"The Joint I've Been Layin' For" - Favorite Prince Songs (Part 1)

Even though my book is about Prince's spiritual journey, it was his music that attracted me. I was a fan before I wrote one word about him. I will always have respect for him and I truly believe he is a musical genius.

I was familiar with a lot of Prince music before I began this project, but this process has really exposed me to even more songs. I love that I am still discovering new musical gems in his discography at this stage, and I've been a fan for 14 years now! He is one of the most prolific artists in popular music.

With that said, I thought it'd be fun to list my favorite song from each Prince album that I've researched so far. This was a very difficult task; I really wanted to include "ties" between two songs in many cases. However, I asked myself which song I would take with me on a deserted island.

1. For You (1978): "Soft and Wet." It's just so funky, and I love the layered vocals.


2. Prince (1979): "I Wanna Be Your Lover." I know it looks like a cop out because it's the single, but it's a classic. I really enjoy the extended instrumental section at the end (extended instrumental sections are kinda my thing).


3. Dirty Mind (1980): "Head." I'm so embarrassed, but it's the funkiest track on the album.


4. Controversy (1981): "Controversy." I really, really wanted to say "Annie Christian," but I just feel the funk of "Controversy" in my bones. "Love you, love baby." 


5. 1999 (1982): "D.M.S.R." Ok, this is becoming a pattern; I'm a funk head.


6. Purple Rain (1984): "Computer Blue." This is the song that made me pay attention to Prince as a rock star. I am obsessed with the B section.


7. Around the World in a Day (1985): "America." You guessed it.


8. Parade (1986): "Anotherloverholenyohead." Surprised? That was hard because the piano solo on "Under the Cherry Moon," though very brief, gives me chills.


9. Sign O' the Times (1987): "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man." Ok, no one should ever have to choose a favorite from this album. How did I do it? The extended instrumental section strikes again...


10. Lovesexy (1988): "Glam Slam." Many would say that this is one of the weakest tracks, but the melody just gets to me every time. I hope I made the right choice; it's hard to ignore the vibrant, positive explosion that is "Eye No."


11. Batman (1989): "Vicki Waiting." I talked about this in a recent blog post. I can't get this melody and Prince's vocals out of my head. I had this on repeat in my car practically all month.


12. Graffiti Bridge* (1990): "The Question of U." What a bloody fight between that, "Joy in Repetition" and "Elephants & Flowers." "The Question of U" is just so intriguing due to the dark mood, voice effects and hand claps. 

*I haven't studied this album in depth--I put it on my calendar for next week. I wanted to motivate myself. 

What are your favorite songs on Prince's first twelve albums?

"The End of the Journey's So Clear" - Plans for 2016

In my last blog post, I decided that I wouldn't get hung up on due dates. I supposed I've changed my mind...sort of. While I'm no longer promising my audience a specific time frame, I would like to stick to a schedule in 2016.

What if I tried to finish my book next year? Even if I don't reach that goal, I think striving for it can only help me. So, I'm bringing my content calendar back!

In addition to scheduling my day-to-day tasks, I've also created a high-level calendar based on Prince albums. Take a look:

• Jan 2016: "Batman" + "Graffiti Bridge"
• Feb 2016: "Diamonds and Pearls"
• Mar 2016: "Love Symbol"
• Apr 2016: "Come" + "The Black Album" + "The Gold Experience"
• May 2016: "Chaos and Disorder" + "Emancipation"
• June 2016: "Crystal Ball"
• July 2016: "The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale" + "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic" 
• August 2016: "The Rainbow Children" + "One Nite Alone"
• September 2016: "Xpectation" + "N.E.W.S."
• October 2016: "Musicology"

I'd like to spend the remainder of the year writing the conclusion and epilogue, and editing the entire book.

Additionally, I have outlined my blog topics for the next five weeks so I can stay on track! Next week, I'm going to talk about my favorite Prince songs. 

Stay tuned!

"Last December" - When Will My Journey End?

I was so energized and productive last week. This week has been a bit of a drag. My spirits have been low, and I'm blogging a day late, but I'm going to push through!

As 2015 comes to a close, it's time for me to review my progress on the Prince book. I'm not where I want to be, but I've certainly come a long way.

When I started my blog in 2010, I wanted to expand my book and meet Prince by December 2011...and then by 2012. Next, I decided that meeting Prince was not mandatory for my book, and I set a goal to secure more interviews and add 80 pages--as part of my thesis for grad school--by December 2015. I'm proud of myself for adding well over 80 pages, completing a ton of interviews, and graduating from Ohio University before my deadline!

