Prince’s live show evolved rapidly in the lead-up to the Diamonds And Pearls Tour. NPG members Michael B. Nelson, Mayte Garcia, Damon Dickson, Tony Mosley, Levi Seacer, Sonny Thompson, and Kirk Johnson talk about Prince’s unforgettable live performances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It’s impossible to discuss Diamonds And Pearls without mentioning Prince’s co-starring vocalist, Rosie Gaines. Where is she now? You’ll find out with the help of Rosie’s daughter, LaToya Gaines—and hear a special message from Rosie herself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The roots of The New Power Generation extend back to Prince’s childhood growing up in North Minneapolis. Founding NPG members Tony Mosley, Sonny Thompson, Kirk Johnson, Damon Dickson, and Prince’s high school girlfriend Cari Price shed light on what the community meant to Prince. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As the ‘80s drew to a close, Prince set his sights on completely redefining his look, sound, and band for the new decade. Musicians Michael Bland, Levi Seacer Jr., Rosie Gaines, Tommy Barbarella, and Sonny Thompson explain how Prince assembled the live band. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Story of Diamonds And Pearls details the formation of Prince’s band The New Power Generation and the creation of his chart-topping 1991 album. Host Andrea Swensson is joined by the founding members of the NPG to share vault material and stories from this pivotal era. A new season of the Official Prince Podcast produced in collaboration with Paisley Park Enterprises, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Records. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As the pressures of fame mounted for Prince and The Revolution, and Prince longed to pursue new creative projects, the Purple Rain Tour was cut short and supplanted with a historic satellite broadcast concert from Syracuse, New York, which was also released on VHS for fans around the world. Host Andrea Swensson is joined by The Revolution - Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, BrownMark, Dr. Fink, and Bobby Z - plus saxophonist Eric Leeds, road manager Craig Rice, Prince’s former manager Bob Cavallo, an...
Prince wasn’t just well known in 1984. He was red-hot. Host Andrea Swensson welcomes The Revolution and friends for a story about the summer Prince became a household name and the Purple Rain Tour took hold of America. With musicians Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, BrownMark, Dr. Fink, Bobby Z, and Eric Leeds, manager Bob Cavallo, and production designer Roy Bennett. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
What happens when a successful artist suddenly becomes a global superstar? For Prince, that transformation happened during his momentous Purple Rain Tour, which embarked at a moment when he had the number 1 song, number 1 album, and number 1 film in America. Host Andrea Swensson invites the members of The Revolution—Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Bobby “Z” Rivkin, Mark Brown, and Matt “Dr.” Fink—and friends along for a story about the Purple Rain Tour, from the red-hot premiere of Purple Rain to t...
The Welcome 2 America Tour brought Prince and his band to several cities for lengthy residencies, including the marathon Twenty One Nite Stand at the L.A. Forum in 2011. Hear exclusive live recordings from the Forum alongside memories from NPG bandmates Morris Hayes, Elisa Fiorillo, Shelby J., and Liv Warfield, Prince's former manager Kiran Sharma, and Ebony Magazine editor Harriette Cole, who Prince recruited to join his Welcome 2 America Tour and spotlight his opening acts. Learn more about yo...
Engineer Jason Agel and tech expert Anil Dash join co-hosts Andrea Swensson and Shelby J. to discuss Prince's final work on Welcome 2 America in 2010 and his growing skepticism about selling music and retaining ownership over his work in the digital era, which he references in lyrics throughout the album. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Prince's longtime music director and keyboardist Morris Hayes joins Andrea Swensson to co-host an episode about the profound and prescient lyrical content on Welcome 2 America, with invaluable additional insights from Prince's former manager Kiran Sharma and his close friend, Dr. Cornel West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Prince's trusted vocalist and collaborator Shelby J. joins Andrea Swensson to describe how the songs on Welcome 2 America first took shape at Paisley Park in early 2010. With additional memories from Tal Wilkenfeld, Chris Coleman, Elisa Fiorillo Dease, and Liv Warfield. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Over the course of four episodes, The Story of Welcome 2 America explores Prince’s creative output in 2010-2011, as the artist recorded his prescient and political album Welcome 2 America and then mysteriously archived it. Rather than releasing new music, he seemed to rededicate himself to the live experience, setting up unique concert residencies in cities around the world on his Welcome 2 America Tour. Host Andrea Swensson and special guest co-hosts Shelby J and Morris Hayes from Prince's lege...
