Prince did a good job creating a persona for them in Purple Rain,without that I doubt they would have the fame. Also how he dressed them and did videos with them
The Revolution as we know it, how it ended up being, was a chapter in Prince’s career. All chapters end. It was a great read but the entire book is what we should all be praising. This coming from the guy who was raised on 80s Prince.
Jason Breininger I don’t like the comparisons between the Revolution & the NPG. Both bands have their merits. Saying that the Revolution were not a concert band was incorrect. Purple Rain is one large concert movie if you look at it and the Purple Rain tour was very elaborate for its day. Wendy & Lisa were also soundboards and contributors to rage songwriting. Susannah and Prince did not break up,for good until 1987. She has a co songwriting credit on Sign of the Times “Starfish & Coffee”. She said that at the time Prince was very territorial of his relationship with her or possessive wouldn’t let her go out on her own and he resented the relationship she had with her family even Wendy her twin that she just had to leave. She says he did try to get her to return to live with him in Minnesota, but she had moved back in the house where she had lived with Wendy & Lisa.
Lucinda Churchill - right on. They were an amazing live band. I actually prefer all of Prince's bands live over the recordings. Yes, Susannah has stated the relationship with Prince was complicated, because Prince did not like the closeness between her and Wendy, and he wanted to control her. This is consistent with others who have had relationships with him, both personally and professionally. Prince moved out to LA for more than 2 months trying to convince her to come back to MN. There is no doubt that he loved her.
Tyler Anthony Yes, I know the original purpose for the post. However, it grew and morphed into other discussions, starting with the derogatory comments about Wendy and Lisa made by JPayne. That thread was deleted by the channel owner. Regarding the original theory of Prince never intending to drop the band name - the consensus was that he never planned to continue the band name. They were too well known as a group, and only one original member remained after the breakup.
My view is prince had a problem with anyone getting too close on a professional and personal level...I think Wendy and Lisa got too close.....many of his actions seem to prevent intimacy of any kind ....and he was a control freak ...not a criticism....he had a vision and was a genius .....and he wouldn't let relationships of any kind jeopardise this.
poplife123 - agreed. He could never get too close nor give up too much control. He loved Wendy and Lisa though, and of course, Susannah too. However, his personality quirks did not bode well for maintaining professional or personal relationships, as evidenced by the regular turnover in his camp. Many don't know this, but he helped Wendy and Lisa a bit with their first album, and they remained friends throughout his lifetime. I have no doubt he missed them.
I definitely think this comment gets really close to his heart of what we are discussing. I look at all of the other artists he tried to Launch, and how relatively speaking, each one only got a comparatively brief. Of time to either catch or not before they were discarded. Jill Jones, Andy Allo, Judith Hill, Bria Valente, Tamar, the list goes on and on. And I do believe at a minimum it was at least rumored that most of these women had a personal relationship with him as well. An intimate one. It seems like their respective Stars fell when he was ready to move on to a new personal relationship.
Rena Fagel Yes, true but I think the "female protege" thing was a different dynamic than the bands. However, I guess on some level there were similarities. The protégés were typically a 1-2 yr duration, and the bands were about 3-4 years. I think he genuinely wanted to help the women succeed, but was ready to move on to the next thing if it wasn't as successful, or someone else attracted his attention.
Rena Fagel This is totally untrue. Judith Hill was not discarded, she was living at PP up until Prince’s untimely death and went to the family’s private funeral along with Prince’s current personal friends. Prince knew Bria through JW and promoted her but she decided that stardom’s was not for her, hence the fact that Prince named Hit n run after her. Bria decided herself that the fame game was not for her and became a devout JW and today she is no longer in the public eye. Jill Jones left Rick to join Prince’s band of her own free will and so did Vanity who was dating Rick. Vanity left the Prince camp because she said she wanted to pursue a career in Movies. She said herself that she hated the parts she was offered which involved taking her clothes off, she hit rock bottom and became addicted to cocaine. Because of this she turned to Born Again Christianity that saved her from attempted suicide. Vanity says all of this live on tv. She said she always loved Prince, that he was the only man she ever loved but that Prince at the time wasn’t ready to settle down, that Prince had girlfriends. Jill Jones also said they were women of the eighties that wanted their own independence but she also said she was never in a physical relationship with Prince. Tamara has also said she never dated Prince. Fact no one really knows why the relationship between Andy Allo and Prince ended. They appeared to be equally smitten with each other and in love. Once can only assume that Prince was hiding his addiction to opioids from everyone including Andy and Judith and this was impacting on her personal relationships. You should get your facts straight, thanks. Prince endeavoured to write music and to promote others for his whole career but was NOONES KEEPER. Control freaks like to own people and to prevent them from moving onwards. Prince never did this to anyone. I am by no means saying that Prince was faultless but was he a control freak or was it more likely that he wanted freedom to make his own decisions in life, and to have the freedom to do what he wanted to do. He disliked being moulded and controlled by WB, therefore why would he do this to other people. He fought for the freedom of musicians and became a leftist in the process. This isn’t a control freak. If you had Prince’s wealth, would you want to put up with people that pissed you off. I have worked for many years and watched so many people at work crack up and leave due to being bullied or stressed out by co workers. But many people still think highly of Prince, even though he had a tendency to be bossy...he always encouraged others to do well. RIP Prince💜💜💜
Art Full thanks for the reply. Just for the record, I did not characterize him as a control freak. :-) but being somewhat of a control freak myself, I think it has its advantages in certain situations and certainly wouldn't fault him if he was controlling around his music for example. I also agree 100% that he saw talent and tried to promote it across many different artists and people. There just seemed to be somewhat of a pattern to the women. Nothing wrong with that, it was just an observation.
I loved the Prince and the Revolution era. In my opinion, Prince didn’t need all of the dancers on stage because he was such an amazing performer. The Revolution was a great live band as well and the bands should not be compared. Prince always chose talented people for his bands. He played with the best. ❤️
All Prince's band were unique. No two people are alike, therefore, no two bands are alike. Prince evolved quicker than any other artist in history. That was the greatness and genius of Prince.
@Prince’s Friend. This is how I understand it (THEORY ONLY). I don’t think Prince wanted to get rid of any of THOSE Revolution band members until he had serious issues with them or some conflict escalated. He esp. did not want to be abandoned in the middle of a tour or in the middle of something he was already planning. He had abandonment issues and it could also be an arduous task finding a replacement esp. if the exit was not anticipated. He took the quality of his shows very seriously. On the other hand, I think Prince knew he was difficult to work for because he expected a lot, and he anticipated that any band member might decide to leave him at any time and he therefore became vigilant planning and calculating what he was going to do next and who and what he was going to do it with. Women, sex and religion appeared to be a big part of his inspiration. I THINK he fired Wendy and Lisa for several reasons. They were outspoken in their opposition and he was harboring resentment and retaliating due to their attempt to leave the band prior to the Japanese leg of the tour; he perceived they contributed to his conflict with Susannah by interfering in the relationship; he desired a change and wanted to be done with the Purple Rain era; he disliked their opposition to changes in his vision including changes in the band and the direction of the music; he was a master showman and probably wanted a more dynamic and dramatic stage show as he became more seasoned; he wanted freedom and independence to move forward with his own vision unless he asked for your contribution; and he did not feel the Revolution could repeat or sustain the pinnacle of success they had already achieved with Purple Rain. Nevertheless, I think he seriously valued their musicianship and appreciated the support of Wendy and Lisa and all of the others and what the group accomplished together. I do think he was sorrowful about how it was done and he was not the type to want to hurt anybody (until you f-kd with him). Creativity is change and Prince had an exceptional amount of creativity. If you weren’t going where he wanted to go, it appears you would not be around much longer. Either you would want to leave, he would have somebody get rid of you, you would be replaced, marooned or you would get fired.
The Revolution is my favorite Prince band . I have seen them twice in concert since he crossed over. Wendy talks about Prince with such respect so I know they perform the songs with love.
I think I once recall Prince saying he didn't like keep the same band members too long because he liked changing it up too often, which his recording record shows. Keep in mind he lost Gayle Chapman and Andre Cymone both pretty early, which I always suspected changed his mindset. Dez was gone pretty soon after. All left though. After that it seemed like he more or less did it before they could eventually leave, and band members rarely stay together till the end. Bands have always had high turnover rates.
He realize that he needed to move on to advance and improve his music. And the key started when he hired Sheila E as his drummer and made her musical director. Sheila E brought funk and latin flavor to his music and that was the direction it was heading or he wanted to go. Plus most of the band members after the Revolution was in Sheila E's band(s) or she knew them except for 3rd Eye Girl. But just like life, he was revolving and growing as a musician and a man. You can't stay the same especially if you want your fans to love and buy your music
He couldn't have kept the the name "The Revolution" with different members (even if 2 or 3 stayed) because the Purple Rain movie had solidified in the fan's minds who "The Revolution" were. (The Graffiti Bridge movie didn't have nearly the impact that Purple Rain did so fans didn't really have any attachments to the NPG members like they did for the Revolution. So swapping out NPG members wasn't a very big deal). Bringing Miko and Jerome and Susannah into the Revolution for the Parade Tour was done to give those 3 a gig since St. Paul had quit The Family before the Parade Tour started. (Miko was going to play guitar for The Family's live shows). It seems to me that Prince did eventually want to stretch out and be more musically progressive onstage and he thought BrownMark and Fink and Eric Leeds could hang with that and the other 3 couldn't. (I don't doubt the weirdness of his relationship with Susannah, Wendy, and Lisa played a role as well) If you watch that Purple Rain Live concert video, they are using the drum machine for the most of the show and Bobby Z was just playing the symbols and some occasional tom fills. So Prince brought in Sheila and Levi (from Sheila's band) to jump start the rhythm section, Boni Boyer for more soulful piano style and backing vocals, Mico passed his audition on the Parade Tour, Fink and Eric are still there with Eric bringing in Atlanta Bliss on trumpet.... BOOM! A new band to bring in the new direction of Sign 'O' the Times. The 87/88 band is actually my favorite Prince band so I was more upset with that band being broken up than I was with the Revolution being disbanded.
From what I know of Prince, he wasn't one to be stagnant or stick to one thought, idea, style of music, even his hair and wardrobe at some point had to change. Prince was definitely intentional in firing Wendy, Lisa, and Bobby-- I have heard that he didn't really count on BrownMark quitting, and that his reason wasn't necessarily an issue of loyalty, just that he wasn't really feeling the direction of the music ("Parade" was more funk/R&B-driven as opposed to the new wave/punk/rock they were doing before). The Sign O' The Times/Lovesexy line-up is probably my favorite of the two, but by a 51/49 split, and I agree that The Revolution were a great recording band while Lovesexy was a better live band. Just my take on things, I'm sure there may be some of you guys who may be more knowledgeable on the topic.
He needed a change because of Warner Brothers pressure he mentioned he respected people who put fresh ideas and moves who keep up with the times, in details he knew that they could be the new music marketing. All these talents he upgraded with and to tell you the truth you in order to be in the band you had to keep up him and not the other way around. He endorsed creativity in others while being a mentor to others.
The Revolution was a good bad but he definitely wanted to expand and experiment with different things. The Revolution was just a straight ahead band. He didn't have the problem that some artist have where you want to do more with your music but the audience and businesses want to hold you in one place and time.
Wendy and Lisa was a main influence on Prince during the Revolution years. He would give Wendy and Lisa a lot of music to work on. The Revolution was a great band and especially in concert. I kind of disagree with you that they were just a great studio band. Now the New Power Generation was great as musicians too, wouldn't even put them down. The reason Prince broke up the Revolution was for personal matters and it was because he broke up with Susannah Melvoin, Wendy's twin sister. He felt uncomfortable working with them with having broke up the romantic relationship with Susannah. Who was also a member of the Family. Bobby Z really didn't want to stay in the Revolution that much longer and Prince didn't fire him. Mark Brown aka Brown Mark had really left the Revolution in 1985. He was doing a lot of music producing at that time. He also produced the band Mazarati's first album. He did perform with Prince during the Parade tour but really was not a member of the Revolution at that time. He stated in an interview during the recent tribute tour the Revolution are doing. Prince really didn't want to break up the Revolution but the reason he did was personal not because he thought Wendy, Lisa and Bobby didn't measure up to his high musical standards. He even said it himself, that the Revolution was the tightest band he ever worked with.
Venancia Hopkins - right - I mentioned many of these points on an earlier post. Bobby actually helped to produce Wendy and Lisa's first album in 1987. I don't think Bobby wanted to stay with most of the band leaving. The only corrrection I would make is that Wendy and Lisa were let go about 2 months before Susannah officially ended the relationship with Prince. Of course, they had been off and on for months prior to that time. She did move back to LA, but he followed her out there and spent about 2 months in his rental home trying to convince her to go back to MN with him. I actually think they continued to see each other periodically for the next couple of years - could be wrong about that, but she was a guest with his Dad at one of the 1987 shows in MN, and wasalso at the 9/88 Lovesexy show in MN with Wendy and Lisa
What you stated about Brown Mark was how I heard it as well. He had left a good year before the Revolution was officially disbanded. Prince asked Brown Mark to come BACK as the NPG was being formed and Brown Mark had said no because enough was enough. He gave the implication that he was tired of the control and wanted to do his own thing.
Jamie Dreams Right. In the interview that I watched, when Mark was explaining how Prince asked him to play with the NPG he said he thought "dude, didn't I just quit?" They also talked about how Prince didn't really want people to leave permanently. Bobby jokingly, as if he were Prince, said, "you're fired! When are you coming back?"