My next goal is to complete and publish the book. I would love to finish writing by December 2016, but I'm not going to get caught up on anymore due dates right now. I'm just going to continue to do my best. So, let's just say I'll be done on a purple day in December!

I am going to make a rough writing schedule for myself, though. I'll share that next week.

Thanks for your support!

"That Night I Had to Call You" - Updated List of Interviews

It's been a long time since I provided a list of my interviews. Here are the people I've spoken to so far:

Interview with former pre-Revoluation band member Gayle Chapman

Interviews with Rolling Stone journalists

Interview with former press agent Howard Bloom

Interview with former Warner Bros. Director of Publicity Roberta Burrows

Interview with gossip columnist CJ

Interview with former church youth group leader Art Erickson

Brief chat with a very special person

Interview with a family member

Interview with members from the Seventh-Day Adventist church Prince attended

Interview with Larry Graham

Interview with former music collaborator Chris Moon

Interview with former girlfriend Jill Jones

Interview with former set and lighting designer Roy Bennett

Interview with former business associate Craig Rice

Interview with former stagehand and production assistant Cheryl Sonny Thompson

Interview with flower girl Ali Zampino


More great interviews to come in 2016!

"All is Well in Gotham City" - the Batman Album

I finally listened to the "Batman" soundtrack by Prince. I didn't think I would enjoy it, but I did! As I mentioned last week, I really like "The Future" and "Trust."

However, the best song on the soundtrack is, by far, "Vicki Waiting." I just love the melody, and the joke that Prince tells on the track is hilarious! I would repeat it, but...well, just listen to the song.

"Vicki Waiting" also provides some insight into Prince's romantic relationships. According to other biographers, the song was originally titled "Anna Waiting," and it's about Prince's ex-girlfriend Anna Garcia (by the way, I've been waiting for over two years to interview her. Maybe it'll happen one day). The lyrics confirm some things that Jill Jones shared with me in my interview with her. I can't wait to write about the song in my book!

I think my next favorite song is "Partyman." It's just great fun! My least favorite tracks? "The Arms of Orion," followed by "Batdance." 

I still have to do a close reading of each song's lyrics, but "The Future" seems to be the most spiritual song on the album.

Be back next week! Thanks for reading!

What is your favorite track on the Batman album?

"Black and White, Red and Green" - the Batman Movie

I've been planning to start researching the "Batman" era of Prince's life and career, and I finally watched the 1989 Tim Burton film on Sunday. I hadn't seen it since I was little, and I didn't remember much. I figured I'd watch the movie and then listen to Prince's soundtrack.

It was really cool seeing Prince's name high in the opening credits. I felt really excited for him; landing the opportunity to do the "Batman" soundtrack was likely a huge deal.

I thought the movie was decent. Jack Nicholson did a superb job as the Joker; he definitely stole the show. The "Partyman" scene was great. I wonder how much of the scene was conceived prior to Prince's involvement. I also appreciated the purple outfit. I don't know enough right now to determine the extent of Prince's influence on Nicholson's character; I still have a lot of research to do.

I didn't see any themes in the movie that might relate to the subject matter of my book. Some say that there are parallels between the Joker character and Prince. I don't know enough about the Joker's psychology to offer an opinion. Burton's movie didn't really provide a detailed character analysis.

I'm looking forward to listening to the soundtrack from beginning to end. Prior to watching the movie, I was only familiar with "The Future," which I love. "Trust" also stood out to me while I watched the film. I also can't wait to listen to Peach & Black's analysis of the album.

Do you like Tim Burton's first Batman movie? 

"Now, There Must be a Wedding" - Interview with Ali Zampino

Happy Monday! I typically post on Tuesdays, but I will be in Cleveland all day tomorrow for a business trip, so I thought I'd publish a little early. I'm so pleased to announce that I interviewed Ali Zampino, a flower girl in Prince's 1996 wedding to Mayte Garcia!

Zampino was only seven years old when she participated in the wedding, so she doesn't remember much, but our conversation was still valuable. I found out why Prince and Garcia had a total of six flower girls in their wedding. While Zampino didn't have much contact with Prince, she did interact with Garcia. It was nice to hear her impression of Prince's now ex-wife.

Zampino has generously agreed to share pictures with me and put me in touch with other sources who might be helpful for the book. It's so important to talk with everyone regardless of how close they are to Prince--you just never know whom they know and what doors they can open for you.

I wish I could share more, but I can't give everything away before the book comes out!