#PrinceOnThisDay

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

The "Sound Toons" by Facebook’s The Minneapolis Sound!

“Sound Toons” fits the page format: short, rhythmically assembled videos in which sound and image reinforce each other — interviews, concert snippets, studio stories, sometimes almost cartoonish or heavily stylized by the editing. They are not official Prince estate productions, but fan curation: fragments from documentaries, TV performances and conversations with Revolution members, Pepe Willie or others, often tagged via Visual Resolution / Synesthesia Multimedia.

The effect is recognizable to @Prince fans: a few minutes in which an anecdote about First Avenue, @PaisleyPark, or an underrated song suddenly comes back “on.” Not a full documentary, but a tone that fits the name — synesthesia as the idea that sound gets color and movement.

Releases:
Part 1: Released on April 17, 2025
Part 2: Released on April 24, 2025
Part 3: Released on May 02, 2025

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

“The truth is, you are either here to enlighten or to discourage.”

That single line landed on X on Monday, October 28, 2024, at 5:07:48 PM GMT, posted by the official Prince (@prince) account—the verified legacy page dedicated to celebrating the life and work of the artist formerly known as Prince Rogers Nelson.
The post was pure visual clarity: a stark white field, elegant black serif type, and the unmistakable purple Love Symbol sitting calmly underneath like a signature from the other side. No hashtags. No call to action. Just the quote, attributed simply to “Prince,” and the glyph that once replaced his name entirely.

The Line and Where It Came From:
Prince spoke these words during an MTV interview when the conversation turned to the influence of contemporary music—specifically whether certain artists or genres were having a “negative” effect on young people. The interviewer began listing names and scenes that “get slammed” (hip-hop, Marilyn Manson, Korn). Prince refused the bait.

Instead of naming anyone, he drew a brighter, sharper line:
“It’s very obvious when you hear words and lyrics whether they enlighten or discourage… I’m just talking about the truth. The truth is that you either are here to enlighten or discourage.”
He wasn’t ranking songs or starting a culture war. He was stating a binary of intention. You either show up to illuminate something or to dim it. The choice is visible in the work itself.

The official account has returned to the same interview clip in the years since, pairing the words with video. The October 2024 version, however, stripped everything back to the purest form: text + symbol. It felt less like promotion and more like a quiet reminder left on the timeline.

Why It Still Lands:
Prince spent his career treating music, image, and ownership as moral and creative choices rather than mere product. From the Revolution years through the Warner Bros. battles, the Symbol era, and the independent releases, he consistently framed art as something that either expands the listener or contracts them. The quote is the distilled version of that philosophy—short enough to fit on a card, sharp enough to survive social media.

It also sidesteps the easy trap of ranking other artists. Prince could have joined the chorus of critics. He didn’t. By keeping the focus on intention rather than genre or persona, he left the responsibility with the person making the work (and the person receiving it). That restraint is part of what keeps the line from dating.

In a feed full of algorithmic noise, dunks, and half-formed takes, a clean graphic that simply restates a decades-old principle feels almost radical. The purple glyph underneath doesn’t decorate the sentence; it authenticates it. This is not a random inspirational account. This is the house that still carries the symbol.

The Choice Remains:
Nearly a decade after Prince’s death, the official account continues to surface fragments of his thinking exactly like this—stripped of excess, placed where people will scroll past or stop. The October 28, 2024 post is one of the cleaner examples.
You can read the sentence as advice for artists, for public figures, for anyone who speaks or creates in public. Or you can read it more personally: every post, every conversation, every song, every quiet decision about what you put into the world is a small vote for one side or the other.

Prince didn’t offer a middle path. The truth, as he framed it, is binary.
Sender: Prince (@prince)
Date: Monday, October 28, 2024
Time: 17:07:48 GMT
The graphic is still circulating. The choice, according to the man who signed it with a symbol instead of a name, never stopped being the point.

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

The Purple One’s Estate Drops a Vinyl Treasure Hunt: Win a Rare Test Pressing of the 2025 Around The World In A Day Remaster:

On Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 14:07:47 UTC, the official Prince account (@prince) posted a simple but irresistible invitation to the Purple Fam:
“Sign up for a chance to win a vinyl test pressing of the 2025 Remastered Edition of Around The World In A Day! 🌎 Enter now at https://t.co/XihhZNPzPk”

The accompanying image showed a stark black vinyl partially sliding from a plain black sleeve, labeled “side A,” set against a soft, dreamy blue-sky backdrop. Below it, the classic ornate lettering of the album title sat above the words “TEST PRESSING GIVEAWAY,” finished with the official Prince Collection seal.

A Collector’s Holy Grail for the 40th Anniversary:
Around The World In A Day (1985) was the bold, psychedelic left turn Prince and the Revolution took right after the global explosion of Purple Rain. Instead of chasing the same purple lightning, they built a swirling, colorful world of “Raspberry Beret,” “Paisley Park,” “Pop Life,” and the title track’s open-hearted invitation to “open your heart, open your mind.” The cover art—painted by Doug Henders on the Purple Rain tour—looked like a psychedelic daydream compared to the stark imagery of the previous album.

For the album’s 40th anniversary, the Prince Estate, NPG Records, and partners delivered the first full remaster (by original mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, with additional work by Chris James), a Dolby Atmos mix, deluxe editions packed with B-sides and remixes, blue marble vinyl, a store-exclusive picture disc, and more. The physical and digital editions landed on November 21, 2025.