❤🎶❤🎸❤Interesting theory BUT after Prince passed The Revolution said (It's in an interview on youtube) that they remember on stage when Prince couldn't look at them. He had already decided to go in a new direction & was ready for a new/different band. He had a hard time with it because they were friends & it sounds like he had a hard time telling them. He asked Dr. Fink (who did stay for awhile) & maybe Bobby Z. He also had thought at some point they would all come,back after some time apart so it SOUNDS mutual to a point. People always want to make Prince out to be the bad guy but it was HIS band. He was the boss & HIRED them. It's like agreeing to work a job then telling the owner how it should be done or griping. If you don't like it, leave. My loyalty will ALWAYS be to Prince! I think in part they expected leniency due to friendship & work intertwining (favoritism) like being friends with your boss then getting mad,because your boss has to do their job ahead of your friendship. Clearly Prince had a heart & is loved by many even supported by his friendship in later years with Wendy. Prince & Wendy were on PBS with Tavis playing & the way she looked at Prince is so touching. You can see the love. Now it makes me cry when I watch it because they were close again. PRINCELUV4EVER!!!❤❤❤❤❤
Prince's Friend I agree & appreciate your well tbought out commentary that isnt just fluff because you also have an inside track to the truth. I first heard his cousins album as a kid, then Soft & Wet (& first pic. thinking he was cute) but when PRINCE came out & seeing him on American Bandstand that was it!!! I was hooked. I remember being at a friend's 11th birthday party sleepover & playing "I Wanna Be Your Lover" over & over. Its been 41 years as I just turned 50 & every part of my life I can place it by Prince's music. I'm devastated he's gone but find myself listening even more to uncover his hidden messages/meanings in his music to still feel his presence. Thank you for helping keep his memory alive 😁❤
all true LG yes it was his band and his call but personally I think that he thought he could get that magic with the next group / band just the same, and was too young to realize how special and rare that magic was with the Revolution and what he had lost until years later which is probably why he had a soft spot for the members. Doesn't mean he wanted to go back there and reform The Revolution tho
Darren Glen - agree with all of your thoughts here. Although, I did find an online interview with Prince discussing the Roadhouse Garden album and plans to release that record. It's very possible that there were at least initial talks about plans for some "reunion" shows back in '99, which would have been the 25 yr mark, which is signifcant. It was said that, because Prince was getting heavily involved with JW he moved away from any talks/plans, because the religion is against homosexuality. Not saying it was the only reason, but it would seem likely, as he was speaking out and "preaching" the JW beliefs in interviews and in his music from 1998 forward. Here is the Love4OneAnother 1999 online interview: L4OA: what is the status of Roadhouse Garden? prince : Roadhouse Garden got sidelined 4 a sec but it will take at the most - 3 weex 2 finish.. prince : most of the trax were cool 2 begin with prince : they just needed minimal production and a mix L4OA: any titles - or is it a surprise? smile prince : some titles include... prince : "Witness 4 the Prosecution"... prince : and... prince : "SPLASH" prince : which was one of my favorites prince : all the songs that Wendy and Lisa sang on were left off... prince : of the Crystal Ball package prince : 2 save 4 a Revolution album L4OA: cool smile L4OA: yes! smile
For me things were not the same after Andre and Dez left the band, although I always felt like he needed to upgrade at drums. That band seemed like it had more mystic. I guess because at that time, the sound and the different characters of the band was something that was totally different than anything or band in history up until that point. RIP PRINCE. I REALLY MISS YOU AND MICHEAL. I FEEL SO BLESS TO HAVE BEEN AROUND DURING THIS ERA!
Not a hater of The Revolution, but listening to some of the sound rehearsals on TH-cam that he did with some of the NPG iterations makes it clear that pretty much all of those NPG bands were better live performers than The Revolution. Some of those sound checks could be studio concert releases, there that good. Prince needed to grow and while we will never know for sure, it's possible that the whole Lisa/Wendy/Susannah dynamic started getting in the way of him wanting to grow as an artist and probably became a source of stress. During that mid to late 80s period, there was A LOT of women around Prince. Plus, he was cranking out a ridiculous amount of music that required exposure to a better and a different set of musicians. However, to hear it told, its as if he spent every waking moment with these three women, which I clearly doubt as he seemed to be involved in a ton of relationships during that time. I think it comes down to two things...him wanting to grow his art and sound, and possibly not wanting to deal any longer with the Coleman/Melvion triumvirate. Although he was fond of them, it probably became too much after a while.
I agree with Prince. He did what was best for him. Look how Dez just up and left him. Based on an interview that I saw. Andre was there temporarily as a favor until Prince found another bass player. That's how mark came in the picture.
Danielle Rameau - per the Biographies I have read, and also Dez's statements - he and Prince agreed that he would give him 3 years with the band, and then would move on to do his own thing. He would have had to commit to another 3 years with Purple Rain, and he did not want to do that. It was just meant to be. Prince actually helped him with his record, and gave him the cameo in the PR film.
I don't know. I'm torn on the entire thing that went down with the revolution. I feel like at the height of his popularity, you have to think about what people associate. It wasn't just him, it was the whole package because of the Purple Rain movie. I feel like he traded off some stickiness in his fan base when he fired highly identifiable members of the revolution. Now I know that he probably wasn't focused on staying popular, but I've also always believed that it probably bugged him that he fell out of Pop Culture to a certain extent After the Revolution was disbanded. Don't get me wrong, I love a ton of material he is produced from 1990 forward with his various bands and with various personnel. I think SOTT is up there with one of the best albums he ever released, and a lot of the stuff he did in the 2000s is right up there as well. But as far as hanging on to fans that were not in the hardcore category, I think losing the revolution hurt him.
Rena Fagel - agreed. Cat Glover stated that when they went over to Europe for the SOTT tour many of the fans were holding up posters that said "Where are Wendy and Lisa?" "Where is The Revolution?" She said Prince was quite angry about it. The reason SOTT was so good is because most of the songs were those that were recorded with The Revolution and/or during the time the band was still together. As most people know by now, there was a ton of unreleased music recorded between 1985-1987.
I agree it was a chapter in his life and if he wanted to continue The Revolution, then he would have. The NPG had members coming and going and that band name lasted for a good while.
Brown mark informed Prince that he was leaving after the Purple Rain tour was finished. So when he said no to Prince, it wasn’t because of loyalty to the band. He was simply ready to move on. There’s also the thought that he was frustrated because he helped Prince rearrange Kiss and didn’t get any credit for it
Why would Prince fire The Revolution if he didn't want get rid of them? Prince wasn't the kind of person who did things he did not want to do. The bottom line is, Prince could be both passive aggressive and downright mean. He lied to The Revolution and told them they would be together forever, like "The Rolling Stones." He gained their loyalty by deception and when he didn't need them anymore, he moved on to the next big thing. He did the same thing to Mayte.
Makes some sense. I think the Lisa Wendy connection had to end because of his breakup with Susannah. Bobby Z is kinda part of that friendship and (IMO) Prince used his "granted opportunities" to sway and manipulate his relationships. In addition (and people will get mad at this) these are still employees. That is, this wasn't a band with Prince being the lead singer. Its not the Beatles or Led Zeppelin or Earth, Wind and Fire. Its Prince who has hired people to aid his live performances. That being said - they (band members) had forgotten that. So if Prince wanted to bring in some zero talented "dancers", the revolution members really dont have any say. With regards to my initial statement of manipulation, Sheila E. truly loved Prince. They "recconnect" and I can almost see Prince saying "I want you in my band because you mean that much to me." "What about Bobby?" "He's out. He was out when your plane landed here. - He just don't know it yet."
I think Prince wanted to grow and create a new sound, work with new people. The man was ambitious and did what he had to for his art. I'm sure he felt love for the Revolution and had difficulty with the decision to replace musicians who had been with him for a long time. It's just one of those things, people are obviously going to be hurt. Prince's immaturity at the time probably made the transition more painful.
As a musician, I can say that when a drummer changes in a band, the band changes. At the time, Bobby considered Sheila to be one of the top 5 drummers in the world. I think a lot of it had to do with Prince bringing her into the fold big time; not only with timbales and percussion, but on the kit. Not sure if it's related to what went down 30 years ago, but apparently The Revolution and Sheila do not get along. I also think he wanted to keep Fink and Mark because of their versatility and because they could embody the definition of professional hired guns. I would say that Wendy, Lisa and Bobby were a close unit and too married to the whole "band" thing. If you read the liner notes of Wendy & Lisa's debut record, you'll see that the two of them worked hand in hand with Bobby. At the end of the day, it mostly mattered that the musicians in the band fit each change in direction. Also, P said himself that The Revolution needn't be together in order to release a Prince and The Revolution album.
I am a prince music follower from his first album For You. Being familiar with all Prince band The Revolution members over the decades, Dr Fink, Lisa and Bobby Z were in his bands for years. Prince refers to them as Heaven Sent Helpers in the liner notes of the “PRINCE” second album. It appears Prince gave people opportunities and for creative or religious reasons members bowed out. Gayle Chapman, Andre Cymone and Dez Dickerson was the first group of musicians to leave the Camp for creative reasons. The rest is musical history with NPG and Third Eye Girl bands. Like George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic and The Brides of Funkenstein....Prince had so much music and ideas to share with the world , I guess working with different artist was the path of his journey and legacy!
Love it and you are so right. Prince was totally nice about letting them go, and there are rumours, members of the Revolution were on the payroll until the 90s. Prince may have been a hard taskmaster, but he looked after his peoples.
On the Emancipation album Prince did a song called "In This Bed I Scream" which he dedicated to Wendy & Lisa. They also appeared on his Planet Earth album and briefly toured with him the release of that album. Finally Wendy Melvoin of course joined Prince in a Live performance on the Tavis Smiley show where they performed "Reflection" in 2004- 05. The Revolution ended but his friendship with certain musicians from that band endured. Keep in mind too that Dr. Matt Fink also performed on the Madhouse albums after the demise of The Revolution.
Jehblue 68 - exactly. Prince ended The Revolution, but never his friednships or association with the band members. Wendy and Lisa were also on stage with him at the 2006 Brit Awards. They had their ups and downs with him through the years - mainly due to his changing religious beliefs relating to opinions about their sexual orientation - but they were always friends.
Thanks for the video. I always liked the Revolution and saw them in concert a few times last year, but for me it just wasn't the same without Prince being with them. I also liked the LoveSexy band, Sheila E. was and still is fabulous. But my favorite Prince band was NPG, having attended 8 Musicology concerts, they and Prince were mind blowing great. In my opinion 3rd Eye Girl was OK, but I also think they were his weakest band. But Prince was always changing the band members. I heard him say in an interview once when he went on tour he put together the best group of musicians he could find. He did a very good job of it.
You make a plausible case.... unfortunately, we will never know for sure. It kills me that P only got the first 50 pages of his memoir done because I suspect we would have known exactly why if he was able to finish it.
I'm so glad you you brought this up....and allow me please to add my take....I am in total agreement in how you put this vid together..And I'm gonna say something no Prince fan will say out loud...in the late 90s Prince made a lot of good songs and a lot of crapp...and was all over the place and do to mass experimentation the sound quality went down on a lot of songs...a lot hip hop and R&B had better sound quality....For example....Aaliah's 1 in a million album ....and this was do to what you pointed out...the Revolutions were a great studio band...not live...and do to Prince's lack of maturity at that moment in time...BROUGHT BAD KARMA ON HIMSELF....and his music suffered trouble with Warner bros.....and even with the woman he should've MARRIED...Nona Gay...but he did her wrong to...and blind sided her with Myata....And Prince was a man of God and had full control of his life...but you can do people like that without knowing there is gonna to be deep pain in some situations...and Spiritual & Karmetic repercussions....I loved Prince dearly...but some things he could have handled better...much like how you did this vid so tastefully....Great job
This was posted before I became a subscriber. Very interesting take on things. I think that the Revolution was around for, IMHO, his best music (subjective, I know). But I think of it just in a creativity sort of way. He outgrew them but, as you touched upon, he wasn't always the most mature person. Great video from yester-year. The channel was great then apparently, and great now!
Probably when Andre left that was the catalyst for him to not become too attached to any band members. What were they called back then? Anyway I think that he as a person was evolving and growing up (i think he grew up more in the mid to late 90s) and the music was taking him in different directions. Why some believe Prince was obligated to keep and provide an income to some of these people forever baffles me. Very happy that all these wonderful musicians passed through and contributed so much to the legacy. What a body of work. They did their tour of duty 👌😎💜
B B I don't think many people expected that he would stay with The Revolution - just that it would not have ended so abruptly. During Andre's and Dez's time it was just "Prince". The band as a whole did not have a name. Andre and Dez left to do their own thing. They wanted to be front men, not just band members. The band officially became The Revolution with the Purple Rain album and film. They were first announced as "Prince and The Revolution" at the 8/3/83 1st Avenue show. I think the other difference is that through the early years there were minor changes with the band - one person at a time being replaced - Mark replaced Andre, then Lisa replaced Gayle, and later Wendy replaced Dez. By 1987 though, all but Matt Fink were replaced, and the band no longer had an identity. It was back to just "Prince".
I think Prince was already quoted as saying that "lack of improvisation skills" was his main reason for letting Lisa and Wendy go. Lisa is an awesome keyboardist and composer (especially from a film scoring perspective), and Wendy has a natural ability to come up with "earthy melodies" over unusual chord progressions. Case in point, the melody for "Sometimes It Snows in April" is very much an "inspired by Lisa and Wendy" song :-) Net, net...every Prince "touring band" past the success of Purple Rain, was made up of musicians that had undeniable improvisation skills. Shelia E, Eric Leeds, Sonny T...all of them are great improvisers, with very rich musical vocabularies.
Brownmark reportedly did stay on for a while from what I how I read. I think Bobby Z did for a while, but he said it wasn’t the same. Matt Fink did stay on until he says he wanted to start a family and other things. Reportedly they weren’t told separately. They were asked to meet a a house. Can’t recall which house. Where they were told. Wendy & Lisa kind of knew things were up when Wendy said they were giving a concert and Prince invited others on stage with them. Something she says he never really had done before and during the concert she was kind of signaling and mouthing to Lisa and the others of the band “it’s over, but reportedly they were told together. Wendy reportedly took it the hardest and Prince himself had said in an interview that he did not know why Wendy had taken the dismantling of the band so hard. He didn’t understand.
Lucinda Churchill - Brown Mark actually was the first one to quit the band - he informed Prince prior to the Parade tour that he was leaving. Wendy, Lisa, and Bobby were all let go after returning from the last Parade show in Japan. Prince was renting a house in LA, and they were asked to come for dinner. This was early October. Yes, Wendy knew it was over when Prince smashed two guitars on stage when singing Purple Rain. The reason Wendy took it hard is because they had just recorded about 4 albums worth of songs together. Several of those songs ended up on the SOTT album, but their contributions were either erased or buried in new mixes of those songs. Prince knew exactly why they would be upset, but of course he was not going to explain that to the press. Instead, he waited 9 years and released "In This Bed I Scream", dedicated to them and Susannah :/
I thought I heard Wendy tell a story of how her parents wanted her to get a contract with Prince after she was in Minneapolis for so long for some career security and Prince took that request as that she did not trust him and that is what caused the change and eventual firing of Wendy and Lisa.
