot and sweaty before the show - I could still breathe !!!...Plus, with me being such a shorty,
all the tall people around me usually start leaning and using me as a banister...but last night, with the DJ funkin' it up, no one really
had a chance to stand still... - There is NOTHING like experiencing Prince up close and personal with people who have never had
the chance to go to an afterparty or even see him play EVER !!! My sister, Annie and her man, Anthony had the most awesome time
and I'm so grateful that I had this special opportunity to share with them - and for FREE !!!! You can't beat that !!! Now they finally
know what all the hype is about !!! And then there's my girl Erika (edouble) who looked so happy - so in awe - that I thought she was
going to faint from the excitement !! This was her first afterparty and just to see her face and the tears in her eyes when Prince took
the stage really reminded me why I'm a "fam" and why I'm blessed to have the friends that I have and to have this in common with
everyone. This is truly why we are all together. As for the star sightings, I remember seeing Brian McKnight and Holly RobinsonPete standing outside while we were in line to get into BB Kings - as well as MOY from the Fame reality show (sorry, GetWild, its
not Koi)... - Regarding the set list - The only thing I could honestly name was "Shhhh" at the beginning and "When the Saints Go
Marching In" at the end...of course, I'm used to lyrics to really differentiate the different songs, so the tracks in between could have
been any track from NEWS or Xpectation for all I knew...But you can bet that I'll be listening to both CDs again now just to try and
figure things out...if at all possible...OVERALL, PRINCE and his REMARKABLE BAND really showed all of us - old and new - that
they can jam like NO ONE can !!! The entire set was instrumental. Prince didn't sing a lick or speak a word - but he has undeniably
proven that he can come out and perform and he doesn't even have to sing a note to blow our minds !!! (sidenote : I do miss his
singing, though...I hope his next album has lyrics. Musicology ???) -One last note - How awesome was it that the DJ spun RETURN OF THE BUMPSQUAD - into the mix last night ?!? Overall it was an outstanding night. Whew !!!!!!!!!! Back to reality !!!
I was watching the aftershow up on the 3rd level at BB Kings and around 12 midnight, I went to the elevator to go to the main level
to the club to meet my friend who watched the show from there. So I entered the elevator, with two other women on the third floor
and the elevator stopped on the second floor and guess who came in the
elevator....PRINCE !! with Mani and his bodyguard. The two women said thanks for a
good show then I turned to him (he was standing right next to me) and I asked if he
was going to perform again and he said no they were leaving. Then, when we got out at
the main level, the women got out then I told Prince "after you...." and then his
bodyguard said they were not exiting the elevator they were on their way down to the
garage level to Prince's limousine. Then when I exited the elevator the BB Kings staff
had the area around the elevator roped off so no one can use the elevator while Prince
was using it..... what a way to cap off a wonderful night with a surprise performance !
Variety
"Prince treated members of his fan club and contest winners to a 35-minute allinstrumental jam session of funk and blues at B.B. King's in Universal City Walk on
Monday. Perf, which concluded with the purple-clad guitarist banging out "When the
Saints Go Marching In," followed a screening of his new DVD, "Prince Live at the
Aladdin Las Vegas." Loews Cineplex theaters screened the disc for members of Prince's
fan club in 10 major markets that night; Universal Music Enterprises released the
DVD on Tuesday."
19-08-2003 : LIVE IN ALLADIN DVD Release
25-08-2003 :  Liquid Asset (BBC)
(0:56)
27-08-2003 : The Time @ Bahamas
29-08-2003 : The Time @ Pontiac
30-08-2003 : The Time @ Indianapolis
31-08-2003 : The Time @ Pontiac
First, I've got to say that I LOVE the Time. I've been a fan since their album came
out in '81 when I was 10 years old. Every girl I've ever dated had to listen to THE
TIME. Every car or boombox I've ever owned, I judged by how loud it could rock
My drawers. I used to have a record player that was set to play Chili sauce on repeat every night as I slept. Alexander O'Neal is the
man ! Jam and Lewis are the tightest producers on the planet. And Popeye Jones, whatever he does, is a cool brotha' too. I am a
TIME junkie. So when I heard the words from the loudspeaker, "Ladies and Gentlemen, put your muthafuckin' hands together for
Morris Day and The GotDamn Time", I was STOKED ! This was about my 10th show. I've never seen the original lineup in person,
but I've been to almost every show in the Michigan area since they got it back together in '96. I remembered the Royal Oak show
where a plump Morris was so nervous he barely moved the entire night, and Jerome cued the band throughout, basically reassuring
Morris the entire night. There was the State Theater show when they returned : band tight as hell, Morris and Jerome in perfect
sync and they seemed to play every song off of the first 3 albums ! The Chene Park show when it was so cold I was glad it ended. The
Pontiac show in '98, which I recorded with the handycam where Morris was so funny. A tape I treasured for many years until the
wife recorded 5 minutes of the kids in the tub on it. She's still giving head for that one, but the point is I LOVE The Time. So this
Pontiac '03 show sucked ass on so many levels I can't properly describe it. It was raining that night and there were umbrellas
obscuring the view pretty much everywhere you stood. The band hit the stage an hour late due to technical difficulties and played all
of 45 minutes. This may have affected the groups energy level because they were flat. Jerome told the crowd many times how great
it was to be back in Detroit. The only problem was that this was Pontiac. He got zero applause, but kept it up until the very end
when he heard people yelling "Pontiac". The guys were rushing, but they also seemed bored. Repeatedly during Cool, Torrell 'Tori'
Ruffin seemed to be trying to play something else, adding notes on the fly that were out of key. I forgive him though because he's
never let me down before, but he was pretty much out of place until the end when he got a chance to solo and of course blow
everyone's mind. Stanley 'Chance' Howard and Freeze were also guilty of trying to do too much, I guess they recognized that the
show wasn't going too well. Morris and Jerome didn't have time for normal shenanigans, but performed well together. Gigolos get
lonely too was excellent; I liked the echoes and effects. The bird and Jungle love were as tight as ever. Overall, I think it's time for a
new lineup or songs or something. This was an all day festival and they got blown away by The Funk All-stars that proceeded them.
Sep 03
09-2003 : Vibe
Prince – 1999
By Harry Allen
What is influence, and how does one measure it ? It can be intangibly subtle, even invisible. But it changes that which it occupies so
completely that a world without its effects becomes difficult, or impossible, to imagine. Try picturing a world without telephones or
automobiles. Similarly, what would the last 10 years of music have been without the preceding example and legacy of Prince Rogers
Nelson and his landmark 1983 breakthrough album 1999 ? After all, the album’s somber Little Red Corvette did introduce Prince to
millions and set the stage for his biggest selling album, Purple Rain. Prince’s influence includes, of course, all the artists who sprung
directly from his Minneapolis/Paisley Park loins – Sheila E, Vanity, Morris Day, The Time. But that’s just the easy part. Take Janet
Jackson : Her longtime association with The Time’s core members – Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – marks her as one of Prince’s
progeny, too. (This is something those who listen to Control or peep Janet’s early eye-hidden-behind-a-curl styling will not dispute.)
Then there are those who weren’t in Prince’s camp, didn’t necessarily cover his records, and didn’t record during his years of peak
sales, but have, without a doubt, lifted more than a lick from him. Certainly, Prince’s fearless puree of funk, rock, pop, and other
genres has shaped many careers, including any post-1999 popular musician whose work is deemed a “seamless blend” of those
forms – such as Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Beck, Lenny Kravitz, and No Doubt. Sometimes Prince’s presence is more overt : TLC’s Red
Light Special – from T-Boz’s sandy, slow-drag vocal, to the mournful, bruised guitar solo, to the salacious lyrics – practically
screams “Prince was here !” Hands down, though, the award for “Best recording of a Prince Song That Isn’t a Prince Song” goes to
D’Angelo, for Untitled (How Does it Feel). D’s entire career suggests he was conceived under a full purple moon. But Untitled – with
its soft and wet, just-behind-the-beat bass and guitar, and D’Angelo’s alternately tender, then banshee-howl falsetto – shows that
even the most remarkable talents copy – whether deliberately or unconsciously. Ultimately, the best way to size un Prince’s
contribution is to envision its absence : To try and imagine, say, R. Kelly’s, Jodeci’s, OutKast’s, N.E.R.D.’s, or Macy Gray’s sexual
freakiness without the precession of Prince’s purple flasher’s raincoat. Try and conceive hip hop’s unlimited frankness, minus
Prince having already declared, “I sincerely wanna fuck the taste out of your mouth” on 1999’s Let’s Pretend We’re Married,
completely ripping the lid off what one could say on a record. Prince’s influence has rarely been as concrete as a digital sample, like
Timbaland’s brief excise of the cooing baby from 1999’s Delirious for Aaliyah’s Are You That Somebody ? More often than not,
Prince has led by example, by showing that it’s okay to go in a certain direction. Still, measuring his imprint on music is most
difficult because his output has been so diverse. Trying to track his influence is like lighting a Roman candle, then trying to track
every burning piece of gunpowder. All you can be expected to report is that it was loud, it was colorful, and, man, it lit up the sky
like nothing anyone had ever seen before, or since.
06-09-2003 : Ruby (Hollywood)
The party at the Ruby club in Hollywood was bad, they played 3 songs finally after a few hours of just waiting and then gave a few
dvd's away to people dancing freaky, they probably weren't even fans. The crowd was young, which is ok however didn't look like
the type that would like Prince. I think they were more into punk..Oh well maybe next time folks...Peace and B wild
The Time @ Memphis
12-09-2003 : New tour announcement
Three videos are made available for viewing on the NPG Music Club website : "Don't Talk 2 Strangers" performed by Chaka Khan,
"Thieves In The Temple" (extended version), and the previously unseen "I Like It There." A new tour is announced to begin in
Melbourne on October 21st 2003. It was reported Prince would perform his greatest hits before retiring those songs forever. Later a
show at the Hong Kong Harborfest on 17 October was announced as the tour opener.
St Paul Pioneer Press
Prince in line to join rock royalty
By Keith Harris
Over the past quarter-century, Prince has sold countless records and elicited gushes from the harshest critics. Soon the Minneapolis
native might add another notch to his purple belt : induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Late Friday, the diminutive
superstar made the list of nominees for the Hall of Fame's 2004 ballot. Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of
their first record. Since Prince released his first album, "For You," in 1978, this is the first year he qualifies. If inducted, he'll join the
only Minnesota musician to have more of an impact on popular music in the past half-century, Bob Dylan. Other nominees include
George Harrison, John Mellencamp and Jackson Browne. No one in the local music community seems surprised by Prince's
nomination. "He belongs to the ages," said longtime Prince drummer Bobby Z (nee Rivkin). "He's one of the greatest performers
and musicians of all time." Steve McClellan, general manager at the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue, was equally impressed.
"Most artists are either retired or even dead by the time they get this kind of recognition.” This isn't the first time Prince has been
recognized by the Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Two of his biggest hits, "When Doves Cry" and "Little Red Corvette," were
among the institution's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" in 1997. The coat Prince wore in the 1984 film "Purple Rain" is also
on display at the institution's museum.A multi-instrumentalist whose versatility and talent have earned him comparisons to Jimi
Hendrix, Miles Davis, and even Pablo Picasso, Prince graduated from Minneapolis Central High School in 1976. He was already part
of a thriving North Minneapolis music scene that included Jimmy Jam Harris and Terry Lewis when he recorded his first album
with Warner Brothers in 1978. Prince's impact in the music industry and the Minneapolis club scene blossomed in the early 1980s,
when he and his new band, the Revolution, routinely took the stage at the jam-packed First Avenue. One particular show, on Aug. 3,
1983, planted the seeds for "Purple Rain," which a panel of VH1-polled experts named in 2001 the 18th greatest rock 'n' roll album
of all time. "It's one of my top five concerts of all time," veteran critic and Prince watcher P.D. Larson said in 2001. "It was hot,
literally and figuratively. It was the first time anyone heard 'Purple Rain,' which has become sort of the 'Stairway to Heaven' of
its time. I remember he wore that huge hoop earring, and all those new songs just had an immediate impact. They obviously felt
the same way, like they couldn't recreate them, because they ended up on the album." "Certainly," wrote former Prince manager
Alan Leeds, in the liner notes to "The Hits/The B-Sides," "none of us had an inkling that those very performances, with only
minimal studio alterations, would help define pop music in the coming year." It also was arguably Prince's most prolific period,
and astoundingly so : In addition to laying down all the "Purple Rain" material and B-sides ("17 Days," "Erotic City," "She's Always
in My Hair," "God," "Another Lonely Christmas"), the sessions yielded material for his next album, "Around the World in a Day,"
the Time album "Ice Cream Castles," Apollonia 6's debut album, and Sheila E.'s debut album, "The Glamorous Life." The "Purple
Rain" album was completed in April 1984 and released in June. The film, which was shot mostly in November and December 1983,
premiered in July. The movie became a critical and commercial hit its soundtrack won an Oscar and the album topped the charts
for six months and yielded several chart-topping singles. In 1987, he released the two-record set "Sign O the Times," now widely
acknowledged as his artistic high point. The '90s began with a bang for Prince, when he signed a $100 million contract with Time
Warner in 1992, making him the second highest-paid musician in the world after Michael Jackson. Though many of Prince's '90s
albums were adventurous and as strong as his earlier material, sales began to dip. In 1993, he changed his name to an
unpronounceable glyph symbol, and fans and journalists alike began referring to him as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince. His
downtown Minneapolis club, Glam Slam, was short-lived, and the club The Quest occupies the space now. After a series of label
difficulties, first with Time Warner, and later with Arista, he began independently releasing his own music. He began calling
himself Prince again in 2000 and celebrated with a six-day open house at his Chanhassen estate, Paisley Park. Recently, a magazine
in France called New Times reported that he has been in the studio since January recording material with Sheila E. and working on
an album tentatively titled "Two Thousand Free : the Revelation year." His last official album was "N.E.W.S.," a jazz instrumental
album released July 29. He also recently released a DVD "Prince - Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas" in August. According to the Hall of
Fame's Web site, criteria for induction include the influence and significance of the artist's contributions to the development and
perpetuation of rock and roll. A nominating committee, composed of rock 'n' roll historians, selects nominees each year in the
performer category. Ballots are then sent to an international voting body of about 1,000 rock experts. Those performers who receive
the highest number of votes, and more than 50 percent of the vote, are inducted. The Foundation generally inducts five to seven
performers each year. Inductees are to be announced in December.
Automn 2003 : Musicology sessions
Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance * - Musicology
Cinnamon Girl * - Musicology
Call My Name * - Musicology
Dear Mr. Man * - Musicology
Life ‘O’ The Party * - Musicology
Magnificent * - NPGMC
What Do U Want Me 2 Do ? * - Musicology
On The Couch * - Musicology
The Marrying Kind (2) * - Musicology
If m Was The Man In Ur Life (2) * - Musicology
The title of Illusion, Coma Pimp & Circumstance is likely a reference to the Pomp and Circumstance military marches by Sir Edward
Elgar. Call My Name features Chance Howard, Stokley Williams and
Kip Blackshire as additional vocals. Initial recording dates are
unknown, but it is likely that Dear Mr. Man was recorded in 2003 or
early 2004 (Candy Dulfer - additional vocals / John Blackwell - drums
/ Rhonda Smith - additional vocals / Maceo Parker - horns
(uncredited) / Sheila E. - shaker / Renato Neto - fender Rhodes) Six
months after the album's release, the European version of the
Cinnamon Girl single contained a live version of the track in both
audio and video form. The studio version, with overdubs by Dr. Cornel
West and titled Mr. Man, was included as the fourth track on Cornel
West & BMWMB's 2007 album Never Forget: A Journey Of
Revelations. Italian spoken word on What Do U Want Me 2 Do ? by
Ornella Bonaccorsi. Engineer H.M. Buff has stated that he was
involved in If m Was The Man In Ur Life, indicating that it was
recorded between 1995 and 2000. The song's opening indicates that
it was recorded in tandem with The Marrying Kind, but engineer H.M.
Buff was not involved in the latter track, indicating that it was recorded
separately. The presence on the track of John Blackwell on drums
suggests that further work was done on the track at some point
between late 2000 (when John Blackwell joined Prince's band) and
early 2004.
Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance
She knew which fork to use but she couldn't dance
So he hipped her to the funk in exchange for the finance
Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance ?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp and circumstance
She was older but rich beyond compare
She'd drop a thousand dollars at the saloon
just to get her hair did
He was good at compliments, better in the bunk
She laced him with a crib in Paris, he hipped her to the funk
Way too fine he was for her
A dirty dog in expensive fur
As long as she's providing chips and whips
We can do this funky thing
As long as she was playing the host
He figured he would make the most of them hips and lips
He hooked her up, rocked her coast to coast
Ugly, she's so ugly, rich beyond compare
She's dropped a couple hundred thousand dollars
on a silver whip
Just to match the color of her hair
She said, "Eye got plenty of what you need
Put the spoon down honey, come on, let mama feed you"
She knew which fork to use but she couldn't dance
So he hipped her to the funk in exchange for the finance
Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance ?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp and circumstance
Where was Eye? Oh yeah, a gentleman he was
He never spoke about her nose
So prominent because in the dark it'd glow
If she was only tan instead of so lily white
Her name was Doris but he called her Flo
As in 'Rescent', that ain't right
Fluorescent every night
A situation bound to fail
As sure a Doris' skin was pale
Money might talk, but what does it say ?