A vinyl test pressing of that remaster is pure collector catnip. Test pressings are the early, limited runs pressed to check the cut before mass production. They’re rare, often plain-labeled, and highly prized by serious vinyl fans. Winning one from the official store sweepstakes is the kind of one-of-a-kind score that doesn’t come around often.
The Estate’s Ongoing Celebration
The @prince account has become a steady presence for the estate, sharing anniversary posts, vault-adjacent releases, Paisley Park events, and exclusive merch drops while directing fans to https://t.co/hlp3ee2jEH. This giveaway fit that pattern perfectly: a low-key but targeted promotion that rewarded the most dedicated collectors while driving traffic (and email/SMS sign-ups) to the official shop.

The post itself was modest in engagement by the account’s standards—around 169 likes, 23 reposts, and roughly 9,500 views—but it did exactly what it was meant to do. It put a tangible, limited piece of the new remaster campaign directly into the hands of the fan community.

Forty years on, Around The World In A Day still feels like one of Prince’s most free and adventurous statements. Offering a shot at a genuine test pressing of the 2025 remaster was a fitting way to mark the milestone: not just another reissue announcement, but a chance for one lucky fan to own a piece of the process itself.

The purple legacy continues—one exclusive vinyl, one sweepstakes, and one open heart at a time. 💜

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

Rainbow Children, Purple Lights and Hits: Prince’s Sold-Out Le Zénith Homecoming (28 October 2002).

By 20:00 the 6,700-capacity Le Zénith was packed (€61.50 tickets, first Paris show since 1998). The One Nite Alone… Tour band entered on a swing-jazz bed in crossed suits—more Cotton Club than James Brown revue—before Prince knitted guitar solos and the house erupted. The set ran roughly 155 minutes (plus the earlier soundcheck), a generous balance of Rainbow Children material and classics that left Le Monde praising the hybrid genius: Sly Stone energy, Duke Ellington class, Beatles melody, Hendrix carnality and Zappa brain.

After the One Nite Alone… intro came Rainbow Children and Muse 2 the Pharaoh, then a long Xenophobia (with Silicon lyric interpolations and solos from Candy, Greg, Renato and Blackwell plus the leader/follower routine). Purple Rain arrived early under a rain of purple light, Prince on piano—an imposing, affirming statement that he had reclaimed the name and the song. The Work, Pt. 1 featured a Maceo Parker solo and an onstage dance contest. Mellow cooled things before 1+1+1 Is 3 exploded into Housequake / Love Rollercoaster (Ohio Players) with Give Up the Funk flashes—sweaty, joyous.

Deep cuts and covers kept the floor moving: The Other Side of the Pillow, Strange Relationship (often aimed at the media), Pass the Peas again (Maceo “The Teacher” front and center), When You Were Mine, a grand Sign O’ the Times, Take Me With U, Raspberry Beret and The Everlasting Now. After a break, Pop Life, Delirious (with a A Night in Tunisia hint—funk turned primitive rock’n’roll), Strollin’ (with U Want Me and instrumental Other Side of the Pillow reprise), and Gotta Broken Heart Again led into the piano set. Prince sat for Condition of the Heart, Diamonds and Pearls, The Beautiful Ones (some band backing), Nothing Compares 2 U, The Ladder, Starfish and Coffee and Sometimes It Snows in April (fuller band). The night closed with Days of Wild (“Prince and the Band”) and the show coda.

Cool things to know: Prince wore suits rather than flamboyant costumes and spoke about “real music” by real musicians versus digitalization, offering to DJ forgotten funk (Clinton, EW&F, Chaka Khan) before the groove demonstration. The band was elite—Maceo Parker linking directly to the JB’s, Candy Dulfer’s Dutch fire, Blackwell’s pocket, Neto’s keys. Many fans left the Zénith and headed to the legendary early-morning aftershow at Le Bataclan the next day (Bambi, Whole Lotta Love, Family Name, extended jams, bass trades, another Santana medley). Circulating audio and fan reports confirm the show as one of the European leg’s peaks: hits delivered with authority, deep cuts given room, and a piano interlude that felt intimate inside a packed arena. Paris got both the legend and the living laboratory.
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[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

Check 1-2 and the City of Light: Prince’s Playful Soundcheck Alchemy at Le Zénith (28 October 2002).

On the afternoon of 28 October 2002, before the sold-out One Nite Alone… Tour show at Paris’s Le Zénith, NPG Music Club members caught a roughly hour-long soundcheck that doubled as a private funk laboratory. The New Power Generation—John Blackwell on drums, Rhonda Smith on bass, Renato Neto on keys, Greg Boyer on trombone, and the twin saxophone power of Maceo Parker and Candy Dulfer—were already locked in when Prince stepped to the piano and microphones for the familiar “Check 1-2” ritual. He even shouted “Paris” into the mic, sparking cheers from the early arrivals outside the barrier.

The circulating recording (and fan accounts) opens around 0:00 with a tender, piano-led Sweet Baby, immediately morphing at ~0:01:12 into a long, exploratory Xenophobia that keeps the Sweet Baby lyrics and floats over the Rainbow Children-era groove. Candy and Greg take early solos; the piece is barely recognizable as the album track except by the words—classic Prince stretching. Around 0:10:55 the band drops into pure drums-and-keys improvisation. Prince on keys leads a chant of “Paris, we come to get down,” interpolating Atomic Dog and One Nation Under a Groove. The pit energy is already “terrible” in the best sense; the night is going to be funky.

