"Just Like My Father" - Dad's Thoughts on Prince

I am indebted to my parents for instilling in me a love of black music. I grew up appreciating artists like Prince because of them. They were both born the same year as Prince and grew up with him in a way. It's fun to imagine them experiencing his music in real time.

Prince was beloved by black people in the '70s, and my parents also gravitated toward his music. They appreciated his entire career, but fell away from him at times. They understood that he didn't want to be pigeonholed as a black artist, but still felt something was missing for them during his crossover to the mainstream in the mid-80s.

Besides the early stuff, my Dad loves songs like "Pop Life" and "If I Was Your Girlfriend." While most Prince fans hate Graffiti Bridge, my whole family embraced that movie. I think it's because a lot of it is rooted in blackness, featuring black royalty like Mavis Staples and George Clinton. While the script is lacking, many of the musical performances are incredible.

My dad never saw Prince live, but reconnected with his music before he died. I think I made sure he checked out 3121 (he likes "Te Amo Corazón") and Lotusflow3r (he's a fan of "Colonized Mind"). Lately I've been a bad daughter; I need to buy him all of the posthumous releases, especially the Originals album. He was asking me for more information about Prince's relationship with The Time and Alexander O'Neal, so I need to get him Morris Day's book, too!

So often we are busy just enjoying the music and not taking time to reflect on what it meant to us. To that end, it was wonderful to ask Dad some questions about Prince. Check out his answers below!


What was your first impression of Prince?

I remember both For You (1978) and Prince (1979). ... Usually you see (on the album) where different people write the songs. Well, he wrote everything and did all the instruments. All that was just amazing to me. I really liked that Prince album. I remember "When We're Dancing Close and Slow." I love that song! And of course I like "Sexy Dancer" and "Still Waiting."

You've said you love Dirty Mind (1980), but didn't you think his clothing was too racy at the time?

I did when I saw the album cover, but when I started listening to the music, it didn't bother me (anymore).

Did you like the song, "Head?"

Yeah! I wasn't going to (admit) that to you. ... You really don't pay attention to (his) lyrics because you go to the club and it's got a nice beat and everybody's up jammin' and dancing. But then once you get home and you start really listening to it, you're like, "Oh, that's what he's really talking about."

What do you remember about Controversy (1981)? 

I still remember your mother getting so mad--she won't even remember; she was so mad (about the title track) because it had "The Lord's Prayer" in it. I really didn't pay much attention to it until she said it.

My dad's copy of Controversy on 8-track

Did you like 1999 (1982)? 

Yeah, but not as much as his early stuff. Other audiences started liking him. I remember going to work and other people were saying, "Have you heard that Prince song, 'Little Red Corvette?' That's really nice!" And I'm like, "These people aren't even [really] listening to him." His music kinda changed a little bit, too. I liked his earlier music--it's kinda hard to explain--when it was more "him." ... I still liked him. I still liked his music but his early stuff is what I really love.

What about Purple Rain (1984)? 

I liked the movie more (than the album). ...  People at work were dressing up like him and going (to his concert). I don't know (why I didn't go), probably because I was working. I was working third shift then.

Did you like the movie, Under the Cherry Moon (1986)? 

I hated that movie. I was confused watching the whole thing. It made no sense to me. I still to this day don't understand it. I don't understand it.

You loved Graffiti Bridge (1990), but what did you think of him in the '90s, especially when he changed his name?

That's when he was with the New Power Generation, right? I have a few CDs from the '90s but I didn't keep up with it as much. I don't think it was "him."

I mean, this happened to Elvis, quite a few people. It probably even happened to Michael (Jackson), too. As they got older and as times changed, they fell out of the limelight a little bit. So I thought he was just trying to (get attention) because everybody was talking about how he changed his name, and that put him back out there.

Why did you start paying attention again in the 2000s?

It seemed like he got back to where he was more creative, like he was in the beginning.

Do you mean he seemed more in touch with black culture or his roots?

That's part of it but I don't want to say that's all of it. I just think he was back to where he was being more creative. It seemed like he went into a little lull there where he was just making music (to be making music).