You better get busy if you wanna get paid
Boy, Eye was fine back in the day
She knew which fork to use but she couldn't dance
So he hipped her to the funk in exchange for the finance
Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance ?
That's the story of illusion, coma, pimp and circumstance
Now, dance, dance
He spent her money oh so well
Take a bath in cold Kristal
He took a trip to burn an old flame in 'Frisco, like wow
But Doris caught him in her arms
She shrugged her shoulders and said, "No harm"
Just put your name on this pre-nup
and we can all hit the disco
She knew which fork to use but she couldn't dance
So he hipped her to the funk in exchange for the finance
Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance ?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp and circumstance
She knew which fork to use but she couldn't dance
So he hipped her to the funk in exchange for the finance
Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance ?
This is the story of illusion, coma, pimp and circumstance
Now, dance
Dance
Dance
Dance
Cinnamon Girl
As war drums beat in Babylon
Cinnamon girl starts to pray
I've never heard a prayer like this one
Never before that day
Tearful words of love for people, she had never met before
Asking God to grant them mercy in this face of a holy war
Cinnamon girl
Cinnamon girl
Cinnamon girl of mixed heritage
Never knew the meaning of color lines
911 turned that all around
When she got accused of this crime
So began the mass illusion, war on terror alibi
What's the use when the God of confusion
keeps on telling the same lie?
Cinnamon girl
Cinnamon girl
Don't cry, don't shed no tears
One night won't make us feel,
'cause we know how this movie's ending
Cinnamon girl
Cinnamon girl
As war drums beat in Babylon
And scorch the blood red sky
Militants bomb the foreign gun
Both sides children die
Cinnamon girl opens the book,
she knows will settle all the scores
Then she prays after the war that there will not be anymore
Cinnamon girl
Cinnamon girl
Cinnamon girl
Cinnamon girl
Call My Name
Call, call my name
Call it, call my name
I've heard your voice this morning
Calling out my name
It had been so long, since I've heard
That it didn't sound quite the same, no
But it let me know that my name
Had never really been spoken before
Before the day I've carried you
Through the bridal path door
And ever since that day I haven't wanted, anyone but you
And anybody who really knows me knows the truth, that I
I just can't stop writing songs about you
I love you so much
I just can't wait to get my arms around you
And feel your touch
If I don't see you real soon baby girl
I might go insane
I know it's only been three hours
But I love it when you call my name, yes I do
I heard a voice on the news saying
People want to stop the war
If they had a love as sweet as you
They'd forget what they were fighting for
What's the matter with the world today ?
The land of the free, somebody lied
They can bug my phone and peep around my home
They'll only see you and me making love inside
I just can't stop writing songs about you
I love you so much
I just can't wait to get my arms around you
And feel your touch
If I don't see you real soon baby girl
I might go insane
I know it's only been three hours
But I love it when you call my name
I've never seen the moon look so lovely
As the night I saw it with you
Let me know I'd never seen the moon before
So many speak of the moon
As though it had no flaws
But to compare it to a beauty like yours
Would give one pause
Nothing about you is false
That's why your love is real
That's why your love is real love
God forbid if you belonged to another
I'd have to steal you
I'd have to take you from your man
I might be tempted to break the law round here
Because your beauty it gives one pause
It slows me down
I just can't stop writing songs about you
I love you so much
I just can't wait to get my arms around you
And feel your touch
If I don't see you real soon baby girl
I might go insane
I know it's only been three hours
But I love it when you call my name
I love it when you call my name
Call, call my name
Call it, call my name
Dear Mr. Man
What's wrong with the world 2day ?
Things just got 2 get better
Show me what the leaders say
Maybe we should write a letter
Said Dear Mr. Man, we don't understand
Why poor people keep struggling
but U don't lend a helping hand
Matthew 5:5 say "The meek shall inherit the earth"
We wanna b down that way
but U been trippin since the day of your birth
Who said that 2 kill is a sin
Then started every single war that Ur people been in ?
Who said that water is a precious commodity
Then dropped a big old black oil slick in the deep blue sea ?
Who told me, Mr. Man, that working round the clock
would buy me a big housed in the hood
Cigarette ads on every block
Who told me, Mr. Man, that Eye got a right 2 moan ?
How about this bog old hole in the ozone ?
What's wrong with the world 2day
Things just got 2 get better
Dear Mr. Man, we don't understand
Maybe we should write a letter
Listen, Ain't no sense in voting
- same song with a different name
Might not b in the back of the bus
but it sure feel just the same
Ain't nothing fair about welfare
Ain't no assistance in AIDS
We ain't that affirmative about your actions
until the people get paid
Ur thousand years r up
Now U got 2 share the land
Section 1 - the 14th amendment says
"No state shall deprive any person of life,
liberty, or property, without due process of law"
Mr. Man, we want 2 end this letter with 3 words
We tired a-y'all
Life ‘O’ The Party
This is the life o' the party
We gonna do it right
So you're havin' a party ?
Goody for you
All the beautiful people gonna be there
Yeah, that's cool
You know you're gonna have a good time
'Cause you got the news
That the life o' the party is gonna party with you
We're doin' our own thing
'Til the sun'll come up
Sweet Candy gonna be there
Yeah, it's gonna be rough
She ain't got no off switch and neither do I
When you read it in the paper tomorrow
You gonna hang your head and cry
We gonna have us a party
All are welcome too
We ain't down with nobody
That don't party like we do
Once we get it started
We got to go all night
This is the life o' the party
We gonna do it right
Why party in your own yard
When you can party in mine ?
All the beautiful people gonna be there
Puttin' the I in fine
Throw the records out my window, CD's out the door
Might as well give it to the milkman
But we don't want it no more
Everybody can smell this funk y'all
Down in Altanta, GA
Everybody, even Dre and 'em, know it's ok
Hey, we don't need any trippin'
Y'all on this special day
We just call and let you know
You better not come if you can't stay
We gonna have us a party
All are welcome too
We ain't down with nobody
That don't party like we do
Once we get it started
We got to go all night
This is the life o' the party
We gonna do it right
What's it gonna take to get your booty soakin' wet ?
You and me closer baby, that's a bet
I'm the life o' the party
As long as I got your body
Shakin' like a leaf on a tree
Cutie, come dance with me
You and me, we got mad chemistry
Don't it make you wanna holler ?
Come with the life of the party, y'all
We're still makin' dollars
25 years to life
The judge sentenced me to hard labor with a knife
Makin' cuts for y'all
Keepin' the party packed and wall to wall
I don't care what they say
"He don't play the hits no more
Plus I thought he was gay"
But it ain't nothin' if it ain't fun
My voice is gettin' higher
And I ain't never had my nose done
That's the other guy
All the purple hippies bang your head on the one
We gonna have us a party
All are welcome too
We ain't down with nobody
That don't party like we do
Once we get it started
We got to go all night
This is the life o' the party
We gonna do it right
We gonna have us a party
All are welcome too
We ain't down with nobody
That don't party like we do
Once we get it started
We got to go all night
This is the life o' the party
We gonna do it right
Life o' the party
Life o' the party
What Do U Want Me 2 Do ?
I see you picked me out from the crowd
Could it be the way I play guitar ?
Master of the soft, not too loud
One day, maybe I will be a star
I see you picked me out like you want something
But shame on you, baby, can't you see this ring ?
What do you want me to do, girl ?
What do you want me to do, babe ?
What do you want me to do, girl ?
What do you want me to do, babe ?
I got a woman, you got a man
So we got to do what's right
I said you'd get beheaded in other lands
If I were in your arms tonight
Quit tryin' to get me under that icy plunder
Boy, oh boy, what a scare, ooh
What do you want me to do, girl ?
What do you want me to do, babe ?
What do you want me to do, girl ?
What do you want me to do, babe ?
You picked me out of the crowd
And ooh, just so bold and so proud
And dressed like you want everybody to just say "Wow !
Didn't her mama teach her better ?"
Ow! Dressed like that, somebody gon' get her
I see you picked me from the crowd
Could it be the way I play guitar ?
Master of the soft, not too loud
I don't ever really wanna be where you are
Where you are, no
What do you want me to do, girl ?
Tell me, what do you want me to do, babe ?
What do you want me to do, girl ?
Tell me, tell me, what do you want me to do, babe ?
I ain't tryin' to do that
What do you want me to do, girl ?
Magnificent
Yeah
So much anticipation
4 this conversation
Such a long time
Life a meeting of two nations
This special occasion
Got us both tongue tied
Let me just say that Eye've respected U
From a distance
Eye've been watching U, sho' been watching you
In the time it took the others 2 say Ur name
We became magnificence
Chorus :
What Eye'm about 2 say will astound U
But Eye can only say it when no one's around U
Magnificent
Magnificent, when it pounds you
Magnificent
The voice that U hear is the alchemy of Ur mind
The two of us like stardust
We go back, yeah we must
To the dawning of all time
To the nuclear reaction
The only present satisfaction
The sweet and sticky kind
Regardless of what they say 2 U
The moment U hear me speak they're through
Like paradise Eye'm so nice
Eye never lose my effect on U
Chorus
The voice that U hear is the alchemy of Ur mind
Counting backwards, a thousand 2 one
Everything we do is so much fun
To our time before time began
Before Eye was a woman, before U were a man
Before sex and race ever mattered
Tell me now do U understand ?
Chorus
On The Couch
Come on babe, ooh, ooh
Don't make me sleep on the couch, no, no, no
Love Jones is on the TV again, baby
Ooh, I wanna go down south, yeah
Come on baby
Come on baby
Its so undignified to sleep alone
Oh yes it is
That's what all the people
Ain't got nobody do
You know they do
Talkin', talkin' on the telephone
Don't make me crash
Don't you do it baby, don't you do it, uh uh
Don't make me sleep without your kiss
Oh darlin' without your kiss
Don't u make me do it
Tossin' and a turnin', every inch of me yearnin'
Don't you make me, don't you make me
Don't you make me, don't you make me
Don't you make me, don't you make me
Don't you make me, don't you make me
Suffer for this
I know, I know, I know, I know
We agreed to be married
You know, I know
Shouldn'ta let me unzip your dress
Why'd you do it, baby, why'd you do it ?
Oh yeah
Confess you tease
Unless you please me
Don't make me
Don't make me sleep on the couch
17-09-2003 : NPGMC
NEWSFLASH : Get ready NPG MUSIC CLUB - Prince & The NPG will play the HONG KONG HARBOR FEST on October 17th
followed by new tour dates in AUSTRALIA ! Details and member ticket info will be announced in the next couple days.
18-09-2003 : Herald Sun
Prince to roll out the hits
By Nui Te Koha
Prince will launch a comeback with a world tour starting in Melbourne. The master of funk, pop and rock, will perform at Rod Laver
Arena on October 21. And in a coup for fans, 45-year-old Prince will perform his greatest hits before retiring those songs forever.
His major hits include 1999, Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, Kiss and Purple Rain. Prince last toured Australia in 1992, playing
sell-out shows at the then National Tennis Centre and a secret gig at The Palace. He swanned about town with two hired models,
Diamond and Pearl, constantly at his side. "When I'm on stage, the audience has come into my room," he said at the time. "What I
want to do is create excitement and provoke people as much as I can." Many critics have urged Prince to go back to basics and the
Melbourne show will attract worldwide attention. Promoter Paul Dainty and US promotions giant Clear Channel will announce the
tour today. "This has come like a bolt out of the blue for everyone," Dainty said late yesterday. "Prince is renowned for doing
everything suddenly and, in classic style, we will have Prince here very soon. He has committed to doing all the hits, so we are in
for a long show of Prince classics." In a typical Prince twist, he will scrap those songs from his live shows after this tour. “Prince
will perform his hits for the last time," Dainty confirmed. In his rise to fame, Prince borrowed from Little Richard, James Brown
and Jimi Hendrix and influenced a new generation of performers to fuse funk and rock. His sexual image and risque live shows
predated Madonna. His decision to return to the spotlight as Prince, and perform the hits, is a landmark. He has spent the past
decade in the commercial and critical wilderness. In 1993, he changed his name to a symbol, then The Artist Formerly Known As
Prince, to protest about his recording and publishing deal with Warner Bros. He said the deal, which ended in 2000, amounted to
slavery. Prince tickets will go on sale on September 30.
The Time @ El Cajon
19-09-2003 : Yahoo !
Prince to Perform at Hong Kong Festival
HONG KONG - Prince will headline a government-sponsored music festival aimed at boosting the image of SARS battered Hong
Kong. He'll perform at the opening of the concert series, "Hong Kong Harbour Fest," on Oct. 17, organizers said Thursday. Top
tickets for his show are priced at $127. The Rolling Stones, Jose Carreras, Irish boy band Westlife, Carlos Santana, British R&B
singer Craig David, Taiwan pop sensation Jay Chou and boy band F4 are also set to perform at the festival, which will run through
Nov. 9. The $16.7 million event has stirred controversy, with critics questioning the government's vow to guarantee up to $10.2
million to cover losses if necessary. But officials say the festival will help Hong Kong recover from the impact of the severe acute
respiratory syndrome crisis, which killed 299 people in the territory and devastated the economy. The Rolling Stones had been
scheduled to play in Hong Kong in March, but their two shows were canceled as the SARS crisis unfolded.
23-09-2003 : National Enquirer (UK)
Prince's troubled little sis.
Prince's younger sister is a recovering crack addict who sold her body to support two sons while her brother lived in luxury. Tyka
Nelson 43, says the rock star has helped her financially at times, and he recently enrolled her in the drug rehap program that's kept
her clean and sober for months. But at other times, 45 year-old Prince has turned his back on her, Tyka said. "I love my brother."
she told the ENQUIRER in an exclusive interview. "But I'm not a yo-yo. He can't just keep spinning me in and out of his life.”
Prince and his sister spent their early years together in northern Minneapolis before Tyka's life spun out of control. While Prince
was building a musical empire and earning millions, Tyka was often homeless, working as a prostitute. "I was a single mother and
my boys were babies," Tyka recalled. "I sold my body for food, money and pampers." Tyka said her lowest point came three years
ago, when she was living in a crack house. "I pawned the car Prince had given me and sold the kids' TV for drugs," she told The
ENQUIRER. In April Prince entered her into an expensive rehab program. "I relapsed once, but I've been clean for three months
now," she said. "It's the longest I've been sober and drug-free in years.”
25-09-2003 : NPGMC
High NPG Music Club
CORRECTION : Members who buy "Diamond" Tickets will be able 2 attend the pre-show soundcheck.
PRINCE & The New Power Generation will be playing LIVE in Australia in October. Members of the Club will have the opportunity
2 purchase presale tickets within the first 15 rows of each of the following shows :
Melbourne - Rod Laver Arena - Tuesday 21 October
Sydney - Sydney Entertainment Centre - Friday 24 October
Brisbane - Brisbane Entertainment Centre - Monday 27 October
IMPORTANT : Members now have 3 OPTIONS 4 purchasing presale tickets :
1. ONSTAGE TICKETS for Sydney and Melbourne
Melbourne @ AUD$995.50
Sydney @ AUD$996.00
Brisbane - N/A
Includes the following :
(1) Meet and Greet with PRINCE
(2) 3cd box set: Prince - One Night Alone LIVE
(3) Souvenir On-Stage Laminate
(4) Access 2 pre show sound check
(5) Access 2 pre show party - (includes refreshments)
Purchased thru VIP Experience Hotline at (02) 9266 4817 (International +61 2 92664817). When u call u must give ur Member
Name and the password *******. This hotline will be open exclusively to NPGMC members from 9am to 5pm Friday 26th Sept until
9am to 5pm Saturday 27th Sept (please note this is local Sydney time). Space is limited, there is a 2 ticket limit. Presale ONSTAGE
TICKETS r only thru the hotline, not the website. All member pre-sale purchases will be screened and verified based on the member
name (what u log in as – example : PaisleyPark9) and the first and last name. If they don't match, tickets will be denied. So please
make sure u give accurate in4mation and that the correct member name and the correct first and last name on the membership are
the ones given over the phone along with the password. The names MUST match.
2. VIP TICKETS
Melbourne @ AUD$392.00
Sydney @ AUD$391.00
Brisbane @ AUD $391.50
Includes the following :
(1) Guaranteed seating within first 5 rows
(2) 3CD Box set : Prince - One Night Alone LIVE
(3) Souvenir VIP Laminate
(4) Access 2 pre show sound check
(5) Access 2 pre show party - (includes refreshments)
3. DIAMOND TICKETS
Melbourne @AUD$171.60
Sydney @ AUD$171.00
Brisbane @AUD$171.50
(1) Guaranteed seating within the first 15 Rows.