At ~0:18:52 Prince calls Cool (The Time), playing the bassline himself on keys while Candy soars again. The highlight for many arrives at ~0:26:30: Automatic slides into Shake!, and Prince slips into a full Macy Gray impersonation—husky, conversational, mischievous. Minutes later (~0:33:41) he mockingly croons Shakira’s Underneath Your Clothes in a high, playful voice before discarding it. Then (~0:35:28) comes a spacious saxophone-and-piano instrumental with Candy Dulfer; Prince eventually switches to guitar and the duo keep exploring. The Santana medley (Jungle Strut / Batuka / Soul Sacrifice / Toussaint L’Ouverture) lands around 0:41:15, Renato and the horns stretching the Latin-funk vocabulary. Pass the Peas (The J.B.’s) appears near 0:47:44, and the session closes around 0:52:33 with Prettyman.

Cool things to know: Eric Leeds was absent (Candy carried the saxophone weight); Prince shouted “stop running” at security/fans more than once; the whole thing ran roughly 17:30–18:30. These sessions were never throwaways—Prince treated them as living arrangements, complete with vocal character work and spontaneous chants. For the lucky NPGMC holders, it was already a full concert before the doors opened for the rest of Paris.

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

Prince aftershow at Indie Temple, Fortitude Valley (Brisbane), early morning 28 October 2003.

After a nearly three-hour main show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall the night before—Prince’s first Australian dates in more than a decade, packed with hits, deep cuts, a solo piano medley (including a striking “A Case of You”), and a closing stretch elevated by Larry Graham—the night simply continued.
An announcement sent fans into Fortitude Valley for the official aftershow at Indie Temple, a tight club with famously low, ankle-height stages.

Roughly 250–300 people filled the room (capacity around 400). Entry was roughly A$50–80, with NPG Music Club members getting preferential access. The gear was already being set up when fans arrived. The band came in around 2 a.m.; Prince followed closer to 2:45 a.m., dressed casually in a white turtleneck, black long top over grey pants, looking youthful and relaxed. Two sets followed, with a half-hour break between them, running until just before 5 a.m. as the sun rose over the city.

This was pure aftershow territory: loose, groove-heavy, and intimate rather than a formal concert. The set leaned hard into funk covers, jams, and band features, with Larry Graham joining on bass and vocals for stretches—a special guest presence that marked much of the Australian leg.

Documented material included “1+1+1 Is 3,” Ohio Players covers “Love Rollercoaster” and “Skin Tight,” “The Work, Pt. 1,” “Girls & Boys,” and instrumental funk jams. With Graham came Sly & the Family Stone material (“Everyday People,” “You Can Make It If You Try,” “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” “I Want to Take You Higher”) plus “Peach.” Chance Howard took lead on Blackstreet’s “No Diggity”; RAD handled the Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There.” Stevie Wonder covers were a clear highlight—“I Wish” sliding into a brilliant “Superstition.” The night closed out (or peaked) with a Santana medley: “Jungle Strut,” “Batuka,” “Soul Sacrifice,” and “Toussaint L’Ouverture.”

The 2003 NPG lineup was locked in: John Blackwell on drums, Rhonda Smith on bass, Renato Neto, rad., and Chance Howard on keys/vocals, Greg Boyer on trombone, and Maceo Parker on saxophone, with Prince moving between guitar, keys, and vocals. The low stage put the audience right in the pocket of the groove. Fans who stayed described it as privileged and magical—the perfect club-level extension of the arena marathon that had already left Brisbane “souled out.” One contemporary report simply noted that Prince and the NPG “wore Brizvegas out.”

In the broader context of the World Tour 2003 aftershows (Melbourne’s Metro, Sydney’s Basement, and this one), Indie Temple captured the classic late-night formula: spontaneity over spectacle, covers of influences over catalog hits, and the rare intimacy of watching Prince and a world-class band stretch out until dawn. For those who made it, it was the fitting, sweaty, high-energy close to a short but generous Australian return.

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[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

Prince delivered a sold-out, high-energy Lovesexy Tour performance at Pittsburgh Civic Arena on October 28, 1988, blending raw funk, theatrical spectacle, spiritual intensity, and classic hits.

The show was part of the Lovesexy Tour supporting the 1988 album Lovesexy. Tickets cost $22.50 and the 14,611-capacity Civic Arena was sold out. Unlike most other U.S. dates on the tour (which used a distinctive in-the-round stage), this was the only American show with a conventional end-stage setup, adapted to the arena’s dimensions and retractable-roof design. Tickets were still sold for all sides of the podium.

Prince was backed by a tight, multi-talented band: Sheila E. (drums/vocals), Levi Seacer Jr. (bass/vocals), Miko Weaver (guitar/vocals), Dr. Fink (keyboards), Boni Boyer (keyboards/vocals), Eric Leeds (saxophone/flute), Atlanta Bliss (trumpet), and dancer Cat Glover. No guest artists appeared.
The set followed the tour’s signature two-act structure. Act I was a high-octane, often sexually charged run through funkier material (including Black Album-era tracks and older hits), opening with “Erotic City” (with “Escape” intro and “Sex Shooter” instrumental). It moved through “Housequake,” “Slow Love,” “Adore,” “Delirious,” “Jack U Off,” “Sister,” “Do Me, Baby,” “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” “Head,” “A Love Bizarre” (with “Irresistible Bitch” and “Holly Rock” elements), “When You Were Mine,” “Blues in C (If I Had a Harem),” “Little Red Corvette,” “Controversy,” “U Got the Look,” “Superfunkycalifragisexy,” “Bob George,” and a powerful “Anna Stesia.” Fans later recalled Prince chanting “Head… Pittsburgh, one word… Head!” during that song, a localized, playful interaction that stuck with those who were there.

