R.I.P. Prince (1958-2016)

PlasticRam · Post by **PlasticRam** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:44 pm

babydoll wrote: Ugh, I just felt crappy for writing this. But yeah, Madonna certainly gripped pop culture unlike no other, including Michael and The Beatles and Elvis. Her death will be big news.

I agreed with everything else in your post, but I think precisely those three are above Madonna in terms of cultural impact.

Edit: Or then again, I guess if we're talking solely about fashion and stuff like that and not overall popularity, then Madonna could arguably be bigger.

babydoll · Post by **babydoll** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:48 pm

PlasticRam wrote:
babydoll wrote: Ugh, I just felt crappy for writing this. But yeah, Madonna certainly gripped pop culture unlike no other, including Michael and The Beatles and Elvis. Her death will be big news.
I agreed with everything else in your post, but I think precisely those three are above Madonna in terms of cultural impact.

To clarify, I didn't mean the most famous, because The Beatles and Elvis are certainly more famous than Madonna. The thing is Madonna, more than a pop star, was a celebrity who marketed herself unlike any other before and since.

PlasticRam · Post by **PlasticRam** » Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:50 pm

babydoll wrote:
PlasticRam wrote:
babydoll wrote: Ugh, I just felt crappy for writing this. But yeah, Madonna certainly gripped pop culture unlike no other, including Michael and The Beatles and Elvis. Her death will be big news.
I agreed with everything else in your post, but I think precisely those three are above Madonna in terms of cultural impact.
To clarify, I didn't mean the most famous, because The Beatles and Elvis are certainly more famous than Madonna. The thing is Madonna, more than a pop star, was a celebrity who marketed herself unlike any other before and since.

Oh yeah, I edited my post without seeing your reply. I got you.

Listyguy · Post by **Listyguy** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 12:17 am

babydoll wrote:Bootsy and BleuPanda, I would have to say Madonna was bigger than the two mentioned. I am sorry for saying this about two of your musical heroes, but she was SO much bigger in the '80s than Prince. In fact, out of the '80s artists bigger than Prince, the only ones bigger than him were Michael, Madonna, and Whitney.

Maybe I just wasn't paying attention, but I feel like Prince's death has been more talked about than when Whitney Houston died? Maybe his music and cultural legacy just aged better?

babydoll · Post by **babydoll** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 12:24 am

Listyguy wrote:
babydoll wrote:Bootsy and BleuPanda, I would have to say Madonna was bigger than the two mentioned. I am sorry for saying this about two of your musical heroes, but she was SO much bigger in the '80s than Prince. In fact, out of the '80s artists bigger than Prince, the only ones bigger than him were Michael, Madonna, and Whitney.
Maybe I just wasn't paying attention, but I feel like Prince's death has been more talked about than when Whitney Houston died? Maybe his music and cultural legacy just aged better?

Well, I think Whitney's was just inevitable. She had a major drug problem which led to her untimely death. It also depends on which circles you run in, because I heard far more about Whitney than I did with Prince. I mourned Prince a lot more though. There were even people that didn't even know who he was! Everybody knew who Whitney was.

BleuPanda · Post by **BleuPanda** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 5:18 am

I think celebrity is what I'm thinking of, and I definitely overlooked Madonna. I guess her cultural influence largely falls outside my own specific circle; sexually liberated woman versus homoromantic asexual male. But the way she has dealt with sexuality throughout her career is undeniably important.

I guess, in general, these three embody the shift in how we view sexuality and gender roles in the modern era, which has kind of been a big deal; also why all three are big in queer communities. Not that they specifically have anything to do with it (except perhaps Bowie), but because of overlap in interest.

Was Whitney that big? As a 23-year-old, I honestly never had anyone hyping her up as this grand icon. I honestly can name a single song by her without looking her up; that's pretty bad considering I'm actively engaged with music. Where is this impact? In my lifetime, she was simply a troubled celebrity who ended up dying young, her persona overshadowing whatever she had done to become famous.