I definitely think he meant to fire the revolution. 1) they were sorta just a nameless band until 1999, 2) I think he wanted to rid himself of people who new him before super stardom. Wendy, I think, was too assertive for him at that point and he wanted ( I believe), less of that . Brings me to 3) he seemed to be fed up with the commercial success of purple rain and want to shed as much of it as possible. Hair, sound, wardrobe all changed, the name had to go as well.
Prince's Friend :) when I think of early prince/revolution, I think of the rolling stones in look and attitude. Post revolution it was more like a james brown front man production.. killing off the revolution was his way of saying " I'm in charge and I only want input when I ask for it"
Bo B - exactly. From what I have read, no other band configuration was given any freedom of input or ideas. They came to rehearsal, and were told what to play. Little or no collaboration involved. Regarding Purple Rain, he stated that it would always be the "albatross" around his neck, because it was the top of the mountain, so to speak, and there was nowhere to go from there but down. He also did not want to become the "Purple Rain" guy, and continue to be that character playing that exact kind of sound. Hence, the new sound and look for ATWIAD and Parade. Then, he got blasted for moving too far away from his "funk" roots. So, in comes the backup dancers and the James Brown persona, with Sheila and Cat in the skimpy outfits....
Right alot of people dont realize that warner told him when he started he needed a touring band. He knew players and formed a touring band but was never never commercially known as the Revolution. On 1999 if you look at album cover on 1999 you'll see the revolution is written backwards in that weird little kid writing lol but it's straight up on the Purple Rain album and announced as the revolution on the album not as prince and the revolution in movie they are announced as the The Revolution and he's known as The Kid.That's when they really got their credit. So that's where there's some significance. They created a nice entity and gave them some credibility because lets face it some of them were classically trained musicians. That's what I've been actually trying to say.
A pretty good superficial analysis, but it really overlooks a lot that was going on in P's broader artistic context and life at the time (ie the other artists & band projects, films, building Paisley Park, management crisis, etc). Full Disclosure: I was at PP from 88-94 and am pretty well versed in how people inside get fired. Just sayin. Prince 4 Ever!!! Subbed.
I wished he and the Revolution had stayed together another 10 years at least. I just loved everything about them. To me he was still rising with them but seem to slow down as to the number of hits that I liked without them. I heard he only feared The Time as far as band competition goes and maybe they could challenge him with NPG but I would never pick The Time over the Revolution in a million years. I liked a ton of Princes music throughout the years but my favorite music period was with The Revolution hands down. Prince was a very very special musician that I consider the greatest I’ve heard or seen in person but put him on stage with the Revolution and it’s magical.
The Revolution saw themselves as aiding Prince in creating his lore. They took it more personal than the NPG members, besides Fink and Jones because they were there in the beginning.
I was in college when the Purple Rain Tour came to Tallahassee, Florida. Sheila E was the opening act. She came back on stage with the Revolution to play some of the percussions. It was a great show.
It seemed like it was constantly too many people to juggle that had different allegiances other than the Purple movement like if you check out the Atlanta Purple Rain show (85 like right before he was to abandon the tour) he had Wally & Brooks and Jerome doing full out choreography (And his horn section that he had assigned to Sheila, performing the whole show with him), which seemed like he also had Jerome left after The Time quit and was finding a place for him to shine, since he did believe he could make Jerome a star on his own.There were constant vision changes that may have been too fast for members to keep up with. He didnt need the 4 to the floor anymore so Bobby got switched out for Sheila and mind you Sheila had her own financial woes with WB so it was probably strategical to get that tour money and she can keep up with where he was going 86 and on like he couldnt really play Tambourine live with Bobby on drums lol not that he wasnt a beast it just wasnt his style. Anyhoo rambling but yea i think Prince had vision cnahges and his own loyalties to certain members and others who didnt agree had theirs. I liken it to say Queens Of The Stone Age or NIN where there is really one person at the helm and they are just putting things together to match it live.
Prince had simply outgrown the essence of The (original) Revolution (as Prince’s Friend also pointed out) and was ready for a change. And what boss has to be nice about firing their employees... yes , it can be cold but it’s life...
Yes it's true, Prince liked to evolve his music. He was forever re-inventing himself, seemingly with every other album. I wonder if the Revolution were willing to do that. Were they happy doing that? Did Prince ever sit down and say " Hey, this is the direction we're going...are you down?" Or, did he do as some say and just start bringing in new people, without discussion. They seemed to be able to keep up during "Around the World " and "Parade", so why wouldn't they continue? Maybe he just grew bored, who knows? It would have been very interesting to see the get back together and continue to record, between 1999 and 2000 when Roadhouse Garden was to be released.
I still believe that even if The Revolution survived 1986, they probably would’ve been out by graffiti bridge. Then there could’ve been a chance that SOTT didn’t happen and the music couldn’t evolve.
It all started with the Flesh sessions. Prince started in inviting various artist in his camp to play including the Revolution. The Flesh sessions were essentially an unannounced tryout for whatever new band he was putting together. When Prince found the right parts we got the SOTT/Lovesexy band. The Flesh sessions had just about every player in Prince's camp tryout. Interesting time.
I learned a lot from Prince too he taught me about playing music and the business and getting you're master's he's the business man and the teacher love you my brother Prince rest in heaven
I think he would’ve kept Wendy and Lisa maybe but how they dealt with their hurt feelings over him expanding the band and no longer being his go to people, not doing their Dream factory project and Shelia E focus over or in conjunction with Susannah with her band joining, I think they probably were behaving differently as well. Easy to make it all Prince however I am sure they contributed as well to the change in energy. I think he learned a lesson regarding not doing dual relationships with band members and creating better boundaries with bandmates to protect his art and him being the boss
Prince was changing styles; some musicians are good at different levels; so Prince in the 90s had an new sound; new musicians; but all these musicians are good and went on to solo success
To quote Prince: "You know people always ask me..."Why don't I get the revolution back together?" "Prince pauses, then turns and smiles. "But, I mean...for what???" I'm tired of people act as if they know better than Prince himself. He didn't want them anymore (that's life), he fired them and never looked back. Deal with it!!
Business is business and artist like to evolve/try new things. Everyone that starts with you can't make it to the end of your journey. HOWEVER, the way he went about the firing is what irks me...
I agree but doesn't Bruce Springsteen still have the same bandmembers? I know a few have passed on & were replaced. And The Time has the same members although Prince fired Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
For my opinion, I always wondered if the reason for disbanding The Revolution was that Prince got too close. Especially with Wendy & Lisa. Prince was a very "walls up" kind of man and I think he was feeling like he was letting them too much? I don't know, that was always my wondering
In the following RollingStone article dated April 26, 2016, Alan Leeds gives his insider's view of why the Revolution was disbanded. You have to scroll down very far into the article until you find the following paragraph: Shortly after the Hit n Run-Parade Tour tour, he disbanded his group, the Revolution To find the story, Google: Prince Insider Alan Leeds on ‘Purple Rain’ Hysteria, Warner Bros. Clash The link I previously provided did not work. I If you look at various accounts of what happened including the Revolution Member's accounts, there appears to be a lot of factors that were fueling this change. I don't think Prince would have kept the Revolution name even if Wendy, Lisa and Bobby Z were the only ones out. I think they played too integral a part in the identity of the band. It was better for everyone that he moved on and changed the name.
I think The Revolution was Prince's best band, but I also think it was his right and prerogative to change bands if he felt he needed to for the evolution of his musical expression.
I remember working in Europe in 1987 and had a chance to see the Sign O the Times Concert. Brilliant. The new Band was awesome. I just saw him the year before in New York on the Parade tour for the first time. He was awesome. But the Sign O the Times tour he looked a lot more free. He was having a lot more fun. They captured that in the Live film. But I was happy to see him with The Revolution. Wendy said while they were in Europe on the last concert tour with him which was Parade. He (Prince) was angry and destroyed his guitar or something to that nature during the show. She (Wendy) ,knew then it was over. She said she told Lisa,this is it. He 's through with us. I heard said that in an interview.
Good theory 👍🏾 I would say though I believe Prince was the type of man that once he was done with something he was done with it entirely. I think once he started replacing members he was ready to move on period and begin a new direction. I also believe even the New Power Generation went that way (it went from more of his recording band, to live band/recording, then to just live band) and they technically even went by different names. In the beginning it was more “Prince and The New Power Generation” then it just became “Prince and the NPG” (which if we become more technical each iteration of the NPG after the New Power Generation had different musicians and different sounds). I also believe Prince wanted to move on because he put the title “New Power Generation” on “Eye no” which proves he was toying with the idea for years. But as always with Prince we’ll never truly know 🤷🏽♂️😂 thanks for getting the conversation started.. loved the video👍🏾👍🏾
IMHO Prince was over the Purple Rain era and going in a new direction required a fresh outlook. He didnt want to be pigeonholed in the past. Prince moved at a fast pace and looked forward.
Exactly. But, starting the 90s, his fast pace always had the same backdrop of the NPG and that went on for around 2 decades. My though is That since he was looking to drop some members of the revolution and not all of the members, that hadn’t gone down differently maybe the npg would’ve never existed.
Prince was a student of music and a student of business. Just look to his hero's James B and Goerge C to follow his thinking on this one. Loving your knowledge and love for the purple one. Rock and roll God save the Queen love from the UK ❤3121
Theirs a reason Prince never got around to finishing that autobiography. Many former Prince employees have given interviews to various TH-cam channels, and have surmise the fallowing: Prince was aware of music history and conscious of his own legacy. He wouldn’t want people to think that he was only as good as the people in his band. He had to be stressing in 86. Around the world LP wasn’t what people were expecting. Cherry Moon flopped. Another producer made his song Kiss into a hit. And Paisley Park was going to put him in the red. The Time and The Family disband. He wanted a fresh start. Contacts weren’t renewed. Prince made mistakes.
I'm not a Prince expert but it seems that he didn't like The Revolution members being too popular in terms of getting equal spotlight with him. IMO, Prince wanted to be a complete and total solo artist who was in full control of everything - all the time. Not that there is anything wrong with this, but if that's the way it is going to be - it makes it hard when you are being associated with a band who is also getting equal recognition. And that is why he needed to fire The Revolution as a way of killing the concept of what it had become - almost an equal part with him, consisting of recognizable band members who were maybe beginning to get credit for the songwriting, shows, ect. In other words, The Revolution was becoming a thing of its own, when I don't think it was ever supposed to be like that - which explains why he could't just replace members. He needed to end the idea of being associated with a Revolution-type band, and the only way to do so was to create a whole new backing band - where different members would come and go.
This was like what goes on with great funk bands, is that when change comes, some members move on their projects, then one founder members builds an new band, it hurts to have to not be on stage and studio with the same musicians, cause there are hardships good times they go through also friendships are build all of the Revolution are good musicians in their own right, what it seems is that with the change of times, Prince,s camp of funk became an training course for all who played in his bands, this on graduating moved on to their own projects, it was an school of music business and learning the pro and cons of the music business which in my opinion is nasty as hell with the contracts, Prince had a lot of side projects and was producing all of his side projects which ran into conflict with Warners now I know this comment is left field, but if all of the musicians singers dancers wasn, t working with Prince would they have been known early than be known later, Rufus and Chaka Khan, had an lot of drummers when the drummer from 1972 to 1977, quit till John Robinson joined in 1979 till the last album in 1983, there was an Rufus band where the majority of the band quit because they did not like the companys decision to put Chaka Khan upfront and change the music to funk,thus creating the Rufus known now, Bar Kay's, an funk band had 12 people in it for the 80,s peered down to 4 people, this an strange way of the music business, The Revolution went on to do their thang and got funky with it,,,welcome to the dawn, the Dawn is here
I dont think Prince wud have kept the revolution. He liked to change things up. thats pretty clear in his career. wendy and lisa was too much in princes personal life. esp with the susanah situation, they thought they were gonna run prince. prince had to show them who the leader. Wendy and lisa didnt like those african american dancers lol. Prince wanted to do 6lack music again as well.
I heard Wendy and Lisa say it was over prince cheating on wendys sister in front of their faces and they didn't like it so feelings started getting hurt but after he broke up with wendys sister and fired them he came back to Suzanna for a while til they finally broke up for good cause he couldn't be loyal to her he loved her but didn't want to keep hurting her cause he was in a relationship with sheila e and Suzanne the same time but picked shelia e in the end then eventually 🅱 broke it off with shelia e I think prince just had problem being with one woman only but I still loved him there will only ever be one prince😭
Leesa King, I think this was a huge part of it also. What a love pentagon that must have been: Prince with Susannah, Wendy with Lisa, Prince getting too close to Wendy & Lisa, Susannah being Wendy's twin sister, Prince not being faithful esp on tour where everybody could see it. Prince cut off the painful past totally throughout his life. I don't think he could work with Wendy because she looked & probably had personality traits exactly like Susannah. I'm sure there was plenty of hurt to go around and it was intolerable. It was also an opportunity for him to change his direction and grow. I remember reading that Frank Zappa's wife had an arrangement that allowed cheating on his part only when he was on tour. An open marriage isn't everyone's cup of tea but Prince could never really be with one woman.
I have been to easily over 500 concerts! My 1st concert was the Jackson 5 when I was 4 living in Japan. My favorite concert of all time was Prince, The Time and Vanity 6. I saw that back in the early 80's. The Revolution was supposed to get back together in 2,000. I saw him perform 15× here in Las Vegas. Truly a tremendous loss for mankind!
Very interesting perspective. One thing is entertainment is that you have to learn to move on fast. When a door closes you gotta open another door. Can't take things too personal because when it's all said and done it's about if you won or lost. I think everyone involved with The Revolution won because they were a part of an unforeseen ride that changed music history. They were and are able to use that momentum for the rest of their lives.