(2) Access 2 pre show sound check
Purchased thru the NPG Music Club website in the BACKSTAGE PASS room from 9am Friday 26th Sept until 5pm Saturday 27th
Sept. (please note this is local Sydney time). Space is limited, there is a 2 ticket limit. PLEASE NOTE : we will NOT be selling
Member Tickets 2 the Hong Kong Harbor Fest. Please purchase tickets 2 that event thru the Harbor Festival. In4mation can change
at any time, please check the U TELL US Member Forums 4 questions or changes. We hope u injoy ur xperience.
Love4oneanother
NPG Music Club
30-09-2003 : Boston Globe
Life In The Pop Lane
Prince's return is `N.E.W.S.'
By Renee Graham
Almost all singers and musicians, at some point, utter the old line about making music for themselves. If the public and the critics
enjoy it, that's all right, too - but ultimately, they'll claim, true artists create music to meet their own exacting standards and
personal satisfaction. Every musician says it, but only one lives those words with complete conviction - Prince. You remember
Prince, don't you ? Little guy from Minneapolis, plays guitar like he sold his soul at the crossroads, wrote huge hits about God, sex,
and little red Corvettes. He could be as soulful as James Brown, as funky as George Clinton, or rock as hard as Jimmy Page. His
creativity and abilities were so boundless that calling him a genius seemed an understatement. With his long absence from radio,
MTV, and the pop charts - all of which he once ruled - it probably seems that Prince has faded into the misty purple of a selfimposed exile, a self-indulgent recluse whose weirdness finally capsized his career. Yet Prince has continued churning out new
music, even if few seem to notice or care. With none of the fanfare that used to accompany his every move, his latest album,
"N.E.W.S.," was released July 29. Its four songs - "North," "East," "West," and "South" - are all instrumentals running 14 minutes
each, and tend more toward experimental and contemporary jazz than toward the rock-inflected funk and soul that made him an
icon two decades ago. Joined by Eric Leeds on saxophones, John Blackwell on drums, Renato Neto on piano and synthesizers, and
Rhonda Smith on bass, Prince plays guitar, keyboards, and percussion. As has been the case with his last few albums, there's no
video, no single, no promotion. The album is available in stores (and to subscribers to his online NPG Music Club), but don't look
for fancy, eye-catching displays - Prince doesn't even appear on the CD's cover. Compared to such classic albums as "Sign `O' the
Times" and "Dirty Mind," "N.E.W.S." seems a trifle, albeit one with some interesting moments. With its clashing time signatures
and jutting sax accents, "East" hints of Jaco Pastorius-era Weather Report, and the spacy bass-nasty "South" is the closest thing
here to a standout track. Given that there are no vocals, one might have expected a sky-scraping guitar extravaganza, but Prince
doesn't go there. Mostly, this is background music with an attitude. It isn't inaccessible, but neither is it inviting, since it's so
removed from the music that made Prince the most stunning artist of his generation. He was only 19 when he recorded his 1978
debut, "For You," a one-man opus on which he composed, arranged, produced, and performed every track. Six years and five
albums later, the precocious potential of "For You" blossomed into the fulfilled promise of "Purple Rain." By the time his debut film
and accompanying soundtrack were released, in 1984, Prince was one of the biggest stars in the world. "Purple Rain" sold more
than 10 million copies, featuring such songs as "Let's Go Crazy," "When Doves Cry," and the anthemic title song. He even picked up
an Academy Award for best original song score. "Purple Rain" was his commercial zenith, but for years each Prince album would be
an event. Through the neo-psychedelia of "Around the World in a Day" to the shimmering funk of "Parade" (and especially the hit,
"Kiss") Prince was one of the few artists about whom one could always believe the hype. Still, by the 1990s, legal tussles with his
former label, Warner Bros., and his subsequent public protests - which included changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol
and scrawling the word "Slave" on his cheek -- largely obscured his music. Even after he extricated himself from his Warner's
contract and released the rambling three-CD set "Emancipation," in 1996, much of his audience had disappeared. Whether they
were turned off by his eccentricities or simply more interested in younger, newer artists, no one seemed interested in Prince's
music. No one, that is, except Prince. He's 45 years old, and he could still enjoy a major comeback, though he might counter that
he's never really gone away. Whatever one's feeling about Prince and his music today, there's something sublime about an artist
unshackled by the need to conform. He releases music on his own label, NPG, and if doesn't sell the way it once did - a press release
says "N.E.W.S." has sold about 70,000 copies - at least it isn't compromised by those who view art as only as product. Without a hit
album since 1991's "Diamonds and Pearls," you get the feeling Prince is unswayed by chart positions. Instead, he manages
something few musicians can claim. He makes his music his way, even if it means there are far fewer people enjoying it.
Oct 03
Late 2003 : The Chocolate Invasion sessions
The Dance (1) * - The Chocolate Invasion
Judas Smile (2) * - Prev. 01 - The Chocolate Invasion
Sex Me ? Sex Me Not (2) * - Prev. 00 - The Chocolate Invasion
Vavoom (3) * - Prev. 01 - The Chocolate Invasion
Silicon (2) * - Prev. 00 - The Slaughterhouse
Y Should m Do That When m Can Do This ? (3) * - Prev. 00 - The Slaughterhouse
Golden Parachute (2) * - Prev. 00 - The Slaughterhouse
The version of Sex Me ? Sex Me Not included on The Chocolate Invasion includes samples and spoken quotations from Judas
Smile, tying it into the "Chocolate Invasion" theme of the album's title. The version of Y Should m Do That When m Can Do This ?
released on The Slaughterhouse differs slightly with the version released through NPG Music Club Edition # 5; there’s a slight horn
overdub to obscure use of the N-word. Golden Parachute includes one additional trumpet fill at the beginning, but otherwise
identical. Specific recording dates are unknown; it is possible that The Dance was initially recorded at around the same time as the
other tracks included on The Chocolate Invasion, in 1999-2001, but it is also possible that Prince recorded the track closer to 2004
and felt it fit with the rest of the songs on the collection.
The Dance
Eye don't wanna give U my love
'Cause Eye don't wanna lose my mind
Ohh
Eye don't wanna give U my love
'Cause if Eye do it's gonna b the last time
Eye never want to feel this way again
If Eye can't b a lover
Eye don't wanna b Ur friend, no
Eye don't wanna b friends, no
Eye don't wanna hold Ur hand
'Cause Eye just wanna follow U everywhere
Eye don't wanna c U dance
Eye don't even really want 2 take the chance
Of fallin' in love with U baby
'Cause if U ever said beautiful words 2 me
If Eye wanna b Ur fantasy, yes
Eye wanna dance
Yes
Oooooh, baby
Eye don't wanna give U my love
Eye don't wanna go 2 fast
'Cause if Eye do U just might stay
U just might stay
Eye guess Eye have a lonely dance
The longer that Eye feel this way
Eye never want to feel this way again
If Eye can't b a lover
Eye don't wanna b Ur friend
Eye don't wanna b friends, no
Eye just want this 2 end
Eye don't wanna give U my love
'Cause Eye don't wanna lose my mind
Go home, baby
U know U can't handle this
03-10-2003 : The Guardian (UK)
By James Griffiths
According to the introductory spiel, this 2002 gig was a private party gatecrashed by a few thousand fans. Decide for yourself if that
sounds plausible, but there's no denying that the concert has a friendly, intimate feel. Prince's band are as razor sharp as his suit, as
they weld decades of music history into an efficient, stylised performance. There are James Brown yelps, Sly Stone drum-breaks
and Parliament-style guitar solos. Yet the groove frequently acquires a jazzy smoothness more reminiscent of Weather Report or
even Steely Dan. The disc features a previously unreleased track, U Want Me, along with a version of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta
Love. Prince may now be more entertainer than innovator but no one could claim that he has forgotten how to be funky.
04-10-2003 : The Time @ Shreverport
10&11-10 : Musicology Shooting
n Musicology
(0:05)
Prince shoots a video for "Musicology" over two days in Los Angeles.
Casting called for a young, light-skinned Afro-American boy to play Prince at
age 10. Comedian Steve Harvey played the kid's dad. The second day of
shooting was performance footage of Prince and The NPG, shot at the
Tower Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. The video was directed by Sanaa
Hamri, who also directed Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas. The choreography
was done by Fatima Robinson and Aakomon Jones.
I arrived exactly at 3:00pm, right behind what I'm guessing was Prince's
black Mercedes limo, and immediately met up with some of the usual
suspects (Jeremy-J7, Tamiko, Chris, and Karrie). I had come with hair and
make-up "camera-ready" as per the instructions, but had my various
"costume" pieces in a bag. At the base camp, however, I noticed that most
people were already dressed, and I was still in my work-out pants and
chanclas (to'-up slippers for the non-Spanish speakers). Since we were
informed that the "fan background" would not be checked in for another
hour, I went back to the parking lot w/J7, and with him and Monique as
look-outs, I changed out of my grubbies and into a cocktail dress (what an
odd sense of deja vu swept over me as I struggled into my clothes in the backseat of a car...j/k !) We went back to camp and looked
for a spot to sit for what would turn out to be quite a long wait. But for the most part, people seemed to make the most of it,
socializing and people-watching. Eventually, we were lined up to go into the wardrobe tents and have our 'costumes' approved or, if
necessary, changed. Wardrobe was satisfied with the dress and strappy heels I had on, so I took my bag back to the car and then it
was back to the wait. Some beautiful Bumpsquad-ettes (sounds like a drill team) representing were Tamiko, Monique, Karrie (what
a trouper !), Ruth, Krystina, Sylvia, Dee Dee, Lyn, and Dara, all looking very lovely, and the guys J7, Alan, Chris G, Edgar, Kevin and
Lawrence all very "fly," as the kids say, in their suits and ties. Finally, we were called, and we trotted across Spring Street to the
Tower Theatre (one of the old, semi-abandoned movie palaces that one can still find in downtown Los Angeles). As we filed down
the alley behind the theatre, we passed Maceo noodling around a bit on his sax, and Blackwell was in the back of the truck that
probably transports the instruments. We could hear some of "Musicology" playing as we walked past the open back entrance of the
theatre. But just as our group was about to go into the theatre and after a few of us were picked out of the line to go inside (J7 said it
was like standing behind the velvet rope at SkyBar), the rest of us were sent back to camp to be fed (Domino's cheese pizza, and
believe me, after 6 hours of Cheetos and water, it was the most delicious pizza EVER !) Some of us were starting to worry that we
were literally all dressed up with nowhere to go. Were they really going to use us in the video, or had we just wasted an entire
Saturday sitting in a parking lot in downtown L.A. ? Aside from being a "seat-filler" once at the Emmys, I had never done anything
like this before, and though I knew that filming anything involves a lot of waiting around for the actors and extras, this seemed to be
wearing on for too long, and the paid extras had already been called for what seemed like hours. We were assured, though, that we
were going to be used, and as a matter of fact, could we please call others to come down ? They needed all the extras they could get.
Eventually, the 'chosen few' (Tamiko, Edgar, and Alan) came back and reported that they'd been used in a scene where a crowd
stood in a circle as a couple of guys danced, as well as in a scene where the club-goers are hanging in the club, enjoying the music.
They also reported that they liked what they heard of the song. About five minutes after an eternity, we were finally called again. As
we stood outside the front entrance of the theatre, we were warned not to bring anything inside that was not part of our costume
(you know the drill - no cells, cameras, or recording devices of any kind), and we were wanded before being let in. By then, we had
been joined by Angie, Matt (good to see you again, Sarge!), and James, thanks to Krystina's phone calls. We were led upstairs to the
balcony. I could see that the small theatre had also probably been a club for live music, because there was a good size dance floor in
front of the stage. The theatre had a really cool, faded beauty. You could see that back in the day when going out to the movies was
really an event, it was a beautiful place with the ornate moldings, banisters, and balconies, the mural medallion in the ceiling, etc. It
was a perfect setting for the retro feel of the video We lined up along the banisters on each side of the second level of the theatre and
had a good view of the stage. Once again, the director's assistants started picking people to position them in certain spots. Chris G,
Karrie, Tamiko, Sylvia, Kevin, Matt, Dara, Oscar, Lyn, and J7 and I were some of the people sent downstairs to fill in the audience,
and I saw Alan, Ruth, Edgar, Krystina, and Monique in the balconies on either side of the stage. The dancers and the band (Rhonda,
Rad - both gorgeous, Renato, Maceo, Blackwell, and Greg Boyer) took the stage. We got our directions to be really hyped, and
excited, and respond to whatever happens on stage as if it was a live performance. Like they had to tell us ! Some of us were already
cheering before the cameras were rolling just because Prince strode toward the stage to take his position. The music started and
Prince bounded onto the stage. We in the audience were going nuts and dancing to the music, and I can tell you, at least on my part,
it wasn't all acting. Even lip-synching, Prince is immensely fun to watch, especially in an energetic and funky performance like that.
Not to mention, I thought he looked hot as ever. He's got a little 'fro going on, and I'm liking the suits he's been favoring lately. And
those eyes...(ahem !) moving along now... Oscar did a good job of describing the music and the vibe as reminiscent of "Rock n' Roll
is Alive," but perhaps with an extra edge of funkiness. As for the video, as Oscar again well described, there were parts where
dancers make their way onto the stage and dance a bit before police in riot gear shove them off. There was some realistic shoving
going on. I had anti-war protest flashbacks for a second there. But the whole thing looked great from where I stood - very high
energy, very fun. They did about three or four takes, and I was really feeling the song. It's much different than what was played at
BB King's before the aftershow at the Aladdin DVD screening. After the last take with the band, we did three more takes of a shot of
the little boy being carried to the stage by his dad to dance. While we were postioning up for the shot, the band was watching us
from the side. I saw Prince walk up to them hand in hand with Mani (she is so petite ! She's barely his height with very high heels
on, though to be honest, I didn't check to see how high his heels were!) Alright, I've gone on enough. The night finally ended at
about 1:30. My feet were killing me, and I still can't get the feeling back in some of my toes. But all in all, it was a fun experience,
and I look forward (fingers crossed) to the day the video makes it's debut. One last thing - much, much love to those of you I
mentioned, and also those of you I may not have mentioned due to my poor memory and fatigue. Once again, you've made this
experience even more fun and special because you were all there and we shared it together. Peace !
"when people finally wake up and wipe the sleep out of the eyes" – INDEED !!! I'm not much of a reporter, but here goes my
recollection : I got there around 2:30 pm, I figured that even thought they had said 2 b there @ 3:00 pm that we'd b there long b4
they actually needed us. However, I did NOT expect 2 sit in that parking lot til after sunset !!! The coolest thing about that, as usual,
was getting 2 meet new ppl & have GREAT conversations about (among many other topix) spirituality, religion, politix, &, of course,
Prince & his music. I'm not sure what time it was when they finally let us in2 the Tower Bldg, but I'm pretty sure it was after 10:00
pm !!! There were a lot of paid extras & dancers, & ppl chosen 2 play cops & reporters (w/cameras & video cameras). There weren't
as many fans as I thought there would've been, but although few, we were MIGHTY !!! Our group was told 2 go upstairs (balcony) &
we were happy about that since it was a great view (it was DAMN hot up there though !!!), then they came & told us 2 go down stairs
in2 the crowd by the stage ! We did as told. We were stationed by the doorway that led 2 the alley, which was good 4 me since I
could enjoy the cool breeze blowing in. I had no idea that the band would b coming in from that direction. Mr. Blackwell was
already hangin out in that same area, we greeted each other & I asked him if they were gonna play live after the shoot, 2 which he
replied "Ur askin' the wrong guy", & we both laffed. Then Mr. Neto came in (from the alley) & I greeted him (I didn't ask him the
same ? I asked Mr. Blackwell since I figured he wasn't the "right guy" 2 ask). It was kinda frustr8ing 2 stand around while they set
all the minute details in preparation 4 the actual filming, but again, it was nice 2 b surrounded by new "family". FINALLY the rest of
the band came in : Mr. Boyer, Miss (Mrs.?) Smith, Mr. Parker & a beautiful Asian woman (name escapes me, but very sexy
!!!).(Editor's note : her name is RAD, former Sheila E bandmember.) Once they had every1 in place & had told all of us 2 scream &
act surprised, Prince walked in. I'd heard about him smelling like a garden of flowers, but had never been close enuff 2 him 2 know
whether or not this was true, but u know what, he REALLY DOES!!! They played MUSICOLOGY (the best way I can describe it is
like a combination of "The Work" & "Rock & Roll is Alive, & it Lives in MPLS"). They did around 4 takes, each time with him
coming in from the side of the stage we were @. They (members of the film crew) made ppl climb on stage (only 2 get pulled off by
the actors playing policemen) & the last time they pushed me 2wards the front ! The beautiful woman in front of me was having a
hard time getting up there so I just lifted her up, & then I followed ! Suddenly there was this skinny guy with big holes in his ears in
front of me who was getting pushed back, thereby pushing me back, I thought I was gonna fall off the stage so I pushed him 4ward
& held on @ the same time, 1 of my new friends, Erika was pushing me so I would stay on the stage & it worked, I got my balance
after breaking 1 of the light bulbs @ the edge of the stage & danced a little bit b4 they pushed us off again. IT WAS SOOO MUCH
FUN !!! I think Prince like that shoot the best cause we REALLY got wild on that 1. He was grinin' ear 2 ear & when he walked by me
2 go in the back where they were viewing what they'd just filmed I said something like "That was a good 1, I liked that", he laffed &
replied something like "Yeah, y'all nearly knocked me down" 2 which those around him (including myself) laffed & then as if
nothing HE SHOOK MY HAND !!! I hate 2 sound giddy, but HE SHOOK MY HAND !!! & not just mine, he shook another of my
new friends' hand, Tony (Erika's husband) !!! Well everything else was just tiring after that. It was over by about 1:00am, & I was
BEAT. I also had a cool little moment with Miss (Mrs.?) Smith, but I'm still tired & I gotta lotta work 2 catch up on. Special thanx 2
Jeremy & Alan (u guyz should really b a comedy duo !!!) & my new friends/family (which I introduced 2 J7 so they could join the
"squad") Erika, Tony (warm & beautiful cpl), Edsil (the Pretzel) (all the way from India !!! - kind of), Regina (sweetest smile I've
seen in a while), Kevin (stand up guy among stand up men), Anisa (fine, fine woman, even though u wasn't thick enuff 4 Beyonce !!!