After intermission, Act II shifted to the more spiritual, uplifting side of Lovesexy: “Eye No,” “Lovesexy,” “Glam Slam,” “The Cross,” “I Wish U Heaven,” “Kiss,” and “Dance On.” A piano-centered segment then delivered intimate versions of “When 2 R in Love,” “Venus de Milo,” “Starfish and Coffee,” “Raspberry Beret,” “It’s No Secret,” “Strange Relationship,” “Condition of the Heart,” “International Lover,” and a Ray Charles-inspired “What’d I Say” that circled back to “When 2 R in Love.” The night typically closed with the big hits “Let’s Go Crazy,” “When Doves Cry,” “Purple Rain,” and “1999.”

The Lovesexy production was known for its theatrical flair (Prince often entered in a white Thunderbird convertible on other dates), elaborate staging, mist effects, and Prince’s nonstop physical performance—dancing, guitar work, and stage presence that mixed James Brown-style showmanship with spiritual themes.

Contemporary reviews of the tour described it as dazzling yet sometimes polarizing, combining sex, piety, spectacle, and marathon energy. Fan recollections from the era (and later bootleg/audience recordings of the Pittsburgh date) consistently praise the band’s tightness, Prince’s charisma, and the show’s transformative, almost mystical quality for those open to its message.

An audience recording of the full Pittsburgh show (roughly 2 hours 25 minutes) has circulated among fans, preserving the night for those who weren’t there or want to relive it. For many who attended, it remains a standout memory from Prince’s peak live era—raw, ambitious, and unforgettable.
In short, Pittsburgh got a full-force dose of 1988 Prince: funky, theatrical, spiritually charged, and built for a sold-out arena.

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[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

A high-energy, loose, and funky night on the Jam of the Year World Tour, with Prince (then performing under his unpronounceable symbol) delivering a two-hour set that blended Emancipation material, classics, covers, and extended jams at Tingley Coliseum.

The show was part of the main 1997–98 arena/amphitheater phase supporting the triple album Emancipation, Prince’s first major independent release after leaving Warner Bros. It followed dates in Las Vegas and Phoenix and preceded one in Las Cruces the next night. Advertised for 8:00 p.m., it started around 9:45 p.m. and ran until about 11:45 p.m. (roughly two hours). Ticket prices were $35–$65; capacity was about 11,571. Graham Central Station (Larry Graham’s band) opened.

Band:
Prince (vocals, guitar, bass, piano, GoldAxxe, percussion), Kirk Johnson (drums), Rhonda Smith (bass, vocals), Morris Hayes (keyboards), Kat Dyson (guitar), Mike Scott (guitar), and Marva King (vocals, percussion). No special guests.

Setlist:
Typical of the tour: a celebratory, improvisational mix that opened hard and moved through funk, rock, soul, ballads, and piano-driven segments, with frequent interpolations and medleys. From Prince Vault and corroborated sources:
• “Please take your seats” intro
• Jam of the Year
• Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothing (James Brown cover)
• Let’s Work (including instrumental coda of “Rock ’n’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives in Minneapolis)”)
• Purple Rain
• Little Red Corvette
• Get Yo Groove On (including “Six”)
• The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (including “The Glamorous Life”)
• Face Down
• The Ride
• The Cross
• One of Us (Joan Osborne cover)
• Do Me, Baby (including interpolations of Adore, Insatiable, Scandalous, and How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore)
• Sexy M.F. (including instrumental of “♥ or $”)
• If I Was Your Girlfriend
• Venus de Milo
• Diamonds and Pearls
• I Love U in Me
• The Beautiful Ones
• Girls & Boys
• Darling Nikki (tease)
• Condition of the Heart
• How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore
• Take Me With U (piano)
• Raspberry Beret (piano, with “Mr. Happy” instrumental coda)
• Kiss
• Gett Off / Gett Off (Houstyle)
• When Doves Cry

These Jam of the Year shows were loose, spontaneous, and party-oriented rather than rigid arena spectacles—emphasizing groove, Prince’s multi-instrumental chops, and the “emancipation” vibe (“There are no slaves in this building tonight”). The reconfigured New Power Generation locked in tightly behind him, giving the material more live muscle than the studio versions of newer tracks.

Contemporary accounts of nearby dates (Phoenix the night before and Las Cruces the night after) describe a similar experience: lights down, automated intro voice, hit teases building anticipation, then the band launching into “Jam of the Year” before Prince appeared (often in purple, with his signature mic stand). He moved constantly, switching instruments, delivering falsetto balladry, raspy funk, and guitar fire. Highlights on this style of set typically included the early “Purple Rain,” the sensual “Do Me, Baby” medley, “Sexy M.F.,” the spiritual lift of “The Cross,” the Joan Osborne cover “One of Us,” piano moments on “Take Me With U”/“Raspberry Beret,” and a strong close with “Gett Off” and “When Doves Cry.” The room stayed up and engaged throughout the two hours.

Tingley Coliseum is not renowned for pristine acoustics, but the energy of a Prince show tended to overcome that. Attendance figures for this specific night are not well documented, but the tour drew solid crowds overall and the set was representative of the period’s strengths: funky, celebratory, and musically ambitious without relying on elaborate production.

In short, this was a solid mid-tour stop that gave Albuquerque fans the full Jam of the Year experience—Prince at his free, multi-talented best after breaking from his old label, mixing the new with the classics in a long, groove-heavy night.

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

On October the 28th in 1995, Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, hosted a video shoot for Nona Gaye’s cover of her father Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).” Prince, then publicly known as the unpronounceable Love Symbol, opened his complex for the session amid his post-Gold Experience period of intimate “Love 4 One Another” events and ongoing creative control efforts.

