Prince and his Protégés

Let's Work - Day 120

Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter From Wiki "Let's Work" was the second single from the 1981 Controversy album by Prince. The song originates from a dance called "the Rock" that local kids were doing at the time in Minneapolis. Prince responded quickly with a track called "Let's Rock," and wished to quickly release it as a single. Warner Bros. refused, and a disappointed Prince did not include the song on Controversy, saying the phase had passed. The song was updated with new lyrics and possibly new music and became "Let's Work" — one of his most popular dance numbers to date. The song is based on a funky bass line and features a shouted title throughout the song and relies heavily on keyboards to create a sexy groove in the verses and quick solos for the choruses. The lyrics are a tease, equating "working" with having sex. The song was backed with "Ronnie, Talk to Russia," which precedes it on the Controversy album. The extended remix features instrumental solos, samples from "Controversy" and "Annie Christian", two other songs from the same album, and extra, more insistent lyrics. Prince performed the extended version in concert during the Controversy and 1999 tours. This is the first U.S. Prince single to include a non-album B-side (although it was previously released as a single in the UK). "Gotta Stop (Messin' About)" was written on the Dirty Mind tour, and is consistent with the minimalist demo-like quality of that album. Before the song was released on The Hits/The B-Sides in 1993, the U.S. 12" single was extremely valuable on the collectors market, often fetching US$100 or more.

What Time it Is? - Day 121

Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter From Wiki: What Time Is It? is a 1982 album by The Time. Like the band's debut album, What Time Is It? features funk-pop jams and ballads; and was produced & arranged by Prince under the guise of The Starr ★ Company. All tracks were written by Prince (as Jamie Starr) except for "Wild and Loose", which was co-written with Dez Dickerson. Prince performed all instruments and background vocals with Morris Day adding lead vocals, with some additional background vocals on "Wild and Loose" and "The Walk" by Vanity 6. The album was recorded at Sunset Sound and Prince's home studio in the Minneapolis suburbs. The title of the album comes from an exclamation by Morris Day, which had become the band's catchphrase, appearing frequently on the band's debut album, as well as during live shows. In addition to the songs on the album, 3 outtakes were recorded but not used: "Bold Generation", "Colleen" and "Jerk Out". "Jerk Out" was originally rejected by Morris Day for its lyrical content, which included an bondage scene with interracial tensions. The song would be re-recorded by Mazarati for their debut album, but didn't make the final cut. The song was eventually re-recorded, with various changes, by The Time for their album Pandemonium. The album is even more accessible than its predecessor, mixing elements of rock and roll with funk. Armed with this new material, the band's live performances regularly outshined their headliner, Prince, and it is rumored that Prince dropped them from his 1999 tour to prevent being upstaged. During Prince's song "D.M.S.R." off of his album 1999 the lines "Jamie Starr's a thief / It's time to fix your clock" are sung during the bridge, possibly as a response to The Time's exploding fame. What Time Is It? produced three singles: "777-9311", "The Walk" and "Gigolos Get Lonely Too". 2Pac would later sample "777-9311" for his song "What'z Ya Phone #" on his album All Eyez On Me, while K-Dee would sample "Gigolos Get Lonely Too" for his similarly titled "Gigalos Get Lonely Too" off of his album Ass, Gas, or Cash (No One Rides for Free).

The Family - Day 122

Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter petersonmusic.ning.com/ From Wiki: The band's origins started with the disintegration of The Time in 1984. Lead singer Morris Day had left the band to pursue a solo career. At this point, guitarist Jesse Johnson became the de facto band leader. Prince suggested restructuring the band with new member Paul Peterson to head the group, but Johnson opposed. However, like Day, Johnson soon left the band to pursue his own solo career. A few of The Time's newer members followed Johnson to join his backing band (called Jesse Johnson's Revue (band)). The Time had served as an outlet for Prince to release more music. Prince invited the remaining members of The Time: Jellybean Johnson, Jerome Benton and Paul Peterson to his home and presented them with his new project. They agreed to become a new band called "The Family", with Peterson (renamed St. Paul) as the new frontman and bassist. Johnson and Benton reprised their familiar roles from The Time. To the mix, Prince added his then girlfriend Susannah Melvoin, the twin sister of Revolution guitarist Wendy Melvoin, as a backing singer and keyboardist. The fifth member was Eric Leeds, the brother of Prince's tour manager Alan Leeds, who provided saxophone and flute. Guitarist Miko Weaver was credited in the album's booklet because he was to be a session player, and tour musician band supporter. He was never officially part of The Family.

