MPR’s Stephen Smith profiles Prince Rogers Nelson. Segment includes interview with critic Jon Bream, author of the book "Prince: Inside the Purple Reign," and local evangelists who find Prince’s music offensive.
Transcript:
(00:00:33) dig it Can you my darling? Can you picture the
(00:00:48) Prince Rogers Nelson 26 years old born and raised in Minneapolis? He's this year's star of The Rock and Roll world man with the Royal Purple wardrobe is now touring the United States selling out every place he
(00:01:00) performs.
(00:01:19) Rock critic John Breen you go to a Prince concert. You're going to see Little Richard James Brown Elvis Presley Sly Stone Jimi Hendrix. Stevie Wonder and Mick Jagger kind of all rolled into one little purple trench coat. You've got prints what you also get our what's up. We'll call obscene offensive lyrics that are graphic with sexual detail and you get a man who performs either in heavily ornamented costume or nearly nothing at all. Prince has been known to take the stage in little more than purple bikini underwear while Prince's music maybe a blend of other influences. The critics say his style is unique spanning a gulf between black funk music and the grinding metal of White Rock and Roll bream who writes for the Minneapolis Star Tribune is author of a prince biography. He says Prince is a musical genius. So he can play Myriad instruments on his first album. He played 27 different instruments and he's self-taught on these instruments. He can play in any style that he chooses. He can play jazz. He can play Rock he can play funky can play gospel. He could play country, you know, he can ride sensitive ballads. He can do anything he wants. One thing Prince wants his privacy. He gives no interviews and security around his tour is elaborate. Those who know him say he is shy and inordinately sensitive, but he is also demanding and reportedly control.
(00:03:07) The
(00:03:07) packaging of his band down to the kind of costumes they'll wear and how they'll act in public prints grew up in Minneapolis and still keeps a home on Lake Minnetonka his recent rise to worldwide Fame followed the movie Purple Rain. It's a semi autobiographical story of a funky avant-garde musician played by Prince and set in Minneapolis his accompanying Purple Rain album topped the record charts this week series of Prince concert sold 90,000 tickets the largest event of its kind in Minnesota History at the Wax Museum. IAM Record Shop on Cedar Avenue manager, Jeff good said the week of the sale was like being besieged tickets went on sale on Monday. I had two or three people here since Thursday night before that and by Monday morning, there were probably two to three hundred people lined up what kind of people were buying the tickets who were the people who were staying in line for a weekend crazed people people that don't have jobs that because this Hometown boy is making good Governor Rudy perpich proclaimed Prince days. The governor says his Our fans and he was impressed that Prince had asked concertgoers to bring canned food donations for Minnesota food shelves, but local Evangelist Dan and Steve Peters complained to the st. Paul city council for instance a pervert. They say and his concerts should be banned for in stands for sexy stands for illicit sex. He's very proud of it. Even Rolling Stone magazine said nothing could have prepared us for the lewdness of his dirty mind album, and he's never renounced any of those things. He's gone on record again and again as trying to promote open sex illicit sex and we stand Against that earlier Prince records do indeed feature songs about incest oral sex and masturbation, but they also are heavily religious and each album is dedicated to God Prince's Purple Rain LP is lighter on the body lyrics which critic John bream says reflects the artists growing maturity in this title song from the album controversy Prince Broods a bit about the questions people throw at him.
(00:05:07) Chrissy
(00:05:27) Though he is an international rock star and many times a millionaire reports indicate that Prince plans to stay in Minnesota. There's talk of another movie of buying a mansion and scores of other projects. How long Prince will reign supreme in the pop world is uncertain, but whatever the self-proclaimed Rude Boy does controversy is sure to follow I'm Steven Smith
(00:05:47) reporting.
Transcripts
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[MUSIC PLAYING] PRINCE ROGER NELSON: Dig, if you will, a picture of you and I engaged in a kiss. The sweat of the body covers me. Can you my darling, can you picture this?
STEVEN SMITH: Prince Roger Nelson, 26-years-old, born and raised in Minneapolis, he's this year's star of the Rock and Roll world. The man with the royal purple wardrobe is now touring the United States, selling out every place he performs.
