Prince (artist)

Prince (born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, known as from 1993-2000) is a popular and influential singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. His music has spanned myriad styles including funk, pop, rock, R&B/soul, and hip hop, and is regarded as the definition of "The Minneapolis Sound".

Purple Rain: Chart success 1983–1993

Prince was backed in the 80s by The Revolution, and in the 90s by the New Power Generation. He has gained attention for hiring and recording with women considered attractive or sexy, including Sheena Easton amongst others. He also worked on different occasions with famous jazz and funk musicians, such as Miles Davis, Larry Graham and Maceo Parker. Prince has also recorded with Ani DiFranco, Madonna, Kate Bush, Rosie Gaines and Gwen Stefani.

Related Topics:
80s - 90s - New Power Generation - Jazz - Funk - Miles Davis - Larry Graham - Maceo Parker - Ani DiFranco - Madonna - Rosie Gaines - Gwen Stefani

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In 1982 Prince released the 1999 album which proved to be a breakthrough album both in the U.S. and internationally selling over three million copies. The title track managed both to make a protest about nuclear proliferation, fill dance floors around the world and become his first top ten hit internationally. With "Little Red Corvette" he joined Michael Jackson as part of the first wave of black artists on MTV and "Delirious" also went top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was also a critical smash, placing at number 6 in The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll.

Related Topics:
1982 - 1999 - Title track - Nuclear proliferation - Little Red Corvette - Michael Jackson - Black - MTV - Delirious - Billboard Hot 100 - The Village Voice - Pazz & Jop

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Prince inspired at least one artist with 1999. Stevie Nicks tells the story of how she heard "Little Red Corvette" on the radio, bought the album, and that night wrote one of her most famous songs, "Stand Back," from her 1983 album The Wild Heart. Stevie even called Prince when she recorded the song, and he came to the studio and played some keyboard for it. Unfortunately, Prince wasn't credited in the liner notes of The Wild Heart, but Stevie made up for that in the liner notes of her 1991 greatest hits release, TimeSpace and on VH1 Storytellers.

Related Topics:
Stevie Nicks - Stand Back - The Wild Heart - TimeSpace - VH1 Storytellers

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The release of Purple Rain along with the film of the same name would establish Prince amongst the top rank of popular musicians in the 1980s. It sold millions of copies in the first week alone. The album would sell over thirteen million copies in the U.S. and spend 24 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200. The movie, while dismissed by humorist-critic Joe Queenan as "sexist, juvenile, and moronic", was nevertheless an enormous success, grossing over US$80 million in the United States alone. However, Purple Rain would prove to be Prince's first and only cinematic success. Although Prince would later direct and star in Under The Cherry Moon (1986) and Graffiti Bridge (1990), both films were met with critical derision and public indifference.

Related Topics:
Purple Rain - Film of the same name - US$ - Under The Cherry Moon - Graffiti Bridge

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Two songs from Purple Rain, "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy" would both top the U.S. singles charts and be smash hits around the world, while the title track would go to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Simultaneously, Prince held the spot of Number 1 movie, Number 1 single, and Number 1 album in the U.S. The album is also a critical favorite again being rated in the top 100 of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, released in late 2003. When she overheard her 12 year-old daughter, Karenna, playing "Darling Nikki" (whose lyrics include "I met her in a hotel lobby/masturbating with a magazine"), Tipper Gore founded the Parents Music Resource Center, which has spurred the use of "explicit lyric" stickers and imprints on album covers.

Related Topics:
When Doves Cry - Let's Go Crazy - Title track - Rolling Stone's - 2003 - Karenna - Darling Nikki - Tipper Gore - Parents Music Resource Center

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In 1985, at the pinnacle of super-stardom, after touring the U.S. tirelessly with the Purple Rain Tour, Prince briefly decided to give up live performances and making videos on the release of Around The World In A Day, which went to the top of the U.S. album charts for three weeks. Prince's momentary ban on videos ended as the album stalled in the charts with a video for "Raspberry Beret" which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

Related Topics:
1985 - Pinnacle - Around The World In A Day - Raspberry Beret

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In 1986, Prince released the album Parade as a soundtrack to the film Under The Cherry Moon. The album went to number 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number two on the R&B album charts. The first single, "Kiss", would top the Billboard Hot 100. At the same time, "Manic Monday" by The Bangles reached number 2 on the Hot 100, which Prince had written under the pseudonym "Christopher". Following the movie and album, Prince returned to touring with a stripped-down tour-de-force, focusing on the music itself and the talent of The Revolution members.

Related Topics:
Parade - Kiss - Manic Monday - The Bangles - Pseudonym - Tour-de-force - The Revolution

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Prince is often mentioned in the tradition of Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke in mixing spirituality and sensuality. "I Would Die 4 U", for instance, can be compared to Gaye's "Sexual Healing", with its not-so-subtle reference to Jesus. The track "The Cross", off Sign O' The Times, is a stronger reference to Prince's Christian beliefs, which have since shifted. Sign O' The Times, released in 1987 as a double album, reached the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and is regarded as one of his greatest albums. It is perhaps his most critically-acclaimed effort, reaching the top 100 of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, et al.

