My fascination with Prince started around 1981 when my cousin let me borrow her Controversy album. I wore the groves out on the record. And in the mid 80’s when everyone was dressing like Michael Jackson I instead wore a small round button that read ‘Rude Boy’.
I’ve seen Prince live 4 times. When my wife and I saw him at the Kimble center it was a night of almost all jazz. My favorite was at the Electric Factory, a small venue in Philadelphia with standing room only. I was in the front row close enough to reach out and touch him. Larry Graham played with him that night. The two of them went head to head on the base. It was insane.
A few year back I also saw Prince and Maceo Parker together the significance of which only a true funk soldier will recognize.
As with many things in life the best stuff is often not the most popular, or mainstream stuff. And, being such a hard core fan I tend to favor the deep cuts; the songs, and albums that aren’t main stream. Here’s a short list of some of my favorites.
- Dear Mr. Man…from Musicology
- The Rainbow Children (both the single and the entire album by the same name)(this is a jazz fusion album)
- And God Created Woman…Off the Symbol CD
- 3121 of the Indigo Nights CD (Recorded live Prince picks up here where Jimi Hendrix left off merging rock, funk, jazz, and classical) I don’t think Indigo Nights is available anywhere retail but if you see grab it 4sho, or swing by my spot and get your grove on.
- Baltimore…off Hit N Run Phase 2
- JugHead (off the Diamonds and Pearls album, the very first time I heard it I wrote in my planner start a company called JugHead..which I did)
- Undisputed featuring Chuck D…off of Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic
- The Morning Papers
- 7 (off the symbol album)
- Cream (For some reason whenever this song is mentioned in the media it’s mentioned in regard to sexual innuendo. However it’s a song about taking risk, believing in yourself, and succeeding…they lyrics are not sexual in the least bit)
- Mr. Pretty Man…with Maceo Parker
- Paradigm with George Clinton
- Beggin’ Woman (Live performance Prince singing the blues…off the Indigo Nights CD
- Lolita…off of 3121 CD
- Mr. Goodnight…off the Planet Earth CD