Yesss!! .I've been here throughout his entire career. I've seen countless shows..Many faces coming and going. Yet the Revolution always remained a mystery..What really happened..It was definitely a quick overthrow..ie..James Brown. If memory serves me right..It came directly after the Rolling Stones interview which he had Wendy and Lisa do..Yet all 3 were on the cover. Out of all the words in the interview, i distinctly recall reading the words.."We will never leave". And i promise u..It was maybe a week or 2 later where Kurt Loder or one of the many MTV anchors announced that the Revolution had disbanded and announced some new players. Just like that. Back then..If u recall..Everyone was sworn to secrecy..So, i always imagined they spilled too much of the beans in the interview. But when u mentioned the breakup of Susannah..It all ties in and makes better sense..Too many hurt feelings and a sense of moving on. Some unfortunately had to get off the bus. Great band! Never to take that away from him history..But yet..As an evolving enigma..Because he was definitely growing as a musician..I could sense that he wanted to go from teacher to playing w some of the best and brightest musician's on the planet. I think he fulfilled his dreams, and then some..✌ Friend
I Feel Prince Needed 2 Seperate Hisself From The Revolution In Order 2 Grow & Evolve. The Revolution Was A Great Band 4 Those Earlier Years But As One Grows The Unit Around Must Be Able 2 Move With The Flow & I Think He Knew This Change Was Not 4 These Core Members. The NPG Gave Him More Options Musically. Next 2 The Sign Of The Times/Lovesexy Line Up, The Musicology Line Up Was One Of His Best Bands. I Loved All The Variations Thru The Years... Great Video Friend... Long Live Prince!!!
In my opinion, prince should have kept Lisa in the band. Her and Prince had this bond were it was like they were brother and sister. Ya they did had some tiffs, but they loved each other. She was talented and had potential in the revolution ( I wish prince didn't make Wendy and Lisa "famous" to where people hate them and think their overrated). Watch the Parade Tour in Stockholm and in the middle of the tour, you'll see Lisa's piano solo (which it blew me away) and was an amazing, yet breath taking when she played her solo on the piano. Plus her and Prince taught each other and gave different ideas to each other. Also out of the whole band I liked everyone except for Wendy.
I think he DID mean to fire “The Revolution”. True, it seems that he was getting blow-back from Wendy not just on the personal aspect of the Suzanne thing, but also on the creative dimension as well. We all know that P handled problems by walking away from them rather than deal with them head on. He was changing in his musical maturity and taste. So, BrownMark and Dr Fink fit what his new vision was and the other 3 did not. I don’t think he ever meant to keep the old band name because that would negate the purpose of the shake-up and as P said many times, “I never look back, never”.
Teresa Henderson - Prince said that, but his songs prove he felt differently. He was constantly expressing feelings of loss, regret, and reflection within his music. He just would not speak those words, especially to the reporters and journalists who he typically did not like or trust.
KJS agreed I know he reflected on his personal failings a great deal. This is off the subject, but the many songs he wrote about Mayte after they divorced is an illustration of that. “If you know my music then you know me.” I was speaking more of his musical inclinations/business affairs. The break-up of “The Revolution” was evidently simmering for a long time and came to the top in Japan as he threw all of those guitars (according to Wendy). I think P was very thoughtful about what direction he wanted to go in his musical journal and did not make major decisions about it on a whim.
Teresa Henderson - he wrote "In This Bed I Scream" in 1995 for Wendy, Lisa and Susannah about his regrets and wanting to connect with them again. Just curious, what songs are supposed to be about Mayte after the divorce?? From what I have read and seen he wanted nothing to do with her in later years...
KJS WOW, this is a side note for sure, but okay. Shelby J was very close to Prince and she said, on video, that Prince told her that Mayte was the love of his life and that Mayte felt the same toward P. So, I very much doubt that he felt negatively towards her. Very complex relationship since they had some spats after the divorce but it seems they reconnected from time to time. If you want some insight on this, I am sure you can find Shelby’s statement on TH-cam somewhere or read Mayte’s book. As for songs he wrote about her....for sure, “TicTacToe”, probably (according to those that knew him), “Clouds”, and Breakdown”. Do I know any of this from either of them personally?.......No. Oh, one more thing: unbeknownst to Mayte until recently, Prince left her on the charter of Love4oneanother as President of that charity. This could not have been an oversight because the charter had to be renewed ever so often. So, P intended Mayte to always guide that charity. (If you want to know who he wanted nothing to do with, check into who applied for the trademark for Love4oneanother less than a week after we lost P). Ok, I’m through.
Really those songs are very vague and just about anyone could have been the subject. However, the song 'Have A Heart" from the ONA record is most likely about her, as it was recorded just after the divorce. From what I recall, back in 2011 (I think?) Mayte was publicly complaining on her Twitter feed that she had to pay for a ticket if she was going to see Prince in concert. Also, a year before he passed she was trying to auction off his personal items via Facebook and Twitter. He had his lawyers put a stop to it. And then there was the Hollywood Ex's stint...so, not really of the opinion that she was the "love of his life", regardless of a statement by someone within his camp during a much later period.
Nice channel bro! I beg to differ, Prince just wanted a funkier sound. The revolution was a pop band with the exception of Matt and Mark. Radio (remember that) was over saturated with the "Minneapolis Sound" and was becoming stale, because of all the Prince like knock offs. Still, it was thrilling to hear a E9 sustained played on a synth without it sounding like Oingo Boingo. Damn I just dated myself......
This was a great perspective, thank you! I have always thought that The Revolution ended because Prince and Susannah ended. It would have been too tense creatively if he continued with Wendy and Lisa after that, due to their allegiance with Susannah. He wanted to keep Mark and Dr. Fink. So really he wanted to replace Wendy and Lisa to avoid awkwardness. But given all of that, there wasn’t a reason to get rid of Bobby as he could have gone back to traditional drums if Prince just wanted to change up the sound. I don’t think he wanted Bobby OUT, but he wanted Sheila IN. He couldn’t have them both, but Sheila would keep him from being lonely for female companionship, so she was in. I agree with you completely!! He did NOT want to break up the band but his personal life forced it, in his mind. And no, I’m not blaming Susannah for “breaking up the band” so don’t come for me about that. I love Susannah and think she is wonderful. But if you are Prince and your engagement is ending, you probably don’t want to be around someone everyday who is an identical twin to Susannah. So that is just my opinion of why it may have happened that way. It’s just my best guess.
I worked with Prince also we played music together playing basketball together and rollerskating together and he make some good ass pancakes it's a pleasure working with Prince he's a real artist
Stefon Williams God Rest His Soul Brutha I know next to being born Loving Your Mother and knowing God gave you the opportunity, working with that Brutha had to be one of the best times in your life you've been given a gift and I envy you for it. That's why I play music because of Prince and though I never broke I knew that he always did it his way regardless whether you sink or swim.
Stefon Williams And you as well my Brutha, I know you’ll keep him in your heart, and obviously he had a great sense of who to have as friends that worked with him and remembered him and not drag his name through the mud. Man I miss that Brutha he was a God Send, so are you for telling us how groovy he really was. The sources are always the best. Thanks for that Brutha.....
I was in a band. And was approached to Join a Big house band in a club to be the singer. I turned it down telling them we were a band and they are my friends. A couple years later my s called "friend" ended up screwing me over basically. I should have left . it will go down as one of my greatest regrets in life. Now. i dont play at all.- What might have been?
Also a note about Wendy - she was not lead guitar in the traditional sense - she was more subtle but she could still really play, and handled solo parts fine. Prince would not have brought her in if he didn't think she had the skill. She could play funky too, but "subtle" funk. Have you heard the "ice cream" rehearsal bootleg? Wendy starts this funky groove and you hear one of the backup dancers (Wally or Brooks I think) scream "that's funky Wendy, that's funky!" She knew how to play chicken grease for sure :)
KJS .. yrs Maye was and still is annoying. . She was and still is all about money...... mayte is an awesome dancer. But there are allot of awesome dancers out there. She wasnt what allot thought .
ijcn0jir3nvjn3fjcifn I think we're somewhat in agreement but just focusing on two different things - technical skills and band chemistry. We're some of them "the best" players? No, but they were all great players, and together they just clicked. Yes, they rehearsed a ton, but I have read the same about the other bands. Any reduced rehearsal time also may have had to do with Prince taking over all of the business functions and fighting with WB. Michael B stated he would arrive at PP for rehearsal and instead Prince would vent to the band for hours about the WB conflict. It was a tough time for him. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks Mayte on stage was pointless :/
It would never be The Revolution without Wendy & Lisa, Dr. Fink, Bobby Z., and Brown Mark. Andre and Dez left of for their own reasons very early on, before most people had even heard of The Revolution. I could accept The Revolution with different members, if people left for their own reasons over time. But, firing most of the members of a successful, Grammy winning, band effectively means the band no longer exists. What should've happened, is splitting them off into a separate band with their own music - maybe found a new lead vocal within the band or brought in someone else.
Interesting note: Miko, Levi, Sheila E. as well as Rosie Gains were all living in or from where? Hint: He copied most of his sound (Especially the organ) and look from what artist? Sly and the Family Stone Who along with Miko, Levi, Sheila E and Rosie Gains all from or lIving in..... The Town OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA As well as Larry Grahm (Drakes Uncle) who became pretty much his best friend.
I read that Wendy and Lisa were constantly complaining about the direction the band and music was going in and were ready to quit during the Parade tour. Prince asked them to stay. They did, and when the tour was over, he fired them.
Revolution without Bobby Z, Wendy and Lisa weren't the Revolution no more. May sounds rough but he needed to evolve, Prince's mind was always ahead and he had a brand new vision of his band, of the show he was gonna put on the stage. Who nowadays can assert he was wrong?
I think Prince's intentions were to disband the Revolution. According to an old documentary that included his cousin Chazz Smith who use to play in a band with Prince, Chazz stated that Prince fired him and replaced him with Bobby Z. According to Chazz, even though he was a better drummer than Bobby Z, Prince wanted Bobby Z instead because Bobby Z was White and Prince wanted to purposely create a multicultural band with both males and females. I think once Prince accomplished what he was seeking with the Revolution, to acheive cross over appeal in popular music, he no longer had any use for them. Also Prince was big on evolving, moving forward and not looking backwards. Creatively, he did not want to be pigeon held. Overall, Prince was such a gifted musician and prolific artist, it's not surprising that he would want to change out musicians when he felt the need to in order to accomplish a band that included very skillful musicians that could create the sound he was seeking for his live performances. The Revolution was a good band, but in my opinion, that band did not have great skillful musicians.
I couldn't agree more. Solo Performers change employees all the time. Some are lucky to be able to work for the same solo artist for over a decade or more but a lot of times new people do come and go. I think the musicians who got to be in a major motion picture for the first time in their lives let it go right to there heads. People always say that about Prince and may I point out that most of the ones who say that are disgruntled ex-employee's. Prince got use by a lot of people at that time. Even by Morris Day who wanted to leave earlier and become a solo artist but he stuck around to be able to be in the movie. As soon as the movie was done so was he, lol.
Very interesting. I think you're right. It does seem like Prince just wanted to swap a few people out, not get rid of the entire band. But, hurt feelkings got in the way.
The Revolution was to me his best band. The horns, the Funk, the tightness of the band. The experimentation. The hits. We're talking Purple Rain, Around the world, and Under The Cherry Moon. Can't beat it.
You are probably right. I read somewhere when they didn't have horns, they learned how to make the keyboard sound like it. What part of 1986? Do you know if he started playing horns with them in Brussels? I know he was previously a tour manager.
A lot of things went in to play Wendy and Lisa felt they was getting credit for things they didn't do and Prince was taking credit for things they did. in some interview a few years ago they mentioned that and BrownMark already spoke of he was kind of hurt about Kiss cause Prince said he was going to correct it and never did then when Prince started adding other people they just felt things were changing he wasn't hanging with em or talking as much during rehearsal after awhile Wendy and Lisa was in the mist of leaving but Bobby Z talked to them and made em stay for a bit until it was completely over maybe he was letting them go without firing them completely It's amazing Fink stayed the longest he mentioned in a interview he would come up with parts but Prince would just never respond So imagine the feeling he felt. they should've did at least another album before they broke up Speaking of Fink he would be a great interview
Great video! It's fascinating to look at how 'Prince the Genius' dealt with people as 'Prince the Human'. Usually messily, it seems to me! Thanks for posting this.
There is a interview with The Revolution on Yahoo where Brown Mark mentioned that he told Prince in 1985 that he was going to quit The Revolution. Prince asked Brown Mark to stay one more year. So, Prince already knew Brown Mark was out the door after the Parade Tour.
Sorry, but it's not "The Revolution" without Wendy & Lisa, and Bobby Z. But given all the musical influence that Wendy & Lisa had, their replacement along meant it was no longer "The Revolution".
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Of all of the band's that Prince had lead, the Revolution is the most famous!!! Hands down!!!
And most successful
Prince did a good job creating a persona for them in Purple Rain,without that I doubt they would have the fame. Also how he dressed them and did videos with them
And the best
The Revolution as we know it, how it ended up being, was a chapter in Prince’s career. All chapters end. It was a great read but the entire book is what we should all be praising. This coming from the guy who was raised on 80s Prince.
Jason Breininger I don’t like the comparisons between the Revolution & the NPG. Both bands have their merits. Saying that the Revolution were not a concert band was incorrect. Purple Rain is one large concert movie if you look at it and the Purple Rain tour was very elaborate for its day. Wendy & Lisa were also soundboards and contributors to rage songwriting. Susannah and Prince did not break up,for good until 1987. She has a co songwriting credit on Sign of the Times “Starfish & Coffee”. She said that at the time Prince was very territorial of his relationship with her or possessive wouldn’t let her go out on her own and he resented the relationship she had with her family even Wendy her twin that she just had to leave. She says he did try to get her to return to live with him in Minnesota, but she had moved back in the house where she had lived with Wendy & Lisa.
Lucinda Churchill - right on. They were an amazing live band. I actually prefer all of Prince's bands live over the recordings. Yes, Susannah has stated the relationship with Prince was complicated, because Prince did not like the closeness between her and Wendy, and he wanted to control her. This is consistent with others who have had relationships with him, both personally and professionally. Prince moved out to LA for more than 2 months trying to convince her to come back to MN. There is no doubt that he loved her.
KJS 💜🕊
he is not talking about that. He is saying he thought the band would have continued as the Revolution, but members would have changed.
Tyler Anthony Yes, I know the original purpose for the post. However, it grew and morphed into other discussions, starting with the derogatory comments about Wendy and Lisa made by JPayne. That thread was deleted by the channel owner. Regarding the original theory of Prince never intending to drop the band name - the consensus was that he never planned to continue the band name. They were too well known as a group, and only one original member remained after the breakup.