What did you think of his performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on the day he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

I remember he (soloed) right in front of Tom Petty. I think he was messing with him, too!

Do you think he's underrated as a guitar player?

I hate to say it, but most black artists fall into that. Just because they're black (people think) the only thing they can do is R&B or hip-hop. And he's not the only one. You like Parliament-Funkadelic; if you go to any of their concerts or listen to their music, they can play anything. That's another reason why I like (Prince) so much because he can play anything. ... It was just natural.

How did you respond to his death?

That really hurt me. At first I didn't think it was true. He was always performing and I never really heard about him being ill so it was kind of a shock to me. It took me a while to really believe it until I started hearing it from you and some other people. That really hurt me. I think he had so much more to do and to pass on. I keep hearing about all these albums and stuff he had in the vault, so I'd love to hear some of that.


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"Save Me, Jesus" - Graham Central Station's Spiritual Messages

On April 17, the world will be reintroduced to Prince's 2001 album, The Rainbow Children. The release is just one of the Prince Estate's new reissues from the early aughts.

Many Prince fans know The Rainbow Children as the artist's "Jehovah's Witness album." He recorded it in the midst of his conversion to the faith. (He was officially baptized in 2003.) His spiritual mentor at the time was legendary bassist Larry Graham, who played with Sly and the Family Stone before forming his own funk band, Graham Central Station (GCS). Graham also contributed some bass work to The Rainbow Children.

But what were Graham's "Jehovah's Witness albums?" During our interview, he named two Graham Central Station records: Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It (1975) and Mirror (1976). He was baptized in 1975.

Given that Graham Central Station was one of Prince's favorite bands, Prince likely owned both on vinyl. And throughout his career, he performed "The Jam" (from Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It) regularly.


It's not known how Prince felt about the spiritual messages on the GCS albums as a teenager, but he'd eventually preach some of the same ideas as an adult.

Read more about GCS's references to scripture--from the Jehovah's Witnesses' New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures--below.

Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It

"For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised up incorruptible, and we will be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:52

That verse describes the "Last Judgment" by Jesus Christ during the end of the world. Both the living and newly resurrected dead will be judged, and the righteous will live forever in paradise. The concept is depicted on the cover of Graham Central Station's Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It. Jesus, angels and what appears to be a demon are in the sky, while the members of GCS are on Earth, which is in the midst of turmoil.

Larry Graham, however, is smiling. The Jehovah's Witness faith paints "Judgment Day" in a positive light, describing it as "a time of hope and restoration."

Below you can see the similarities between the image and the 1435 painting of the "Last Judgment" by Stefan Lochner.

By © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro, CC BY-SA 4.0

On the back cover, the band members are shown in all white clothing, peering out a window at an orange sky. Perhaps they are angels looking down at the destruction on Earth. One musician is sounding a trumpet. The 1 Corinthians Bible verse is also included on the cover.

Prince similarly referenced the end of the world and the return of Christ in songs like "1999," "Let's Go Crazy," "Darling Nikki," "7" and "Get on the Boat."

In the liner notes, Graham thanks Jehovah, as Prince would later do on his albums. Graham also lists himself as a writer, producer and arranger--a practice Prince would also employ. It must be noted that the GCS album came out on Warner Bros. just three years before Prince made his debut on the record label.

Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It even includes a song, "It Ain't Nothing But a Warner Bros. Party," which shouts out fellow artists--including the Doobie Brothers and Tower of Power--and label executives like President Mo Ostin, who had a long working relationship with Prince. The song is reminiscent in spirit of Prince's "We Can Work It Out," which he wrote as a tribute to Warner Bros. after signing with the label himself. On the song, Prince coincidentally--or intentionally--sings, "Ain't no doubt about it, we can work it out." And at the end, he lowers his voice, Graham-style, to say, "Making music naturally, me and WB."

Neither Graham nor Prince shied away from mentioning both Jesus and Satan in their music, though Graham was more direct.

"Satan's out to get you/Jesus died to save you," Graham sings on "Water." Jesus is also referenced on "Luckiest People."