The track served as the title cut on Motown’s tribute album Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye, released that month. Nona’s version was produced by Meshell Ndegeocello, with guitar and co-production from Wendy Melvoin and keyboards from Lisa Coleman. Prince did not play on the recording but facilitated the visual shoot for footage used in the VH1 special Love 4 One Another, which aired January 27, 1996.

Nona and Prince already shared a history. She had appeared in The Beautiful Experience and collaborated with him on “Love Sign” (from 1-800-NEW-FUNK), whose video Ice Cube directed, casting her as an assassin who falls for his DJ character. She had also worked on an unreleased Marvin cover of “(Got 2) Give It Up.” Hosting her for this tribute felt like a natural extension.

The soundstage held cameras, roughly twenty hanging guitars (prepared for another shoot), and a small invited crowd. Crews filmed crowd shots for 20–30 minutes. A young Dave Chappelle delivered stand-up. Then Nona performed, cameras rolling as she delivered the still-sharp 1971 protest lyrics over Ndegeocello’s deep groove. In the finished special, the footage sits inside a loose story of a woman named Nikki (Corrie Dana) who travels from Texas seeking Prince and ultimately accepts friendship; Nona’s segment includes a brief interaction with him before the song.
Afterward, Prince and the New Power Generation—Michael B. on drums, Sonny T. on bass, Tommy Barbarella and Morris Hayes on keyboards—played a short set: “Return of the Bump Squad,” “The Jam,” “The Ride,” and “Bambi.” “The Ride” and “The Jam” later appeared in the VH1 special. Eyewitnesses noted Prince in a good mood and the close proximity of the stage. The night mixed video production, after-hours jam, and self-determination.

The day linked Marvin’s original cry against systemic neglect to Nona’s inheritance and Prince’s symbol-era insistence on ownership. The resulting special remains a capsule of that autumn at Paisley Park: cameras under stage lights, Nona channeling her father, Chappelle holding the room, and the Symbol-led band locking into tight funk.
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#Prince #PaisleyPark #NonaGaye #InnerCityBlues #MarvinGaye #Love4OneAnother #VH1 #TheSymbol #NewPowerGeneration #GoldExperience #1995 #SoulMusic #Funk #MinneapolisSound #DaveChappelle

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

3rdEyeGirl YouTube Channel Shares “Empty Room” Paisley Park Rehearsal – 28 October 2014.

On 28 October 2014, the official 3rdEyeGirl YouTube channel posted a full audio stream of the previous night’s “Empty Room” rehearsal from Paisley Park Studios. The video used a static image rather than live footage and carried a title along the lines of “PRINCE & 3RDEYEGIRL - EMPTY ROOM (Paisley Park Studios Rehearsal - 10.27.14).”

The upload was notable at the time because official shares of raw rehearsal material were relatively uncommon. Music sites and fan communities quickly picked it up. Okayplayer described it as a rare self-released cut of the “harrowing ballad,” while German site https://t.co/L055gAH7z8 and Japanese outlets also covered the release the same day. On https://t.co/99XgeXhW8L, fans discussed the performance almost immediately, with some calling it a strong indicator of the band’s current form and others comparing it to earlier versions of the song.

The original video is no longer available on the official channel. Fan reuploads continue to circulate, preserving the audio of the 27 October session. The release fit a pattern of the era in which Prince used the 3rdEyeGirl online presence to surface occasional rehearsal or studio material, giving listeners a direct line into work happening at Paisley Park shortly after the dual release of Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum.

For many fans, the 28 October post served as both a document of the previous night’s rehearsal and another reminder of “Empty Room”’s enduring place in Prince’s catalog—from its 1985 origins through its various later incarnations to this 2014 band version. The static-image upload, though modest in presentation, remains one of the clearer official glimpses of the 3rdEyeGirl-era rehearsals that defined that chapter of Prince’s career.
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[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

On 28 October 1986 at Madison Square Garden, Sheila E. smuggled concentrated Minneapolis Sound into Lionel Richie’s “Outrageous” tour.

By late 1986 she was far more than “the percussionist.” Prince had written and produced the bulk of her breakthrough material (The Glamorous Life, “The Belle of St. Mark,” “A Love Bizarre,” “Sister Fate”), released her on Paisley Park, and put her on the Purple Rain and final Parade tour dates. Weeks earlier he began dismantling the Revolution; within months she would become his drummer and musical director for Sign o’ the Times and Lovesexy. This MSG night sat in that hinge.

Richie’s set was polished, romantic stadium pop. Sheila’s roughly 45-minute opening offered the counterpoint: tight, high-energy funk and percussion rather than the more theatrical bits she had sometimes used while opening for Prince. She arrived with a locked-in band, striking clothes, and songs the audience already knew.

Core material from the tour included “The Glamorous Life,” the extended groove of “A Love Bizarre,” “Sister Fate,” “Bedtime Story,” “Holly Rock,” “Love on a Blue Train,” and Prince’s “Erotic City.” Reviews of nearby dates noted her launching the latter with a lusty yelp, then taking the kit for a lengthy athletic solo during “A Love Bizarre.” Percussion work frequently stole the night; an Oklahoma review singled out “Sister Fate,” “Bedtime Story,” “A Love Bizarre,” and a “Glamorous Life” encore.

What separated her from other Prince-associated performers was the playing. Daughter of jazz percussionist Pete Escovedo and already a veteran of George Duke, Marvin Gaye, and Richie tours, she treated the drums and timbales with precision and power, not as props. She largely left neon sticks and cartoonish elements behind and concentrated on the music—muscular Minneapolis funk delivered with Oakland chops.