My view is prince had a problem with anyone getting too close on a professional and personal level...I think Wendy and Lisa got too close.....many of his actions seem to prevent intimacy of any kind ....and he was a control freak ...not a criticism....he had a vision and was a genius .....and he wouldn't let relationships of any kind jeopardise this.
poplife123 - agreed. He could never get too close nor give up too much control. He loved Wendy and Lisa though, and of course, Susannah too. However, his personality quirks did not bode well for maintaining professional or personal relationships, as evidenced by the regular turnover in his camp. Many don't know this, but he helped Wendy and Lisa a bit with their first album, and they remained friends throughout his lifetime. I have no doubt he missed them.
I definitely think this comment gets really close to his heart of what we are discussing. I look at all of the other artists he tried to Launch, and how relatively speaking, each one only got a comparatively brief. Of time to either catch or not before they were discarded. Jill Jones, Andy Allo, Judith Hill, Bria Valente, Tamar, the list goes on and on. And I do believe at a minimum it was at least rumored that most of these women had a personal relationship with him as well. An intimate one. It seems like their respective Stars fell when he was ready to move on to a new personal relationship.
Rena Fagel Yes, true but I think the "female protege" thing was a different dynamic than the bands. However, I guess on some level there were similarities. The protégés were typically a 1-2 yr duration, and the bands were about 3-4 years. I think he genuinely wanted to help the women succeed, but was ready to move on to the next thing if it wasn't as successful, or someone else attracted his attention.
Rena Fagel This is totally untrue. Judith Hill was not discarded, she was living at PP up until Prince’s untimely death and went to the family’s private funeral along with Prince’s current personal friends. Prince knew Bria through JW and promoted her but she decided that stardom’s was not for her, hence the fact that Prince named Hit n run after her. Bria decided herself that the fame game was not for her and became a devout JW and today she is no longer in the public eye. Jill Jones left Rick to join Prince’s band of her own free will and so did Vanity who was dating Rick. Vanity left the Prince camp because she said she wanted to pursue a career in Movies. She said herself that she hated the parts she was offered which involved taking her clothes off, she hit rock bottom and became addicted to cocaine. Because of this she turned to Born Again Christianity that saved her from attempted suicide. Vanity says all of this live on tv. She said she always loved Prince, that he was the only man she ever loved but that Prince at the time wasn’t ready to settle down, that Prince had girlfriends. Jill Jones also said they were women of the eighties that wanted their own independence but she also said she was never in a physical relationship with Prince.
Tamara has also said she never dated Prince. Fact no one really knows why the relationship between Andy Allo and Prince ended. They appeared to be equally smitten with each other and in love. Once can only assume that Prince was hiding his addiction to opioids from everyone including Andy and Judith and this was impacting on her personal relationships. You should get your facts straight, thanks.
Prince endeavoured to write music and to promote others for his whole career but was NOONES KEEPER. Control freaks like to own people and to prevent them from moving onwards. Prince never did this to anyone.
I am by no means saying that Prince was faultless but was he a control freak or was it more likely that he wanted freedom to make his own decisions in life, and to have the freedom to do what he wanted to do. He disliked being moulded and controlled by WB, therefore why would he do this to other people. He fought for the freedom of musicians and became a leftist in the process. This isn’t a control freak.
If you had Prince’s wealth, would you want to put up with people that pissed you off. I have worked for many years and watched so many people at work crack up and leave due to being bullied or stressed out by co workers. But many people still think highly of Prince, even though he had a tendency to be bossy...he always encouraged others to do well.
RIP Prince💜💜💜
Art Full thanks for the reply. Just for the record, I did not characterize him as a control freak. :-) but being somewhat of a control freak myself, I think it has its advantages in certain situations and certainly wouldn't fault him if he was controlling around his music for example. I also agree 100% that he saw talent and tried to promote it across many different artists and people. There just seemed to be somewhat of a pattern to the women. Nothing wrong with that, it was just an observation.
I loved the Prince and the Revolution era. In my opinion, Prince didn’t need all of the dancers on stage because he was such an amazing performer. The Revolution was a great live band as well and the bands should not be compared. Prince always chose talented people for his bands. He played with the best. ❤️
All Prince's band were unique. No two people are alike, therefore, no two bands are alike. Prince evolved quicker than any other artist in history. That was the greatness and genius of Prince.
I agree . If you notice each of his bands were during different music styles.
As soon as u got used 2 a sound or band there was something new
@Prince’s Friend. This is how I understand it (THEORY ONLY). I don’t think Prince wanted to get rid of any of THOSE Revolution band members until he had serious issues with them or some conflict escalated. He esp. did not want to be abandoned in the middle of a tour or in the middle of something he was already planning. He had abandonment issues and it could also be an arduous task finding a replacement esp. if the exit was not anticipated. He took the quality of his shows very seriously. On the other hand, I think Prince knew he was difficult to work for because he expected a lot, and he anticipated that any band member might decide to leave him at any time and he therefore became vigilant planning and calculating what he was going to do next and who and what he was going to do it with. Women, sex and religion appeared to be a big part of his inspiration. I THINK he fired Wendy and Lisa for several reasons. They were outspoken in their opposition and he was harboring resentment and retaliating due to their attempt to leave the band prior to the Japanese leg of the tour; he perceived they contributed to his conflict with Susannah by interfering in the relationship; he desired a change and wanted to be done with the Purple Rain era; he disliked their opposition to changes in his vision including changes in the band and the direction of the music; he was a master showman and probably wanted a more dynamic and dramatic stage show as he became more seasoned; he wanted freedom and independence to move forward with his own vision unless he asked for your contribution; and he did not feel the Revolution could repeat or sustain the pinnacle of success they had already achieved with Purple Rain. Nevertheless, I think he seriously valued their musicianship and appreciated the support of Wendy and Lisa and all of the others and what the group accomplished together. I do think he was sorrowful about how it was done and he was not the type to want to hurt anybody (until you f-kd with him). Creativity is change and Prince had an exceptional amount of creativity. If you weren’t going where he wanted to go, it appears you would not be around much longer. Either you would want to leave, he would have somebody get rid of you, you would be replaced, marooned or you would get fired.
The Revolution is my favorite Prince band . I have seen them twice in concert since he crossed over. Wendy talks about Prince with such respect so I know they perform the songs with love.
I think I once recall Prince saying he didn't like keep the same band members too long because he liked changing it up too often, which his recording record shows. Keep in mind he lost Gayle Chapman and Andre Cymone both pretty early, which I always suspected changed his mindset. Dez was gone pretty soon after. All left though. After that it seemed like he more or less did it before they could eventually leave, and band members rarely stay together till the end. Bands have always had high turnover rates.
He realize that he needed to move on to advance and improve his music. And the key started when he hired Sheila E as his drummer and made her musical director. Sheila E brought funk and latin flavor to his music and that was the direction it was heading or he wanted to go. Plus most of the band members after the Revolution was in Sheila E's band(s) or she knew them except for 3rd Eye Girl. But just like life, he was revolving and growing as a musician and a man. You can't stay the same especially if you want your fans to love and buy your music
He couldn't have kept the the name "The Revolution" with different members (even if 2 or 3 stayed) because the Purple Rain movie had solidified in the fan's minds who "The Revolution" were. (The Graffiti Bridge movie didn't have nearly the impact that Purple Rain did so fans didn't really have any attachments to the NPG members like they did for the Revolution. So swapping out NPG members wasn't a very big deal). Bringing Miko and Jerome and Susannah into the Revolution for the Parade Tour was done to give those 3 a gig since St. Paul had quit The Family before the Parade Tour started. (Miko was going to play guitar for The Family's live shows). It seems to me that Prince did eventually want to stretch out and be more musically progressive onstage and he thought BrownMark and Fink and Eric Leeds could hang with that and the other 3 couldn't. (I don't doubt the weirdness of his relationship with Susannah, Wendy, and Lisa played a role as well) If you watch that Purple Rain Live concert video, they are using the drum machine for the most of the show and Bobby Z was just playing the symbols and some occasional tom fills. So Prince brought in Sheila and Levi (from Sheila's band) to jump start the rhythm section, Boni Boyer for more soulful piano style and backing vocals, Mico passed his audition on the Parade Tour, Fink and Eric are still there with Eric bringing in Atlanta Bliss on trumpet.... BOOM! A new band to bring in the new direction of Sign 'O' the Times. The 87/88 band is actually my favorite Prince band so I was more upset with that band being broken up than I was with the Revolution being disbanded.
@Randy White Me Three!🙌
Miko was actually playing in Sheila E's band. He also can be seen playing during the I Would Die 4 U/Baby I'm A Star section of the Purple Rain Tour
From what I know of Prince, he wasn't one to be stagnant or stick to one thought, idea, style of music, even his hair and wardrobe at some point had to change. Prince was definitely intentional in firing Wendy, Lisa, and Bobby-- I have heard that he didn't really count on BrownMark quitting, and that his reason wasn't necessarily an issue of loyalty, just that he wasn't really feeling the direction of the music ("Parade" was more funk/R&B-driven as opposed to the new wave/punk/rock they were doing before). The Sign O' The Times/Lovesexy line-up is probably my favorite of the two, but by a 51/49 split, and I agree that The Revolution were a great recording band while Lovesexy was a better live band. Just my take on things, I'm sure there may be some of you guys who may be more knowledgeable on the topic.
He needed a change because of Warner Brothers pressure he mentioned he respected people who put fresh ideas and moves who keep up with the times, in details he knew that they could be the new music marketing. All these talents he upgraded with and to tell you the truth you in order to be in the band you had to keep up him and not the other way around. He endorsed creativity in others while being a mentor to others.
The Revolution was a good bad but he definitely wanted to expand and experiment with different things.
The Revolution was just a straight ahead band. He didn't have the problem that some artist have where you want to do more with your music but the audience and businesses want to hold you in one place and time.
The Revolution was always the best
Not
Wendy and Lisa was a main influence on Prince during the Revolution years. He would give Wendy and Lisa a lot of music to work on. The Revolution was a great band and especially in concert. I kind of disagree with you that they were just a great studio band. Now the New Power Generation was great as musicians too, wouldn't even put them down. The reason Prince broke up the Revolution was for personal matters and it was because he broke up with Susannah Melvoin, Wendy's twin sister. He felt uncomfortable working with them with having broke up the romantic relationship with Susannah. Who was also a member of the Family. Bobby Z really didn't want to stay in the Revolution that much longer and Prince didn't fire him. Mark Brown aka Brown Mark had really left the Revolution in 1985. He was doing a lot of music producing at that time. He also produced the band Mazarati's first album. He did perform with Prince during the Parade tour but really was not a member of the Revolution at that time. He stated in an interview during the recent tribute tour the Revolution are doing. Prince really didn't want to break up the Revolution but the reason he did was personal not because he thought Wendy, Lisa and Bobby didn't measure up to his high musical standards. He even said it himself, that the Revolution was the tightest band he ever worked with.
Venancia Hopkins - right - I mentioned many of these points on an earlier post. Bobby actually helped to produce Wendy and Lisa's first album in 1987. I don't think Bobby wanted to stay with most of the band leaving. The only corrrection I would make is that Wendy and Lisa were let go about 2 months before Susannah officially ended the relationship with Prince. Of course, they had been off and on for months prior to that time. She did move back to LA, but he followed her out there and spent about 2 months in his rental home trying to convince her to go back to MN with him. I actually think they continued to see each other periodically for the next couple of years - could be wrong about that, but she was a guest with his Dad at one of the 1987 shows in MN, and wasalso at the 9/88 Lovesexy show in MN with Wendy and Lisa
What you stated about Brown Mark was how I heard it as well. He had left a good year before the Revolution was officially disbanded. Prince asked Brown Mark to come BACK as the NPG was being formed and Brown Mark had said no because enough was enough. He gave the implication that he was tired of the control and wanted to do his own thing.
Jamie Dreams Right. In the interview that I watched, when Mark was explaining how Prince asked him to play with the NPG he said he thought "dude, didn't I just quit?" They also talked about how Prince didn't really want people to leave permanently. Bobby jokingly, as if he were Prince, said, "you're fired! When are you coming back?"
❤🎶❤🎸❤Interesting theory BUT after Prince passed The Revolution said (It's in an interview on youtube) that they remember on stage when Prince couldn't look at them. He had already decided to go in a new direction & was ready for a new/different band. He had a hard time with it because they were friends & it sounds like he had a hard time telling them. He asked Dr. Fink (who did stay for awhile) & maybe Bobby Z. He also had thought at some point they would all come,back after some time apart so it SOUNDS mutual to a point. People always want to make Prince out to be the bad guy but it was HIS band. He was the boss & HIRED them. It's like agreeing to work a job then telling the owner how it should be done or griping. If you don't like it, leave. My loyalty will ALWAYS be to Prince! I think in part they expected leniency due to friendship & work intertwining (favoritism) like being friends with your boss then getting mad,because your boss has to do their job ahead of your friendship. Clearly Prince had a heart & is loved by many even supported by his friendship in later years with Wendy. Prince & Wendy were on PBS with Tavis playing & the way she looked at Prince is so touching. You can see the love. Now it makes me cry when I watch it because they were close again.
PRINCELUV4EVER!!!❤❤❤❤❤
I mentioned some of that in my video too, actually. Thanks for the comment!
Prince's Friend I agree & appreciate your well tbought out commentary that isnt just fluff because you also have an inside track to the truth. I first heard his cousins album as a kid, then Soft & Wet (& first pic. thinking he was cute) but when PRINCE came out & seeing him on American Bandstand that was it!!! I was hooked. I remember being at a friend's 11th birthday party sleepover & playing "I Wanna Be Your Lover" over & over. Its been 41 years as I just turned 50 & every part of my life I can place it by Prince's music. I'm devastated he's gone but find myself listening even more to uncover his hidden messages/meanings in his music to still feel his presence. Thank you for helping keep his memory alive 😁❤
all true LG yes it was his band and his call but personally I think that he thought he could get that magic with the next group / band just the same, and was too young to realize how special and rare that magic was with the Revolution and what he had lost until years later which is probably why he had a soft spot for the members. Doesn't mean he wanted to go back there and reform The Revolution tho
L G Him & Wendy had the best chemistry on stage I swear
Darren Glen - agree with all of your thoughts here. Although, I did find an online interview with Prince discussing the Roadhouse Garden album and plans to release that record. It's very possible that there were at least initial talks about plans for some "reunion" shows back in '99, which would have been the 25 yr mark, which is signifcant. It was said that, because Prince was getting heavily involved with JW he moved away from any talks/plans, because the religion is against homosexuality. Not saying it was the only reason, but it would seem likely, as he was speaking out and "preaching" the JW beliefs in interviews and in his music from 1998 forward.
