In 1987, not long after the release of his double album Sign O’ The Times, Prince was planning a Christmas surprise: An album with no title, a black cover, and simply attributed to ‘Somebody’ in the Warner Bros. release schedule. it was produced, pressed, and ready to ship, then he abruptly changed his mind. So what happened?
Early in his career, Prince felt he had to change his racial heritage, telling an interviewer that “My dad is Black and Italian. My mom is a mixture of a bunch of things," even though both his parents were African American. Prince’s obfuscation of his racial identity has been the subject of much criticism...
I am obsessed with a single note that comes in the final ninety seconds at the end of a single song from a specific Prince live show from Montreux in 2013. It happens at the end of a lovely slow-jam version of "Nothing Compares 2 U...
There is a long sordid history in the music industry of young, black artists being taken advantage of by leveraged, corporate record labels that spot talent, and make the rules. A look back at how Prince fought the battle on his own turf, and won.
Prince had broken up the Revolution one month prior to recording what remains some of his most conceptually intriguing music: an 8-song thrill-ride of doom called "Camille."
"Walk Don't Walk" continues with Prince’s usual themes of freedom and individuality, not just in a 'Princely' fashion, but in a way that can be interpreted through the philosophical lens of American enlightenment philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The story of how the Purple Rain movie came about is a fascinating look into the ambition and drive exhibited by Prince and would be integral to propelling him forward into pop superstardom.
June 7th is obviously an important date in the Prince calendar, but this year it also marks a significant milestone in Housequake history - it will be 25 years to the day that the Housequake fansite was born.
Prince once said “Everything U think is true”, but gazing down from his guitar-shaped cloud, I imagine he might be irked by the way some former confidants have taken that bit of princely pontification, and well and truly run with it.
Emancipation's Crown Jewel: The musical and artistic achievement of ‘Joint 2 Joint’ is unparalleled when compared to the album’s other thirty-five cuts. The track lies at the heart of the album’s second disc and is the album’s unsung masterpiece...