- I wish u coulda stayed 4 the shoot, but ur baby comes 1st !).
12-10-2003 : Star Tribune
By C.J
Proselytizing for Jehovah's Witnesses during last Sunday's Vikings game wasn't the smoothest call Prince has ever made. An Eden
Prairie woman, who prefers to be identified only as Rochelle, said, "Door bell rings. My husband runs upstairs and says, 'Prince is
at the door !' I said, 'No way.'" Even though this was an inopportune time, they let in the man who introduced himself at "Prince
Nelson" and another man. "I'm terrible with names," Rochelle said. "He was a bass player for some group, a long time ago. Older
gentleman." Larry Graham ? "Very good," Rochelle said. "This is Sunday about 2 o'clock. And it's the night of Yom Kippur. My first
thought is 'Cool, cool, cool. He wants to use my house for a set. I'm glad ! Demolish the whole thing ! Start over !' Then they start
in on this Jehovah's Witnesses stuff. I said, 'You know what ? You've walked into a Jewish household, and this is not something
I'm interested in.' He says, Can I just finish ? Then the other guy, Larry Graham, gets out his little Bible and starts reading
scriptures about being Jewish and the land of Israel." Uh-oh. Rochelle said she could not help but think, the Vikings had
possession of the ball about two seconds ago. "They stayed for about 25 minutes," Rochelle said. "Left us a pamphlet." She should
have asked Symbolina for an autograph. "There's no reason to slam him," she said. "He didn't do anything wrong; he was very
kind. We watched him leave. Outside is a big black truck with a woman, long dark hair, in the front seat and they left." The
woman met the general description of Prince's supposed wife, Manuella. Rochelle seemed perplexed that Prince didn't seem to stop
at any other houses in her neighborhood. "They go door-to-door. Walking. He wasn't walking. He was driving." Hey, he was
knocking on doors during a Vikings-Falcons game - you can't expect Symbolina to follow ALL the rules of the religion he declared as
his new faith in a 2001 magazine interview. "It was so bizarre, you would have just laughed," she said. The perfect esprit d'escalier
came to Rochelle after Prince left : "If I showed up at Paisley [Park], would you let me in your front door to talk about Judaism ?"
There was no response from Paisley Park, where a note seeking a comment was delivered Thursday.
15-10-2003 : 7-CD box Chocolate Invasion announcement
The Chocolate Invasion is an unreleased 7CD set album by Prince announced on the NPG Music Club on 15 October, 2003. The
seven discs included in the set were promoted as The Chocolate Invasion : NPGMC Trax Vol. 1, The Slaughterhouse : NPGMC
Trax Vol. 2, C-Note (all compilation albums of mostly previously-released NPG Music Club tracks), One Nite Alone..., The War
(both previously released), Xpectation (previously available as a download) and The Glam Slam Club Mix (previously included as
the main content on NPG Ahdio Show #11). The set was announced with a flash file containing a clip of the track Judas Smile, from
which the set's name was taken. The packaging was shown as a round leather CD carrying case with The Chocolate Invasion
embossed on the front. No release date was given.
16-10-2003 : Hong-Kong Rehearsal
Prince arrives in Hong Kong for a tour of Hong Kong, Australia, and Hawaii. A rehearsal was held at Tamar Site with his partially
new band.
17-10-2003 : World Tour 2003-2004
Rhonda Smith / John
Blackwell / Renato Neto
RAD / Chance Howard /
Maceo Parker / Greg
Boyer
The new tour, dubbed
the "World Tour 2003 /
2004,"
encompassed
eight regularly scheduled
concerts in Hong Kong
(one show), Australia
(five shows), and Hawaii
(two
shows).
Prince
described the tour as a
practice run designed to
prepare his band "for
larger American and
international
tours
planned for the near
future."
He
told
a
Hawaiian newspaper that
he wanted to keep the concerts "far away from the press and the cameras." Lacking a new album to promote, many speculated that
the tour was primarily money-driven, something which Prince refuted, "I'm not doing it because I need the cash." Fans from
Australia, where Prince last played in 1992 on the Diamonds And Pearls tour, were highly enthusiastic and the initially announced
single dates for Melbourne and Sydney quickly sold out, prompting second shows for those cities. In Hong Kong, where Prince
never had played before, ticket sales were less swift, partially due to poor promotion. The core of The NPG remained the same as
on the One Nite Alone... tour, but two new keyboardists were added, making this the line-up the most keyboard-heavy of Prince's
entire career. The newcomers were Rose-Ann Dimanlanta, known as RAD, a musician from San Francisco who had previously
worked with Sheila E., and Stanley "Chance" Howard, keyboard player of the latest line-up of The Time as well as a member of the
Minneapolis band Conversation Piece, the line-up was : Rhonda Smith (bass); John Blackwell (drums); Renato Neto (keyboard);
RAD (keyboard); Chance Howard (keyboard); Maceo Parker (saxophone); Greg Boyer (trombone). Candy Dulfer guested at the
two Hawaiian shows. Resembling the 2000 and 2001 Hit N Run shows more than the 2002 One Nite Alone... tour, the 2003 tour
focused very much on Prince's greatest hits and his most well-known music. Like several times since 1995, it was even announced
that this was going to be the last time the hits would be performed live and that Prince would retire them after this tour. The
selection of songs leaned heavily on hits. However, in contrast with earlier hits-oriented tours, where hits were typically played in
medley form, most songs were played in full-length renditions. Many of the songs were revamped and played in completely new
arrangements compared to previous live performances.
No less than seven songs from Prince’s breakthrough album Purple Rain were featured : "Let's Go Crazy," "I Would Die 4 U,”
"When Doves Cry," "Baby I'm A Star," "The Beautiful Ones", "Take Me With U" and "Purple Rain” (making “Computer Blue" and
"Darling Nikki" the only two song from the album that were not performed). The other songs featured regular set list were chosen
from albums such as Prince, 1999, Parade, Sign O' The Times, Graffiti Bridge, Diamonds And Pearls, The Gold Experience, and
The Rainbow Children. Some choices were rather surprising, including "Shhh" from The Gold Experience. Others were favourites
from previous tours, such as "The Question Of U" (from Graffiti Bridge) and “Let's Work" (from Controversy). The set also included
two songs more famous in the renditions by other artists : "I Feel For You" (from Prince, but popularised by Chaka Khan and
“Nothing Compares 2 U" (from The Family, but made famous by Sinead O'Connor.) A couple of covers were also performed in the
regular set, most prominently "Soul Man," a song written by David Porter and Isaac Hayes, but turned into a hit by Sam & Dave,
released on their album Soul Men from 1967. The lead vocal on this was handled by Chance Howard. Sung by RAD, "Fallin’" by
Alicia Keys on her 2001 album Songs In A Minor was played as part of "The One." RAD joined in for the new Musicology song "Life
O' The Party," which incorporated music from James Brown's "Hot Pants" (from Hot Pants, 1971). The ending of "Life O' The
Party" included a bit of Maceo Parker's "Uptown Up" (from his Funk Overload, 1998). An encore in all but the first two shows
featured a piano medley that was partly overhauled from the One Nite Alone... tour, it included such songs as "Adore," "Diamonds
And Pearls," "Forever In My Life," and a new song from the forthcoming Musicology, "On The Couch," which was performed three
times. A cover of Joni Mitchell's "A Case Of You" was played once. A small snippet of Billy Preston's "Outa-Space" was part of "All
The Critics Love U In New York," while a chant of "Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah" from George Clinton's “Atomic Dog" was
included in the "Go-Go's" instrumental once. The Sly and The Family Stone's "Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" and
"Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa," as well as Graharn Central Station's "The Jam," were played with Larry Graham guesting in
Sydney (second show) and Brisbane. A typical ser list was comprised of : "Let's Go Crazy" / "I Would Die 4 U" / "When Doves Cry"
/ “Baby, I'm A Star" / "Shhh" / "D.M.S.R." / "I Feel For You" / "Controversy" / "The Beautiful Ones" / "Nothing Compares 2 U" /
"Insatiable" / “Sign O' The Times" / "The Question Of U" / "The One" / “Let's Work" / "U Got The Look" / "Life O’ The Party" / "Soul
Man” / "Kiss" / "Take Me With U" / "Everlasting Now." Songs featured in the encores included "Sometimes It Snows In April,"
"Adore," "I Wanna Be Your Lover," "Do Me, Baby," "Strange Relationship," "On The Couch," "Diamonds And Pearls," "One Kiss At
A Time," "Forever In My Life," "Anna Stesia," "Little Red Corvette," "Raspberry Beret," "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore,"
"The Most Beautiful Girl In The World," "A Case Of U," "Alphabet St," "All The Critics Love U In New York," "The Jam," "Thank You
(Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," and "Days Of Wild"
From the tourbook :
U can love the past without hating the future and love the future without hating the past.
U can sing without a voice and play without an instrument.
U can c without eyes and hear without ears.
U can touch with ur soul and b touched without hurting…
Inspiration – Artists r not the only ones who can get inspired. In fct, it could b argued that, in order 2 really appreciate art, the art
lover himself need 2 feel some kind of inspiration. We have all had moments when even what we thought was r favorite song,
poem or painting was unable 2 move us. Does this mean that the work in question has lost its artistic value or aesthetic impact ?
Of course not. In all likelihood, it simply means that, on that particular occasion, we were unable 2 open r mind 2 the work of
another, that r own reception of someone else’s art was uninspired. Inspiration can hit u like a fist on a wall, or it can come trickling
down and gradually seize u. It can b a thunderous waterfall – or it can b a quiet stream that flows almost silently, yet irrepressibly,
down its meandering path. It can take all kinds of shapes, textures and colors… but it never repeats itself. It can b xhilarating, but it
never intoxicates, becuz it is always new, always different, never mind-numbing.
Association – This irreversibility of the way art evolves and inspiration flows, which applies 2 both artists themselves and art lovers
everywhere, is equally valid 4 artistic collaborations. We love all the groups that Prince has had over the years, but what would b
the point of trying 2 go back in time and retrieve the irretrievable ? Collaboration is all about bringing out the best in the people that
u work with. Once this had been achieved, it is time 4 both parties 2 move on and continue the xploration. Here again, the creative
instinct dictates the search 4 new challenges, new horizons. The bottom-line is that nostalgia cuts both ways – whereas the very
nature of art is a forward-looking process that challenges both art creators and art lovers 2 always find inspiration in new
associations, new interpretations, and new xperimentations.
In the year before the release of Musicology – the same year that he put out the largely jazz influenced and experimental albums
described in the previous chapter – Prince embarked on a short tour of Hong Kong, Australia, Honolulu and Kahului. The set list he
played on these dates was, after the well-thought-out and experimental One Nite Alone … tour, a return to a mainstream, hitsheavy, crowd-pleasing show structured largely around songs from Purple Rain. Though never explicitly acknowledged as such, the
shows can be seen as a warm-up for the marathon ninety-six-date tour he would embark on to push his new record, and was
commemorated with a book of photographs taken by Afshin Shahidi, Prince in Hawaii : An Intimate Portrait of an Artist. These
simple but high-gloss pictures are accompanied – as in Prince’s other books – with a text made up of lyrics from throughout
Prince’s career and maxims emphasising the newfound simplicity in his stage show (something Bob Cavallo would certainly have
appreciated) and the change in his sartorial demands, as Prince notes that all he needs now is a well-cut suit: indeed, in one of these
pictures he’s wearing one of his own tour T-shirts.
Hong-Kong Harbour Fest
* Adv. Start : 8:00PM / Duration 2:00 / Attendance : 11.900 / Tick. Price : HK$758
Opening Act : Karen Mok
RAD Intro / Let’s Go Crazy / I Would Die 4 U / When Doves Cry / 1999 Intro
Baby I’m A Star / Shhh / DMSR / A Love Bizarre / The Glamorous Life / I Feel For You
Controversy / Renato Interlude / The Beautiful Ones / Nothing Compares 2 U / Insatiable
Sign O’ The Times / The Question Of U (Incl. The One) / Let’s Work / U Got The Look
Life O’ The Party (Incl. Hot Pants / Uptown Up) / Soul Man (Chance Howard) / Kiss
Take Me With U / The Everlasting Now / Purple Rain
h Hong Kong Rocks
(0:10)
Baby I’m A Star / Shhh
The tour opens with a
show at Tamar Site,
Admiralty in
Hong
Kong. The show was held on the opening night of the Hong Kong
Harbour Fest, which was a three-week event in Hong Kong intended to
attract tourism after the recent outbreak of the SARS epidemic, which
stopped people from going to Hong Kong.
The Edge Aftershow
* Start : 1:15AM / Duration : 0:50 / Tick. Price : HK$160
Funky U / Ooo Baby Baby / All The Critics Love U In Hong Kong
No Diggity (Chance Howard) / Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance
Prince performs an aftershow at The Edge, Hong Kong. Prince and the
band members came onstage at around 1:15 am. The set list included an
unidentified song possibly called "Funky U," a cover of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles' "Ooo Baby, Baby" (from Going To A
Go-Go, 1965), "All The Critics Love U In New York," Blackstreet's "No Diggity" (from Another Level, 1996) with vocals by Chance
Howard, and a new song that was titled "Illusion, Coma, Pimp And Circumstance" in Prince's lyric book.
19-10-2003 : Melbourne
Prince flies to Melbourne. During the day off, he checked out Bennett's Lane jazz club.
21-10-2003 : Bennett’s Jazz Club
* Duration : 0:50
Shhh / Xemplify / When The Saints Go Marching In / South / Santana Medley
Prince shows up at the jazz club Bennett's Lane for a late-night performance. The Browne and Choulai & Costello trio were the
scheduled performers. About 300 to 400 Prince fans turned out, having been alerted to Prince's possible performance. In the end,
however, only about 20 managed to get in. Prince played in a small room at Bennett's Lane, filling up the 100-capacity space with
mostly invited attendees. The (incomplete) set list featured "Shhh," "Xemplify," "When The Saints Go Marching In," "South," the
Santana medley (or possibly only "Soul Sacrifice"). The set lasted around 50 minutes.
♫ Melbourne Soundcheck
(0:54)
(A : When The Lights Go Down In Australia – 6/10)
Xemplify / Ooo Baby Baby / When You Were Mine / Elephants & Flowers
Africa Talks To You (Incl. Psychoticbumpschool / Life O’ The Party)
Instrumental (Incl. Soul Power) / Bambi / Whole Lotta Love / Xpectation
When The Saints Go Marching In
By Sabotage's standard this would normally be a below
average release. The recordings themselves, while being
enjoyable, are actually quite poor by today's (high)
standards. As with all collections like this though, the quality
varies from recording to recording with some being far more
enjoyable (and audible) than others. This
set
contains
5
NPG
Music
Club
soundchecks, and they are all a
fascinating listen. Many contain some
very rarely performed tracks, and Prince
is in a jovial mood throughout. All that
said, as a document of the 2003
Australian tour this is a fantastic release.
It's a joy to listen to Prince interacting
with the fans in the soundchecks, and it's
a pleasure to hear some of the rarely
played songs rehearsed. Sabotage have
also acknowledged the fact that the
quality is below-par for them, and have explained their reasoning for this release in the
accompanying booklet.