Here is the Love4OneAnother 1999 online interview:
L4OA: what is the status of Roadhouse Garden?
prince : Roadhouse Garden got sidelined 4 a sec but it will take at the most - 3 weex 2 finish..
prince : most of the trax were cool 2 begin with
prince : they just needed minimal production and a mix
L4OA: any titles - or is it a surprise? smile
prince : some titles include...
prince : "Witness 4 the Prosecution"...
prince : and...
prince : "SPLASH"
prince : which was one of my favorites
prince : all the songs that Wendy and Lisa sang on were left off...
prince : of the Crystal Ball package
prince : 2 save 4 a Revolution album
L4OA: cool smile
L4OA: yes! smile
For me things were not the same after Andre and Dez left the band, although I always felt like he needed to upgrade at drums. That band seemed like it had more mystic. I guess because at that time, the sound and the different characters of the band was something that was totally different than anything or band in history up until that point. RIP PRINCE. I REALLY MISS YOU AND MICHEAL. I FEEL SO BLESS TO HAVE BEEN AROUND DURING THIS ERA!
That was the nasty crew right there
Yes! I thought the first band was more funky! With Andre Cymone, Dez Dickerson, Dr. Fink, Bobby Z and Gayle Chapman/then Lisa Coleman!
Not a hater of The Revolution, but listening to some of the sound rehearsals on TH-cam that he did with some of the NPG iterations makes it clear that pretty much all of those NPG bands were better live performers than The Revolution. Some of those sound checks could be studio concert releases, there that good. Prince needed to grow and while we will never know for sure, it's possible that the whole Lisa/Wendy/Susannah dynamic started getting in the way of him wanting to grow as an artist and probably became a source of stress. During that mid to late 80s period, there was A LOT of women around Prince. Plus, he was cranking out a ridiculous amount of music that required exposure to a better and a different set of musicians. However, to hear it told, its as if he spent every waking moment with these three women, which I clearly doubt as he seemed to be involved in a ton of relationships during that time. I think it comes down to two things...him wanting to grow his art and sound, and possibly not wanting to deal any longer with the Coleman/Melvion triumvirate. Although he was fond of them, it probably became too much after a while.
He had more freedom
I agree with Prince. He did what was best for him. Look how Dez just up and left him.
Based on an interview that I saw. Andre was there temporarily as a favor until Prince found another bass player. That's how mark came in the picture.
Danielle Rameau - per the Biographies I have read, and also Dez's statements - he and Prince agreed that he would give him 3 years with the band, and then would move on to do his own thing. He would have had to commit to another 3 years with Purple Rain, and he did not want to do that. It was just meant to be. Prince actually helped him with his record, and gave him the cameo in the PR film.
I don't know. I'm torn on the entire thing that went down with the revolution. I feel like at the height of his popularity, you have to think about what people associate. It wasn't just him, it was the whole package because of the Purple Rain movie. I feel like he traded off some stickiness in his fan base when he fired highly identifiable members of the revolution. Now I know that he probably wasn't focused on staying popular, but I've also always believed that it probably bugged him that he fell out of Pop Culture to a certain extent After the Revolution was disbanded.
Don't get me wrong, I love a ton of material he is produced from 1990 forward with his various bands and with various personnel. I think SOTT is up there with one of the best albums he ever released, and a lot of the stuff he did in the 2000s is right up there as well. But as far as hanging on to fans that were not in the hardcore category, I think losing the revolution hurt him.
Rena Fagel - agreed. Cat Glover stated that when they went over to Europe for the SOTT tour many of the fans were holding up posters that said "Where are Wendy and Lisa?" "Where is The Revolution?" She said Prince was quite angry about it. The reason SOTT was so good is because most of the songs were those that were recorded with The Revolution and/or during the time the band was still together. As most people know by now, there was a ton of unreleased music recorded between 1985-1987.
I agree it was a chapter in his life and if he wanted to continue The Revolution, then he would have. The NPG had members coming and going and that band name lasted for a good while.
Brown mark informed Prince that he was leaving after the Purple Rain tour was finished. So when he said no to Prince, it wasn’t because of loyalty to the band. He was simply ready to move on. There’s also the thought that he was frustrated because he helped Prince rearrange Kiss and didn’t get any credit for it
He outgrew that style of music
Why would Prince fire The Revolution if he didn't want get rid of them? Prince wasn't the kind of person who did things he did not want to do. The bottom line is, Prince could be both passive aggressive and downright mean. He lied to The Revolution and told them they would be together forever, like "The Rolling Stones." He gained their loyalty by deception and when he didn't need them anymore, he moved on to the next big thing. He did the same thing to Mayte.
Makes some sense. I think the Lisa Wendy connection had to end because of his breakup with Susannah. Bobby Z is kinda part of that friendship and (IMO) Prince used his "granted opportunities" to sway and manipulate his relationships. In addition (and people will get mad at this) these are still employees. That is, this wasn't a band with Prince being the lead singer. Its not the Beatles or Led Zeppelin or Earth, Wind and Fire. Its Prince who has hired people to aid his live performances. That being said - they (band members) had forgotten that. So if Prince wanted to bring in some zero talented "dancers", the revolution members really dont have any say.
With regards to my initial statement of manipulation, Sheila E. truly loved Prince. They "recconnect" and I can almost see Prince saying "I want you in my band because you mean that much to me."
"What about Bobby?"
"He's out. He was out when your plane landed here. - He just don't know it yet."
I think Prince wanted to grow and create a new sound, work with new people. The man was ambitious and did what he had to for his art. I'm sure he felt love for the Revolution and had difficulty with the decision to replace musicians who had been with him for a long time. It's just one of those things, people are obviously going to be hurt. Prince's immaturity at the time probably made the transition more painful.
As a musician, I can say that when a drummer changes in a band, the band changes. At the time, Bobby considered Sheila to be one of the top 5 drummers in the world. I think a lot of it had to do with Prince bringing her into the fold big time; not only with timbales and percussion, but on the kit. Not sure if it's related to what went down 30 years ago, but apparently The Revolution and Sheila do not get along. I also think he wanted to keep Fink and Mark because of their versatility and because they could embody the definition of professional hired guns. I would say that Wendy, Lisa and Bobby were a close unit and too married to the whole "band" thing. If you read the liner notes of Wendy & Lisa's debut record, you'll see that the two of them worked hand in hand with Bobby. At the end of the day, it mostly mattered that the musicians in the band fit each change in direction. Also, P said himself that The Revolution needn't be together in order to release a Prince and The Revolution album.
I am a prince music follower from his first album For You. Being familiar with all Prince band The Revolution members over the decades, Dr Fink, Lisa and Bobby Z were in his bands for years. Prince refers to them as Heaven Sent Helpers in the liner notes of the “PRINCE” second album. It appears Prince gave people opportunities and for creative or religious reasons members bowed out. Gayle Chapman, Andre Cymone and Dez Dickerson was the first group of musicians to leave the Camp for creative reasons. The rest is musical history with NPG and Third Eye Girl bands. Like George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic and The Brides of Funkenstein....Prince had so much music and ideas to share with the world , I guess working with different artist was the path of his journey and legacy!
Love it and you are so right. Prince was totally nice about letting them go, and there are rumours, members of the Revolution were on the payroll until the 90s. Prince may have been a hard taskmaster, but he looked after his peoples.
On the Emancipation album Prince did a song called "In This Bed I Scream" which he dedicated to Wendy & Lisa. They also appeared on his Planet Earth album and briefly toured with him the release of that album. Finally Wendy Melvoin of course joined Prince in a Live performance on the Tavis Smiley show where they performed "Reflection" in 2004- 05. The Revolution ended but his friendship with certain musicians from that band endured. Keep in mind too that Dr. Matt Fink also performed on the Madhouse albums after the demise of The Revolution.
Jehblue 68 - exactly. Prince ended The Revolution, but never his friednships or association with the band members. Wendy and Lisa were also on stage with him at the 2006 Brit Awards. They had their ups and downs with him through the years - mainly due to his changing religious beliefs relating to opinions about their sexual orientation - but they were always friends.
Wendy and Lisa produce the music for Heroes 😎
Thanks for the video. I always liked the Revolution and saw them in concert a few times last year, but for me it just wasn't the same without Prince being with them. I also liked the LoveSexy band, Sheila E. was and still is fabulous. But my favorite Prince band was NPG, having attended 8 Musicology concerts, they and Prince were mind blowing great. In my opinion 3rd Eye Girl was OK, but I also think they were his weakest band. But Prince was always changing the band members. I heard him say in an interview once when he went on tour he put together the best group of musicians he could find. He did a very good job of it.
You make a plausible case.... unfortunately, we will never know for sure. It kills me that P only got the first 50 pages of his memoir done because I suspect we would have known exactly why if he was able to finish it.
You are right that we'll never know, but sometimes its fun to throw out weird theories. :)
he was too busy making music to write about old music he made I guess
I'm so glad you you brought this up....and allow me please to add my take....I am in total agreement in how you put this vid together..And I'm gonna say something no Prince fan will say out loud...in the late 90s Prince made a lot of good songs and a lot of crapp...and was all over the place and do to mass experimentation the sound quality went down on a lot of songs...a lot hip hop and R&B had better sound quality....For example....Aaliah's 1 in a million album ....and this was do to what you pointed out...the Revolutions were a great studio band...not live...and do to Prince's lack of maturity at that moment in time...BROUGHT BAD KARMA ON HIMSELF....and his music suffered trouble with Warner bros.....and even with the woman he should've MARRIED...Nona Gay...but he did her wrong to...and blind sided her with Myata....And Prince was a man of God and had full control of his life...but you can do people like that without knowing there is gonna to be deep pain in some situations...and Spiritual & Karmetic repercussions....I loved Prince dearly...but some things he could have handled better...much like how you did this vid so tastefully....Great job
This was posted before I became a subscriber. Very interesting take on things. I think that the Revolution was around for, IMHO, his best music (subjective, I know). But I think of it just in a creativity sort of way. He outgrew them but, as you touched upon, he wasn't always the most mature person. Great video from yester-year. The channel was great then apparently, and great now!
Awww thanks! More to come!
Probably when Andre left that was the catalyst for him to not become too attached to any band members. What were they called back then? Anyway I think that he as a person was evolving and growing up (i think he grew up more in the mid to late 90s) and the music was taking him in different directions. Why some believe Prince was obligated to keep and provide an income to some of these people forever baffles me. Very happy that all these wonderful musicians passed through and contributed so much to the legacy. What a body of work. They did their tour of duty 👌😎💜
B B I don't think many people expected that he would stay with The Revolution - just that it would not have ended so abruptly. During Andre's and Dez's time it was just "Prince". The band as a whole did not have a name. Andre and Dez left to do their own thing. They wanted to be front men, not just band members. The band officially became The Revolution with the Purple Rain album and film. They were first announced as "Prince and The Revolution" at the 8/3/83 1st Avenue show. I think the other difference is that through the early years there were minor changes with the band - one person at a time being replaced - Mark replaced Andre, then Lisa replaced Gayle, and later Wendy replaced Dez. By 1987 though, all but Matt Fink were replaced, and the band no longer had an identity. It was back to just "Prince".
B B Agree👍 Prince wasn’t their keeper
I think Prince was already quoted as saying that "lack of improvisation skills" was his main reason for letting Lisa and Wendy go. Lisa is an awesome keyboardist and composer (especially from a film scoring perspective), and Wendy has a natural ability to come up with "earthy melodies" over unusual chord progressions. Case in point, the melody for "Sometimes It Snows in April" is very much an "inspired by Lisa and Wendy" song :-) Net, net...every Prince "touring band" past the success of Purple Rain, was made up of musicians that had undeniable improvisation skills. Shelia E, Eric Leeds, Sonny T...all of them are great improvisers, with very rich musical vocabularies.
right, but that's not really my point. It's okay though. Cheers!
Brownmark reportedly did stay on for a while from what I how I read. I think Bobby Z did for a while, but he said it wasn’t the same. Matt Fink did stay on until he says he wanted to start a family and other things. Reportedly they weren’t told separately. They were asked to meet a a house. Can’t recall which house. Where they were told. Wendy & Lisa kind of knew things were up when Wendy said they were giving a concert and Prince invited others on stage with them. Something she says he never really had done before and during the concert she was kind of signaling and mouthing to Lisa and the others of the band “it’s over, but reportedly they were told together. Wendy reportedly took it the hardest and Prince himself had said in an interview that he did not know why Wendy had taken the dismantling of the band so hard. He didn’t understand.
Lucinda Churchill - Brown Mark actually was the first one to quit the band - he informed Prince prior to the Parade tour that he was leaving. Wendy, Lisa, and Bobby were all let go after returning from the last Parade show in Japan. Prince was renting a house in LA, and they were asked to come for dinner. This was early October. Yes, Wendy knew it was over when Prince smashed two guitars on stage when singing Purple Rain. The reason Wendy took it hard is because they had just recorded about 4 albums worth of songs together. Several of those songs ended up on the SOTT album, but their contributions were either erased or buried in new mixes of those songs. Prince knew exactly why they would be upset, but of course he was not going to explain that to the press. Instead, he waited 9 years and released "In This Bed I Scream", dedicated to them and Susannah :/
I thought I heard Wendy tell a story of how her parents wanted her to get a contract with Prince after she was in Minneapolis for so long for some career security and Prince took that request as that she did not trust him and that is what caused the change and eventual firing of Wendy and Lisa.
I definitely think he meant to fire the revolution. 1) they were sorta just a nameless band until 1999, 2) I think he wanted to rid himself of people who new him before super stardom. Wendy, I think, was too assertive for him at that point and he wanted ( I believe), less of that .