Prince rings in the New Year of 1988 with his final Sign O' The Times stage show—which included a historic on-stage collaboration with jazz legend Miles Davis. Hear from Duane Tudahl, Karen Krattinger, Cubby Colby, Alan Leeds, Atlanta Bliss, Eric Leeds, Levi Seacer Jr., Dr. Fink, and Cat Glover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Prince and his band embark on the European Sign O' The Times Tour, spending several consecutive nights in Holland before returning to Paisley Park to produce the Sign O' The Times film. Hear memories from LeRoy Bennett, Dr. Fink, Atlanta Bliss, Cat Glover, Levi Seacer, Alan Leeds, and Prince fams jooZt Mattheij, Roald Bakker, Pascal Comvalius, Patrick Jordens, Maya Rudolph, and Fred Armisen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Prince rings in 1987 by assembling his new band, finishing the artwork for his new album, and beginning intense rehearsals for the Sign O' The Times Tour. With insights from Cat Glover, Levi Seacer Jr., Dr. Fink, Alan Leeds, Jeff Katz, Karen Krattinger, Atlanta Bliss, and Eric Leeds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
With news of The Revolution's breakup still fresh, Prince returned to Sunset Sound to finish his magnum opus: a sprawling three-disc set called Crystal Ball. Rather than release it, Warner Bros. Records offered a rare critique of his work, requesting that he edit it down. Hear from Warner executive Lenny Waronker, engineers Coke Johnson and Susan Rogers, and professor Daphne A. Brooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
At the conclusion of their dazzling, grueling Parade Tour, The Revolution play their final show with Prince. Hear from Lisa Coleman, Wendy Melvoin, Dr. Fink, BrownMark, Eric Leeds, Atlanta Bliss, and Levi Seacer, Jr. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
An earthquake hits the California coastline while Prince is in L.A. recording at Sunset Sound, and has an unexpected influence on his classic song “Sign O’ The Times.” With insights from Warner Bros. Records president Lenny Waronker, engineer Susan Rogers, collaborators Susannah Melvoin, Wendy Melvoin, and Lisa Coleman, and scholars Duane Tudahl and Daphne A. Brooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In the winter of 1985-1986, Prince and his new fiancee Susannah Melvoin moved into a new property on Galpin Blvd. in Chanhassen, Minnesota, jumpstarting a spring and summer of nonstop creativity in Prince’s new home studio. Learn more about this space from Susannah, engineer Susan Rogers, Eric Leeds, and Atlanta Bliss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The story of Sign O’ The Times involves many twists, turns, and abandoned projects. We begin with key collaborators Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman as they reflect on Prince's prolific Dream Factory period, with additional insights from engineer Susan Rogers and musicians Eric Leeds, Atlanta Bliss, Matt Fink and BrownMark. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In 2002 Prince and his band embarked on the global One Nite Alone… Tour, capturing the shows and aftershows for Prince’s first official live albums. Host Andrea Swensson talks to touring musicians Renato Neto and Najee, live engineer Scottie Baldwin, and Sam Jennings about these unforgettable live experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In 2001, Prince was in the midst of a spiritual and musical evolution — and he was sharing that journey with his fans through his pioneering NPG Music Club and Paisley Park Celebration events. Host Andrea Swensson talks to musicians Common and Najee, Paisley Park staffer Sam Jennings, and fans Darling Nisi and Erica Thompson about this intriguing and reflective era. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The 1999 Tour was no routine trek: referred to as the “Triple Threat Tour,” the Time and Vanity 6 toured as openers for the band starting to be known as Prince and the Revolution. By the summer of 1983, “Little Red Corvette” had become a top 10 hit and Prince was one of the first black artists to be placed into rotation on MTV. Host Andrea Swensson is joined by Brenda Bennett, Bobby Z, Tom Marzullo, Michael Howe, Matt Fink, Roy Bennett, Lisa Coleman, Jellybean Johnson, Dez Dickerson, Brittany Ho...
With reams of material created over the winter of 1981-1982, Prince turned his attention toward refining his emerging double album and shaping the look and sound of protégés The Time and Vanity 6. Inspired by a 1980 movie called The Idolmaker, Prince aspired to create not just an album but a musical movement. Host Andrea Swensson interviews Dez Dickerson, Duane Tudahl, Jellybean Johnson, Brenda Bennett, Bobby Z, and Lisa Coleman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
As Prince pulled away from the spotlight in the winter of 1981-1982, his creative drive began whirring faster than ever. Hear some of the never-before-released material recorded by Prince during this prolific era, alongside stories about his two early '80s workspaces: his home studio on Lake Riley in Chanhassen, Minnesota; and Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. Host Andrea Swensson interviews Bobby Z., Lisa Coleman, Duane Tudahl, and Peggy McCreary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoic...
The story of 1999 begins with one of the most legendary concert debacles in rock history. When an October 1981 crowd of Rolling Stones fans greeted opener Prince with scorn, it solidified his resolve to forge a new path. Hear the first tracks Prince recorded in that pivotal moment, which are included in the Super Deluxe Edition reissue of 1999, alongside stories from bandmates Dez Dickerson, Lisa Coleman, Dr. Fink and Bobby Z.; engineer Peggy McCreary; journalist Robert Hilburn; and vault archiv...
