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Prince has died

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DonnyThompson Fri, 04/22/2016 - 00:22

He also wrote and produced for other artists as well - providing hits for Sheila E, Sheena Easton, The Bangles and Chaka Khan.

He also provided songs for the first Batman movie, and appeared as a session guitarist on other artist's albums, including Madonna's Like A Prayer.

His sound was pretty innovative for the time when he first became popular. His studio in Minnesota was pretty well laid-out as well:

DonnyThompson Fri, 04/22/2016 - 00:47

Sean G, post: 438058, member: 49362 wrote: he same record industry and internet which helped him amass a personal fortune of $300 million dollars.

Yeah, but he made them filthy rich as well, and part of the reason he was able to amass that amount, was because he had broken away from his record label; Warner Bros, who were contractually holding him to a limit of the number of albums he could release in a year. He wanted to be able to release multiple albums in a year, and Warner Bros didn't want him to, claiming that it would result in "market saturation" and affect sales of the one album he was contractually bound to release per annum. To fight back, Warner decided to pull promotion on any subsequent albums that he recorded and released other than just the one per year that they wanted, and they would intentionally fail to market any of those subsequent releases.

Prince cited other artists who released multiple successful albums in an annual period - The Beatles, Elvis, Dylan, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Creedence... but WB's fought him on it.

After leaving WB and signing with Arista, WB pulled a sneak attack and released an album of "previously unreleased" Prince songs, which were not much more than pre production demos, and which WB had initially turned down when he was signed with them.

He was known for having developed a solid acumen for how things worked in the record biz as a result of his experiences, and was a strong advocate for artist's rights when dealing with the labels and management companies.

Prince was definitely not one of those 80's hair bands, who took their advance money and bought Ferrari's, hookers and blow.

Instead, he built his own studio ( Paisley Park) where the record company couldn't bill him for studio time anymore.

He was eccentric, but he certainly wasn't stupid. ;)

Sean G Fri, 04/22/2016 - 04:51

DonnyThompson, post: 438066, member: 46114 wrote: Yeah, but he made them filthy rich as well, and part of the reason he was able to amass that amount, was because he had broken away from his record label; Warner Bros, who were contractually holding him to a limit of the number of albums he could release in a year. He wanted to be able to release multiple albums in a year, and Warner Bros didn't want him to, claiming that it would result in "market saturation" and affect sales of the one album he was contractually bound to release per annum. To fight back, Warner decided to pull promotion on any subsequent albums that he recorded and released other than just the one per year that they wanted, and they would intentionally fail to market any of those subsequent releases.

Prince cited other artists who released multiple successful albums in an annual period - The Beatles, Elvis, Dylan, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Creedence... but WB's fought him on it.

After leaving WB and signing with Arista, WB pulled a sneak attack and released an album of "previously unreleased" Prince songs, which were not much more than pre production demos, and which WB had initially turned down when he was signed with them.

He was known for having developed a solid acumen for how things worked in the record biz as a result of his experiences, and was a strong advocate for artist's rights when dealing with the labels and management companies.

Prince was definitely not one of those 80's hair bands, who took their advance money and bought Ferrari's, hookers and blow.

Instead, he built his own studio ( Paisley Park) where the record company couldn't bill him for studio time anymore.

He was eccentric, but he certainly wasn't stupid. ;)

Hey, I wasn't speaking ill of the dead...I was just simply making a point.

Dr_Willie_OBGYN, post: 438056, member: 25832 wrote: He fought the good fight against the record industry and the Internet.

But I find irony in the statement that "He fought the good fight against the record industry and the Internet".

Both the recording industry and the internet are a double edged sword.

When in fact it was the industry, and in later half of his career the internet that helped him build the brand that he was, in regards to the industry (ie the label) initially signing him to give him a start when nobody, on a national or global sense, had probably heard of him, then in regards to the internet, further promoting the brand that was Prince, or Symbol, or whatever he wanted to call himself at the time, allowing him to amass the fortune that he did.

Lets face it, the industry and later on the internet were a vehicle to build and establish and then further promote all that talent into the marketing machine and the brand that was.

Is there any question that without the industry and later on the promotional use of the internet, over the last two decades, that without either or both to make him into a household name, would he have been the success that he was ?

Thats a rhetorical question. ;)

DonnyThompson, post: 438066, member: 46114 wrote: Instead, he built his own studio ( Paisley Park) where the record company couldn't bill him for studio time anymore.

Who wouldn't after making $300 million as a brand in the music industry?....if it was me I certainly know I would, and good on the guy for doing so.
With that money I'm sure any one of us would have a studio packed with all the best gear....I'm not down on the guy for that.

As a matter of fact, I'm not down on the guy at all...like I said at the start of my post, I just find irony in the statement "He fought the good fight against the record industry and the Internet...." when it was that very same industry and internet that was used as a vehicle to help make him all he was.

IMHO.;)