Brings me to 3) he seemed to be fed up with the commercial success of purple rain and want to shed as much of it as possible. Hair, sound, wardrobe all changed, the name had to go as well.
that's an interesting take as well, hmmmm
Prince's Friend :) when I think of early prince/revolution, I think of the rolling stones in look and attitude. Post revolution it was more like a james brown front man production.. killing off the revolution was his way of saying " I'm in charge and I only want input when I ask for it"
Bo B - exactly. From what I have read, no other band configuration was given any freedom of input or ideas. They came to rehearsal, and were told what to play. Little or no collaboration involved. Regarding Purple Rain, he stated that it would always be the "albatross" around his neck, because it was the top of the mountain, so to speak, and there was nowhere to go from there but down. He also did not want to become the "Purple Rain" guy, and continue to be that character playing that exact kind of sound. Hence, the new sound and look for ATWIAD and Parade. Then, he got blasted for moving too far away from his "funk" roots. So, in comes the backup dancers and the James Brown persona, with Sheila and Cat in the skimpy outfits....
So how do you explain around the world in a day? Never mind... You answered it
Right alot of people dont realize that warner told him when he started he needed a touring band. He knew players and formed a touring band but was never never commercially known as the Revolution. On 1999 if you look at album cover on 1999 you'll see the revolution is written backwards in that weird little kid writing lol but it's straight up on the Purple Rain album and announced as the revolution on the album not as prince and the revolution in movie they are announced as the The Revolution and he's known as The Kid.That's when they really got their credit. So that's where there's some significance. They created a nice entity and gave them some credibility because lets face it some of them were classically trained musicians. That's what I've been actually trying to say.
A pretty good superficial analysis, but it really overlooks a lot that was going on in P's broader artistic context and life at the time (ie the other artists & band projects, films, building Paisley Park, management crisis, etc). Full Disclosure: I was at PP from 88-94 and am pretty well versed in how people inside get fired. Just sayin. Prince 4 Ever!!! Subbed.
I wished he and the Revolution had stayed together another 10 years at least. I just loved everything about them. To me he was still rising with them but seem to slow down as to the number of hits that I liked without them. I heard he only feared The Time as far as band competition goes and maybe they could challenge him with NPG but I would never pick The Time over the Revolution in a million years. I liked a ton of Princes music throughout the years but my favorite music period was with The Revolution hands down. Prince was a very very special musician that I consider the greatest I’ve heard or seen in person but put him on stage with the Revolution and it’s magical.
The Revolution saw themselves as aiding Prince in creating his lore. They took it more personal than the NPG members, besides Fink and Jones because they were there in the beginning.
I was in college when the Purple Rain Tour came to Tallahassee, Florida. Sheila E was the opening act. She came back on stage with the Revolution to play some of the percussions. It was a great show.
It seemed like it was constantly too many people to juggle that had different allegiances other than the Purple movement like if you check out the Atlanta Purple Rain show (85 like right before he was to abandon the tour) he had Wally & Brooks and Jerome doing full out choreography (And his horn section that he had assigned to Sheila, performing the whole show with him), which seemed like he also had Jerome left after The Time quit and was finding a place for him to shine, since he did believe he could make Jerome a star on his own.There were constant vision changes that may have been too fast for members to keep up with. He didnt need the 4 to the floor anymore so Bobby got switched out for Sheila and mind you Sheila had her own financial woes with WB so it was probably strategical to get that tour money and she can keep up with where he was going 86 and on like he couldnt really play Tambourine live with Bobby on drums lol not that he wasnt a beast it just wasnt his style. Anyhoo rambling but yea i think Prince had vision cnahges and his own loyalties to certain members and others who didnt agree had theirs. I liken it to say Queens Of The Stone Age or NIN where there is really one person at the helm and they are just putting things together to match it live.
Prince had simply outgrown the essence of The (original) Revolution (as Prince’s Friend also pointed out) and was ready for a change. And what boss has to be nice about firing their employees... yes , it can be cold but it’s life...
Yes it's true, Prince liked to evolve his music. He was forever re-inventing himself, seemingly with every other album. I wonder if the Revolution were willing to do that. Were they happy doing that? Did Prince ever sit down and say
" Hey, this is the direction we're going...are you down?" Or, did he do as some say and just start bringing in new people, without discussion. They seemed to be able to keep up during
"Around the World " and "Parade", so why wouldn't they continue?
Maybe he just grew bored, who knows? It would have been very interesting to see the get back together and continue to record, between 1999 and 2000 when Roadhouse Garden was to be released.
I still believe that even if The Revolution survived 1986, they probably would’ve been out by graffiti bridge. Then there could’ve been a chance that SOTT didn’t happen and the music couldn’t evolve.
It all started with the Flesh sessions. Prince started in inviting various artist in his camp to play including the Revolution. The Flesh sessions were essentially an unannounced tryout for whatever new band he was putting together. When Prince found the right parts we got the SOTT/Lovesexy band. The Flesh sessions had just about every player in Prince's camp tryout. Interesting time.
I learned a lot from Prince too he taught me about playing music and the business and getting you're master's he's the business man and the teacher love you my brother Prince rest in heaven
I think he would’ve kept Wendy and Lisa maybe but how they dealt with their hurt feelings over him expanding the band and no longer being his go to people, not doing their Dream factory project and Shelia E focus over or in conjunction with Susannah with her band joining, I think they probably were behaving differently as well. Easy to make it all Prince however I am sure they contributed as well to the change in energy. I think he learned a lesson regarding not doing dual relationships with band members and creating better boundaries with bandmates to protect his art and him being the boss
Prince was changing styles; some musicians are good at different levels; so Prince in the 90s had an new sound; new musicians; but all these musicians are good and went on to solo success
To quote Prince: "You know people always ask me..."Why don't I get the revolution back together?" "Prince pauses, then turns and smiles. "But, I mean...for what???"
I'm tired of people act as if they know better than Prince himself. He didn't want them anymore (that's life), he fired them and never looked back. Deal with it!!
calm down...
He did what he had to do, Evolve and change directions. His new hairstyle made him do it.
Business is business and artist like to evolve/try new things. Everyone that starts with you can't make it to the end of your journey. HOWEVER, the way he went about the firing is what irks me...
it's definitely irksome.
Yep, sucks how it went down
I agree but doesn't Bruce Springsteen still have the same bandmembers? I know a few have passed on & were replaced. And The Time has the same members although Prince fired Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
Prince's Friend
Eh.. he paid them each $1million for the remainder of their contract. Not just "you're fired.... dinner roll, anyone?"
Stephanie then he took the name from them. The time=Original 7... Then Jesse left again
For my opinion, I always wondered if the reason for disbanding The Revolution was that Prince got too close. Especially with Wendy & Lisa. Prince was a very "walls up" kind of man and I think he was feeling like he was letting them too much? I don't know, that was always my wondering
In the following RollingStone article dated April 26, 2016, Alan Leeds gives his
insider's view of why the Revolution was disbanded. You have to scroll down very far into the article until you find the following paragraph:
Shortly after the Hit n Run-Parade Tour tour, he disbanded his group, the Revolution
To find the story, Google: Prince Insider Alan Leeds on ‘Purple Rain’ Hysteria, Warner Bros. Clash
The link I previously provided did not work.
I If you look at various accounts of what happened including the Revolution Member's accounts, there appears to be a lot of factors that were fueling this change. I don't think Prince would have kept the Revolution name even if Wendy, Lisa and Bobby Z were the only ones out. I think they played too integral a part in the identity of the band. It was better for everyone that he moved on and changed the name.
I think The Revolution was Prince's best band, but I also think it was his right and prerogative to change bands if he felt he needed to for the evolution of his musical expression.
I remember working in Europe in 1987 and had a chance to see the Sign O the Times Concert. Brilliant. The new Band was awesome. I just saw him the year before in New York on the Parade tour for the first time. He was awesome. But the Sign O the Times tour he looked a lot more free. He was having a lot more fun. They captured that in the Live film. But I was happy to see him with The Revolution. Wendy said while they were in Europe on the last concert tour with him which was Parade. He (Prince) was angry and destroyed his guitar or something to that nature during the show. She (Wendy) ,knew then it was over. She said she told Lisa,this is it. He 's through with us. I heard said that in an interview.
Yup! I saw those interviews. The question here is was the revolution over or was Prince with Wendy and Lisa over? You know?
Can’t wait for the next album review, and it sucks that prince had to fire the revolution, but his music was evolving and he wanted to as well
Good theory 👍🏾 I would say though I believe Prince was the type of man that once he was done with something he was done with it entirely. I think once he started replacing members he was ready to move on period and begin a new direction. I also believe even the New Power Generation went that way (it went from more of his recording band, to live band/recording, then to just live band) and they technically even went by different names. In the beginning it was more “Prince and The New Power Generation” then it just became “Prince and the NPG” (which if we become more technical each iteration of the NPG after the New Power Generation had different musicians and different sounds). I also believe Prince wanted to move on because he put the title “New Power Generation” on “Eye no” which proves he was toying with the idea for years. But as always with Prince we’ll never truly know 🤷🏽♂️😂 thanks for getting the conversation started.. loved the video👍🏾👍🏾
IMHO Prince was over the Purple Rain era and going in a new direction required a fresh outlook. He didnt want to be pigeonholed in the past. Prince moved at a fast pace and looked forward.
Exactly. But, starting the 90s, his fast pace always had the same backdrop of the NPG and that went on for around 2 decades. My though is That since he was looking to drop some members of the revolution and not all of the members, that hadn’t gone down differently maybe the npg would’ve never existed.
Prince was a student of music and a student of business. Just look to his hero's James B and Goerge C to follow his thinking on this one. Loving your knowledge and love for the purple one. Rock and roll God save the Queen love from the UK ❤3121
Theirs a reason Prince never got around to finishing that autobiography. Many former Prince employees have given interviews to various TH-cam channels, and have surmise the fallowing: Prince was aware of music history and conscious of his own legacy. He wouldn’t want people to think that he was only as good as the people in his band. He had to be stressing in 86. Around the world LP wasn’t what people were expecting. Cherry Moon flopped. Another producer made his song Kiss into a hit. And Paisley Park was going to put him in the red. The Time and The Family disband. He wanted a fresh start. Contacts weren’t renewed. Prince made mistakes.
I'm not a Prince expert but it seems that he didn't like The Revolution members being too popular in terms of getting equal spotlight with him. IMO, Prince wanted to be a complete and total solo artist who was in full control of everything - all the time. Not that there is anything wrong with this, but if that's the way it is going to be - it makes it hard when you are being associated with a band who is also getting equal recognition.
And that is why he needed to fire The Revolution as a way of killing the concept of what it had become - almost an equal part with him, consisting of recognizable band members who were maybe beginning to get credit for the songwriting, shows, ect.
In other words, The Revolution was becoming a thing of its own, when I don't think it was ever supposed to be like that - which explains why he could't just replace members. He needed to end the idea of being associated with a Revolution-type band, and the only way to do so was to create a whole new backing band - where different members would come and go.
This was like what goes on with great funk bands, is that when change comes, some members move on their projects, then one founder members builds an new band, it hurts to have to not be on stage and studio with the same musicians, cause there are hardships good times they go through also friendships are build all of the Revolution are good musicians in their own right, what it seems is that with the change of times, Prince,s camp of funk became an training course for all who played in his bands, this on graduating moved on to their own projects, it was an school of music business and learning the pro and cons of the music business which in my opinion is nasty as hell with the contracts, Prince had a lot of side projects and was producing all of his side projects which ran into conflict with Warners now I know this comment is left field, but if all of the musicians singers dancers wasn, t working with Prince would they have been known early than be known later, Rufus and Chaka Khan, had an lot of drummers when the drummer from 1972 to 1977, quit till John Robinson joined in 1979 till the last album in 1983, there was an Rufus band where the majority of the band quit because they did not like the companys decision to put Chaka Khan upfront and change the music to funk,thus creating the Rufus known now, Bar Kay's, an funk band had 12 people in it for the 80,s peered down to 4 people, this an strange way of the music business, The Revolution went on to do their thang and got funky with it,,,welcome to the dawn, the Dawn is here
I dont think Prince wud have kept the revolution. He liked to change things up. thats pretty clear in his career. wendy and lisa was too much in princes personal life. esp with the susanah situation, they thought they were gonna run prince. prince had to show them who the leader. Wendy and lisa didnt like those african american dancers lol. Prince wanted to do 6lack music again as well.
Prince changed bands because it was necessary. Those choices are business and emotional decisions.
He was like Miles in that way.
I heard Wendy and Lisa say it was over prince cheating on wendys sister in front of their faces and they didn't like it so feelings started getting hurt but after he broke up with wendys sister and fired them he came back to Suzanna for a while til they finally broke up for good cause he couldn't be loyal to her he loved her but didn't want to keep hurting her cause he was in a relationship with sheila e and Suzanne the same time but picked shelia e in the end then eventually 🅱 broke it off with shelia e I think prince just had problem being with one woman only but I still loved him there will only ever be one prince😭
Leesa King, I think this was a huge part of it also. What a love pentagon that must have been: Prince with Susannah, Wendy with Lisa, Prince getting too close to Wendy & Lisa, Susannah being Wendy's twin sister, Prince not being faithful esp on tour where everybody could see it. Prince cut off the painful past totally throughout his life. I don't think he could work with Wendy because she looked & probably had personality traits exactly like Susannah. I'm sure there was plenty of hurt to go around and it was intolerable. It was also an opportunity for him to change his direction and grow. I remember reading that Frank Zappa's wife had an arrangement that allowed cheating on his part only when he was on tour. An open marriage isn't everyone's cup of tea but Prince could never really be with one woman.
@@lavenderbee3611yes absolutely Debbie you said it perfect sweetheart
I have been to easily over 500 concerts! My 1st concert was the Jackson 5 when I was 4 living in Japan. My favorite concert of all time was Prince, The Time and Vanity 6. I saw that back in the early 80's. The Revolution was supposed to get back together in 2,000. I saw him perform 15× here in Las Vegas. Truly a tremendous loss for mankind!
Very interesting perspective. One thing is entertainment is that you have to learn to move on fast. When a door closes you gotta open another door. Can't take things too personal because when it's all said and done it's about if you won or lost. I think everyone involved with The Revolution won because they were a part of an unforeseen ride that changed music history. They were and are able to use that momentum for the rest of their lives.