The Time - Day 124

Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter From Wiki The Time is the 1981 debut album by The Time. The album consists of funk-pop jams and ballads. Although the band's lineup is listed and pictured on the cover, the album was essentially written and performed by Prince, with Morris Day replacing Prince's lead vocals. Indeed, Prince's backing vocals can be heard clearly on several tracks. All tracks were written by Prince as Jamie Starr except for "Cool", which was co-written with Dez Dickerson; "After Hi School" written by Dez Dickerson; and "The Stick" written by Lisa Coleman. Coleman also provided backing vocals on "Cool" and "The Stick", while Doctor Fink provided synthesizer solos on "Get It Up" and "The Stick". "Oh, Baby" was recorded in April 1979 at Alpha Studios in Los Angeles during the sessions for Prince's self-titled second album. The album proper was produced and arranged by Jamie Starr, which was one of Prince's many pseudonyms. Despite the fact that The Time was basically an extension of Prince, the well-trained and talented band created a sensation when performing the songs live. Prince once remarked that they were the only band he was scared to perform against.

For You - Day 125

Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter From Wiki: For You is Prince's debut album, released on April 7, 1978, two months shy of his 20th birthday, and bearing the classic tag, "Written, composed, performed, and recorded by Prince. The album opens with the title track, an a cappella recording which states: "All of this and more is for you. With love, sincerity and deepest care, my life with you I share." This would foreshadow Prince's career of speaking mostly through his music, rather than conventional interviews. Next is "In Love", a bouncy disco track with the very Princely sexual metaphor: "I just want to bathe in your river." The album's only hit, "Soft and Wet", follows. The dance track's combination of sexy lyrics and pop-funk music is the direction Prince would follow to produce some of his biggest future hits. A ballad "Crazy You" is followed by "Just as Long as We're Together", another disco track which ends in a musical coda showcasing Prince's musical prowess. Side 2 opens with "Baby", a ballad about an unplanned child, but which is not portrayed in a negative light. (A portion of the music from this track was later reused on his 1995 song, "I Hate U".) A light pop-disco number follows, entitled "My Love Is Forever". The country-tinged "So Blue" features Prince on acoustic guitar supplemented by airy synths. The album closes with "I'm Yours", the album's only full-on rock and roll song featuring blazing guitar solos. The album was clearly intended to establish Prince as an artist and to prove his merits.He lists all 23 instruments he plays on the album, though most were different types of synthesizers, and he did receive some help on various tracks.

1999 - Day 127

Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter From Wiki: 1999 is the fifth album by Prince, released on October 27, 1982. It was his first top ten album on the Billboard 200 charts in the United States (peaking at number 9) and became the fifth best-selling album of 1983. 1999 was Prince's breakthrough album, but his next album Purple Rain would become his most successful. In 2003, the TV network VH1 placed 1999 forty-ninth in its list of the greatest albums of all time. According to the Rolling Stone Album Guide, "1999 may be Prince's most influential album: Its synth-and-drum machine-heavy arrangements codified the 'Minneapolis sound' that loomed over mid-'80s R&B and pop, not to mention the next two decades' worth of electro, house, and techno."[1] The album was also part of Slant Magazine's list "The 50 Most Essential Pop Albums",[2] and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.