While Prince mentioned "the Devil" and Jesus on songs like "Eye No" and "Anna Stesia," he would often talk about these Biblical figures in code (e.g. "De-elevator" on "Let's Go Crazy" or the protagonist of "I Would Die 4 U").

"[Larry's] taught me so much about respecting one another, musicians listening to one another, and just the sound of his bass  -- it's undeniable." - Prince, 1999

Mirror

"God is love." - 1 John 4:8

That scripture is one of the cornerstones of Prince's musical output (see "Anna Stesia"). It also showed up in the liner notes of GCS's 1976 album, Mirror. Graham wrote a dedication to his father, Larry Graham, Sr., who died that same year. Praying that his father "is a part of the resurrection," he also references Revelation 21:4: "And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore."

Prince arguably alludes to the same scripture in both "Elephants and Flowers" and "7."

Mirror album, 1976

Graham Sr. is also pictured in the liner notes. He was a jazz musician, just like Prince's father, John L. Nelson. Both Prince and Larry Graham's mothers were also musicians.

Larry Graham Sr. on guitar and John L. Nelson at the piano

Larry Graham also thanks his wife, Tina, citing Genesis 2:23: "Bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh."

Prince would reference the same scripture in his song, "And God Created Woman."

The cover art for Mirror is a single sheet of reflective foil, seemingly encouraging the listener to examine his or her soul. The album is even more spiritual than Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It. The second track, "Love (Covers a Multitude of Sin)," is taken directly from 1 Peter 4:8: "Above all things, have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins."

Prince would later employ "Love 4 One Another" as a mantra, website and charity.

"I've worked with other musicians that were great, but they didn't allow me to really have the freedom that I needed to be able to give them all that I could give them. With baby brother [Prince], he allows me the freedom to give all that I can give, and as a result, what we're doing now, when you hear it, you can see that it's coming from the heart, which is why we're touching hearts." - Larry Graham, 1999

GCS included more spiritual messages on "Mirror," "Forever" (dedicated to Graham Sr.) and "Save Me," which is a funk and gospel masterpiece, with incredible vocal, horn and string arrangements, as well as extraordinary bass-thumping by Graham. The musical shift at 2:35, featuring a synthesizer solo, is an amazing moment of understated funk. The song is, undoubtedly, the religious center of the album.

"You should open [the Bible] up to Matthew 24," the band members sing. "And take a look for yourself just what you're living for."


That chapter in the book of Matthew describes the end of the world. Verse 21 states, "For then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again." Prince would later sing about avoiding "the tribulation" on his song, "Get on the Boat."

*

Religion aside, these two GCS albums are dope musically, especially Mirror. The funk and musicianship are undeniable. And even Prince's most religious projects, like The Rainbow Children, are still strong musically.

Though Prince and Larry Graham referenced the same Biblical ideas, Prince was often more covert. Unlike his mentor, he rarely called out explicit chapters and verses in his lyrics. Most of the time, you had to dig to find the references. Other times, Prince would take Biblical text and alter individual words, phrases or points of view to fit his narrative. Because he grew up in the church, he'd internalized scripture. One wonders if he was channeling when he was writing, or if he sometimes sat down with the Bible and a pen and paper.

I wish I could ask him.

Finally, thanks to Larry for the music and for inspiring Prince and numerous other musicians. We have to give these icons their flowers now.

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"Pink Cashmere" - Song of the Month

Each month I will share some brief, personal thoughts on one of my favorite Prince songs.


"Music is healing," Prince said in his memoir, The Beautiful Ones. Who wouldn't agree? I even think Prince's guitar solos are healing, and the one on "Pink Cashmere" always makes me feel better. I used to make playlists for my mother, and I put this song on one of them because, although she was a Prince fan, it was new to her. She told me, "I can tell it's a Prince song by the guitar solo." Besides the healing properties, I think this is one of his best ballads, from the orchestration to the lyrics to the vocal arrangements and ad libs. This is the kind of slow jam I prefer (sorry to "Do Me, Baby"). The best thing about discovering Prince is that, once you get past all the major hits, which are amazing enough, you find the lesser-known gems, and you can't believe this guy is even better than you thought! At least that's what happened to me. I was floored when I first heard this track, and played it repeatedly. It brings back memories of my first year or so of college, when I was still exploring his discography.

