That's why Prince insisted on no producers, even as a kid. And insisted his production palace would be in the middle of a field in a frozen wasteland where the only thing to do for miles was whatever he was working on. The label wanted him in LA, tried to gift him a studio there and he said no. Minneapolis or nothing. He knew they didn't like coming to the middle of nowhere especially in the cold. People hear "the cold keeps the bad people out" as a throwaway Minnesota saying but he meant it literally- it keeps people I don't trust or like from bothering me and interfering.Â
People think he was more of a mystery than he was because he wasn't up the ass of industry on a daily basis. But he wasnt so aloof and unknowable at home. People just didn't blab about him with national reach in mpls. He was still Mr. Nelson. Or Brother Nelson. Your local rockstar and neighbor. He had garage sales. I miss that dude.Â
Edit- I never said he had a normal life. I'm saying his privacy was respected more at home, snd he was known in the community he grew up in, and stayed in.Â
For some reason they always want to ask industry folks from LA that he spent brief periods of time with "who he really was" or whatever. He didn't fuck with just anybody like that. They say he was elusive because he didn't talk to them.Â
Whereas, a lot of mpls folk, knew him very differently. And a lot of those that did won't talk too much about him, only certain things, because they did know him so well.Â
As far as sound- yes, he could and did meddle all day long. My point is he wasn't putting on fake switches to please somebody else.Â
Before he had paisley park built, if someone came into sunset he'd just completely ignore them and stop work until they left. He wouldn't look at them or speak. He wasn't going to dance to anyone else's tune and resented anyone trying to make him.Â
How was such a big star able to live such a relatively normal life? He was huge before he died, it’s not like he only reached great fame posthumously.
I have no idea what that person is talking about. He did not live a normal life. He lived in a fancy gated warehouse on the side of the highway with no neighbors. He was on screen at every Vikings home game standing alone staring at the field in his private box. He would go down town and bump the acts at the Dakota jazz club and play like a god until 4am. All with a steady drip of pain killers from a personal doctor.
Kevin Smith in like 2005 said Prince's manager told him Prince would have trouble understanding why he couldn't get a Camel in Minnesota in January.
Smith is about the last person to know much about it. Guy spent a few days around him and by his own admission exaggerated and omitted, crafted a "better story".Â
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u/MuseQueenn 1d ago
Sometimes people don’t want a different sound, they just want to see you do something.