Prince (album)
| Prince | |||||||||||
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| Prince's studio album | |||||||||||
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Publication |
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admission |
Late April 1979 - June 13th 1979 |
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| Label (s) | Warner Bros. Records | ||||||||||
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Format (s) |
LP, CD |
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Title (number) |
9 |
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running time |
40:52 |
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Studio (s) |
Alpha Studios (Los Angeles) |
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Prince is the second studio album by the American musician Prince . It was released on October 19, 1979 on the Warner Bros. Records label and was produced, arranged and composed by him. The music belongs to the genre R&B , funk , pop and rock . The lyrics are mostly about love and sexuality.
Music critics rated Prince mostly positive. From a commercial point of view, the album was able to reach platinum status in the USA, and it also contains the single I Wanna Be Your Lover Prince ', the first song to achieve gold status in the USA.
Emergence
In contrast to his debut album For You (1978), in which the album recording work had taken a total of five months, Prince recorded his second album within seven weeks. He was able to expand his knowledge of sound engineering and had previously made several demo recordings of songs before the actual recording process for Prince began. Prince admitted that he wanted to achieve commercial success with his album of the same name because he had "spent too much money" on his debut album. The production costs at that time amounted to 170,500 US dollars (about 396,000 DM ), whereas Prince only $ 35,000 (about 64,000 DM). Drummer Bobby Z. described Prince's situation at the time as follows: “He was really in a hurry. There was a lot of debt for the record label [Warner Bros. Records] and it needed a hit. "
Warner Bros. Records did without an executive producer this time , and this task was left to Prince, who also composed and arranged the entire album . He also played all the musical instruments himself. Although Prince describes bassist André Cymone and Bobby Z. Rivkin in the album credits as “Heaven-sent helpers”, Rivkin did not take part in the album, which he confirmed: “André and I were back in LA when he recorded the album. But he wanted to keep this 'produced, performed, composed by Prince' thing. ”But Prince later said that Cymone had a little part in Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? recorded.
On February 17, 1979 Prince recorded the two songs I Feel for You and With You in New York City in the Music Farm Studios when he was hired by the musician Pepé Willie (* 1948) as a studio musician and with his band 94 East recorded various songs, which were only released in 1986 on the album Minneapolis Genius .
In late April 1979, Prince flew to Los Angeles , California to begin work on his second album at Alpha Studio. The Alpha Studio was installed in the home of sound engineer Gary Brandt - a friend of Prince's then manager Bob Cavallo. Recordings usually started in the early afternoon and lasted twelve hours, sometimes longer. There were two 24-track multi-track recorders in the studio , but Prince only used a 16-track multi-track recorder for the recordings. Brandt described Prince's approach to recording his vocals as "very strange"; the musician lay on a blanket under Brandt's piano and recorded the singing in a microphone mounted above him . The two songs I Wanna Be Your Lover and I Feel for You Prince originally offered Patrice Rushen for her album Pizzazz (1979), but she declined this suggestion. Then Prince decided to use both pieces for his own album.
Prince finished the album within 30 days, but then had to move to the Hollywood Sound Recorders studio in Los Angeles because the Alpha Studio was booked elsewhere. The sound engineer was now Bob Mockler. Together with Prince he knew the title of the new album with overdubs and mixed it off; the piece Sexy Dancer was reduced, but the original original version was a maxi-single released exclusively in England. I Feel for You has also been cut; additional instrumental play and some overly clear lyrics have been deleted. Sissing noises caused by the letter s in the song It's Gonna Be Lonely , because Prince used to "sing so close to the microphone", have been cleaned up. A low hum in the drumming of Still Waiting could Mockler but not stop, "so I just left it," he said.
After a total of three weeks in the Hollywood Sound Recorder, the album Prince was finished on June 13, 1979. Mockler said of the new album: "As competitors we looked at Michael Jackson and Kool & the Gang , and I think that was not too high." In the booklet of Prince should be read "Remixed by Bob Mockler and Prince". “This is probably the last time he's put anyone's name before his name. This is my proudest success as a sound engineer, ”said Mockler happily.