Related Topics:
Marvin Gaye - Sam Cooke - Spirituality - Sensuality - I Would Die 4 U - Sexual Healing - Jesus - Sign O' The Times - Christian - 1987

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Following the album, Prince launched the Sign O' The Times Tour in Europe. At the end of the last tour, Prince disbanded The Revolution, parting ways with Wendy Melvoin, Wendy and Lisa|Lisa Coleman, Bobby "Z" Rivkin and Mark "Brown Mark" Brown. The so-called "Counter-Revolution" retained Matt Fink on keyboards, and added Boni Boyer on keyboards, Sheila E on drums, Levi Seacer, Jr. on bass, and Miko Weaver on guitar. In 1987, a live concert film was shot of the Sign O' The Times Tour in Rotterdam and Antwerp. Portions were re-recorded and the performances mimed in the soundstage of his newly-opened Paisley Park Studios complex in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Housing three complete recording studios, and a complete soundstage for performances and video production, the studios have been Prince's playground since their opening. Situated near his home in Minnesota, Paisley Park has allowed Prince to record at the drop of a hat.

Related Topics:
Europe - Wendy Melvoin - Bobby "Z" Rivkin - Brown Mark - Matt Fink - Boni Boyer - Sheila E - Levi Seacer, Jr. - Miko Weaver - 1987 - Rotterdam - Antwerp - Mimed - Soundstage - Chanhassen

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In 1987 Prince also recorded The Black Album, a funk-oriented album whose erotically-charged lyrics were considered so blatant that Prince developed a crisis of conscience and decided not to officially release it. The album circulated through the bootleg underground music world until it was finally given an official release in 1994. The 1988 album Lovesexy was Prince's positive and spiritual answer to the dark message of The Black Album. Lovesexy was a relative disappointment in its chart performance, only reaching number 11 on the Billboard 200. The Lovesexy Tour in the U.S. also proved to be commercial disappointment. Refusing a commercial sponsor for the large, expensive tour, Prince lost money as dates failed to sell out. In turn, Prince toured Europe, where his popularity had reached a fever pitch. Prince recouped his losses with the European and Japanese legs of the tour, and connected on a spiritual level with audiences across the world. The show design, with the front half influenced by "Spooky Electric", Prince's euphemism for the devil, and the second half revitalized by "lovesexy", a feeling of love inspired by and connected with God, was a powerhouse showcase for Prince, his music, and the band.

Related Topics:
The Black Album - Bootleg - Underground music - 1994 - 1988 - Lovesexy - Fever pitch - Devil - God

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In 1989, Prince would record the soundtrack for Batman, which would return him to the top of the U.S. album charts, with the single and worldwide hit "Batdance" reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Prince released the film sequel to Purple Rain, titled Graffiti Bridge, which performed poorly at the box office, but provided another outlet for Prince's spiritually-inspired messages. The soundtrack featured Prince on one side and other artists such as Tevin Campbell, Mavis Staples of the Staple Singers, and Morris Day and The Time. It would reach a chart peak of number 6 in the U.S. and number one in the UK.

Related Topics:
1989 - Batman - Batdance - Tevin Campbell - Mavis Staples - The Staple Singers

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The Diamonds And Pearls album in 1991 gave Prince another big hit on the album charts with the song "Cream" giving him his fifth U.S. number one single. Diamonds And Pearls also marked the debut of the New Power Generation featuring rapper Tony M, Rosie Gaines on vocals, Michael Bland on drums, Levi Seacer and Kirk Johnson on guitar, Sonny T on bass, and Tommy Barbarella on keyboards.

Related Topics:
Diamonds And Pearls - 1991 - Cream - New Power Generation - Tony M - Rosie Gaines - Michael Bland - Levi Seacer - Kirk Johnson - Sonny T - Tommy Barbarella

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In 1992, Prince worked on Kate Bush's album, The Red Shoes. With both artists previously expressing their mutual admiration and respect for each other, it was deemed a perfect coupling. Collaborating chiefly on the song "Why Should I Love You", Prince added bass, guitar, keyboards, his vocals and other arrangments to the mix. This would be the final "Prince" credit proper, until 2000. Kate Bush reciprocated in 1996 and is featured on background vocals (or "additional vox" as Prince prefers) on the Emancipation track, "My Computer".

Related Topics:
1992 - The Red Shoes - Emancipation

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Prince's 12th album was entitled "", dubbed by critics as The Love Symbol Album. It reached the top ten of the U.S. album charts. In 1993, he would change his name to which marked the start of a decade of declining commercial and critical success. The symbol is said to be a melding of the symbols for male and female, and its roots can be seen in basic characters found in alchemy. Due to being unpronounceable, he was often referred to as "The artist formerly known as Prince," "TAFKAP," or simply "The Artist."

Related Topics:
The Love Symbol Album - 1993 - Alchemy

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Throughout the ups and downs of his commercial success and chart performance, Prince has been regarded as one of top live acts in the music business, often performing not only in large arenas, but also late at night in small clubs for a select audience. He maintained a strong live following despite spending most of the 1990s and early 2000s in commercial exile. Performing often at Paisley Park, local and international audiences of 5-2500 people have witnessed rare musical moments produced by a consumate performer who emphasizes musicianship above all else.

Related Topics:
1990s - 2000s

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