Meanwhile, even before I listened to music, I knew exactly who Prince was. That slightly effeminate man decked out in purple who once changed his name to a symbol. I didn't know what Purple Rain sounded like but I certainly knew it was his big work. And it's not like I had people around me talking about him, it was just things I picked up over time without paying much attention. Sure, I also always knew "I Will Always Love You," but I would have never bothered to attach a name to it. But Prince had this inescapable image.

I think an important thing to consider, in the long run, is who is writing about these people. Prince gets name dropped and referenced a lot; even if he didn't have the most number one singles, simply being a reference point in other major works is going to have a bigger long term impact. That's why we think of The Velvet Underground as a quintessential band; they might not have been big in their era, but now they are the definitive example of bands under-appreciated in their time. It's all about writing a legacy, and I'm not sure what Whitney Houston's legacy is to someone who was born after her biggest hits.

Setherex · Post by **Setherex** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 6:41 am

babydoll wrote:In fact, out of the '80s artists bigger than Prince, the only ones bigger than him were Michael, Madonna, and Whitney.

what

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 9:36 am

Few videos of course, this one always pleased me:

All is cool guys, it's a cool hommage...boom at 3'30:

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 9:46 am

And one of the few video clip available on youtube

I was 15 when Cream turn in the TV, I thought it was so cool, so "out of this world":

Moonbeam · Post by **Moonbeam** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 10:07 am

Prince on the Muppets Show:

https://www.facebook.com/steven.jackson ... 883163305/

Moonbeam · Post by **Moonbeam** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 10:16 am

Romain wrote: Prince - Moonbeam Levels

Very happy to see you include this. I haven't brought myself to listen to it yet since... shit, I can't even type it.

Wishing there was an AMer in Helsinki (or Trondheim next week) that I could meet up with and commiserate. Really missing my wife and son.

Post by **Henrik** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 10:47 am

Moonbeam wrote:
Romain wrote: Prince - Moonbeam Levels
Very happy to see you include this. I haven't brought myself to listen to it yet since... shit, I can't even type it.

Wishing there was an AMer in Helsinki (or Trondheim next week) that I could meet up with and commiserate. Really missing my wife and son.

There's no possibility you could make a short stop in Stockholm?

I would definitely free my calendar for you!

In any case, good to hear from you Moonbeam, and good to hear that you are well.

Moonbeam · Post by **Moonbeam** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 10:56 am

Henrik wrote:
Moonbeam wrote:
Romain wrote: Prince - Moonbeam Levels
Very happy to see you include this. I haven't brought myself to listen to it yet since... shit, I can't even type it.

Wishing there was an AMer in Helsinki (or Trondheim next week) that I could meet up with and commiserate. Really missing my wife and son.
There's no possibility you could make a short stop in Stockholm? I would definitely free my calendar for you!

In any case, good to hear from you Moonbeam, and good to hear that you are well.

Hi Henrik,

Unfortunately not! I am not paying for the trip, or else I would consider coming to Stockholm to see you. But if you have any reason to be in Helsinki from now until April 29th or Trondheim from April 30th to May 7th, I'd be delighted to see you.

Jirin · Post by **Jirin** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 2:59 pm

Some people on multiple different boards have been coming close to making the death of musical icons into an impactfulness contest.

It's hard to compare Prince, to Bowie, or Madonna, or Whitney. Madonna had incredible cultural impact and some would argue that outweights her musical impact. Whitney Houston sung some huge hits. Whereas there's a reason Prince and Bowie are directly at the top of all of our congregated lists, a whole lot of people just find them to be incredible musicians in a timeless way that transcends the trends of their era. Whereas some of the other big musicians of the 80s were rooted in the trends and pop culture of their era.