Design of the cover
There is a portrait photo of Prince on the front of the album cover . It shows him naked from the nipples up and was taken by the German photographer Jürgen Reisch. In the photo on the back cover, Prince is apparently sitting naked on a winged horse reminiscent of Pegasus . Photographer Chris Callis said of these pictures: “There were four or five people. We all borrowed horses, and I don't think either of us knew exactly what we were up to. Later the wings were added, pigeon wings that someone else had photographed. He [Prince] was riding around in his underwear and I just took a few pictures of him. I don't know if we exchanged a word with each other. The only impression I have of him is that he didn't speak at all. "
In addition, a portrait photo of Prince similar to the one on the front of the album cover can be seen in the inner sleeve of the LP and in the CD booklet . Jürgen Reisch also took this photo. The lyrics of the individual songs are only printed in the CD booklet, but not in the vinyl edition.
music
Musical style
On the album, Prince recorded all musical instruments such as electric bass , guitar , drums and synthesizers himself. He combines different styles of music on Prince ; I Wanna Be Your Lover and I Feel For You come from the field of pop music and R&B , Sexy Dancer from the field of funk . The song Bambi is dominated by a rock guitar, and Still Waiting leans towards country music . The three ballads When We're Dancing Close And Slow , With You and It's Gonna Be Lonely come from the genre of contemporary R&B and soul . Apart from guitars, Prince is also influenced by synthesizers, for example in the songs Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? and I Feel for You can be heard.
Lyrics and singing
In the lyrics , Prince deals with love and sexuality, sometimes with personalities; In the song I Wanna Be Your Lover , he wants to be the sole guardian of a woman's orgasm . In the song I Feel for You , Prince is all about a woman's body, and Bambi is about lesbian love. Prince sings the lyrics of the album melodically set to music in his characteristic falsetto singing .
List of titles and publications
| No. | song | author | length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I want to be your lover | Prince | 5:48 |
| 2 | Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? | Prince | 3:48 |
| 3 | Sexy dancer | Prince | 4:17 |
| 4th | When We're Dancing Close And Slow | Prince | 5:22 |
| 5 | With you | Prince | 3:59 |
| 6th | Bambi | Prince | 4:22 |
| 7th | Still waiting | Prince | 4:12 |
| 8th | I feel for you | Prince | 3:24 |
| 9 | It's gonna be lonely | Prince | 5:27 |
The album was released on October 19, 1979 in the USA. It was released on record and on compact cassette , and Prince was later also released on compact disc .
Singles
Five singles were released from the album. The pre-single I Wanna Be Your Lover was released on August 24, 1979 in a version shortened to 2:57 minutes. The B-side My Love Is Forever can also be heard on Prince's debut album For You (1978). Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? was released on January 23, 1980 in the United States, New Zealand and Ecuador only. The B-side Baby is also included on For You . The third single Still Waiting was released on March 25, 1980 exclusively in the USA and New Zealand. The single is shortened to 3:48 minutes and the song Bambi serves as the B-side .
The fourth single Sexy Dancer was released on April 11, 1980 in Great Britain and Japan only. The song Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? selected. The fifth single Bambi was released on September 19, 1980 in Belgium and the Netherlands only, the shortened version of Still Waiting serves as the B-side .
In January 2020 ie 40 years after the release of the album Prince , The Prince Estate brought (dt .: The Princeton discount ) the song I Feel for You in a "Acoustic Demo" version as a single out on the Prince his singing accompanied exclusively by an acoustic guitar played by him . The recording probably dates from December 1978 or January 1979 and the single was released exclusively on vinyl record in lilac-colored vinyl, which was available in a limited edition of only seven days. The album version of I Feel for You serves as the B-side .