She later reappeared in Richie’s set for a few numbers, reinforcing the pre-solo professional relationship. Contemporary accounts of the MSG run noted a clean, well-rehearsed opening in front of a full house. The night itself was interrupted by the Mets’ World Series game on portable TVs, but Sheila’s set was already finished.
From a Prince-centric view, the show proved the catalog he had written for her translated to large arenas outside his own tours, that the percussionist he trusted could command a stage, and that the future drummer of his most ambitious live bands was already operating at a high level. The sensuality and rhythmic complexity cut through the more wholesome Richie atmosphere without needing the Purple One himself onstage.

Madison Square Garden got a concentrated hit of the Minneapolis Sound from its most skilled living emissary. Sheila E. didn’t merely support Lionel Richie; she showed why Prince had put her out front—and why he would soon put her behind the kit again.
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[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

Knock, Knock: The Lost Funk of “Knucklehead” – Prince and Sheila E. at Paisley Park, 28 October 1987.

Inside the newly opened Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota, Prince recorded “Knucklehead,” an unreleased track intended for Sheila E. The session took place during work on a proposed fourth album for her on Paisley Park Records, marking one of the early recording dates at the complex Prince had just completed as his self-contained creative headquarters.

By late 1987, Sheila E. (Sheila Escovedo) was deeply embedded in Prince’s world. She had already released three albums with significant Prince involvement—The Glamorous Life (1984), Romance 1600 (1985), and the self-titled Sheila E. (February 1987)—and was serving as musical director and drummer on the Sign O’ the Times tour. Sessions for her next project began earlier in 1987 and continued into 1988.

“Knucklehead” was tracked on 28 October, shortly after Paisley Park opened for business. It later appeared as the fourth track on a 1989 configuration of the untitled album. That project was abandoned in early 1989 when Sheila E. left Prince’s band and Paisley Park Records; the only track from the planned album that received an official release was “Scarlet Pussy” (issued as a Camille B-side). Most of the rest, including “Knucklehead,” remain in the vault.

Prince Vault lists the song as performed by Sheila E., with writing and production assumed to be by Prince. Personnel credits are limited: Sheila E. is noted for vocals, drums, and percussion (assumed), while Prince is credited with background vocals and the remaining instruments (assumed). No additional musicians are documented for this particular session. The track has never been performed live by Prince, and no bootleg or official version has circulated widely. Its placement on the 1989 tracklist—alongside other unreleased or lightly circulated pieces such as “3 Nigs Watchin’ A Kung Fu Movie,” “Latino Barbie Doll,” and a cover of Donny Hathaway’s “The Ghetto”—suggests it was part of a broader effort to continue the funk- and Latin-inflected direction of Sheila E.’s earlier Paisley Park work while incorporating newer material.

The recording sits at a transitional moment. Paisley Park had only recently become operational, shifting Prince’s primary base from Sunset Sound in Hollywood and his Galpin Boulevard home studio to his own facility in Minnesota. At the same time, Sheila E. was balancing her solo career with her high-profile role on the Sign O’ the Times and subsequent Lovesexy tours. “Knucklehead” was one of several tracks cut for her during this window (others included “Latino Barbie Doll” in mid-December 1987 and “Scarlet Pussy” in January 1988). When the album was shelved, the song simply stayed unreleased—an ordinary outcome for material generated in Prince’s prolific late-1980s studio life, yet one that leaves another gap in the documented Sheila E. / Prince collaboration.

Today “Knucklehead” exists mainly as a date and a tracklist entry. No detailed session notes, lyrics, or musical description have been published, and it has not appeared on any posthumous Prince or Sheila E. releases. For fans tracking the unfinished projects of 1987–89, it remains a clear example of how much material was generated for protégés at Paisley Park and how quickly those plans could change once personnel and priorities shifted.
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[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

Rebirth Of The Flesh and Rockhard In A Funky Place were both tracked on 28 October 1986 at Sunset Sound Studio 3 in Hollywood, California. The session ran from roughly 2:30 p.m. into the early hours of the next morning (ending around 5:30 a.m.). Prince handled the bulk of the instruments and the pitch-shifted “Camille” lead vocals; Eric Leeds added saxophone and Atlanta Bliss (Matt Blistan) added trumpet.

Engineers Susan Rogers and Coke Johnson worked the date. The day before had seen a re-recording of “Feel U Up”; two days later Prince tracked “Good Love.” Both songs were immediately earmarked for the short-lived Camille album (compiled around 5 November 1986), an intended early-1987 release credited to Prince’s androgynous alter-ego.

Recording “Rebirth Of The Flesh”
On 28 October 1986 Prince cut the basic track and principal overdubs for “Rebirth Of The Flesh” during the same extended Sunset Sound lockout that produced “Rockhard In A Funky Place.” He played drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards (including Fairlight CMI and Prophet VS), laid down the sped-up Camille vocal, and called in Leeds and Bliss for the horn parts. The arrangement is built on a hard, party-oriented funk groove whose lyrics explicitly call out the beat (“Kick drum pounds on the two and four / All the party people, get on the floor”) before announcing “the rebirth of the flesh is at your door.” The title has been read as a nod both to Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool and to Prince’s earlier instrumental project The Flesh (the late-1985/early-1986 jam sessions).

An edited version with a shortened ending was sequenced as the opening track of the 5 November 1986 Camille album configuration; a few weeks later the same song opened the first disc of the aborted triple album Crystal Ball (30 November 1986 configuration). When Crystal Ball was pared down into Sign O’ The Times, the track was dropped.