Madonna must be feeling really nervous about the kinds of lists she's currently being included on.

babydoll · Post by **babydoll** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 5:33 pm

Setherex wrote:
babydoll wrote:In fact, out of the '80s artists bigger than Prince, the only ones bigger than him were Michael, Madonna, and Whitney.
what

Oh, geez. I really wanted to honor Prince, but couldn't keep my mouth shut. Nonetheless, here it goes. Question: is there anyone who was even a teen or twenty-something in the late '80s?

Whitney Houston had far more number one hits than Prince. She sold far more records than Prince did. She catapulted to stardom faster than Prince. She even had top ten hits in the late '90s whereas Prince didn't. I Will Always Love You was an even bigger hit than When Doves Cry.

I guess it's all a matter of timing, like BleuPanda mentioned, but even then, Prince appealed far more to Bleu than Whitney. He appeals to me far more than Whitney does, too. However Whitney's legacy is quite huge too. She influenced Nicole Scherzinger, Demi Lovato, Christina Aguilera, Beyoncé, Monica, and Brandy amongst others.

It might be me, but her debut album and her second album weren't bad albums at all. Were they on Prince's level? No, but they are worth passing an hour over.

AND NOW BACK ON TRACK! THE PURPLE ONE, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.

Post by **Honorio** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 5:51 pm

Sorry for not participating in this thread before. The last four days I've been ridiculously busy as part of the organizing comitee of an Opthalmology Congress held in my city. But last night I had the opportunity to do my own homage to Prince. I was driving to the Congress venue under the rain (that got purple tones this morning, or so it seemed to me) when I had an idea. My band was scheduled to play that night on the party of the last night of the Congress so I called the boys. A quick rehearsal during the sound check and that was it. We began our encore playing a cover of "Purple Rain" and it was the guitar solo I played with more feeling in my whole life, in fact I ended in tears. Without David Bowie or Prince on it, the world we're living is definitely much uglier. We'll miss you, Prince…

luney6 · Post by **luney6** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 5:59 pm

Honorio wrote:Sorry for not participating in this thread before. The last four days I've been ridiculously busy as part of the organizing comitee of an Opthalmology Congress held in my city. But last night I had the opportunity to do my own homage to Prince. I was driving to the Congress venue under the rain (that got purple tones this morning, or so it seemed to me) when I had an idea. My band was scheduled to play that night on the party of the last night of the Congress so I called the boys. A quick rehearsal during the sound check and that was it. We began our encore playing a cover of "Purple Rain" and it was the guitar solo I played with more feeling in my whole life, in fact I ended in tears. Without David Bowie or Prince on it, the world we're living is definitely much uglier. We'll miss you, Prince…

Oh nice. I didn't know you had a band. Is that a picture of you in your profile photo then?

Post by **Honorio** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 6:42 pm

Yes, that's me...

notbrianeno · Post by **notbrianeno** » Sat Apr 23, 2016 8:40 pm

Have had an extremely busy week getting ready for finals, but wanted to make sure I posted in this thread. It's hard to imagine another artist having as much of an affect on as many people's lives as Prince, and the music world feels strangely empty without his sagely, purple presence. Like so many others have said, Prince was a major musical and personal hero of mine, especially during the times in my life when i believed in myself the least. The existence of fearless innovators like him and Bowie gave me the courage to overcome this, and are a big part of the person I am today.

Last night I went out with my friends to our favorite bar's monthly 80's dance night, and the night had such an overwhelming aura of love and community. I felt like a far cry from that old person I used to be: now i'm about to be a senior in college, with a group of amazing people around me, and a sense of purpose I lacked in high school. I couldn't have done it without you Prince, thanks for helping me get through this thing called life.

Moonbeam · Post by **Moonbeam** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 6:50 am

The floodgates seem to have opened on youtube-https, so I'll share some of my favorite available outtakes for anyone interested.