Yesss!! .I've been here throughout his entire career. I've seen countless shows..Many faces coming and going. Yet the Revolution always remained a mystery..What really happened..It was definitely a quick overthrow..ie..James Brown. If memory serves me right..It came directly after the Rolling Stones interview which he had Wendy and Lisa do..Yet all 3 were on the cover. Out of all the words in the interview, i distinctly recall reading the words.."We will never leave". And i promise u..It was maybe a week or 2 later where Kurt Loder or one of the many MTV anchors announced that the Revolution had disbanded and announced some new players. Just like that. Back then..If u recall..Everyone was sworn to secrecy..So, i always imagined they spilled too much of the beans in the interview. But when u mentioned the breakup of Susannah..It all ties in and makes better sense..Too many hurt feelings and a sense of moving on. Some unfortunately had to get off the bus. Great band! Never to take that away from him history..But yet..As an evolving enigma..Because he was definitely growing as a musician..I could sense that he wanted to go from teacher to playing w some of the best and brightest musician's on the planet. I think he fulfilled his dreams, and then some..✌ Friend
I Feel Prince Needed 2 Seperate Hisself From The Revolution In Order 2 Grow & Evolve. The Revolution Was A Great Band 4 Those Earlier Years But As One Grows The Unit Around Must Be Able 2 Move With The Flow & I Think He Knew This Change Was Not 4 These Core Members. The NPG Gave Him More Options Musically. Next 2 The Sign Of The Times/Lovesexy Line Up, The Musicology Line Up Was One Of His Best Bands. I Loved All The Variations Thru The Years... Great Video Friend... Long Live Prince!!!
In my opinion, prince should have kept Lisa in the band. Her and Prince had this bond were it was like they were brother and sister. Ya they did had some tiffs, but they loved each other. She was talented and had potential in the revolution ( I wish prince didn't make Wendy and Lisa "famous" to where people hate them and think their overrated). Watch the Parade Tour in Stockholm and in the middle of the tour, you'll see Lisa's piano solo (which it blew me away) and was an amazing, yet breath taking when she played her solo on the piano. Plus her and Prince taught each other and gave different ideas to each other. Also out of the whole band I liked everyone except for Wendy.
I would agree she did love him
I think he DID mean to fire “The Revolution”. True, it seems that he was getting blow-back from Wendy not just on the personal aspect of the Suzanne thing, but also on the creative dimension as well. We all know that P handled problems by walking away from them rather than deal with them head on. He was changing in his musical maturity and taste. So, BrownMark and Dr Fink fit what his new vision was and the other 3 did not. I don’t think he ever meant to keep the old band name because that would negate the purpose of the shake-up and as P said many times, “I never look back, never”.
Teresa Henderson - Prince said that, but his songs prove he felt differently. He was constantly expressing feelings of loss, regret, and reflection within his music. He just would not speak those words, especially to the reporters and journalists who he typically did not like or trust.
KJS agreed
I know he reflected on his personal failings a great deal. This is off the subject, but the many songs he wrote about Mayte after they divorced is an illustration of that. “If you know my music then you know me.” I was speaking more of his musical inclinations/business affairs. The break-up of “The Revolution” was evidently simmering for a long time and came to the top in Japan as he threw all of those guitars (according to Wendy). I think P was very thoughtful about what direction he wanted to go in his musical journal and did not make major decisions about it on a whim.
Teresa Henderson - he wrote "In This Bed I Scream" in 1995 for Wendy, Lisa and Susannah about his regrets and wanting to connect with them again. Just curious, what songs are supposed to be about Mayte after the divorce?? From what I have read and seen he wanted nothing to do with her in later years...
KJS
WOW, this is a side note for sure, but okay.
Shelby J was very close to Prince and she said, on video, that Prince told her that Mayte was the love of his life and that Mayte felt the same toward P. So, I very much doubt that he felt negatively towards her. Very complex relationship since they had some spats after the divorce but it seems they reconnected from time to time. If you want some insight on this, I am sure you can find Shelby’s statement on TH-cam somewhere or read Mayte’s book. As for songs he wrote about her....for sure, “TicTacToe”, probably (according to those that knew him), “Clouds”, and Breakdown”. Do I know any of this from either of them personally?.......No.
Oh, one more thing: unbeknownst to Mayte until recently, Prince left her on the charter of Love4oneanother as President of that charity. This could not have been an oversight because the charter had to be renewed ever so often. So, P intended Mayte to always guide that charity. (If you want to know who he wanted nothing to do with, check into who applied for the trademark for Love4oneanother less than a week after we lost P). Ok, I’m through.
Really those songs are very vague and just about anyone could have been the subject. However, the song 'Have A Heart" from the ONA record is most likely about her, as it was recorded just after the divorce. From what I recall, back in 2011 (I think?) Mayte was publicly complaining on her Twitter feed that she had to pay for a ticket if she was going to see Prince in concert. Also, a year before he passed she was trying to auction off his personal items via Facebook and Twitter. He had his lawyers put a stop to it. And then there was the Hollywood Ex's stint...so, not really of the opinion that she was the "love of his life", regardless of a statement by someone within his camp during a much later period.
Funny you mentioned Susannah, she eventually married British Guitarist and singer Doyle bramhall the 3rd. Of roger waters fame.
Interesting
Also: I *LOVE* that I can look at these photo stills and know exactly what year/era they were taken in!
Totally
Nice channel bro!
I beg to differ, Prince just wanted a funkier sound. The revolution was a pop band with the exception of Matt and Mark. Radio (remember that) was over saturated with the "Minneapolis Sound" and was becoming stale, because of all the Prince like knock offs.
Still, it was thrilling to hear a E9 sustained played on a synth without it sounding like Oingo Boingo.
Damn I just dated myself......
This was a great perspective, thank you! I have always thought that The Revolution ended because Prince and Susannah ended. It would have been too tense creatively if he continued with Wendy and Lisa after that, due to their allegiance with Susannah. He wanted to keep Mark and Dr. Fink. So really he wanted to replace Wendy and Lisa to avoid awkwardness. But given all of that, there wasn’t a reason to get rid of Bobby as he could have gone back to traditional drums if Prince just wanted to change up the sound. I don’t think he wanted Bobby OUT, but he wanted Sheila IN. He couldn’t have them both, but Sheila would keep him from being lonely for female companionship, so she was in. I agree with you completely!! He did NOT want to break up the band but his personal life forced it, in his mind. And no, I’m not blaming Susannah for “breaking up the band” so don’t come for me about that. I love Susannah and think she is wonderful. But if you are Prince and your engagement is ending, you probably don’t want to be around someone everyday who is an identical twin to Susannah. So that is just my opinion of why it may have happened that way. It’s just my best guess.
Most of that is NOT how The Revolution split.
What do you mean? The title wasn't "How the Revolution Split" was it? Did i type it wrong?
What U said on how The Revolution split (NOT FIRED) is in the video of The Revolution Interview. That's why I posted. Watch it.
You mean the video I linked to in my description? The one I obviously watched?
I worked with Prince also we played music together playing basketball together and rollerskating together and he make some good ass pancakes it's a pleasure working with Prince he's a real artist
Stefon Williams God Rest His Soul Brutha I know next to being born Loving Your Mother and knowing God gave you the opportunity, working with that Brutha had to be one of the best times in your life you've been given a gift and I envy you for it. That's why I play music because of Prince and though I never broke I knew that he always did it his way regardless whether you sink or swim.
James b thank you for saying that my brother God bless you and you're family
Stefon Williams And you as well my Brutha, I know you’ll keep him in your heart, and obviously he had a great sense of who to have as friends that worked with him and remembered him and not drag his name through the mud. Man I miss that Brutha he was a God Send, so are you for telling us how groovy he really was. The sources are always the best. Thanks for that Brutha.....
I was in a band. And was approached to Join a Big house band in a club to be the singer. I turned it down telling them we were a band and they are my friends. A couple years later my s called "friend" ended up screwing me over basically. I should have left . it will go down as one of my greatest regrets in life. Now. i dont play at all.- What might have been?
Revolution was his best band.....
Kimberly Smith - YEP!!!!
Kimberly Smith - Definitely.
Also a note about Wendy - she was not lead guitar in the traditional sense - she was more subtle but she could still really play, and handled solo parts fine. Prince would not have brought her in if he didn't think she had the skill. She could play funky too, but "subtle" funk. Have you heard the "ice cream" rehearsal bootleg? Wendy starts this funky groove and you hear one of the backup dancers (Wally or Brooks I think) scream "that's funky Wendy, that's funky!" She knew how to play chicken grease for sure :)
KJS .. yrs Maye was and still is annoying. . She was and still is all about money...... mayte is an awesome dancer. But there are allot of awesome dancers out there. She wasnt what allot thought .
ijcn0jir3nvjn3fjcifn I think we're somewhat in agreement but just focusing on two different things - technical skills and band chemistry. We're some of them "the best" players? No, but they were all great players, and together they just clicked. Yes, they rehearsed a ton, but I have read the same about the other bands. Any reduced rehearsal time also may have had to do with Prince taking over all of the business functions and fighting with WB. Michael B stated he would arrive at PP for rehearsal and instead Prince would vent to the band for hours about the WB conflict. It was a tough time for him.
Glad I'm not the only one who thinks Mayte on stage was pointless :/
Oh by the way my favorite era was between Purple Rain to Love Sexy he was at his most creative and most innovative exciting dynamo.
The Revolution served their purpose. I like them right where they are.
It would never be The Revolution without Wendy & Lisa, Dr. Fink, Bobby Z., and Brown Mark. Andre and Dez left of for their own reasons very early on, before most people had even heard of The Revolution. I could accept The Revolution with different members, if people left for their own reasons over time. But, firing most of the members of a successful, Grammy winning, band effectively means the band no longer exists. What should've happened, is splitting them off into a separate band with their own music - maybe found a new lead vocal within the band or brought in someone else.
I miss prince RIP
Interesting note:
Miko, Levi, Sheila E. as well as Rosie Gains were all living in or from where?
Hint:
He copied most of his sound (Especially the organ) and look from what artist?
Sly and the Family Stone
Who along with Miko, Levi, Sheila E and Rosie Gains all from or lIving in.....
The Town
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
As well as Larry Grahm (Drakes Uncle) who became pretty much his best friend.
I read that Wendy and Lisa were constantly complaining about the direction the band and music was going in and were ready to quit during the Parade tour. Prince asked them to stay. They did, and when the tour was over, he fired them.
Prince just being Prince 💜
Not related does anybody remember Still Stand all Time, from Graffii Bridge, that had the beginning of NPG in it
Revolution without Bobby Z, Wendy and Lisa weren't the Revolution no more. May sounds rough but he needed to evolve, Prince's mind was always ahead and he had a brand new vision of his band, of the show he was gonna put on the stage. Who nowadays can assert he was wrong?
Not really about right or wrong, just musings. :) thanks for the comment.
I think Prince's intentions were to disband the Revolution. According to an old documentary that included his cousin Chazz Smith who use to play in a band with Prince, Chazz stated that Prince fired him and replaced him with Bobby Z. According to Chazz, even though he was a better drummer than Bobby Z, Prince wanted Bobby Z instead because Bobby Z was White and Prince wanted to purposely create a multicultural band with both males and females. I think once Prince accomplished what he was seeking with the Revolution, to acheive cross over appeal in popular music, he no longer had any use for them. Also Prince was big on evolving, moving forward and not looking backwards. Creatively, he did not want to be pigeon held. Overall, Prince was such a gifted musician and prolific artist, it's not surprising that he would want to change out musicians when he felt the need to in order to accomplish a band that included very skillful musicians that could create the sound he was seeking for his live performances. The Revolution was a good band, but in my opinion, that band did not have great skillful musicians.
I couldn't agree more. Solo Performers change employees all the time. Some are lucky to be able to work for the same solo artist for over a decade or more but a lot of times new people do come and go. I think the musicians who got to be in a major motion picture for the first time in their lives let it go right to there heads. People always say that about Prince and may I point out that most of the ones who say that are disgruntled ex-employee's. Prince got use by a lot of people at that time. Even by Morris Day who wanted to leave earlier and become a solo artist but he stuck around to be able to be in the movie. As soon as the movie was done so was he, lol.
Very interesting. I think you're right. It does seem like Prince just wanted to swap a few people out, not get rid of the entire band. But, hurt feelkings got in the way.
💯💜
The Revolution was to me his best band. The horns, the Funk, the tightness of the band. The experimentation. The hits. We're talking Purple Rain, Around the world, and Under The Cherry Moon. Can't beat it.
mooky the revolution didn't have a horn section.
They made the keyboard sound like horns because they did not have a horn section.
RnB4Sure uh, no because Eric leads and Atlanta Bliss were apart of the Revolution in 86'
You are probably right. I read somewhere when they didn't have horns, they learned how to make the keyboard sound like it. What part of 1986? Do you know if he started playing horns with them in Brussels? I know he was previously a tour manager.
the strings and brass (when they were real) were the Carrie Fischer Orchestra
A lot of things went in to play Wendy and Lisa felt they was getting credit for things they didn't do
and Prince was taking credit for things they did. in some interview a few years ago they mentioned that and BrownMark already spoke of he was kind of hurt about Kiss cause Prince said he was going to correct it and never did then when Prince started adding other people they just felt things were changing he wasn't hanging with em or talking as much during rehearsal after awhile Wendy and Lisa was in the mist of leaving but Bobby Z talked to them and made em stay for a bit until it was completely over maybe he was letting them go without firing them completely
It's amazing Fink stayed the longest he mentioned in a interview
he would come up with parts but Prince would just never respond
So imagine the feeling he felt.
they should've did at least another album before they broke up
Speaking of Fink he would be a great interview
Great video! It's fascinating to look at how 'Prince the Genius' dealt with people as 'Prince the Human'. Usually messily, it seems to me!
Thanks for posting this.
There is a interview with The Revolution on Yahoo where Brown Mark mentioned that he told Prince in 1985 that he was going to quit The Revolution. Prince asked Brown Mark to stay one more year. So, Prince already knew Brown Mark was out the door after the Parade Tour.
Yep. I linked to that in the description. The fact that he kept asking him back though implies that Prince thought he could convince him to stay, imo.
Honestly I’m glad the NPG happened. The musicianship on D&P and [Love Symbol] is INSANE.
Thanks!
Sorry, but it's not "The Revolution" without Wendy & Lisa, and Bobby Z. But given all the musical influence that Wendy & Lisa had, their replacement along meant it was no longer "The Revolution".