Which Prince guitar solos are healing to you?


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“Dr. Everything’ll Be All Right” – Blog Checkup

In the past, I used to do more “process”-oriented blog posts about my book. For example, I’d talk about requesting interviews, organizing my research or securing publishers. I thought I’d try to get back to doing some of that, but I really hope to be done with the book soon.

Personally, I’m struggling with some obstacles in my everyday life. It’s difficult to write when you are in a low place emotionally and/or overwhelmed with life decisions. There are moments when I think about quitting. I know other writers can relate. Sometimes you just want to run away.

With that said, I think it’s important to ask yourself a few questions: 1) Why are you doing what you’re doing? 2) Is it worthwhile? 3) Are you working smart and not too hard?

Here goes…

1) Why am I blogging?

Since 2010, my goal has been to build an audience that would eventually buy my book. Ten years later, that is still the goal, but it has expanded. I think this blog has helped position me as a Prince scholar, especially regarding religious studies/spirituality. Additionally, I’ve been able to provide news and expand aspects of Prince’s history/legacy at times, especially given some interviews I’ve been able to get that aren’t related to my book.

2) Is it worthwhile?

Yes. This blog allows me to keep track of my audience. I’m happy with my views, but I can be much better about analyzing my stats. Back in 2010, Blogger was still poppin’, but now I realize the site’s analytics are lacking. I’m setting a goal to install Google Analytics so I can see how I’m doing in greater detail year over year.

The best thing that I’ve done so far is start a newsletter via Mailchimp for my blog. Each month, I send out an email with my recent blog posts and bonus content. In 2019, I set a goal to acquire 500 subscribers, and by the end of the year I had 566! Running giveaways through ShortStack has been helpful, albeit expensive. This year, I hope to increase my subscribers to 1,000 (you can help me out by subscribing here). Toward that end, I set another goal to run Facebook ads.

3) Am I working smart and not too hard?

One thing I admire about my earlier approach to blogging is that I worked more on my book than my blog. Last year, that was not the case. Though my blog posts have gotten better (and prettier), I spend too much time on them. That is a personality flaw; I can’t do anything halfway. I will spend hours or days on a blog until it is perfect.

My goal is to work smarter so that I’m creating strong content in less time. I think I can achieve that by designating just one day (maybe Thursday evening) to blogging. I’ll have to work up to limiting my hours on that day. I also think I can make my blog posts shorter and have some recurring posts. For example, I used to do a photo-based series that helped cut down my workload.

Beginning next week, I’m going to start a “Song of the Month” series that will be a short, personal post about one of my favorite Prince songs.

4) Bonus: What other types of content can my audience expect?

I’m still sitting on new interviews with Mike Scott, Rashida Robinson, Jesse Hayes and Dave Hampton. I would like to get around to transcribing, following up with those folks and creating snapshots of those discussions. I also have a list of new people I’d like to interview this year.

I’m thinking about doing a series about my family and Prince. Maybe I can pull that off beginning Feb. 28. Also, I’d like to hire more guest writers to contribute to the blog.

Additionally, I’m going to a couple Prince conferences this year, so I will cover those events like I have in the past.


Is there anything else you’d like to see on the blog?

"All for Fun and Fun for All" - "Crystal Ball" Challenge

     Photo by Rachel Kayla

"I could be singing a song any style, any way/Ain't nothing but a trick to me."

Last month, YouTube personality Prince's Friend put together a fun video. He condensed Prince's 1998 three-disc album, Crystal Ball, into one CD. His approach was very methodical; he kept the album under 60 minutes, eliminated remixes and honored the original combination of '80s and '90s music.

The only rule I adhered to was the number of tracks. Prince's Friend included 10 tracks, plus a bonus (thank you for that!). Beyond that, I was purely subjective. Crystal Ball is one of my least favorite Prince albums (Though bundled with the set, The Truth is its own masterpiece) and I skip around a lot. However, this challenge was more difficult than I imagined.