Music videos
Three music videos were produced for songs from the album, all of which were shot in a Los Angeles studio. From I Wanna Be Your Lover two videos were shot, both of which are very simply decorated and without scenery and props to make do. Once Prince appears as a solo artist and in the other video together with his former band. There was also a music video for Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? shot, which also shows Prince with his band at the time.
Cover versions
Some musicians recorded cover versions of songs from the Prince album . In particular, I Wanna Be Your Lover and I Feel for You have been reinterpreted. I pan Be Your Lover coverten Millie Jackson (1986), Loleatta Holloway (1999) and Corinne Bailey Rae (2011). In addition, the song I Wanna Be Your Favorite (2008) by 50 Cent is based on the version by Prince. I Feel for You re- recorded the Pointer Sisters (1982), Mary Wells (1983), Chaka Khan (1984), Rebbie Jackson (1984) and The Flying Pickets (1996).
From Bambi published Duff McKagan a new version on the B side of his single Believe in Me (1993). The song Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? Covered the actress Tuesday Knight (* 1969), daughter of Baker Knight , in 1987 and Coely in 2016 . Still Waiting was reinterpreted in 1987 by singers Jill Jones and Rainy Davis. It's Gonna Be Lonely interpreted Mac DeMarco in 2016th
tour
| Typical setlist of the Fire-It-Up-Tour 1980 from February 22nd, 1980 - May 3rd, 1980 | |
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| Prince is the author of all songs |
The Prince tour began on November 26, 1979 in West Hollywood , California at The Roxy . But due to pneumonia , Prince had to cancel the tour after the concert on December 2, 1979 in Louisiana after six concerts. Originally, the tour should have ended on December 16, 1979 in his hometown of Minneapolis , Minnesota.
On February 9, 1980, Prince resumed the tour and made up the concert in Minneapolis. The Prince tour finally ended after a total of 15 concerts - including the concerts before the interruption - on February 17, 1980 in Boston , Massachusetts.
Then Prince and his backing band appeared as the opening act for Rick James on his Fire-It-Up tour, which consisted of 42 concerts through the United States from February 22, 1980 to May 3, 1980. Prince originally wanted to sign Sheila E. , whom he met backstage in 1978 after an Al Jarreau concert, for this tour . But at that time he could not financially afford to take up the activities of Sheila E. Prince's band consisted of the following five members:
- André Cymone (civil: André Anderson) - electric bass
- Bobby Z. (real name: Robert B. Rivkin) - drums
- Dez Dickerson (real name: Desmond D'andrea Dickerson) - guitar
- Dr. Fink (civil: Matthew Robert Fink) - Keyboard
- Gayle Chapman - keyboard
Gayle Chapman was a member of Prince's backing band from 1979 to early May 1980, but left them because she could not reconcile his increasingly lewd lyrics with her conscience. Bobby Z. and Dr. Fink were also members of Prince and The Revolution from 1983 to 1986 . Occasionally Prince also played the songs Head and When You Were Mine from his then unreleased album Dirty Mind .
reception
Press
The reviews of the album Prince were mostly positive. Stephen Holden of US music magazine Rolling Stone said: “ Prince is brimming with hooklines that reveal a wide range of influences - from the Temptations to Todd Rundgren to Hendrix . The simplicity of Prince's lyrics, melodies and rhythms are pure pop. With a little more serenity he could become a kind of solo bee-gee . "
John Wall praised the British music magazine Melody Maker : “The LP Prince is reminiscent of Michael Jackson's Off the Wall and Ray Parker junior's current music. Prince's voice has this beautiful Jackson falsetto . Of course, some disco clichés are served - but even the unmistakably titled piece Sexy Dancer breaks the boundaries of this genre with amazing bass runs and hard-to-use guitar chords. Here everything is reduced to a minimum, which is a rarity in disco music these days. "
Robert Christgau of the US music magazine Creem said of Prince, "This boy is going to be a big star, and he deserves it". Connie Johnson of the national US daily Los Angeles Times described Prince as "an original". His music cannot only be assigned to one genre.