For more than three decades the only widely available version was a January 1987 rehearsal (released via the NPG Music Club in 2001). The full 1986 studio recording, complete with its original outro, finally appeared in September 2020 on the Sign O’ The Times Super Deluxe Edition (Vault Tracks part 3). The session itself was characteristically efficient and multi-layered: tracking, horn and vocal overdubs, and mixing all occurred within the same long day, after which Prince dubbed the results (along with the companion track and an updated “Feel U Up”) onto cassette for reference. The song stands as a concise statement of musical and personal renewal recorded at the exact moment Prince was assembling the material that would define the Camille–Crystal Ball–Sign O’ The Times sequence.

Both recordings were completed in one intensive Hollywood session and immediately absorbed into the rapidly shifting Camille / Crystal Ball / Sign O’ The Times / Black Album project cycle that defined late 1986.
#PrinceOnThisDay

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

Rebirth Of The Flesh and Rockhard In A Funky Place were both tracked on 28 October 1986 at Sunset Sound Studio 3 in Hollywood, California. The session ran from roughly 2:30 p.m. into the early hours of the next morning (ending around 5:30 a.m.). Prince handled the bulk of the instruments and the pitch-shifted “Camille” lead vocals; Eric Leeds added saxophone and Atlanta Bliss (Matt Blistan) added trumpet.

Engineers Susan Rogers and Coke Johnson worked the date. The day before had seen a re-recording of “Feel U Up”; two days later Prince tracked “Good Love.” Both songs were immediately earmarked for the short-lived Camille album (compiled around 5 November 1986), an intended early-1987 release credited to Prince’s androgynous alter-ego.

Recording “Rockhard In A Funky Place”
“Rockhard In A Funky Place” was tracked, overdubbed, and mixed in the same 28–29 October 1986 Sunset Sound sessions. Prince used real drums and percussion, bass, electric guitar, and synths (Prophet VS plus Fairlight, the latter sometimes run through a Leslie speaker). He again employed the Camille vocal treatment. Eric Leeds supplied the distinctive angular horn line, which he has identified as the completed melody of an unfinished piece of his own called “Pacemaker,” written with Eric Dolphy’s angular phrasing in mind. Atlanta Bliss added trumpet; Susannah Melvoin contributed background vocals (some credits also list Jill Jones). The lyrics are explicitly sexual, set in a “house of ill-repute” and closing with Prince’s spoken tag “What kind of fuck ending was that?” After the main session Prince brought Leeds back the next day for additional saxophone work and final edits.

The finished track was sequenced as the closing song of the 5 November 1986 Camille album and later as the third track on the second disc of the Crystal Ball configuration. Dropped from Sign O’ The Times, it resurfaced as the final track on the 1987 Black Album, which Prince withdrew just before release (reportedly destroying hundreds of thousands of copies). It received its official commercial release when The Black Album was finally issued in November 1994. In the intervening years the Leeds horn line lived on in live settings, most notably as an interpolation at the end of “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” (including the version heard in the Sign O’ The Times concert film) and later in “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night.” The recording session itself exemplifies Prince’s 1986 working method: a single long lockout that generated a complete, horn-heavy funk track ready for immediate inclusion in multiple album concepts.

Both recordings were completed in one intensive Hollywood session and immediately absorbed into the rapidly shifting Camille / Crystal Ball / Sign O’ The Times / Black Album project cycle that defined late 1986.
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[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

@arrthurr ???
Any thoughts ?

[Bert C @MrBerre]

Apparently this is a picture from the legendary 1988 Paard Van Troje / Trojan Horse aftershow.
#Prince #BoniBoyer #PaardVanTroje #TrojanHorse #aftershow #SmallClub #Lovesexy

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

@paul_griml63160 @PaisleyPark @TheO2 You did??
Wow…
Pictures?

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

Paisley Park Marks Opening of Landmark Prince Exhibition at London’s O2.

On October 27, 2017, at 20:58 GMT, the official Paisley Park account (@PaisleyPark) posted: “2day marks the official opening of #MyNameIsPrince at London’s @theo2” with a link, tagging the Purple Fam and asking “who out there is going!?” under the #Prince hashtag.

The tweet () announced the world premiere of My Name Is Prince, the first official traveling exhibition of Prince memorabilia drawn from his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Held at The O2—site of his record-breaking 21-night residency in 2007—the show brought hundreds of previously unseen artifacts to London for the first time. Highlights included Purple Rain and LoveSexy tour costumes, the iconic Cloud guitar, the orange Super Bowl Cloud guitar, the “Raspberry Beret” cloud suit, handwritten lyrics, the Love Symbol stage centerpiece, and other personal items.

Originally planned as a 21-day run to honor that 2007 milestone, strong demand extended it to January 7, 2018. Prince’s family, including sister Tyka Nelson, helped shape the exhibition, describing it as a chance for fans to experience a scaled-down Paisley Park and feel close to the artist who had died in April 2016. The post’s casual, fan-directed tone reflected Paisley Park’s ongoing role as keeper of the Purple legacy, inviting the community to the historic London opening. https://t.co/Iwgz0XQKwV

#PrinceOnThisDay

[Paisley Park @PaisleyPark]

2day marks the official opening of #MyNameIsPrince at London’s @theo2 https://t.co/l5Sv0irVet Purple Fam - who out there is going!? #Prince

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

Agreed

[New_World 96 @KingCam79]

@PrinceOnThisDay I LOVE this song! Funky from start to finish! I wish it was a single with a video. This would’ve put Prince back on top! Truly classic.

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

On 2026.10.27 there was a subscribers email send from the Official Prince Estate Store. This was to celebrate the anniversary of Prince’s 1982 album 1999.

What’s featured on the page:
The page is a simple marketing layout with a “View in Web Browser” link at the top, followed by product highlights under the heading “Celebrate the Anniversary of 1999” and an “Exclusive Products” section. Each item has a “Shop Now” link that goes to the official store (https://t.co/hlp3ee1LP9).