Related 'Playlist' Content

Seven Writers Cut Prince's 'Emancipation' Down to 45 Minutes

Favorite Prince Songs from the '90s 

Prince's Most Autobiographical Songs

I was very tempted to jettison all the '80s music. In my opinion, the newer content is much stronger. But because the title track--a standout song--was recorded in the '80s, I decided to keep two others from that period ("Movie Star" and "Cloreen Bacon Skin"), especially since they show off Prince's humor. Additionally, I felt like I had to keep in the nasty bass tracks ("What's My Name" and "Days of Wild"), as well as the blues workout "The Ride."

A couple years ago, I would have ignored "Acknowledge Me," but podcaster and purple enthusiast Darling Nisi made me see the light. We agree the song could have been a radio hit!

GIF by Darling Nisi

While Prince's Friend did an amazing job sequencing the album to tell a story, my project is more eclectic. I think it shows myriad sides of Prince's artistry. I'd give this playlist to someone who only knew Prince's hits from the '80s.

1. "Crystal Ball"
2. "What's My Name"
3. "Movie Star"
4. "Ripopgodazippa"
5. "Calhoun Square"
6. "Da Bang"
7. "Days of Wild"
8. "2morrow"
9. "The Ride"
10. "Acknowledge Me"
11. "Cloreen Bacon Skin"

Total run time: Approx. 70 minutes

P.S. "Crucial" isn't as good as y'all think it is.

Click here for my Spotify playlist.

Click here for Prince's Friend's Spotify playlist (renamed "Days of Wild").


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"Welcome to the Dawn" - Reflecting on "The Gold Experience"

    Photo by Rachel Kayla

I didn't experience Prince's 1995 album, The Gold Experience, as a whole--in real time. God bless my mother; she was great about buying a lot of the latest music for the household throughout the '90s, but she'd gotten away from listening to entire Prince albums. Still, I have memories of a couple songs that were out.

Most of my engagement with The Gold Experience happened when I was an adult. I immediately connected with a couple songs, but it took me several years before I fully appreciated the album. Today, I believe it's one of Prince's strongest projects during the '90s. (In my opinion, "Shy" is one of the best songs he's ever written.)

I've been listening to the album lately and figured I'd share some personal reflections.


"Shhh"

Like a lot of folks my age, I first heard Tevin Campbell sing this song on his 1993 album, I'm Ready. I was not aware that it was a Prince song at the time. All I knew was the sexy tune made me uncomfortable. I was used to "Little Tevin Campbell" and I was still little myself.

Moving forward, my family and I only listened to the Campbell songs written by Babyface ("Can We Talk," "I'm Ready" and "Always in My Heart"). Only recently did I discover Prince wrote three other songs on Campbell's album: "Uncle Sam," "The Halls of Desire" and "Paris 1798430." The latter is my jam!


I heard Prince's version of "Shhh" as an adult. Honestly, it's not my favorite. I love Michael Bland's drumming, but I don't play it often. I'm a bit of an outlier; I'm not in love with a lot of Prince's classic, sexy songs ("Do Me, Baby," "Scandalous," "Insatiable," etc.). Don't get me wrong, they're great, but I have a stronger connection to other songs in his discography.

Related Content

How Prince helped Tevin Campbell Get Political on 'I'm Ready' 

Prince Becomes a Bass Hero on 'Shy' 

Personal reflections on 'Lotusflow3r' 

"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" 

Like 700,000 people at the time, my mother bought "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" and played it over and over and over. It makes sense; it's a soulful throwback to the music she loved growing up. She also marveled at his wide vocal range on the song. However, the most tender memory I have is of her telling my sister and me that we were the most beautiful girls in the world. It's even more special because she got what Prince was trying to do--draw attention to the beauty within all women. (Be back later, crying.)