"Lisa" (1980)

"Moonbeam Levels" (1982)

"Extraloveable" (1982): Way better than the new version released

"Purple Music" (1982)

"Do Yourself a Favor" (1982)

"Chocolate" (1983)

"G Spot" (1983)

"All Day, All Night" (1984)

"Electric Intercourse" (1984)

"Mutiny" (1985)

"Neon Telephone" (1985)

"Old Friends 4 Sale" (1985): better than the version released on The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale

"Wonderful Ass" (1985)

"All My Dreams" (1985)

"Train" (1986)

"Witness 4 the Proseuction" (1986)

"U Gotta Shake Something" (1986)

"A Place in Heaven" (1986)

"Teacher Teacher" (1986)

"Data Bank" (1986)

"The Sex of It" (1987)

"God Is Alive" (1988)

"Dance with the Devil" (1989)

"Love... Thy Will Be Done" (1990)

"Open Book" (1990)

"Empty Room" (1995)

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:21 am

Oh fuck !
I hope, for the new generation, they will finally be able to discover Prince through internet. Official songs, like, more numerous, those he never released on album.
Thanks Moonbeam.

Do you find We can Funk ?

Moonbeam · Post by **Moonbeam** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:43 am

Romain wrote:Oh fuck !
I hope, for the new generation, they will finally be able to discover Prince through internet. Official songs, like, more numerous, those he never released on album.
Thanks Moonbeam.

Do you find We can Funk ?

Just did! Strangely, filtering it to just videos from the last week made it such that I couldn't find it, but a general search worked.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:47 am

OH YEEEESSS ! So good. Thanks.

TimmyWing · Post by **TimmyWing** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 11:10 am

The thing is...and it's wrong of me to bring other late people into the mourning of his death - but not even Bowie surprised me with how much good music he had that I hadn't already discovered. Can you believe that I hadn't heard Around the World in a Day 'til yesterday? Or "Sometimes It Snows in April"? I downloaded his entire discography because I was missing too much by him. As my friend from home said: "Months of joy". If his vault is going to be opened up and distributed out to everyone, the ignorant may see it as just a posthumous cash-grab. But every cloud has a silver lining.

I am looking forward to seeing his videos on Youtube again. Too many classic '80s videos that need to see the light of day. Especially for his dancing! Like MJ, he could dance as impressively as he could sing...but then could MJ shred on the guitar like Prince could? The only person I can think of who comes close to Prince, in terms of workhorse ethic and master of seemingly everything, is James Brown, who was clearly an inspiration to him. Having a disciplined band, mixing dance music and politics, not to mention revolutionizing (heh) dance music in the first place.

To justify that statement about Bowie, think of it this way: as a way of mourning Bowie, I did the same thing and started listening to all of his albums in chronological order. Partly to discover what I'd missed, but also to appreciate that amazing '70s run its all its glory. So, David's first album is a little wobbly...more Anthony Newley tribute act than anything. But Prince's first album...? Have you heard "I'm Yours"?! It may not be the most lyrically rich album, but in terms of technical prowess, for a 21-year-old, it is quite literally unbelievable. Then I found Prince's B-sides..."God" was the final straw for me. Totally knocked me for six and now I'm not going to be okay for a while.

It was nice to hear "She's Always in My Hair" again as I remember it from when Moonbeam sang it on these forums.

but when it comes to other outtakes like "Moonbeam Levels", any ideas on how to obtain them? Expanded editions of his '80s albums?

prosecutorgodot · Post by **prosecutorgodot** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:09 pm

I heard some news about Prince, but you might have already heard it. Apparently Prince had bad knees - he went to a basketball game with a cane; everyone thought it was a fashion statement, but it was probably a necessary self-supporting tool. So he was taking a painkiller - I forgot the name of it - to deal with it. This news made me realize anew the importance of health.