♫ Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
(1:51)
* Adv. Start : 7:30PM / Start : 8:55PM / Duration : 2:05 / Attendance : 14.100 / Sold Out / Tick. Price : AU$171;60
(A : Melbourne 2003 – 4/10)
Opening Act : Groove Terminator
RAD Intro / Let’s Go Crazy / I Would Die 4 U / When Doves Cry / 1999 Intro
Baby I’m A Star / Shhh / DMSR / A Love Bizarre / The Glamorous Life / I Feel For You
Controversy / Renato Interlude / The Beautiful Ones / Nothing Compares 2 U / Insatiable
Sign O’ The Times / The Question Of U (Incl. The One) / Let’s Work / U Got The Look
Life O’ The Party (Incl. Hot Pants / Uptown Up) / Soul Man (Chance Howard) / Kiss
Take Me With U / The Everlasting Now / Purple Rain
h Melbourne - Baby I’m A Star
(0:02)
Prince Of Whales Afterparty
An afterparty was held in the band room at a venue called Prince Of Wales.
22-10-2003 : ♫ Melbourne Soundcheck
(0:08)
* Duration : 0:45
(A : When The Lights Go Down In Australia – 5/10)
Superstition (Incl. Sing A Simple Song) / Funk jam / Joy In Repetition
Today Show shooting
After the soundcheck, Australian Today show host Richard Wilkins interviewed Prince.
♫ Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
(1:46)
* Adv. Start : 7:30PM / Start : 8:55PM / Duration : 2:40 / Attendance : 14.100 / Sold Out / Tick. Price : AU$171.30
(A : Melbourne Funk Invasion – 6/10)
Opening Act : Groove Terminator
Let’s Go Crazy / I Would Die 4 U / When Doves Cry / 1999 Intro / Baby I’m A Star / Shhh
DMSR / A Love Bizarre / The Glamorous Life / I Feel For You / Controversy
Renato Interlude / The Beautiful Ones / Nothing Compares 2 U / Insatiable
Sign O’ The Times / The Question Of U (Incl. The One) / Let’s Work / U Got The Look
Life O’ The Party (Incl. Hot Pants / Uptown Up) / Soul Man (Chance Howard) / Kiss
Take Me With U / The Everlasting Now / Adore / On The Couch / Forever In My Life
One Kiss At A Time / All The Critics Love U in Melbourne (Incl. Outa-Space / Atomic Dog)
Alphabet St / Days Of Wild / Purple Rain
♫ Melbourne The Metro Aftershow
(0:55)
* Start : 2:15AM / Duration : 0:55 / Tick. Price : AU$70
(A : Metro Aftershow – 4/10)
Musicology (Incl. Tighten Up) / Brick House / Peach / The Work Pt.1 / Ooh (RAD)
No Diggity (Chance Howard) / When The Saints Go Marchin’ In (Incl. Xemplify)
Prince plays an aftershow at Metro, Melbourne, Australia. The gig was
announced by an e-mail flyer early in the day. Prince and band came on stage
at 2:15 am and played for about an hour. They started off with "Musicology,"
which evolved into The Commodores' "Brick House." "Peach" was next, segued
into "The Work." Another cover followed, Mary J. Blige's "Ooh" (from Love &
Life, 2003), sung by RAD. Blackstreet's "No Diggity" came next, sung by
Chance Howard. "When The Saints Go Marching In" (possibly with bits of
"Xemplify") closed the set.
Unfortunately the quality of this recording doesn't quite match the
content, however it is still an enjoyable listen of a short, but complete
Australian aftershow. The set begins with what appears to be the live
debut performance of 'Musicology', and it is split into two parts by a
performance of the favoured aftershow track 'Brick House'. Rad takes
over vocals for a cover of the Mary J Blige song 'Ooh' before Prince
launches into a short (but excellent) 'Peach'. This slows into a rather
unique version of 'The Work, Part 1' which has the verse sung at an
entirely different pace to the normal live performance, and has a fair
amount of crowd chanting. Chance Howard once again performs 'No
Diggity', and this flows into the baffling inclusion of 'When The Saints
Go Marching In'. According to various on-line reports from the show the last track performed was 'Xemplify',
however I hear no similarity between the horn-led jam here and the actual Xpectation song 'Xemplify' - because of
that I have listed it as an 'Instrumental Jam'. The show finishes as it begins with the crowd chant from 'It's Gonna
Be A Beautiful Night'. The recording is rather thin and there are is audible crackling when the sound level
increases, however it is actually not too bad considering the conditions it was recorded in, and is far from being a
poor recording. The content is so unusual that you cannot fail to enjoy it.
23-10-2003 :  Today Show (Taped 22-10)
(0:08)
24-10-2003 : ♫ Sydney Soundcheck
(0:38)
* Duration : 0:50
(A : When The Lights Go Down In Australia – 6/10)
17 Days / Unidentified song (Chance Howard) / Beautiful Strange
The Rainbow Children
The undoubted highlights are the excellent 24th October
soundcheck with a fantastic raw 'Beautiful Strange' followed swiftly
by a lengthy 15 minute mainly instrumental jam 'Rainbow
Children', and the excellent 27th October Brisbane soundcheck.
Sydney Entertainment Center
* Adv. Start : 7:30PM / Duration : 2:25 / Attendance : ?/7.000 / Tick. Price : AU$165
Opening Act : Groove Terminator
RAD Intro / Let’s Go Crazy / I Would Die 4 U / When Doves Cry / 1999 Intro / Baby I’m A Star / Shhh / DMSR / A Love Bizarre
The Glamorous Life / I Feel For You / Controversy / Renato Interlude / The Beautiful Ones / Nothing Compares 2 U / Insatiable
Sign O’ The Times / The Question Of U (Incl. The One) / Let’s Work / U Got The Look / Life O’ The Party (Incl. Hot Pants / Uptown Up)
Soul Man (Chance Howard) / Kiss / Take Me With U / The Everlasting Now / Adore / I Wanna Be Your Lover / Do Me, Baby
On The Couch / Diamonds And Pearls / Forever In My Life / One Kiss At A Time / Alphabet St
All The Critics Love U In Sydney / Purple Rain
It was a meeting backstage during his 2003 Tour (just prior to him
releasing Musicology) in Sydney, Australia. Prince was very polite and nice,
shook my hand and took a seat. We talked about a lot of issues in music
(American Idol, record labels) creativity, and how he approached putting
together a show. He was down to earth, looked you in the eyes when he
spoke to you and had a great sense of humour. I told him how the first 7" I
ever bought as a kid was Sexuality (I was 7 at the time) and he laughed. He
seemed humbled when I thanked him for his music and how it was always
there for me in the highs and lows of my life, and told him how Sometimes
It Snows In April helped me get through a tough time when my best friend
(also a Prince fan) past away. He laughed when I said I played The Most
Beautiful Girl in the World at my wedding when my bride walked in, he double laughed when I said I could hardly play I Hate U
now could I. He didn't want to talk too much about music / or some of the decisions he had made in the past and I recall asking
him about his pseudonyms and him just looking at me with a smirk to which I just said "Past ?" and he laughed nodding. Overall he
was very cool to chat with, made you feel instantly at ease. Was open to talking about music, influences, creativity, the whole
recording process and his views on the recording industry. It was a highpoint to spend an hour chatting with him, and later that
night on stage (this was all part of the On Stage Xperience) I had two more amazing moments. One - during the piano encore he
played Sometimes It Snows in April (something he hadn't done on this leg of the tour) and the other was during the final few encore
songs / jam he lead me over to Larry Graham (doing a cameo on bass in the final set) and told me "When Larry turns round we're
gonna pretend we got hit by a truck". Sure enough, when Larry turns to us, Prince and I shuffle back a few steps in shock. Prince
turned to me with a big smile and said "too cool, too cool", then made me stand next to him front of stage for the next 2 songs - wild.
The Basement Afterparty
An afterparty was held at The Basement (in Reiby Place, Circular Quay). Doors opened at 12:30 am. Around 2:10 am, Prince with
all band members minus Greg Boyer appeared on stage, waving to the crowd and dancing a bit. He left at around 3:00 am. Larry
Graham was also present, having come to Australia for a Sly and The Family Stone performance earlier in Sydney.
25-10-2003 : ♫ Sydney Soundcheck
(0:41)
* Duration : 0:45
(A : When The Lights Go Down In Australia – 5/10)
When The Lights Go Down / Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) / Honky Tonk Women / The Ride / Love 2 The 9’s / A Case Of U
Packaging wise this is a stunning set with beautiful artwork - however there are a few track-listing mistakes (25th
soundcheck listed as 24th & 24th listed as 25th), and no mention of the final 3 tracks on disc 4. Anyways, the
Aussie Prince fans (Spunks, Sheila's & Bender's) would have pissed their panties had this NOT been released - and
no-one wanted THAT, did they? ;-)
♫ Sydney Entertainment Center
(2:25)
* Adv. Start : 7:30PM / Duration : 2:40 / Attendance : 7.000 / Sold Out / Tick. Price : AU$171 / AU$165
(A : Sydney Entertainment Centre – 4/10)
Opening Act : Groove Terminator
RAD Intro / Let’s Go Crazy / I Would Die 4 U / When Doves Cry / 1999 Intro
Baby I’m A Star / Shhh / DMSR / A Love Bizarre / The Glamorous Life / I Feel For You
Controversy / Renato Interlude / The Beautiful Ones / Nothing Compares 2 U / Insatiable
Sign O’ The Times / The Question Of U (Incl. The One) / Let’s Work / U Got The Look
Life O’ The Party (Incl. Hot Pants / Uptown Up) / Soul Man (Chance Howard) / Kiss
Take Me With U / The Everlasting Now / Sometimes It Snows In April
Adore (Incl. Crucial) / I Wanna Be Your Lover / Do Me, Baby / Strange Relationship
Forever In My Life / Diamonds And Pearls / Alphabet St (w/ Larry Graham)
I Want To Take You Higher (w/ Larry Graham) / The Jam (w/ Larry Graham)
Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Incl. The Jam) (w/ Larry Graham)
Days Of Wild (Incl. Prince And The Band) (w/ Larry Graham)
The Australian and (to a
lesser extent) Hawaii 2003
shows are a fascinating
bridge between the 2002
One Nite Alone tour and the
2004 Musicology tour. They
main bulk of the concert is
almost identical to the
earlier Musicology shows
with the addition of the piano medley from the One Nite Alone tour
(and a number of ONA tour favourites including The Everlasting Now / Days Of Wild). The recording is a little on
the rough side with a slightly overpowering bass level in places, and with a very audible audience. That aside, this
is a complete, listenable and enjoyable audience recording - even with it's flaws. The concert is certainly one of
the better Australian shows and is one of only 2 to include an extended encore with Larry Graham which stretches
the show out to a very lengthy almost 2 1/2 hours.
♫ Sydney The Basement Aftershow (w/ Larry Graham)
(1:23)
* Duration : 1:30 / Attendance : 1.000 / Sold Out / Tick. Price : AU$80
(A : When The Lights Go Down In Australia – 6/10)
Warm-up jam (Incl. Play That Funky Music / I Know You Got Soul) / Brick House / Skin Tight / 777-9311 (Incl. Ring My Bell) / Purple Rain
Guitar Intermission / Shake Everything You’ve Got / Funk jam (Incl. The Payback / Uptown Up / Gotta Be) / Pass The Peas
No Diggity (Chance Howard) / Oooh ! (Incl. Give Up The Funk / Ain’t It Funky Now) (RAD) (w/ Larry Graham)
Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (w/ Larry Graham) / Release Yourself (w/ Larry Graham) / Alphabet St (w/ Larry Graham)
Prince plays an aftershow at The Basement, Sydney, Australia. He performed two sets, each lasting circa 50 minutes, with a 15minute intermission in between. Larry Graham guested. The first set kicked off with "Musicology," which soon evolved into "Brick
House." Next was a funky rendition of "777-9311." Then Prince sat down at the piano for "Purple Rain." The second set started with
"No Diggity," as usual sung by Chance Howard, and Mary J. Blige's "Ooh," sung by RAD. The JB's classic "Pass The Peas," led by
Maceo Parker followed. Then came a cover of The Ohio Players' "Skin Tight" and Parker's "Shake Everything You've Got" (from
Life On Planet Groove, 1992). "Alphabet St." closed the set. The exact sequence of songs is unknown.
The audience level on The Basement aftershow recording is quite painful at times, and it is similar to an audience
recording from the early 1990's - not a good thing. It’salso worthy of mention, however be warned that listening
to the crowd singing the "Oooh-ooh-ooh-ooh's" during 'Purple Rain' at any great volume is rather painful.
27-10-2003 : ♫ Brisbane Soundcheck (0:49)
* Duration : 0:55
(A : Funk Brisbane Funk – 4/10)
Girls & Boys / Outa-Space (Incl. Get Up Offa That Thing) / Billy Jean
The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker (Incl. 4) / Ooo Baby Baby / Pink Cashmere
When You Were Mine / Partyup / Oye Como Va / Brick House (Incl. Soul Power)
Santana Medley
An excellent, surprisingly fun soundcheck. 'Girls And Boys' cuts
straight into the song and is incomplete. Prince & the band then play a
funky 5 minute long jam. Next up Prince starts to play 'Billie Jean',
then gets a member of the NPGMC up to sing vocals. He's actually
pretty good, and knows the lyrics to the song, and the rest of the
crowd are pissing themselves laughing - I guess he was busting a few
MJ moves while he was up there. Prince then goes on to play a cool
'Ballad Of Dorothy Parker' with the line change, "Let me get a fruit
cocktail, and some fish and chips". He proceeds to play one of the best
live versions of 'Pink Cashmere' I have had the pleasure of hearing.
Very soulful, yet with a cool beat, and amazing vocals - I have to keep
pinching myself that this is a soundcheck - it's that impressive. To
round it off, there's an extended jam of Partyup, which unfortunately cuts-off.. I've classed it as 'less than
excellent', as the NPGMC are audible (especially laughing at MJ), however they do not detract from what is a very
cool soundcheck.
♫ Brisbane Entertainment Center
(2:10)
* Duration : 3:00 / Tick. Price : AU$176.30
(A : Brisbane – 4/10)
Opening Act : Groove Terminator
RAD Intro / Let’s Go Crazy / I Would Die 4 U / When Doves Cry / 1999 Intro
Baby I’m A Star / Shhh / DMSR / A Love Bizarre / The Glamorous Life / I Feel For You
Controversy / Renato Interlude / The Beautiful Ones / Nothing Compares 2 U / Insatiable
Sign O’ The Times / The Question Of U / The Ride / Let’s Work / U Got The Look
Life O’ The Party (Incl. Hot Pants / Uptown Up) / Soul Man (Chance Howard) / Kiss
Take Me With U / The Everlasting Now / Anna Stesia / Diamonds And Pearls
Sometimes It Snows In April / Little Red Corvette / Raspberry Beret
How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore / The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
A Case Of U / All The Critics Love U In Brisbane / Alphabet St (w/ Larry Graham)
The Jam (w/ Larry Graham) / Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Incl. The Jam)
(w/ Larry Graham) / Days Of Wild (w/ Larry Graham) / Purple Rain
The 5th and final show of the short 2003 Australian tour. The quality
is very similar to the Sydney 25th October recording. The audience
are extremely audible throughout, however the show is clear (for the
most part) and to the fore of the recording. The mic used to record
the show does not appear to be of the best quality, and this leads to
some distortion with the bass levels in parts, and occasionally with
Prince's vocals. It's a plain and simple fact that the quality is not as
good as one would expect in 2003, however it IS still enjoyable and
the performance is of a very high standard, so it balances itself out.
The show appears to be the only Australian 2003 show where 'The
Ride' was played in place of an extended 'The Question Of U', and it
is very similar in style and performance to many of the excellent 1998 live versions. The piano medley is also a
highlight opening with a beautiful version of 'Anna Stesia'
and including a version of 'A Case Of U' - again these seem
to be unique to this particular concert. The show closes with
an extended jam on 'All The Critics Love U' before Larry
Graham guests on 'Thank U'. 'Purple Rain' was the closing
song played, however it was not recorded (on this source at
least). Overall this show lacks the added spark that the
Sydney 25th October show has, however it is still a very
listenable and enjoyable, and a nice document of the closing
nights concert.
The Indie Temple Aftershow
* Duration : 2:00 / Attendance : 500 / Sold Out / Tick. Price : AU$50
1+1+1 Is 3 (Incl. Love Rollercoaster) / Skin Tight / The Work Pt.1 / Unidentified song / Girls & Boys / Funk jam
Everyday People (w/ Larry Graham) / You Can Make It If You Try (w/ Larry Graham) / Peach (w/ Larry Graham)
Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (w/ Larry Graham) / No Diggity (Chance Howard) / Prince And The Band
I’ll Take You There (RAD) / I Wish (Incl. Superstition) / I Want To Take you Higher (w/ Larry Graham) / Santana Medley
Prince finishes his Australian sojourn with an aftershow at The Indie Temple in Fortitude Valley. The two-hour show started off with
"1+1+1 Is 3" and "Love Roller Coaster," which were played much like on the One Nite Alone... tour. The Ohio Players' "Skin Tight"
was next, followed by "The Work, Pt.1." Then came a short unidentified song, after which "Girls And Boys" was played. Next up
was an extensive funk jam with a "we like to party" chant. Larry Graham came onstage for "Everyday People" and "You Can Make
It If You Try," which were followed by "Peach" and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)." Then came "No Diggity," once again
with lead vocals by Chance Howard, followed by a song that was possibly "Prince And The Band." RAD got to sing a version of
The Staples Singers' "I'll Take You There," for which she seemed to be having trouble finding the right words. Next was a short
snippet of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish," which turned into "Superstition." "I Want To Take You Higher" was performed with Graham
guesting again. The show ended with the Santana medley.
