In this Book

Gold Experience: Following Prince in the '90s

Book
Jim Walsh
2017
Published by: University of Minnesota Press
summary

Throughout the 1990s, Prince feuded with his record label, Warner Bros., over his rights as an independent recording artist—and made some of the most brilliant music of his career. During that time, Jim Walsh covered Prince for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and wrote about him passionately, thoughtfully, exhaustively. Here, in real time, is that coverage: a clip-by-clip look back at Prince in the ‘90s. Walsh’s newly unearthed interviews, essays, columns, and reviews make Gold Experience an essential slice of history for fans, scholars, and latecomers to the Minneapolis-born musical genius Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958–April 21, 2016).

Join Walsh at the 1994 NBA All-Star game after party and release bash for the single “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World.” Accompany him to the after-hours clubs Erotic City, Glam Slam, and, of course, Paisley Park. Meet Prince’s wife and bandmate Mayte (and while you’re at it, take in the wedding and reception). Enjoy a two-hour sit-down interview with Prince. Explore Prince’s veganism, talk to fans in line for a Target Center show, preview the “Jam of the Year” concert and check in at the after party. The passions and influences, from Mozart to funk godfather Larry Graham; the gigs and the Paisley Park garage sale; Walsh’s open letter to the artist and his reflections on religion and spirituality. This is Prince as few have seen him, reported as only Jim Walsh can: a portrait of the artist from a dizzying array of angles, captured in living color for all time. 

Table of Contents

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Cover

Title Page, Copyright Page

pp. i-iv

Contents

pp. v-viii

Introduction

pp. ix-xiv

1994

pp. 1-2

Prince’s Magic Lures the Stars

pp. 3-5

He’s Not Just Another Pretty Symbol

pp. 5-8

Prince Treats Lucky Fans to After-hours Rehearsal

pp. 8-9

Prince’s “Big Noise” for Fans at His House Doesn’t Disappoint

pp. 9-11

Best of May

pp. 12

Best of July

pp. 13-15

Songs in the Key of Life

pp. 16-18

Prince Is Going for “The Gold”

pp. 18-20

Blast from the Past: Seven Years after Its Recording—and Much to the Chagrin of Prince—Warner Bros. Issues His Much Mythologized The Black Album

pp. 20-23

Prince’s Label President and Publicist Resign

pp. 24

1995

pp. 25-26

Prince, Minnesota Politicos Make for Creative Yet Self-Conscious Set

pp. 27-28

Evening Was Uneven at

pp. 29-30

People

pp. 30-31

From Chanhassen:

pp. 31-32

Liner Notes for The Gold Experience

pp. 32-37

Prince Pullout from SNL Tests Patience of Faithful

pp. 37-38

People

pp. 39

Former Prince Presents Fans with Early Christmas Gift

pp. 40-42

Free at Last?

pp. 42

1996

pp. 43-44

Prince’s Uptown Store Closes

pp. 45

Mayte Aphrodite: So, What’s the Story behind This Woman Who Managed to Get the Former Prince to Say “I Do”? Well, She’s...

pp. 46-49

Purple Hearts: Prince’s Marriage Gives Lift to Inner City Neighborhood

pp. 50-52

Couple Hadn’t Appeared by 11, but

pp. 52-53

Alone Again Eventually

pp. 53-55

Ex-Innovator Ex-Prince Serves Leftovers

pp. 56-58

Former Prince Crowned Minnesota’s Top Music Artist

pp. 58-60

Ex-Prince Extravaganza: Tonight’s Bash Celebrates the Release of the Three-disc Emancipation Set via Satellite TV and the Internet

pp. 61-62

Stars Help Former Prince Celebrate His Freedom

pp. 63-64

[Prince] Speaks

pp. 65-76

Fresh (Ex-)Prince

pp. 76-78

Ex-Prince Gives Royal Show at: Power Guitarists Show Strengths in TAFKAP’s Band

pp. 78-80

1997

pp. 81-82

Prolific Ex-Prince Working on Next Album, The Truth

pp. 83-85

Singing Vegan Praises

pp. 85-87

The Artist Will Play Sayles Belton Benefit Show

pp. 87-88

For TAFKAP Fans, It Was All Simply in the Line of Duty

pp. 88-91

Jammin’: For His First Local Area Gig in Years, the Artist Is Stripped Down and Bare-wired... and Reports from the Road Say He’s Back on Top of the Game

pp. 91-93

Sticking to the Fax: Ex-Prince speaks (sort of) in an interview on the eve of his two Target Center shows

pp. 92-96

Pure Artist-ry: The Former Prince Puts Aside All Faux Stage Trickery and Delivers Just Pure, Organic, Funky, Fabulous Music

pp. 97-99

The Artist Wears ’Em Out at Post-concert Paisley Park Party

pp. 100-102

1998

pp. 103-104

Grand Funk Express: Larry Graham, the Man Who Invented Funk, Pulls His Graham Central Station into a New Chanhassen Terminal

pp. 105-109

Those Midnight Treks Are Worth a Princely Sum

pp. 110-113

TAFKAP Offers Up Sweet Jam at Free A.M. Funk-Fest

pp. 113-116

It’s Party Time: “1999” Is More Than Just a Date. The Former Prince’s Millennial Anthem Is Heading Back to Herald the Dawn of a New Age

pp. 115-121

Artist, Mayte Call It Quits... in a Way, for Now: Symbolic Remarriage May Follow Annulment

pp. 122-124

1999

pp. 125-126

Santana, Two Hot Guests Make Some Music Magic

pp. 127-128

Symbolic Agreement Reached: Prince Drops Uptown Suit. Fan Magazine Will Not Use Symbol, List Bootlegs

pp. 129

Formerly Prince’s: His Stuff Brings in the Fans. The Artist Has Garage Sale at Studio

pp. 130-131

Purple Pride: The Artist’s Ten Best Local Gigs

pp. 132-134

Artist-ic License: With the Release of a New Album and a Major-Label Alliance, the Former Prince Hopes to Get the Bandwagon Rolling Again

pp. 135-138

Artist’s “Rave” Less Than Fantastic, but It Ain’t All Bad

pp. 138-139

Ex-Recluse Ex-Prince Is on Publicity Binge for Y2K Show

pp. 139-140

2000–2002

pp. 141-142

Open Letter to Prince: Best Gift You Can Give Is a Great New Record

pp. 143-147

Spiritual, at Times Inspired, Prince Saves Best for Last

pp. 148-150

VH1’s Best Album Series Celebrates Prince’s Classic Purple Rain Tonight

pp. 150-154

For Prince, It’s All about Sex, God, and Rock ’n’ Roll

pp. 154-157

(Another) Open Letter to Prince

pp. 157-161

About the Author

pp. 162
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