Because if you do, you might get a front page cover story, that continues for another half-page inside. And also a reprint of a past concert review.
Here are my Prince memories:
- The preview for Purple Rain played during at least one, and perhaps more, movies my family attended that summer. Maybe during Ghostbusters? At any rate, I have a strong memory of my dad reacting as if the movie was not for us to see. I was too young then, of course, but I’ve never actually gotten around to watching it.
- I really liked the song “Little Red Corvette” and I think my mom did too. I have vague memories of watching the video, perhaps at the neighbor’s house as we didn’t have cable then.
- “When Doves Cry” was one of those songs that imprinted on me, though I mostly associate it with Romeo+Juliet, where it was used effectively in the soundtrack.
- The Batman album. That theme song was all over the radio that summer. “Did you ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?/Batdance!” My brother may have even had the soundtrack on cassette tape. Funny that I haven’t heard mention of this album AT ALL in the millions of laudatory words written about Prince.
- My brother and are watching the video music awards and Prince is singing in a bright yellow suit. It’s all par for the course. And then he spun. And we looked at each other, our jaws dropped. Because there was no butt in that suit!
(image from http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/160421153519-03-prince-fashion-prince-get-off–restricted-super-169.jpg)
- Two iconic Prince songs I associate more with white artists, which is interesting. “Kiss” was first introduced to me by Tom Jones. When Julia Roberts sang along to the song in the bathtub, in Pretty Woman, I was surprised to hear her say, “you gotta love Prince.” Watch that Tom Jones video at your peril. It’s heavy on the rad computer graphics. And of course, Nothing Compares 2 U, the video of which was on repeat ad infinitum, letting us all think that we’d look as good as Sinead O’Connor if we shaved our heads. I hated that song until I loved it.
- I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Prince and I don’t know if I could name a song of his after 1990, but an earlier-than-usual death is never a good thing.