Livin' in the New Wave - Day 133

Via Those City Nights André Cymone was born André Simon Anderson, and his contribution to Prince’s early career should never be underestimated. They had long been friends – Cymone’s father had played bass in Prince’s father’s band – and after running away from home at age 12, Prince moved into the Anderson’s family home. Prince and Cymone would practice playing their instruments in the basement for hours; Cymone’s mother recalled, “It sounded like a lot of noise, but after the first couple of years I realized the seriousness of it. Girls were crazy about them”. In 1972, Prince’s cousin, Charles Smith, invited them both to play in his band, with Prince on guitar and Cymone on bass, and Smith noted how they had already developed a twin-like sixth sense when playing together. Cymone’s sister Linda Anderson soon joined on keyboards, and with Terry Jackson and William Doughty on percussion the band Grand Central was formed. Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter

Glamorous Life - Day 134

Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter via Wiki: Sheila Escovedo is the daughter of percussionist Pete Escovedo, with whom she frequently performs. Sheila E's uncle is Alejandro Escovedo, formerly with Delphine Neid's first-wave punk rock group The Nuns, Rank and File and The True Believers, followed by a solo career. The late Tito Puente was Escovedo's godfather. She is also niece to Javier Escovedo, founder of seminal San Diego punk act, The Zeros. Another uncle, Mario Escovedo, fronted long-running indie rockers, The Dragons. Escovedo is of Mexican, African American, and Creole heritage. Coke Escovedo who was in Santana and formed the band Azteca was also her uncle. She made her recording debut with jazz bassist Alphonso Johnson, "Yesterday's Dream" (1976). She is a drummer and percussionist and also plays violin and guitar. She had also played with George Duke, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, and Diana Ross by the time she was in her early twenties. Prince met Sheila at a concert in the early 1980s, when she was performing with her father. After the show, he met her and told her that he and his bassist "were just fighting about which one of us would be the first to be your husband". He also prophetically vowed that one day she would join his band. The two would eventually join forces during the Purple Rain recording sessions. She provided vocals on the Prince "Let's Go Crazy" B-side single "Erotic City" in 1983/84. Though taken under Prince's wing, she proved to be a successful artist in her own right. In 1984 she scored hits with "The Glamorous Life" (Hot 100 #7, and regarded as something of an '80s classic), and "The Belle Of St. Mark" (#34). She opened for the Purple Rain tour and there was a segment where she would have a man called up on stage and seated in a chair while she sang and teased him (similarly mirrored by Janet in her Velvet Rope Tour:Rope Burn.) Around the same time, the collaborating duo began a brief romantic relationship, while Prince was still seeing Susannah Melvoin, twin sister Revolution band member Wendy Melvoin. [1]

Wendy and Lisa - Day 135

Photography/Travel Blog~Flickr~Twitter Via Wiki: In 1980, Lisa Coleman replaced Gayle Chapman in Prince's touring band[3] on keyboards and piano. Lisa was asked to contribute vocals to several tracks over his next few albums. In 1983, guitarist Dez Dickerson left the band over religious conflicts. Lisa suggested Wendy, who had been brought on tour, as a replacement. Prince accepted Wendy into the band as they began to record Purple Rain[4]. The film and album were a phenomenon, turning Prince and the newly named Revolution into superstars. Prince's personal life also became intertwined with Wendy's when he began dating her twin sister Susannah. After Purple Rain, Coleman and Melvoin continued to participate in Prince projects, including Parade, the soundtrack to Prince's film Under the Cherry Moon. In interviews, the two reported they felt they were not getting the recognition and credit they deserved despite their growing contributions to his work.[5] During 1986 Wendy & Lisa became increasingly disillusioned with Prince's decision to expand the Revolution with non-musicians, such as Wally Safford and Greg Brooks, and Prince's increasing machismo that these new members brought with them. Unhappy and vocal about their feelings, they were eventually convinced to remain with the band through the end of the Hit N Run - Parade Tour. However, Prince felt spurned and as a result he had already decided he would dissolve The Revolution once the tour was complete. Hence, by October 1986, Wendy & Lisa (along with Bobby Z.) were dismissed by Prince, disrupting the Dream Factory album that was already completed and effectively dissolving The Revolution[6].

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