John Rockwell of the national US daily The New York Times was more cautious about praise and said that Prince's music was "not very original". In addition, his falsetto singing is "colorless".
After Prince's death in April 2016, the music journalists Albert Koch and Thomas Weiland from the German music magazine Musikexpress reviewed the album Prince and gave it four out of six possible stars. Among other things, they wrote: "Sizzling funk tracks with sexual innuendo are on the program as well as rock songs in the style of Mother's Finest ".
Charts and awards
| Charts | Top ranking | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Chart placements | ||
 Germany (GfK)
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- (- Where.) | - |
 Austria (Ö3)
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- (- Where.) | - |
 Switzerland (IFPI)
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92 (1 week) | 1 |
 United Kingdom (OCC)
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- (- Where.) | - |
 United States (Billboard)
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22nd (33 weeks) | 33 |
The album reached the highest ranking in Switzerland in May 2016 after Prince's death, before it had not been placed. Prince has been awarded gold and platinum status internationally:
- US: 1 × platinum for 1,000,000 copies sold on February 21, 1980. When the album initially received gold status on February 15, 1980, sound engineer Bob Mockler initially received no gold record from Warner Bros. Records, although his name was on the album is mentioned. As a reason, the record company informed him that his “contribution was limited”. It was only when Mockler offered to pay for the gold record that he received a copy from Warner.
- UK: 1 × silver for 60,000 copies sold on November 12, 2004
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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DE
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AT
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CH
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UK
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US
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| 1979 | I want to be your lover | - | - | - |
UK41 (3 weeks) UK |
US11  (16 weeks)US |
• US: March 18, 1980: Gold (1,000,000+)
• Prince's first single of his career with gold status |
| 1980 | Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? | DEnvDE | ATnvAT | CHnvCH | UKnvUK | - |
• Only decoupled in the USA, Ecuador and New Zealand
|
| Still waiting | DEnvDE | ATnvAT | CHnvCH | UKnvUK | - |
• Only decoupled in the USA and New Zealand
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| Sexy dancer | DEnvDE | ATnvAT | CHnvCH | - | USnvUS |
• Decoupled in Great Britain and Japan only
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| Bambi | DEnvDE | ATnvAT | CHnvCH | UKnvUK | USnvUS |
• Decoupled only in Belgium and the Netherlands
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| 1984 |
I feel for you, I feel for you |
DE4 (13 weeks) DE |
AT14 (10 weeks) AT |
CH6 (9 weeks) CH |
UK1 (3) (16 weeks)UK |
US3 (26 weeks)US |
Cover version of Chaka Khan
• UK: November 1, 1984: Gold (500,000+) • US: November 30, 1984: Gold (1,000,000+) |
- On June 15, 1980, I Wanna Be Your Lover achieved gold status in New Zealand for 7,500 singles sold
- In 1985, Prince became the author of I Feel for You a Grammy Award in the category Best Best R & B Song (Best R & B Song)
literature
- Jason Draper: Prince - Life & Times (Revised & Updated Edition). Chartwell Books, New York 2016, ISBN 978-0-7858-3497-7 .
- Jon Ewing: Prince - CD Books : Carlton Books, Rastatt 1994, ISBN 3-8118-3986-1 , OCLC 75552811 .
- Alex Hahn: Obsessed - Prince's turbulent life . Hannibal Verlag, Höfen 2016, ISBN 978-3-85445-610-0
- Dave Hill: Prince - A Pop Life. Droemer Knaur, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-426-04036-0 , OCLC 75121330 .
- Roland Mischke: From Nobody to Pop Prince. Gustav Lübbe Verlag, Bergisch Gladbach 1989, ISBN 3-404-61157-8 , OCLC 24826787 .