Here are the specific products promoted:
• 1999 Lined Zip Hoodie
Full-zip hoodie with embroidered logos, a Prince Symbol zipper pull, drawstring hood, ribbed cuffs/hem, and an all-over printed lining. Outer fabric is 30% cotton / 70% polyester; lining is 100% polyester. Priced around $99.99. Currently shown as sold out / pre-order on the store. Reviews are positive (5/5).
• 1999 Logo T-Shirt
Short-sleeve crewneck with the 1999 logo graphic. Unisex fit, roughly 60% cotton / 40% polyester. Around $40. Also listed as sold out in current store listings.
• 1999 Lyric Tote
Canvas tote bag featuring 1999 lyrics/artwork. 100% cotton, approx. 10” × 14” × 5” with long straps. About $25.
• 1999 Lined Leather Jacket
Genuine leather jacket (outer 100% leather, polyester lining) with embroidered logos, all-over printed lining, Prince Symbol zipper pull, snap collar, and multiple zip pockets. Higher-end item around $275. Sold out / pre-order status.
• 1999 CD
The original album on CD (the classic double-album tracklist including “1999,” “Little Red Corvette,” “Delirious,” etc.). Typically around $15.

#PrinceOnThisDay

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

@paul_griml63160 @prince It is real.
I ordered

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

Prince’s 3121 Deluxe Edition Pre-Order Appears Online October 25, 2026.

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A deluxe edition of Prince’s 2006 album 3121 appeared for pre-order on October 25, 2026, with a scheduled release date of December 4, 2026. The set is offered in two main formats: a double CD + Blu-ray and a triple vinyl + Blu-ray.

The listing surfaced on Tower Records Ireland as Prince - 3121 (Deluxe). The double CD + Blu-ray version is priced at €27.99 and listed as brand new and available for pre-order, with pickup available at Dawson Street. Distribution is through Sony Music CMG, with catalog numbers including 19958463072 (barcode 0199584630724) and 19958463051 (barcode 0199584630519). Fan accounts and posts began circulating the Tower Records link on the evening of October 25, 2026 (roughly 19:40–21:50 UTC), confirming the pre-order was live that day.

At the time the pre-order went online, full track details and packaging notes had not yet been published. Community reports describe the edition as “enhanced with bonus tracks,” with further official information expected closer to the December 4 release. The Blu-ray indicates visual material will be included alongside the expanded audio formats.

3121 was originally released on March 21, 2006, as Prince’s 31st studio album. The title references the address of a Los Angeles home he was renting at the time. The album became his first to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 during his lifetime and was later certified Gold in the U.S. The new deluxe edition expands on that 12-track release through additional audio content and the accompanying Blu-ray.

Pre-orders are open at Tower Records Ireland and other retailers carrying the title. Full contents, bonus track details, and packaging information are expected to be confirmed ahead of the December 4, 2026 release.

Link:
https://t.co/BLeesRr64e

[#PrinceOnThisDay @PrinceOnThisDay]

For Prince fans, Cherry Moon Excursions is turning the French Riviera into a living extension of Under the Cherry Moon—complete with a guaranteed screening of the film itself.

The company has secured the rights and contracted with Pathé Gare du Sud in Nice to present Prince’s 1986 film for guests during the September 16–23, 2027, Christopher Tracy’s Parade Vacation Tour. It is the centerpiece of an itinerary built around the places that appear in the movie, and the flagship way to experience it is the Chris and Tricky Package.

This package puts you in the very building that served as Christopher and Tricky’s home on screen. CondoNice at Palais Hongran, in the heart of Old Nice and steps from the Cour Saleya flower market, offers a spacious shared loft with seven unique rooms, four bathrooms, two fully equipped kitchen areas, and generous common spaces. For one room (up to two people) for seven days / six nights, the package includes:
• Explore the Promenade des Anglais and Castle Hill (🖤or $ Scene)
• Under the Cherry Moon Movie Night at Pathé Gare du Sud
• Prince Live Music Event at Shapko
• Tour of Old Nice and locations seen in Place Rossetti (“Are You afraid of bats?”)
• Tour Villa Eilenroc (Mary’s home and birthday party location)
• Discover the Grotto (conditions permitting)
• Victorine Studios Tour, site of interior filming for the movie
• Visit to the medieval town of Grasse and the Molinard perfumerie
• Villefranche-sur-Mer (Kiss Scene)
• Dinner and drinks at Circe (Le Pavillon — Girls & Boys Scene)
• Lunch buffet and drinks at Hotel du Cap (Alexa de Paris)
• All transportation to destination points included
• …and special guests along the way

Prize:
$4,149 USD

The movie:
The film itself—Prince’s directorial debut, shot in black and white by Michael Ballhaus, with him as the fun-first Christopher Tracy, Jerome Benton as Tricky, and Kristin Scott Thomas in her feature debut—has always been best understood by fans as an extension of the Parade era: stylish, playful, romantic, and full of personality. Watching it in a modern Nice cinema after days spent walking the actual locations, staying in the building from the film, and hearing the music that defined that period turns the screening into a homecoming rather than a simple movie night.

Prince once said he put his heart and soul into Under the Cherry Moon “like an album,” hoping people would feel both the fun and the message underneath. Cherry Moon Excursions is building an experience that lets dedicated fans do exactly that, on the Riviera that helped make the film legendary. Space is limited and deposits are already being accepted; full agenda and guest details continue to be finalized.

More information is available at https://t.co/pcoWXNKDxT or by messaging them directly.

Nice. Prince. Under the Cherry Moon. Life can be so Nice.