28-10-2003 : Honolulu Advertiser
Prince concerts canceled on O'ahu, Maui
Prince, who had planned concerts this week on O'ahu and Maui, has decided to cancel the shows due to ill health following his
appearances in Brisbane, Australia. Maui tickets, at $80 each, were to go on sale today for a show Saturday at the Maui Arts &
Cultural Center's Castle Theater; buyers were told of the cancellation at the box office. However, tickets for the O'ahu show, which
was set for Thursday at Pipeline Cafe, went on sale yesterday at $75 each. The promotions company, Golden Voice, could not be
reached this morning for information on refund procedures. Ticketmaster offers information on refunds at 1-877-750-4400,
pressing 2 and then 4. More details to come.
30-10-2003 : O’ahu Pipeline Café (Cancelled)
Two shows in Hawaii are cancelled after Prince fell ill following the Brisbane show. The shows were scheduled for October 30th
(Pipeline Cafe on O'ahu) and November 1st (Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Castle Theater). They were cancelled just hours after
tickets for the O'ahu show went on sale.
Los Angeles (Universal executives meeting)
Prince is in Los Angeles to negotiate new tour dates. He also met with Universal Music, where a screening of his new video
"Musicology" was arranged for executives.
Rip It Up (AUS)
Prince : Rod Laver Arena Melbourne
By Ian Bell
The screams and cheering from this capacity crowd as the lights go down is deafening. The band have taken their places and are
tinkling away when out of the shadows appears Prince and the volume goes up about three notches on the loud-o-meter. He looks
fantastic. A white zoot suit type of affair, red ruffled shirt, hair back in that classic Prince do from the late 80's. He smiles as he
approaches the mike, (crowd up another volume point), he takes the mike and says "Dearly Beloved.." and the entire building
screams at volume 11 at the realisation we're about to be invited to go crazy. He hasn't yet sung a note. It's easy to be cynical about
an artist like Prince. From the earliest days when he was leaping around in his underpants, to the pomp image in Purple Rain which
propelled him to mega-stardom in the 80's, even changing his name to a symbol in the '90's, he has been an easy target for jibs and
ridicule. But he always stuck to his guns and consistently produced astounding pop music and at an amazing rate. This world tour is
the last time he will perform his 'hits' and even this can be looked at as a 'retirement fund' exercise. Merchandise was expensive and
tickets ran from $90 to $1,000. For $400 you got great seats for the show, but also got to go to the hour long soundcheck in the
afternoon, receive a 3 cd box set, and pre-show nibbles. The people who paid a cool grand, got all of the above plus to meet the man
himself and seats on the stage. NOT on the side of the stage behind a wall of amps and sweaty roadies, I am talking right up on the
stage, next to the piano player, beside the drummer, next to the horn section, amazing ! These special tickets served to give some
hard core fans the thrill of a lifetime and by my estimation raised about $120,000 extra revenue. The jolt of energy through this
audience when the band starts Let's Go Crazy is incredible, and the fact that he then slams through I Would Die For U, When Doves
Cry and Baby I'm A Star all from Purple Rain, sends wave upon wave of euphoria that is at the very least dizzying. He's being
playful, dancing and spinning around, "Did you miss me ? I missed you !". While he's playing he wanders over to one bunch of the
'on-stage' fans and says a little something to them, they nod enthusiastically and keep dancing. New-ish song Sssh is great and is
warmly received and followed by a treat for the old school fanatics DMSR. When he starts I Feel For You, which he wrote for Chaka
Khan, people around me are weeping with joy and when the next song is Controversy I'm welling up myself. Unlike concerts by
other 80's icons like Madonna and Michael Jackson, every single note at this Prince gig is live. His voice is fantastic and he remains
one of the most under-rated guitar players in the world today. A trio of slower numbers do nothing to calm anyone’s heartbeat
though considering they are The Beautiful Ones, Nothing Compares 2 U and Insatiable, everyone is singing, lighters are held aloft
and I am covered in goosebumps. The New Power Generation (including legendary sax player Maceo Parker) is as tight as a drill
team and Sign O The Times has everybody dancing again. The best dancing spot in the arena is on the stage as he repeatedly invites
the 'on-stage' people to join him centre stage to shake their collective bootie, lucky bastards. There are some funky jams including
The Work from the recent Rainbow Children album, but it's when U Got The Look kicks in there are 14,000 people going utterly
mental. Segueing into Hot Pants, Life Of The Party and the Sam & Dave classic Soul Man this funky MF is raising the tempo and the
pulse rate higher and ever higher. The guitar intro to Kiss, is met by a scream that makes all other reactions tonight seem like a
whisper and awesome as it is, he gets a huge laugh when he updates the line 'you don't have to watch Queer Eye For A Straight
Guy' to have an attitude'. I am sure this has got to be the end of the set I am singing and dancing my ass off. But no, it's straight into
Take Me With U and I really think I am going to explode with happiness, it's so wonderful. The set proper ends with The Everlasting
Now (also from Rainbow Children) and this funky ass jam builds and builds, with all the band, dancers, audience getting more and
more worked up. It all builds to a dead stop, Prince rips off his guitar, spins around and declares "Don't hate me coz I'm fabulous",
and struts off the stage. I'm losing my voice, my hands are hurting from clapping and by now I am starting to shake involuntarily.
Days later I start thinking about other songs he could have done, in fact TV show Rage played four and a half hours of them on
Saturday, but it is impossible to even think about complaint. He returns for a one song encore, and that might not sound much, but
anybody who witnessed the absolutely EPIC version of Purple Rain would tell you, there's nowhere left to go once your already in
heaven. Without doubt the best thing I have ever seen in my whole life. Fantastic.
Ian 'wish I'd known about those $1000 tickets sooner' Bell.
Nov 03
01-11-2003 : Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Castle Theater (Cancelled)
Melbourne Herald Sun (AUS)
The eyes have it when meeting Prince
It’s an old rumour that Prince doesn’t like making eye contact with anyone. I’ve attended three Prince concerts in Australia, three
aftershow parties and three soundchecks. I’ve met loads of the fans who were in the meet-and-greet sessions with him. I saw Prince
interact with all of his entourage and the Purple One himself even blew me a kiss.
Kylee Thompson, Reservoir
I read “Eye contract” (October 28) about “no eye-contact” with Prince. This is absolutely not true. I was one of the fortunate ones
onstage at the first Melbourne show and backstage and had the absolute pleasure of meeting Prince in person. Not once was I told
to avoid eye contact. When I spoke to Prince he looked directly at me, holding firm eye contact, albeit through sunglasses. He was
kind, generous, hospitable, warm, smart, articulate, and very funny. He even told his security guard to leave the room. I don’t think
someone overly concerned about having others look at them would do that. The Eye got hold of an old rumour that rears its ugly
head every few years. Don’t believe it until you’ve seen it. Or do I mean don’t believe it until you haven’t seen it.
C. Marko, Melbourne
I was disappointed to read the absurd claim that no one is allowed to make eye contact with Prince. Didn’t your source see Prince’s
band, his crew or his fans make eye contact with him at soundchecks, aftershow parties and at the gigs ? Next time, The Eye should
focus on Prince’s musical genius and report on how brilliant his concerts are.
Steve Yanko, Wheeler’s Hill.
“Don’t hate me because I’m fabulous” said the Artist Formerly Known As Prince after his Melbourne gig and who could, except The
Eye. Prince was wonderful. He was s-o-o-o-o good. He was s-o-o-o-o fabulous. One reviewer rightly raved about his “orgasmic
falsetto”. The Eye had its eyes wide shut when the Purple One’s words fell like sweet rain.
Alice Henkell, Melbourne
The Time @ Sacramento
02-11-2003 : The Time @ San Jose
03-11-2003 : New York
Prince is in New York for more tour negotiations. Rumour had it that he would show up at Candy Dulfer's show in B.B. King Blues
Club, but he was not seen at the concert.
07-11-2003 : Star Tribune
With Hall of Fame induction looming, who would be fit for a Prince ?
By Jon Bream
It's a lock : The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will announce sometime in the next few days that Prince is one of its new inductees.
Given his career, influence and impact, he is the most compelling choice on a ballot that includes John Mellencamp, ZZ Top, Lynyrd
Skynyrd, George Harrison, the Sex Pistols, Bob Seger, Black Sabbath and Patti Smith, among others. What's not certain is who will
give Prince's induction speech at the ceremonies in March in a New York City hotel ballroom. Because the event is taped and edited
for broadcast on VH1, the programming poobahs seem to have some sway when it comes to choosing presenters. With all due
respect to Paul Shaffer, who traditionally directs the live music for the induction ceremonies, we offer a Top 10 list of candidates to
induct Prince.
10 Sly Stone. A Hall member, he was a major influence on Prince, and Sly's hybrid sound and coed, multiracial band also reflect
Prince's approach. But Sly, a tortured genius, hasn't been heard from in years. A logical sub would be Sly & the Family Stone bassist
Larry Graham. A giant among bass players, an R&B hitmaker and a close friend of Prince's (and fellow evangelizing Jehovah's
Witness), Graham would be too obscure for the TV masses, however.
9 Carlos Santana. Another Hall of Famer and early influence on Prince. However, Santana's speeches tend to be lost in the spiritual
ozone. Plus, Clive Davis, the record-label president who is a Hall of Famer himself, insists that Santana associate with young artists
such as Michelle Branch.
8 George Clinton. In 1997, Prince gave the Hall of Fame induction speech for the Godfather of Funk, his friend and hero. As for a
role reversal, well, Clinton's music speaks louder - and more clearly - than his words.
7 Chaka Khan. As a teen, Prince had posters of her on his bedroom walls. She scored a solo hit with an interpretation of his "Feel 4
U," but she isn't much more talkative than the shy Prince.
6 Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen. It would be a dream if Dylan, a fellow Minnesota maverick, inducted Prince, but Dylan isn't big
on making speeches. However, Springsteen is, and he's been called upon to induct several Hall of Fame heavyweights, including
Dylan and Roy Orbison. Both the Boss and Prince had their biggest albums ("Born in the U.S.A." and "Purple Rain") in 1984. Other
than that, there isn't much of a connection - musical or personal - between them.
5 Joni Mitchell. Another Hall of Famer who influenced Prince. She didn't even show up for her own induction, so why would she
turn up this time ? Well, she did travel to Sheridan, Wyo., for the premiere of Prince's second film, "Under the Cherry Moon."
4 Beck. VH1 would love someone relatively young and hip like Beck. He's a funky cross-breeder of styles, and he often covers Prince
songs in concert. But to VH1 programmers, he's so 1990s.
3 OutKast. This hip-hop duo is hot, hip and heavily influenced by Prince. But are they recognizable enough to VH1 viewers to honor
the year's most prominent inductee ?
2 Neil Young. Musically, this two-time Hall of Famer (both as a solo act and with Buffalo Springfield) has little in common with
Prince. However, both are iconoclasts who travel to their own beat, thumbing their noses at major labels and even their own fans.
That would make Young a fitting choice. But he has such an unfavorable view of VH1 that it's questionable whether he'd show up.
1 Lenny Kravitz. He and Prince are friendly enough to have jammed onstage and in the studio. He borrows from some of the same
'60s/'70s influences that Prince did. VH1 loves him as much as he loves Prince. Just last year, the music network named Kravitz one
of its "25 sexiest." And if he's still squiring Nicole Kidman come the March induction ceremony, his Q rating will be higher than Sly
Stone could ever take you. Kravitz, who launched his career as Romeo Blue as a tribute to you-know-who, is the one to induct His
Purpleness.
10-11-2003 : NPGMC
Hello NPGMC,
Rad., the latest addition 2 the NPG, will be chatting with the members of the NPGMC this Sunday, November 16th at 3pm CT in the
CONFERENCE ROOM. 2 read up on RAD., check out her website at www.radmusic.com
Also, just added 2 the RETAIL room, the long-awaited "DEVOUR" dog shirts !
Love4oneanother,
The NPG Music Club
??-11-2003 : h George Clinton @ Cannabis Cup – Hollywood
13-11-2003 : What Do U Want Me 2 Do ? Release
On 13 November, 2003, the NPG
Music Club announced "The
Chocolate Invasion is put on hold 4
now, indefinitely. There was a
problem with the manufacturing and
until the bug is worked out, we'd
rather not have u wondering when
ur home would b invaded. As soon
as we have any new info 2 report, u
will b notified immediately. The
members of the NPGMC deserve
the best, thank u 4 ur patience."
The
website
streamed
the
previously unreleased track What
Do U Want Me 2 Do ? as "a little
something 2 chill 2" at the same time as the announcement to make up for the delay. The
project was never officially cancelled, although all of the previously-unreleased
compilations, other than The Glam Slam Club Mix, were instead released for download
when the NPG Music Club Musicology Download Store opened on 29 March, 2004.
18-11-2003 : NPGMC
On the official NPGMC site, there's a cryptic message in the Garden which says this :
"Devour is recuperating in Woodland Hills Hospital Canine after biting Blue Aura and contracting what doctors believe 2 b
whooping cough."
(enter the site, through the main hall take 2nd stairs to the right, up to the corridor, and take there the first door to the left; the
'backstage door' and go to the garden, where Prince's dog used to fuck up some demo's in a paper bag... Here you find this message
amongst the rubish..) Anyone a clue what this is about ?
20-11-2003 : R’n’R Hall Of Fame announcement
It is announced that Prince will be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. He was selected by the 700 music-industry
executives, musicians and critics who voted this year and the
only one selected in his first year of eligibility. An artist is eligible
25 years after the release of his first album. The induction
ceremony would follow on March 15th 2004 at the Waldorf
Astoria Hotel in New York.
21-11-2003 : The Time @ Robinsonville
22-11-2003 : NPGMC
Posted : 22 Nov 2003 17:10 Post subject : 10 DAYS in2
DECEMBER : The Island of HAWAII on HIGH FUNK ALERT
------------------------------------------------------------------------------Stay tuned 4 further updates
25-11-2003 : NPGMC
Prince and the NPG will b per4ming in Hawaii :
Dec 16th Honolulu Blaisdell Arena
Dec 19th Maui Arts Center
The Members-only sale will take place Wednesday, November
26th at 2pm Hawaii Time until Thursday, November 27 at 8pm
Hawaii Time in the BACKSTAGE PASS room. More details in
the next couple days.
NOTE : In4mation can change at any time
29-11-2003 : ! Driven (Carmen Electra)
Carmen Electra on VH1, Family Bashes Prince
VH1, the only station a true Prince fan can rely on to see him
and his videos on TV, since MTV betrayed the music world and
no longer plays videos. VH1 created one of their biggest hit
shows called "Driven" where relatives and friends of the famous
person featured talks about how that famous person became who they are today. "Driven" has shown the history of many artists
such as Britney Spears, Christina Auguillera, Missy Eliot, P. Diddy and several more. Well recently, VH1 featured Carmen Electra as
the newest episode of "Driven." Unfortunately for Prince fans, Carmen's friends and family talked about Carmen's days with Prince
as being controlled. Carmen's family members talked about how Prince helped her out, started her career and "treated her like a
princess." They went on to talk about how Prince was "obsessive" and a "control freak." They even talked about Prince sending
people to "stalk" Carmen. Personally, and I'm sure many other Prince fans feel the same way, I was quite upset by this. The whole
interview talking about Prince took just about 10 minutes to get the point across that he was the bad guy in the relationship. We
never hear Prince's side of the story at all, and it has come to my attention that E ! had shown their own episode about Carmen, and
showed the opposite. They talked about how Prince helped her out and Carmen wanted more all the time. In my opinion, I think
Carmen is the one being a leach. If you really analyse the VH1 presentation, you could get the same feeling. Prince was NOT
justified here at all.. and meanwhile, VH1 will be showing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame presentation, celebrating Prince. Isn't this
a kind of double standard ? You make your own decision.