"Billy Jack Bitch"

It's no secret that Prince wrote this song about former Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist C.J., who nicknamed him "Symbolina." C.J. was one of my first interviews; I spoke with her back in 2012. She talked to me about the time they met in person. According to C.J., he said he didn't recognize her, and when she introduced herself, he replied, "Billy!"

"He said that he thought I was one of his old girlfriends, and that the reason I wrote negative things about him is because he had broken my heart," C.J. told me. "I said to him, 'I don’t look like anybody you have ever dated.' I looked good at that time, but I don’t look like Mayte. I don’t look like Manuela. I know his type and it is not me."


The first person I told about the interview was Laila, one of my best friends. We could not stop laughing. From then on, we'd randomly text each other, "BILLY JACK BITCH!" or "Billy!" In fact, let me text her now...

For years I just dismissed "Billy Jack Bitch" as a silly song, but now I have a new appreciation for the music. It's incredibly funky, and I've sat in my car no less than 100 times rewinding the horn part at the end. If I'm ever able to interview arranger and musician Michael B. Nelson, I'm asking him about that section!

"Gold"

Before The Gold Experience came out, there were rumors going around that Prince had written a song as epic as "Purple Rain." When I played "Gold" for the first time, I was blown away. I had to talk to someone about it, and I made my boyfriend at the time listen to it with me. (He wasn't that impressed.)

Sure, you may not rank "Gold" as high as "Purple Rain," especially given your nostalgia or the fact that the earlier tune happened at the peak of Prince's popularity. But "Gold" is a beautiful song, and the vocal arrangement at the end still makes me tear up. Please stop sleeping on Prince's '90s output.

And please listen to this song again.



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"Check the Record" - "Ultimate Prince" Archive

Nearly two years ago, I was asked to contribute to Diffuser.fm's series, "365 Prince Songs in a Year." That partnership led to an opportunity to write for UltimatePrince.com, a website dedicated to the artist's life and career.

I'm keeping a running list of all my articles below.

(Some of my Prince-related work for Ultimate Prince's sister sites is included as well.)


Prince Makes 'Slow Love' with Carole R. Davis

Prince, Montalbo and Juice Get Their 'Groove On'

The Many Lives of 'Bambi'

Prince Becomes a Bass Hero on 'Shy'

Prince Ponders The Question of U

*Prince's Death Two Years Later: Our Writers Answer Five Lingering Questions 
(Ultimate Classic Rock)

*Prince's Milestone Birthdays: Charting His Life Decade By Decade (The Boombox)

Prince 'Batman' Roundtable: Our Writers Answer Five Big Questions

When Prince Gave Away '20Ten' And Went to 'Studio Rehab'

Prince Channels 'Caligula' for Status-Reclaiming 'Gett Off' Video

Seven Writers Cut Prince's 'Emancipation' Down to 45 Minutes

Beyond Prince: St. Paul Peterson on Working with Steve Miller, Peter Frampton

How Prince Helped Tevin Campbell Get Political on 'I'm Ready'

Was Prince's 'Graffiti Bridge' Movie Really That Bad?: Roundtable 

Why the Official Release of the 'Black Album' Agitated Prince

When Prince Showed Off Jazzy Side on 'One Nite Alone… Live!'

When Prince Showcased a Stable of Proteges on 'The Ryde Dyvine'

When Prince Launched the Short-Lived Website, 20Pr1nc3.com

Prince Strips Down on 'The Truth': A Track-by-Track Guide

A Look Back at Prince’s Valentine’s Day Wedding

The Long History of Prince’s 'If I Love U 2 Nite'

When Prince Previewed His ‘Act I’ Tour on ‘The Arsenio Hall Show’

When Spike Lee Snagged Prince's Back Catalog for 'Girl 6'

Prince Tops The Charts Again with '3121': A Track-By-Track Guide

Prince’s Former Bodyguard Wally Safford Talks New Memoir

When Prince Shared a ‘Great Moment’ with George Lopez on TV

Prince’s Unreleased ‘Empty Room’ Video Captures a Dark Point

Prince’s ‘The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale’: A Track-By-Track Guide

BrownMark Talks Race and the Revolution in New Book: Exclusive

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