But about Whitney... I don't think a single person in the US who lived through the 80s and early 90s doesn't know Whitney Houston. And a large chunk of people today still know her version of "I Will Always Love You." (P.S. I will be including her in my favorite artists list, although not as high as Prince.)

whuntva · Post by **whuntva** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:41 pm

TimmyWing wrote:
I am looking forward to seeing his videos on Youtube again. Too many classic '80s videos that need to see the light of day. Especially for his dancing! Like MJ, he could dance as impressively as he could sing...but then could MJ shred on the guitar like Prince could? The only person I can think of who comes close to Prince, in terms of workhorse ethic and master of seemingly everything, is James Brown, who was clearly an inspiration to him. Having a disciplined band, mixing dance music and politics, not to mention revolutionizing (heh) dance music in the first place.

My brother was looking forward to hearing his music on YouTube!

I told him "He probably made a will. He's still gonna kep it off the web in his will."

Prince was noted as a shrewd businessman. The guy knew how to make money. Whatever happens to his discography, he likely planned it long in advance.

I'm curious to see how his estate will handle the Internet now. I really like all these B-sides. Now Unacclaimed will have a flurry of new selections.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 8:57 pm

Yeah, Bowie and Prince. Both deaths caught me off-guard, like everyone else. And like more people on AM here my thoughts quickly turned towards Moonbeam and Romain, as they have professed their love for Prince so much over the years.

On a personal lever, the death of Prince didn't quite have the impact on me as Bowie. Bowie belonged to my personal heroes and was someone I had listened a lot to. Prince far less. The thing is that as some as you might know I'm not that big on all things eighties, so it took me a while to get into Prince. Only after a bit more extended listening a few years ago I discovered that Prince' classic work isn't just very much of his time, but also transcends it. There is a lot to his songs. It was the album Purple Rain that proved it to me, but I have to shamefully admit that it is still the only album of his I have heard in full. That has partly to do with the fact that his albums are nearly non-existent on the internet and also partly because I just had so much other music to listen to. Prince has for a long time been one of the artists I had planned to delve into, but never actually did. However, a few songs of his have been in rotation a lot on my playlists. Purple Rain is a big favorite of mine. And I always enjoy it when his hits come on the radio.

For a few years now mainstream music has recycled eighties music a lot. Too much if you ask me. Here's something I noticed after all the Prince songs I heard on the radio this week: Prince is the most important eighties artist to be referenced in modern music. i never noticed in consciously before, but so many modern hits have a big flavor of Prince. I don't care much for most of it and it has been clear to me this week that so few of these new artists are in the same league as Prince. Compare The Weeknd, who is obviously inspired by Prince with the man himself. No comparison in talent. It's easy to learn from a real original, but hard to come close to it. Just my two cents.

Post by **Henrik** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 10:03 pm

Moonbeam wrote:
Henrik wrote:
Moonbeam wrote:
Very happy to see you include this. I haven't brought myself to listen to it yet since... shit, I can't even type it.

Wishing there was an AMer in Helsinki (or Trondheim next week) that I could meet up with and commiserate. Really missing my wife and son.
There's no possibility you could make a short stop in Stockholm? I would definitely free my calendar for you!

In any case, good to hear from you Moonbeam, and good to hear that you are well.
Hi Henrik,

Unfortunately not! I am not paying for the trip, or else I would consider coming to Stockholm to see you. But if you have any reason to be in Helsinki from now until April 29th or Trondheim from April 30th to May 7th, I'd be delighted to see you.

Scandinavia is smaller than Australia but still quite large.

Another time, hopefully!

babydoll · Post by **babydoll** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 10:05 pm

Henrik wrote:
Moonbeam wrote:
Henrik wrote: There's no possibility you could make a short stop in Stockholm? I would definitely free my calendar for you!

In any case, good to hear from you Moonbeam, and good to hear that you are well.
Hi Henrik,

Unfortunately not! I am not paying for the trip, or else I would consider coming to Stockholm to see you. But if you have any reason to be in Helsinki from now until April 29th or Trondheim from April 30th to May 7th, I'd be delighted to see you.
Scandinavia is smaller than Australia but still quite large. Another time, hopefully!

Yeah, isn't Petri from Finland?