- Per Nilsen: DanceMusicSexRomance - Prince: The First Decade. Firefly Publishing, London 1999, ISBN 0-946719-23-3 , OCLC 40610683 .
- Steve Parke: Picturing Prince. Cassell Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London 2017, ISBN 978-1-84403-959-3 .
- Jürgen Seibold : Prince. Verlagsunion Erich Pabel-Arthur Moewig, Rastatt 1991, ISBN 3-8118-3078-3 , OCLC 312007112 .
- Matt Thorne: Prince - The Biography. Edel Germany GmbH, Hamburg, 2017, ISBN 978-3-8419-0523-9 , OCLC 966421361 .
- Uptown: The Vault - The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince. Nilsen Publishing, Linköping 2004, ISBN 91-631-5482-X , OCLC 186521364 .
Web links
- Princevault , information about the album Prince
Individual evidence
- ↑ Booklet of the Prince CD by Prince, Warner Bros. Records, 1979
- ↑ Draper (2016), p. 14.
- ↑ a b US dollar exchange rate from 1971 to 2017. In: reisebuch.de. 2018, accessed April 2, 2018 .
- ↑ a b c Nilsen (1999), p. 54.
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 261.
- ↑ Thorne (2017), p. 30.
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 25.
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 55.
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), pp. 55-56.
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 56.
- ↑ a b c d Hahn (2016), p. 52.
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), pp. 56-57.
- ^ Hill (1989), pp. 101-102.
- ↑ Seibold (1991), p. 29.
- ↑ a b Hill (1989), p. 103.
- ↑ Ewing (1994), p. 25.
- ^ Hill (1989), p. 100.
- ↑ Parke (2017), p. 214.
- ↑ a b c d e Uptown (2004), p. 23.
- ^ Uptown (2004), p. 24.
- ↑ Uptown (2004), p. 25.
- ↑ Sexy Dancer. In: Princevault.com. October 17, 2018, accessed October 18, 2018 .
- ↑ Bambi. In: Princevault.com. November 24, 2017, accessed April 2, 2018 .
- ↑ The Prince Estate: I Feel for You (Acoustic Demo) 7 ″ Exclusive Limited Edition. In: Prince.com. 2020, accessed on February 10, 2020 .
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), pp. 59-60.
- ^ Hill (1989), p. 101.
- ^ Uptown (2004), p. 622.
- ↑ Discover the original. In: Coverinfo.de. Retrieved on April 2, 2018 ( Enter Prince in "Search" ).
- ↑ Prince on WhoSampled
- ↑ Tuesday Knight - Tuesday Knight. In: Allmusic.com. 2018, accessed April 2, 2018 .
- ^ Rainy Davis, Still Waiting. In: Discogs.com. 2018, accessed April 2, 2018 .
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 271.
- ^ Prince Tour 1979. In: Princevault.com. June 18, 2016, accessed April 2, 2018 .
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), pp. 270-271.
- ↑ Uptown (2004), p. 47.
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 45.
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 68.
- ↑ a b c d Nilsen (1999), p. 60.
- ↑ a b Seibold (1989), p. 32.
- ^ ME editors: From the big Prince special - an overview of all albums. In: Musikexpress.de. May 22, 2016, accessed April 2, 2018 .
- ↑ Prince. officialcharts.de, accessed on February 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Prince. austriancharts.at, accessed on February 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Prince. hitparade.ch, accessed on February 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Prince. officialcharts.com, accessed February 16, 2019 .
- ^ Prince - Chart History. billboard.com, accessed February 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Nilsen (1999), p. 57.
- ↑ Certified Awards Search. BPI British Phonographic Industry, April 2, 2018, accessed April 2, 2018 .
- ↑ Chart sources: DE AT CH UK US
- ^ The Official NZ Music Charts. June 15, 1980, accessed February 21, 2019 .
- ^ Uptown (2004), p. 57.