To mark the 40th anniversary of the release of Prince’s fourth studio album, Controversy, today, The Prince Estate and Warner Records released a previously unheard 1979 solo demo-recording of “Do Me, Baby.” “Do Me, Baby” was on Controversy, but the track was actually recorded by Prince a few years earlier (hence the 1979 recording date). Additionally, […]
Music videos are the perfect bastard child of art and commerce, even more than pop music itself. A promotional visual accompaniment to a popular song doesn’t need a coherent narrative (although on rare occasions, they do). It just needs to suit the song, sell the record, and possibly make the artist look cool. But since […]
Early in Barack Obama’s first presidential term, the U.S. showed the wear that would ultimately become a crisis a decade later — when sniping, arguing and a full-blown culture war engulfed the country in a seemingly inescapable spiral. In 2010, however, many Americans were optimistic that better days were on the way. But Prince was […]
Three of the 100 are in this picture! The Rolling Stones, in 1964, from left to right: Bill Wyman, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Brian Jones. The problem with lists like this is they are invariably bullshit. So our prime objective was to make sure we didn’t do a bullshit list. I’m not saying we did a scientific one […]
A caricature drawing of Kurt Cobain, done by the icon himself, brought in $281,250 at Julien’s Auctions Music Icons sale. The sale price was 28 times the original estimate. The drawing, done in black felt pen on TNT Music Centre in Singapore stationery, depicts Cobain playing the guitar and is signed “Kurdt Kobain Rock Star.” […]
“Born 2 Die,” the second single from Prince’s unreleased 2010 album Welcome 2 America is out now. The song debuted on BBC 6 Music’s Breakfast Show this morning, with Prince’s long-time musical director Morris Hayes joining host Gemma Cairney to introduce it. Hayes shared a look behind Prince’s inspiration for the song. “We got to ‘Born 2 Die,’ […]
A guitar played by Eddie Van Halen, his brother Alex’s drumkit, and memorabilia from Kurt Cobain, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Cher, Lady Gaga, Madonna and more are up for grabs at the Music Icons auction by Julien’s Auctions, which will take place from June 11-13 2021. In total, more than 1,000 items will […]
Sinead O’Connor and Prince had a checkered history despite the latter penning the former’s biggest hit, at least according to O’Connor. Some time ago, O’Connor alluded to some problematic behavior, said that they didn’t get along, and promised that she’d reveal all in her memoir that was years in the making. Now, in a New York Times […]
The Prince Estate and football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have announced an exclusive partnership in honor of The Purple One that will see vinyl and clothing releases to honor the late superstar. To pay tribute to the “Prince of the Parc,” his estate will release a limited edition seven-inch vinyl in collaboration with Warner Records. […]
Editor’s note: Prince died five years ago today, a moment that shook the entire music and cultural world. Dywane Thomas Jr., better known as MonoNeon, worked and performed with Prince in his latter days. Here, he shares some of his memories of what it was like to be with and work with the artist. My time […]