Prince: Inside the Music and the Masks by Ronin Ro

Author:Ronin Ro [Ro, Ronin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Entertainment & Performing Arts
ISBN: 9781845138486
Google: zDHBAgAAQBAJ
Publisher: Aurum Press
Published: 2012-02-02T21:08:18+00:00

The media had promoted the two as pop’s biggest stars. They described a rivalry similar to the one between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, casting Jackson as the innocent and Prince as the bad boy. As usual, Prince ignored it. He and Jackson were friendly backstage and had discussed working together. But their two tours would—if all went as planned—continue to keep meeting up with each other on the road. After Madison Square Garden, Prince was to play the Washington area. Jackson would arrive there within days for three shows. Jackson would then play Detroit from October 24 to 26. Prince would play Long Island on the twenty-fourth, then reach his key market Detroit on October 30, to play two nights. Then, in November, Prince would play Los Angeles on the fifth, seventh, and eighth. But Jackson would arrive on the thirteenth, and play the next two days, and then November 20, 21, and 22.

But Prince didn’t worry. Their shows were similar in that both presented choreographed dance routines, programmed lights, extravagant costumes, special effects, flags adorned with peace symbols, even simulated gunplay—but as performers, they were completely different. Jackson was clean-cut and humble, asking his audiences for permission to step to another part of the stage. Prince took control from the moment he stepped into view and didn’t let up. Jackson and his professional dancers did the same routine every night. Prince changed things up, adlibbing, changing his set list, rearranging his hits. Jackson played traditional G-rated pop and ballads while Prince ran through rock, jazz, swing music, soul, bygone Blues, even raw hip-hop. Jackson kept two spotlights on him, and stopped songs so he could freeze during a dance move—stooping over like a robot, getting on his tiptoes—and hear fans applaud. Prince started call and response routines, chiding fans if they did not sing loud enough. Jackson’s lyrics emphasized terror, loneliness, and love; Prince interchanged medleys of ballads with funk numbers.

Prince kept dividing the Lovesexy show into two parts. The first featured risqué hits. As the band did short versions, he played sassy Camille, and interacted with Sheila, Cat, and keyboardist Boni Boyer. In his mind, this part presented a message about sexual temptation. But at his keyboard, Matt Fink shook his head. “I was always unhappy with doing the medleys.” People wanted full songs.

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