PRINCE ROGER NELSON: Me and you. How can you just leave me standing? Alone in a world that's so cold. Maybe I'm just too demanding. Maybe I'm just like my father, too bold. Maybe you're just like my mom.
STEVEN SMITH: Rock critic, Jon Bream.
JON BREAM: If you go to a Prince concert, you're going to see Little Richard, James Brown, Elvis Presley, Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, and Mick Jagger all rolled into one little purple trench coat. You've got Prince.
STEVEN SMITH: What you also get are what some people call obscene, offensive lyrics that are graphic with sexual detail. And you get a man who performs either in heavily ornamented costume or nearly nothing at all. Prince has been known to take the stage in little more than purple bikini underwear.
While Prince's music may be a blend of other influences, the critics say his style is unique, spanning a gulf between Black funk music and the grinding metal of white rock and roll. Bream who writes for the Minneapolis Star and Tribune is author of a Prince biography. He says, Prince is a musical genius.
JON BREAM: He can play myriad instruments. On his first album, he played 27 different instruments. And he's self-taught on these instruments. He can play in any style that he chooses.
He can play jazz. He can play rock. He can play funk. He can play gospel. He could play country. He can write sensitive ballads. He can do anything he wants.
PRINCE ROGER NELSON: I'm not a woman. I'm not a man. I'm something that you'll never understand. I'll never beat you. I'll never lie. And if you're evil, I'll forgive you by and by. 'Cause you, I'll die for you, yeah. Darling, if you want me to. You, I would die for you.
STEVEN SMITH: One thing Prince wants is privacy. He gives no interviews. And security around his tour is elaborate. Those who know him say, he is shy and inordinately sensitive. But he is also demanding and reportedly controls the packaging of his band down to the kind of costumes they'll wear and how they'll act in public.
Prince grew up in Minneapolis and still keeps a home on Lake Minnetonka. His recent rise to worldwide fame followed the movie Purple Rain. It's a semi-autobiographical story of a funky, avant-garde musician played by Prince and set in Minneapolis.
His accompanying Purple Rain album topped the record charts. This week series of Prince concerts sold 90,000 tickets, the largest event of its kind in Minnesota history. At the wax museum record shop on Cedar Avenue, manager Jeff Goodes said, the week of the sale was like being besieged.
JEFF GOODES: Tickets went on sale on Monday, I had two or three people here since Thursday night before that. And by Monday morning, there were probably 2 to 300 people lined up.
STEVEN SMITH: What kind of people were buying the tickets? Who were the people who were staying in line for a weekend?
JEFF GOODES: Crazed people, people that don't have jobs.
STEVEN SMITH: Because this hometown boy is making good, governor Rudy Perpich proclaimed Prince days. The governor says, his children are fans. And he was impressed that Prince had asked concertgoers to bring canned food donations for Minnesota food shelves.
But local evangelist Dan and Steve Peters complained to the St Paul City Council. Prince is a pervert, they say, and his concerts should be banned.
DAN PETERS: Prince stands for sex. He stands for illicit sex. He's very proud of it. Even Rolling Stone magazine said, nothing could have prepared us for the lewdness of his Dirty Mind album.
And he's never renounced any of those things. He's gone on record again and again as trying to promote open sex, illicit sex. And we stand against it.
STEVEN SMITH: Earlier, Prince records do indeed feature songs about incest, oral sex, and masturbation. But they also are heavily religious. And each album is dedicated to God. Prince's Purple Rain LP is lighter on the body lyrics, which critic Jon Bream says, reflects the artist's growing maturity. In this title song from the album, Controversy, Prince broods a bit about the questions people throw at him.
PRINCE ROGER NELSON: I just can't believe all the things people say. Controversy. Am I Black or white? Am I straight or gay? Controversy. Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me? Controversy.
STEVEN SMITH: Though he is an international rock star and many times a millionaire, reports indicate that Prince plans to stay in Minnesota. There's talk of another movie, of buying a mansion, and scores of other projects. How long Prince will reign supreme in the pop world is uncertain? But whatever the self-proclaimed rude boy does, controversy is sure to follow. I'm Steven Smith reporting.
PRINCE ROGER NELSON: Was it good for you? Was I what you wanted me to be? Controversy. Do you get high? Does your daddy cry? Controversy. Controversy.
[MUSIC PLAYING]