Dec 03
05-12-2003 : The Time @ Atlanta
10-12-2003 : Sheila E @ Tavis Smiley radio show
11-12-2003 : h Family Jam Rehearsal – Mountains / America
(0:07)
12-12-2003 : ! Apollonia & Sheila E @ Wayne Brady
13-12-2003 : ! The Family Jamm Soundcheck
So for me, the normal thing to do after an AMAZING show like we saw on
Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003 is to write a review with all the details I can
remember about the show as soon as I get home. However, after seeing a
show I thought would never happen, I couldn't even put into words how
much I enjoyed it. I remember back in 1998, there was to be a show at the
LA House of Blues with Wendy and Lisa, Sheila E. and The Family...but
sadly that never happened. And I was convinced that I'd never see or hear
the Family live. On Saturday night though, the Family proved how sad it
was that Prince made them practice for a full year for a tour that never
happened, and for being only their second public show ever, they sounded
awesome, and that band alone was worth the price of admission for me. But
I digress... :) I was lucky at the show and was able to watch part of the
soundcheck and hang out backstage through most of the night, and met
most of the artists who played there. Unlike an experience of meeting Prince, these band members were all so incredibly nice...many
of whom probably hadn't seen that much attention in a long time. It was very cool to have seen the band rehearse Baby I'm a Star
with all of the Family Jammers....to see Jill Jones on stage with Wendy and Lisa and Susannah and all of the others was so
incredible. Wendy sounded great on lead vocals, especially on Mountains which sounded tighter than any version that I've ever
heard of the song. And that was just at the soundcheck ! I hadn't seen Carmen Electra in awhile, actually since the last time she
showed up at one of Sheila's gigs in Los Angeles, and since then she's become a huge star...she was still pretty down to earth, sitting
in the audience for awhile watching the soundcheck and mingling with anyone who approached her. Pretty cool. (On the other
hand, Chaka Khan showed up and went to her dressing room where she stayed until it was her time to rehearse, and then took off
right after her performance). And Wendy seemed to be in awe of her sister's performance with the Family, taking photos and video
of their performance, looking at them with the same look of complete admiration that the rest of the audience had as the Family
performed as her proud twin. Another thing I thought was pretty interesting is that everyone in all of the bands seemed to be
getting all of the band members to sign their programs. I've never seen so many stars getting autographs of the stars they admired.
Pretty cool stuff. :)
! Family
Jamm @ LA
The first annual Family Jamm is held at the
Forum in Los Angeles. A fundraiser for the Lil'
Angel Buddy foundation, founded by Sheila E.,
the show featured a number of (former) Prince
associates, including : Patti LaBelle, Chaka
Khan, Jill Jones, and Apollonia as well as
reunion performances by Madhouse, The
Family, and The Revolution. Prince was in Los
Angeles and had an open invitation to
participate, but he did not show up at the
Forum.
Anyway, here's a review of what happened
during the show : Carmen opened the show
right about 8pm (a little later than it was
supposed to start, but nothing like I've waited to
see Prince at some of his shows) and introduced
the first act, Jill Jones. Jill sounded and looked amazing in her performance of
Mia Bocca. Though her performance was only one song, she showed that she
could still sing and dance like it's nobody's business, and I heard that she's
now an interior designer in New York... Carmen came back out and introduced
Apollonia, who did a pretty wooden version of Take Me With U during which
she forgot the lyrics to part of the end of the song, but looked good wearing a
short-short red, and blue sequined outfit. I didn't realize that she was going to
be singing, I thought she was just presenting, which was a surprise to me since
I've seen Apples 8-9 times and never seen her sing. After her one song, Carmen
came back out again and talked about the Lil' Angel Bunny Foundation (and
their website at www.lilangelbunny.com), to which all of the proceeds for the
night went to. Sheila E and her business partner, former Brides of Funkenstein
singer Lynn Mabry talked about the emotional rollercoaster that the week had
been, and the audience sang an impromptu Happy Birthday to Sheila, whose
birthday was the day before. The next band, introduced by Lynn Mabry, was
Madhouse, which was comprised of Sheila E, Dr. Fink (wearing a leather jacket
instead of his typical surgical scrubs), Eric Leeds and Raymond McKinley, in
place of Levi Seacer Jr. What could I say, the band sounded tight. Mabry said
this was the first time the band, in this incarnation, had ever performed on
stage together. They played 10, 13, 6 and 16. Before Eric went into the song "6",
he held up six fingers to let the audience know that was what he was gonna
play. I thought that was pretty funny. But since I had never seen Madhouse
play live before, I was absolutely thrilled to see them. Carmen rapped a few
lines from Go Go Dancer next, and said she was gonna perform that song, but
had just come back from New York and didn't have time to practice it. Next,
Carmen introduced the Family as a true "number one" band...one album, one
video, one show together..it was pretty funny. But their performance was one
of the tightest live performances I've ever seen...what a shame they never got
to tour. The band was made up of St. Paul Peterson (who has the "rock star"
look now), a blonde Susannah Melvoin (looking as good as she ever has), Jellybean Johnson, Eric Leeds and Miko Weaver (sporting
a beret and a hoop nosering) and Jerome Benton. Their act began with an abbreviated version of River Run Dry, which ran into the
funkiest version ever of Screams of Passion. Next was Nothing Compares 2 U, sung beautifully as an orchestrated version, rather
than the near acapella version on the Family cd. Next, Sheila E. came out to play keyboards on High Fashion, and Eric Leeds
switched over to keyboards too. Their final jam was on Mutiny, which ran light years around the version of the song that Prince
performed on the Hit and Run tour a few years ago. And with that, a couple of the people sitting around me said, "ok, I'm ready to
go home happy now." After the Family blew us all away, Carmen came out and showed off her wedding ring before announcing the
next guest, the larger-than-life (literally) Chaka Khan, who was wearing a black dress that was, um, missing the front portion. She
sounded great on a nearly 10-minute version of I Feel 4 U though, even scatting through part of it, which I'd never heard her do. She
really has a powerful voice. Next was Nicole Parker, of the Showtime show "Soul Food." She's really beautiful in person...the photo
of her on the website didn't nearly do her justice. Anyway, she read an essay from an abused child who had been helped in life by
music, which is the message of what the Lil Angel Bunny Foundation is trying to do. The child, who was in attendance at the show,
rose from the junk going on in his family to become a professional gospel singer with the gospel choir Soldiers on Soul Patrol. Pete
Escovedo was next to introduce his daughter, along with her Purple Rain-era band for a funky set, similar to the one she played at
Prince's Celebration in 2002. The band opened with the intro to Sister Fate, which went into Oliver's House, The Belle of St. Mark,
and a funky version of A Love Bizarre, which also featured Lynn Mabry on vocals for a quick One Nation Under a Groove. Next was
the funkiest version of Holly Rock ever, with Sheila coming into the audience a couple of times to get closer to the fans. The band
launched into a full version of 17 Days, during which the audience was nearly singing louder than she was. At one point, she invited
the audience to sing and told us that we "had the wrong lyrics" even though she was wrong. It was about the only mess-up she had
the entire evening though. :) 17 Days became Alphabet St., where Sheila sang the last verse, and when the rap was gonna start, she
said "psyche" and went into the rap from It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night, which seemed to go over with this crowd as "I wanna hold
your hand" would have gone over at a Beatles concert. Finally, she ended her set with funky, nearly 10-minute jam on The
Glamorous Life. After Sheila blew the crowd away, as she usually does, Carmen came out and spoke a few lines from her rap from
Prince's "The Continental" before introducing the next act, Patti LaBelle. Looking as classy as ever, Patti sang the rarely performed
Yo Mister, written by Prince, and absolutely wailed through it. Through the end of the second verse, Patti seemed to have trouble
remembering the lyrics and picked up the printout of the lyrics from the floor and still sounded great through it. After the song, she
admitted that she doesn't perform it much, and that she didn't know the words when Prince gave it to her and didn't know them
now either. :) The coolest thing about her performance though was that she was wailing through the end of the song and as her
voice got louder, the curtain in the back of the stage seemed to go up on cue, as if she was the pied piper charming a snake. Another
highlight of the evening was next, with Carmen announcing "members of the Time", which was St. Paul, Juan Escovedo, Jellybean
and Jerome, with Sheila dressed with the do-rag, pimp coat and painted-on mustache of Morris Day, singing a song to the tune of
Jungle Love that was about Morris Day not showing up because he wasn't getting paid. She even had Morris' moves down. It was
pretty funny... Finally, Alan Leeds came out to introduce, for the first time on stage together in 17 years, the members of the
Revolution, which were Fink, Bobby Z., Wendy and Lisa, Brownmark, Susannah Melvoin and Eric Leeds. Before the performance
however, Alan acknowledged those around the band who have since passed away, including Big Chick Huntsberry and Boni Boyer.
For this reunion though, Sheila came into the audience to watch, and was standing on one of the seats in the front row. It was so
cute. :) Wendy sang lead vocals and was the voice of the Revolution, who said that it took a lot for the band to get back together, but
that there was still love in the band and that this would not be the last time the band got together again (!!!!!!!). And with that, she
launched them into the funkiest version ever of Mountains. Even better than the soundcheck. :) Next was America, which sounded
equally as great. Pop Life was next, which I think sounded better than Prince on his last tour. Before launching into Raspberry
Beret, Wendy acknowledged that there was a genious behind every one of the songs they were playing that night, and that Prince
couldn't be there and despite that, they wanted to thank him for what he gave them. To me, it was amazing that, despite rumors that
Prince was in Los Angeles he couldn't show up at this gig. Oh well.... The band played Anotherloverholenyohead, which showcased
Eric Leeds' abilities, was probably his pick since he said at the Celebration in 2002 that his favorite song to play was that one. :) A
somber Purple Rain, which sounded amazing was next, and towards the end of the song, Patti LaBelle came out to sing the chorus
with the band. At that point, it was a free-for-all on the stage with all of the artists minus Chaka Khan on stage to sing the finale, a
hellafunky Baby I'm a Star. I got some photos of the
performance which I'll post at some point, but in a nutshell,
this is why I was smiling so much on Sunday. :) Celebrities
spotted at the show were Susannah's husband Doyle
Bramhall II, Natalie Cole, Wanda Sykes and apparently
Danny DeVito. :) I also heard that John Blackwell was there
but I didn't see him.
14-12-2003 : Hawaii
Prince and Manuela travel to Hawaii, where they reside in
Prince's house on Maui.
+ Candy Dulfer
Candy Dulfer joins the World Tour 2003 mid December
2003 in Hawaii and remains in the line up for the
Musicology Tour
16-12-2003 : Star Bulletin
Elusive Prince talks music before show
By Gary C.W. Chun
A light blue laminated sign reading "lakshmi," leads back stage at the Blaisdell Arena, to Prince. It refers to the Hindu goddess of
power, beauty and prosperity, in both the material and spiritual sense. The guarded but still congenial musician has taken a
moment before yesterday's late afternoon rehearsal to talk briefly about his music - and nothing more. His rules : No notebooks, no
pens, no tape recorders. While it's evident that he's taken "lakshmi" to heart - as a musician, bandleader and fiercely independent
businessman who keeps in touch with fans through his NPG Music Club Web site - he deflects comment about his Jehovah's
Witnesses studies, saying simply, "It's a personal matter." Other than that, he's willing to talk about the music that will be
presented on Oahu tonight and Maui Friday. Judging by the elaborate stage setup that will take up nearly half the arena's floor
space, and the sporadic bursts of music being rehearsed backstage, it should be one heck of a show. Prince has just finished touring
Australia and Hong Kong, has a DVD out that documents his show at the Aladdin in Las Vegas, and his latest album on his own
label, "N.E.W.S.," is among the Best Pop Instrumental Album Grammy nominees. He's shopping for a new label to help distribute
his music to a wider audience, although he will retain all publishing rights. Once, as he says, "the record industry is put to death,"
he'll probably release more exploratory material that hasn't seen the "legal" light of day, including, hopefully, sessions with the late
Miles Davis. In the meantime, he's surrounded again by
a crack New Generation band that includes two
formidable alto sax players in longtime James Brown
sideman Maceo Parker and Dutch-born guest Candy
Dulfer. When Prince is not performing, he and the
band are jamming. "It's like what we did in Australia
and Hong Kong - after a show, we'd set up again at a
nearby club and keep jamming." He also likes to vary
the concert set list nightly, allowing the rest of his
"leaders" room to stretch and solo. But don't expect to
hear the earlier, more sexually explicit songs he's made
famous. He says he's grown, not only as a musician, but
as a person, and that material doesn't reflect who he is
now. When I say that I thought he was channeling Ray
Charles during his "Strange Relationship" performance
on the DVD, he laughs and says "somebody else
mentioned that to me. It's not like I'm doing it on
purpose. And while I think I may have met him briefly
earlier in my career, drawing inspiration from him
and others like him, I don't want to feel that my music
has to be compared to theirs. When I work with guys
like John and the rest of the band away from the
stage, I want us to feel this is our music, and no one
else's, that we're working on."
♫ Honolulu Soundcheck
(0:31)
(A : The Complete Hawaii Tapes Vol.1 – 6/10)
All The Critics Love U In Honolulu (Incl. What Is Love) / Dance To The Music (Incl. M’Lady / Sax-A-Go-Go) / Jam
♫ Honolulu Neal S Blaisdell Center
(2:19)
* Adv. Start : 8:00PM / Attendance : 6.000 / ? / Tick. Price : $80 / $70 / $50
(A : The Complete Hawaii Tapes Vol.1 – 7/10)
RAD Intro / Let’s Go Crazy / I Would Die 4 U / When Doves Cry / 1999 Intro
Baby I’m A Star / Shhh / DMSR (Incl. (I Like) Funky Music) / A Love Bizarre
The Glamorous Life / I Feel For You / Controversy / Renato Interlude
The Beautiful Ones / Nothing Compares 2 U / Insatiable / Sign O’ The Times
The Question Of U (Incl. The Ride / The One / Fallin’) / The Ride / Let’s Work
U Got The Look / Life O’ The Party (Incl. Hot Pants / Uptown Up)
Soul Man (Chance Howard) / Kiss / Take Me With U / The Everlasting Now
How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore / Alphabet St / Purple Rain
Prince continues the 2003 tour with a concert at the Neal S Blaisdell
Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Sabotage's release of the rescheduled Hawaiian shows in
preparation for the US Musicology tour. For some reason
these shows are looked down upon by people due to their
unashamed "greatest hits" content (more so than the
Musicology tour), however they shouldn't be overlooked so
easily as there are some flashes of brilliance on here which
make the shows rather special. I've rated the main show as
an EX- recording, but it should be noted that it only slightly
misses the grade of an EX recording due to the increased
crowd noise from 'How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore'
onwards - the remainder is surprisingly excellent, free of any
interference and/or problems and of a very high standard.
The show itself is similar to the October 2003 Australian tour and
elements from the past 2002 One Nite Alone tour and the (at the time)
upcoming 2004 Musicology tour are evident throughout. The show
begins with an atmospheric keyboard into accredited to RAD which
bears a passing resemblance to the One Nite Alone tour opener, before
Prince recites the complete opening "Dearly beloved" lyric with the
slight change of "There's something else....the truth" - it should also be
noted the religious whoring is thankfully at a minimum throughout. The
majority of the main section of the show is representative of the
Musicology tour, however there are a small number of things which were evidently straightened out before the US
tour launched - it's interesting to hear how the show changed from this into what the US audience got a matter of
3 months later. The only slight change worth picking up on during the main show is the stopping/starting of 'The
Question Of U' to incorporate a stunning version of 'The Ride' with some ferocious guitar work. The encore section
begins with Prince at the piano for a basic run-through of 'How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore' before launching
into an enjoyable, loose jam on 'Alphabet St.' before the show closes out with the usual 'Purple Rain'. As
mentioned previously the audience level increases slightly
for the encore section, and a certain gentleman in the
crowd's constant screaming for '7' is funny to begin with, but
grates after 10 minutes - obviously for him too as he gives
up after screaming "Prince, play fucking 7 man !" to no avail.
One last thing regarding the main show is Prince saying "If
you feel that Saddam Hussein is a hairdresser, talk to me"
during 'Sign O' The Times' which has be puzzled. Overall an
enjoyable, undemanding show which at times seems more
like a rehearsal than a concert - which makes it (to me)
more appealing.
♫ Honolulu Volcanoes Aftershow
(1:06)
* Start : 1:20AM / Attendance : 600 / ? / Tick. Price : $25
(A : The Complete Hawaii Tapes Vol.1 – 7/10)
Mama Feelgood (RAD) / Yes We Can Can (Incl. Ain’t It Funky Now / Stretchin’ Out (In A Rubber Band)) (RAD)
1+1+1=3 (Incl. Life O’ the Party / Stretchin’ Out) / Life O’ The Party (Incl. Hot Pants / Uptown Up)
No Diggity (Chance Howard) / Ooh ! (RAD) / All The Critics Love U In Honolulu (Incl. Stretchin’ Out)
An aftershow is played at Volcanoes Night Club, Honolulu,
Hawaii. The show was announced over the PA at the regular
concert as an aftershow, rather than the afterparty as usual.
Prince and the band entered the stage at around 1:20 am
and started off the cover-oriented set with "Mama Feelgood,"
a song written by James Brown and performed by Lyn Collins
(from the soundtrack Black Caesar, 1973). Next up was “Yes
We Can Can," the lead track of The Pointer Sisters' self-titled
debut album from 1973. RAD sang lead vocals on these first
two songs. A part of "Ain't It Funky Now" (from James
Brown’s Ain't It Funky Now, 1969) was included. Then
followed "1+1+1 Is 3," which included a chant of "we like to
party." Another James Brown composition, "I Know You Got
Soul," was next, which was followed by an instrumental
rendition of "Life O' The Party." Blackstreet's "No Diggity"
sung by Chance Howard and Mary J. Blige's "Ooh," sung by
RAD, were then performed, after which "All The Critics Love
U In New York,” including a chant of "we like to party" closed
the show around 2:25.