Petri · Post by **Petri** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 8:03 am

Moonbeam wrote: Wishing there was an AMer in Helsinki (or Trondheim next week) that I could meet up with and commiserate. Really missing my wife and son.

I read this just now. Moonbeam if you're still in Helsinki we can meat later today if you want to and have time.
(During the last three days it really has snowed here in Helsinki.)

TimmyWing · Post by **TimmyWing** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:29 pm

Today, if only briefly, it snowed here in St Andrews.
It's as if I've just broken up with someone how everything reminds me of him.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 6:44 pm

Pfff, so much fantastic vidéos available now:

I search this one since ...a too long time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5aM6b1apQQ#t=190

What a performer!

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Mon Apr 25, 2016 8:54 pm

Romain wrote:Do you find We can Funk ?

Moonbeam wrote:Just did!

WOAH!! I've enjoyed listening to all of the outtakes posted that I didn't know. But this... this really makes me get my purple Prince on!

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 7:48 pm

Incredible...all the videos are now available on youtube.

Another slap in my face after "kiss" and "Cream" when I was younger.
Get Off

The cross, a personnal favorite:

babydoll · Post by **babydoll** » Tue Apr 26, 2016 7:54 pm

Romain wrote:Incredible...all the videos are now available on youtube.

But when will they be official releases? That is the question. (Insert thinking emoji)

Moonbeam · Post by **Moonbeam** » Wed Apr 27, 2016 5:09 pm

Dan wrote:
Romain wrote:Do you find We can Funk ?

Moonbeam wrote:Just did!

WOAH!! I've enjoyed listening to all of the outtakes posted that I didn't know. But this... this really makes me get my purple Prince on!

Have you heard the version on Graffiti Bridge before? I like it even better than this awesome version, mostly for the amazing last 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

Moonbeam · Post by **Moonbeam** » Wed Apr 27, 2016 5:10 pm

Some of what you hear on Purple Rain comes from this legendary concert.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Fri Apr 29, 2016 2:09 pm

Guys, if you search the Outtakes (a part of Prince catalogue as important as the official release), I hugely recommand the 12CD compilation "Blast From The PAst 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0".

The sound is incredible and the music... magnificient (soundboard for a huge part).

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Fri Apr 29, 2016 5:19 pm

Another excellent outtakes (I don't know why he don't include the song on the Parade Album)

There´s Others Here With Us

keater · Post by **keater** » Fri Apr 29, 2016 5:34 pm

Hands down was my favorite artists, he was too young to go. He was supposed to be 80 still trolling us lol.

o.m. · Post by **o.m.** » Sat Apr 30, 2016 8:50 pm

Informative article about his legacy...Rest in Peace...

http://www.mojo4music.com/23813/prince-1958-2016/

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Thu May 05, 2016 7:37 pm

A duo with Kendrick Lamar:
https://www.facebook.com/PrinceMuseum/v ... 909201088/

John · Post by **John** » Fri May 06, 2016 2:15 am

I haven't posted in a long time, but I saw a post about somebody in France selling his 2000+ Prince 45 collection and immediately thought of Moonbeam and even though I knew he doesn't live in France I still thought it had to be his collection. Glad to see everyone else thought about him too, this community has always been one of the best music communities out there.

GucciLittlePiggy · Post by **GucciLittlePiggy** » Fri May 06, 2016 3:28 am

John wrote:This community has always been one of the best music communities out there.

So true. I never became involved with online forums before I joined AM and I haven't joined another since. The discourse on this forum is almost entirely civil, and everyone truly seems to respect one another. I actually get kinda selfish sometimes, because I don't want the site to become too popular. We've already had one troll infiltrate our beautiful community

This site is like a precious piece of hay in the giant needlestack that is the Internet.

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sat May 07, 2016 4:55 pm

His youtube channel is incredible !
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq3_UV ... =dd&view=0

Maybe a good idear of the future posthumes albums!

Romain · Post by **Romain** » Sat May 14, 2016 4:58 pm

This guy was crazy:

A love bizarre !