The aftershow is equally enjoyable, although the
recording is a little less impressive (still a solid EXrecording). The majority of the short set is made up
of the opening 3 tracks which are basically lengthy instrumental tracks featuring various parts thrown in from
different band members. The horn section are heavily featured, although RAD herself gets a fair amount of time
on the mic. The accompanying artwork and booklet are as equally good as the content of the discs and capture the
Hawaiian-style perfectly featuring various images lifted from the 2003 Australian tourbook. Overall this (along with
the 3cd/4cd Maui release) are utterly fantastic documents of the short 2003 tour and the gap between the
musicianship of One Nite Alone tour and the
showmanship of the Musicology tour. It's worth checking
out Sabotage's related release 'The Complete Hawaii
Tapes Vol. 2 : Maui'.
My excitement is tempered somewhat by the crowd noise, and
sound of an audience recording. It’s not bad by such standards, it
just takes my ears a minute or two to adjust to the sound of it. The
first song in the set is Mama Feelgood, and it does indeed make
me feel good, especially with the sounds of the horn section and a
sharp sounding keyboard. The horn section is particularly strong,
and I impress myself when I recognize the sound of Maceo Parker
in the mix – I must have listened to too many of these shows now.
Rose Ann Dimalanta is singing, and it’s a shame that the
recording doesn’t really do her justice, she sounds secondary to
the band, and her vocals aren’t picked up very well. As always,
there is something positive to counter balance this, and in this
case it definitely is the horns, which increase in intensity as the
song progresses. The keyboards too get plenty of time to play, and
the song stretches out as it gives us a good idea of how the rest of
the gig will play out. It’s topped off by some funky guitar licks that
whet my appetite. The funk continues as the next song begins,
and it grooves right from the start. The band locks in nice and
tight and my head really starts bobbing. They slide through Yes
We Can, and then we hear Prince singing for the first time “Ain’t It Funky Now”. Rose Ann Dimalanta quickly pickups with singing
Yes We Can, and the band stay on this groove for some time. I like how smooth and seamless it sounds and, if not for the quality of
the recording, I could easily close my eyes and groove out to it. It feels light and summer like, and conjures up all sorts of imagines
as I nod along to it. The song takes another up turn as Prince begins to sing Yes We Can, he sounds much stronger and louder on
the microphone, and the show seems to pick up some momentum too. At the same time my ears prick up, and I listen for more of
him. I am rewarded by a simmering guitar break that gains in intensity as it plays us through the last couple of minutes. On a
soundboard recording this guitar break would be excellent, as it is, it’s just very good. Things don’t let up as next we get a great
version of 1+1+1=3. It’s got a great funky intro, with plenty of guitar and groove. The scene is set as Prince has the crowd chanting
“we like to party” early on, and they are very enthusiastic in doing so. There isn’t any lyrics sung, but at an after show like this, that
is irrelevant, It’s all about the music and the groove. The energetic trombone solo from Greg Boyer sounds like a lot of fun. All the
horn section is in on the party, and Maceo plays a brief solo too before there is a horn riff from all of them. It’s nicely
counterbalanced by Prince and a laid back guitar solo which I didn’t expect to hear at this point. It’s refined and only takes on a
heavier tone when the band pause and we catch a breath. The band pick up right where they left off and now the party gets serious, I
can hear it oozing out of my head phones. This song has a little bit of everything, there is Life O The Party in the mix, as well as
Stretching Out (In A Rubber Band) as well as instrumental Hot Pants.
Although he played parts of Stretching Out in the last two songs, it wasn’t
quite the full on version I had hoped for. Still, what I have heard so far
from these first three songs has been very good, so I have no complaints at
all. No Diggity is bass heavy, with a fat squelching bass at the start. It’s not
until a minute in does it become apparent what the song is, with the
introduction of the keyboards and Chance Howard singing. It’s missing
some of the sharpness that I like in the song, but I put this down to the
recording rather than the performance. What I really like about the song
is the solo from Candy on sax. It’s bold when it needs to be, and adds a
brighter sound to the recording. The song doesn’t do much else later, but
that chorus is so catchy that I sing heartily along to the finish. I love the
next moment as someone in the crowd yells “play some old school !” I
can’t help but laugh as he calls it out. Prince then does the opposite and
plays something current from the time. Ooh ! is a another chance for Rose
Ann Dimalanta to sing, and this time she sounds better, especially in
those moments when she is backed by Prince. I do like the song, but
compared to everything else in the show it seems to fall through the
cracks. There’s not much of a chance for the band to really play, and
Prince is minimal throughout. There is a guitar break late in the song, and
this is about the only moment when I feel any interest in it. It’s not a
scorching solo, instead it’s a sweet little sharp sound that is very
enjoyable. All The Critics Love U initially sounds shallow. It’s got a hollow
electric sound to it, however this improves immeasurable when the bass
gets stronger. The beat is hypnotic rather than insistent, and its sounds
soft to my ears. Maceo’s solo sharpens things up, there is no denying that
he is a master at what he does. For all that though, it doesn’t reach the
heights of some of the earlier songs, and it’s a disappointing ending to the
show. The shallow sound of it reminds me of some of the Diamond and
Pearls era mixes, and for a show in 2003 it definitely has a 1990’s sound
for this last song. There is some chanting with the crowd, which I guess is
a fun way for them to finish, but I can’t get past that dated sound. Greg
Boyer makes amends with a spirited trombone solo to finish, and the
show closes on a high, I’m smiling here at home. This was an odd little
show, I can see how I easily over looked it. Although it didn’t feature Stretched Out (In A Rubber Band) as much as I had hoped,
there was still plenty there to recommend it. I enjoyed hearing the horn section and Prince himself sounded very at easy. It may be
sometime before I play this one again, there are too many classics out there to listen to, but next time I won’t wait so long before I
give it another spin.
17-12-2003 : NPGMC
These r the kinda shows that make being on the road with The NPG F-U-N !! Prince was straight clownin' (somebody else can fill
u'all in.) Not sure if it was the break that they had but his VOCALS were off coat rack ! He was hittin' notes higher than we EVER
heard him hit b4. Can somebody say - "The Beautiful Ones"... Highlites include "The Ride" (oldie but a goodie) as well as a new and
improved D.M.S.R. (complete with horn lines from The Time's "Tricky". "CONTROVERSY" was just 4 words : RE-DIC - AH – LOUS
! Maceo Parker did what sounded like the solo from "Mother Popcorn" & Prince just shook all the Royal Crown loose from his scalp
! People listen, if this is a warm-up gig 4 the Amercian leg of the tour : 4get 1984-5 This may very well b his crowning moment...u
heard it here first. What ?
Honolulu Advertiser
Prince sizzles for lucky few who attended
By Chad Pata
The most under-promoted rock show in years proved to be the best show this millennium as Prince set the night on fire at the
Blaisdell Arena yesterday. Despite sparse attention in the media and thousands of empty seats, Prince showed why he truly ruled
the '80s. Opening with the keyboard tones of "Let's Go Crazy," he floated out on stage in an all-white ensemble resembling the robes
of Vietnamese monks. The resemblance stopped there as the band kicked in and washed over the crowd like a surprise set at Sandy
Beach from which the fans never recovered. The rest of the show they spent screaming and looking around at one another, not
believing their eyes. His horn section could break out as their own jazz trio and the drummer, well, he was
something to behold. Encased in glass as if he were a lion at the zoo, he attacked his kit with an accuracy and ferocity not seen since
Dave Grohl was last in town. Prince never introduced him but he wore a Frosty the Snowman hat. When he put it on his head, the
kids began to dance around. Not to overlook the man himself : Even if you don't like his music, you would have to love his show. He
flits about the stage with such ease, he appears to be attached to wires a la "The Matrix." His guitar solos rivaled anything seen since
Eddie Van Halen was here, but they appeared effortless. Instead of a sweat-stained grimace, hair in the eyes, he'd just smile
seductively at the girls in the front row, dry as a bone and exhibiting no more effort than he would turning out the light. During
"Shhh" he commanded everyone to clap, common practice at rock shows. But instead of obliging him, we all realized our hands
were clapping of their own accord. Such is his power to take over an auditorium. He hasn't had a hit song in 15 years, but all these
old favorites felt as fresh as rain. At one point the band began with the opening chords of "When Doves Cry," then morphed into
"Kiss" as if it had always been that way. Midway through the set, he told them that he was renaming Honolulu to the more funkappropriate "Honolula" and to pronounce it "like you have a piece of chicken in your mouth." He followed this with a funk jam
session with each member being highlighted and showing just how far funk has come. Starting with George Clinton and Sly and the
Family Stone, it was a greasy, underground, ultimately danceable music. Prince has since distilled it to a pure jazz sound with rock
'n' roll energy. Listening to it, you have to smile. He slowed it down toward the end, playing the love ballad "Beautiful Ones," singing
his heart out as he writhed on top of the monitors, sending the females
into a tizzy. Also his version of "Nothing Compares to U" made you
wonder why he ever let Sinead O'Connor have it in the first place. He
finished the show on a high note with classics like "Sign O' the Times," a
song about problems in the inner city. His microphone was shaped like a
gun and he would point it at the crowd between verses. Not in a
threatening gangsta way, but as a way of bringing the crowd into the
show, letting them know he knew they were there. That may be the
biggest difference between Prince and the young R&B acts we see today.
The music is about the people, and the lucky group that attended last
night got a glimpse of how great rock 'n' roll can be.
18-12-2003 : Honolulu Advertiser
Prince opens door to unarmed chat
By Derek Paiva
The artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince
opened up - sort of - to select members of the Honolulu media yesterday
afternoon at Blaisdell Arena. The artist once again known as Prince said
in a quick interview that he most enjoys his yearly visits to his Maui
home because he likes the people and 'nobody's frontin' in Hawaii'. The
occasion for the one-on-one interviews, scheduled only hours earlier ?
Boosting apparently sluggish ticket sales to the musician's concerts
tonight at the Blaisdell Arena and Friday at the Maui Arts & Cultural
Center. But while Prince may have wanted some fast press, he wasn't
about to avoid calling the shots. And so, denied permission to document
our meeting with video, tape recorder, or even a paper and pen, The
Advertiser arrived empty-handed for a 15-minute sit-down with Prince
in his dressing room before an early evening rehearsal. "Who's the first
patient ?" the musician asked, switching glances between two invited
journalists. I motioned the competition to sit for his one-on-one first.
Prince had casually strolled into a backstage crew room seconds earlier.
Diminutive and wispy thin, the artist still managed to look comfortably
stylish in a tan silk shirt with thin colored stripes and tan slacks. His
open shirt, unbuttoned past his chest, revealed some serious chest hair
and a thick gold medallion the size of a drink coaster. Prince shook our
hands and seemed eager to start chatting. Though sporting only a touch
of makeup, he looked in person at least a decade younger than his 45 years. Fifteen minutes later, in Prince's dressing room, a
photographer moved around the artist, his New Power Generation drummer and me like a hawk circling prey. As the photographer
snapped away, Prince settled comfortably on a couch across from me and talked about his Maui home. He said he had visited the
residence once a year for the last four years, "always around the same time." He confessed that he most enjoyed his annual visits
because he liked the people and "because nobody's frontin'" in Hawaii. Fond of occasionally dropping unannounced into Maui
nightclubs to catch and sometimes sit in with local musicians, Prince even remembered being moved enough to surprise O'ahu
reggae band Natural Vibrations with an on-stage guitar instrumental at Kihei's Bada Bing ! in December 2001. On the subject of his
recent selection for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Prince commented that while the nomination was something of
an honor, such awards were "not important to me" in the overall scheme of things. The honor, he said, was being in the company of
musicians already inducted. Prince said he would perform at the March 15 induction ceremonies in New York, if invited, but felt
sorry "for whoever they choose to go on after me." Longish tendrils of dark hair framing his forehead danced as he chuckled at his
comment. The testiest moment of our chat came when I quizzed him about his recent decision to do "hit-loaded" live shows after
years of virtually ignoring audience favorites on stage. This was also when I found out that Prince does indeed read his own press.
"I'm not doing it because I need the cash," Prince said sternly, after commenting on news stories (including one I'd written for The
Advertiser's TGIF section last Friday) that suggested the artist was looking to feather his retirement nest egg with the guaranteed
cash of a "greatest hits" tour. He pointed out that he already had more money in his bank account than he needed, thanks to
ownership of the publishing rights for his vast hits catalog and new music created outside of his famously strained relationship with
former record label Warner Bros. Recent hit-heavy shows, he said, were practice runs designed to prepare his New Power
Generation band for larger American and international tours planned for the near future. The shows were purposely scheduled in
Hong Kong, Australia and Hawaii to keep them "far away from the press and the cameras," Prince explained. But he still hadn't
explained why he wanted to dive deeply into his hits catalog in a live setting after so many years. So I asked him ... again. "You've
asked me that in three different ways," Prince said testily. "Why do you think I'm playing the songs ?" I answered that I didn't
know. "You know why," he insisted. I assured him I didn't, and asked him to explain. He was visibly uncomfortable, searching for
an answer; it was best to move on. I chose a query about music he was currently grooving to. His brown eyes widening with very
real pride, he mentioned musical projects that members of New Power Generation were working on. After copping to a fondness for
the track "Powerless" from Nelly Furtado's recently released CD "Folklore," Prince shook my hand and I exited the room. Later, as I
was being denied permission to watch his rehearsal and to commit my mental notes to paper within Blaisdell Arena, I noticed
Prince alone by the freight entrance, dancing to blasts of live funk drifting from NPG's dressing room. His lithe frame swayed gently
to the beat. His designer shoes tapped loudly on the Blaisdell's concrete floor. As I exited, a Blaisdell security guard informed me,
"You're lucky, man. I haven't seen anybody talk with him alone like that yet. Was he cool ?" Well, he wasn't frontin'.
19-12-2003 : ♫ Maui Soundcheck
(0:45)
(A : The Complete Hawaii Tapes Vol.2 – 7/10)
Mama Feelgood / Musicology / Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose / I Feel For You
Controversy / Guitar Solo / Controversy / Slow Jam / The Ride
Head (Incl. Uptown Up) / Rainbow Children (Incl. Jean-Pierre)
♫ Maui Arts & Cultural Center
(2:15)
* Adv. Start : 7:00PM / Tick. Price : $75 / $65 / $50
(A : The Complete Hawaii Tapes Vol.2 – 7/10)
RAD Intro / Let’s Go Crazy / I Would Die 4 U / When Doves Cry / 1999 Intro
Baby I’m A Star / Shhh / DMSR (Incl. (I Like) Funky Music / Give Up The Funk
Tricky) / A Love Bizarre / The Glamorous Life / I Feel For You / Controversy
Renato Interlude / The Beautiful Ones / Nothing Compares 2 U / Insatiable
Sign O’ The Times / The Question Of U (Incl. The One / Fallin’) / Let’s Work
U Got The Look / Life O’ The Party (Incl. Hot Pants / Uptown Up)
Soul Man (Chance Howard) / Kiss / Take Me With U / The Everlasting Now
How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore / On The Couch / Adore
Alphabet St / Purple Rain
♫ Maui Hapa’s Aftershow
(1:15)
* Start : 12:30AM / Attendance 400 / ? / Tick. Price : $25
(A : The Complete Hawaii Tapes Vol.2 – 7/10)
Mama Feelgood / Yes, We Can Can / Maceo Groove / The Everlasting Now / Funk Groove (Incl. No Diggity) (Chance Howard / Willie K.) /
All The Critics Love U In Maui (w/ Willie K.) / Guitar Solo
Prince plays an aftershow at Hapa's Night Club, Kihei, Hawaii. There were some 400 people in attendance. The NPG showed
around 12:30 am and went into a jam led by RAD. Prince arrived with Manuela some 10 minutes later and strapped on a guitar to
join in. The first two songs were the same as at Volcanoes : "Mama Feelgood" and "Yes We Can Can." Then followed a long
instrumental jam with solos from Maceo Parker, going into an instrumental rendition of what sounded like "Soul Sacrifice." Renato
Neto and Rhonda Smith both took solos during this and after the groove turned into a more funky direction Chance Howard also
got his turn to solo a bit. The next song was the new aftershow favourite cover of Blackstreet's "No Diggity," with a solo spot for
Candy Dulfer. Local musician William Awihilima Kahaialii, known as (Uncle) Willy K came on stage after this to do some free style
rapping over a raga-flavoured groove. At one point he also borrowed a guitar from Prince to do a solo. "All The Critics Love U In
New York" (with the lyrics changed to Maui) was played next, after which Prince took the lead on a hard rock guitar riff that ended
the show on a high note just before 2:00 am, the club's curfew.
29-12-2003 : Los Angeles
Prince flies home from Los Angeles to Minneapolis. At the airport, his bodyguard snatched a digital camera of a kid who took
pictures of Prince.