When He Was So Rude That The Parental Advisory Sticker Was Invented
The ‘oh my, this album is quite rude’ sticker was bought into being because of the fabulously filthy work of Prince. Introduced in the US in 1985, it came about because of his song ‘Darling Nikki’’s references to wanking, which a parents activism group took a disliking to, after the group’s founder, Tipper Gore, heard her young daughter listening to it.
When He Became A Symbol
In 1993 Prince decided he didn’t quite fancy being called Prince anymore and decided to just replace his name with a brand new symbol instead. And not just any old symbol, one he invented himself – a cunning combo of the symbols for male and female. Hilariously, his record label then had to send out a job lot of floppy disks to music magazines across the world so they were able to actually print it.
When He Played With A Bunch Of Guitar Heroes And Blew Them Off The Stage
At the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Prince joined Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Steve Winwood for a rendition of ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ in tribute to George Harrison. His spectacularly epic guitar solo that night has become the stuff of legend.
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When He Smashed The Super Bowl During A Massive Storm
Prince’s halftime Super Bowl show was perhaps the finest of all halftime shows that have ever been. Stalking around on a giant version of his symbol, during his 2007 set there were fireworks, Queen and Foo Fighters cover versions and a spectacular finale of ‘Purple Rain’.
When He Recalled Half A Million Copies Of An Album Because He Decided It Was Evil
In 1987 Prince was all set to release the pure funk record ‘The Black Album’ but after having something of a spiritual epiphany he decided it was evil and had 500,000 already pressed copies of the album recalled a week before its release date. Well, either that or he had a bad ecstasy trip and decided the album was bobbins. It was eventually released in 1994.
When He Sexy Posed With A Lollipop
When He Covered Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ At Coachella
Goddamn.
When He Stood Like This
RIP pic.twitter.com/jRxeS8BEdd
— Slash (@Slash) April 21, 2016
When He Made An Actual Movie About An Album
1984’s Purple Rain film was and remains a total classic. Watch it now. Cry purple tears.
When He Took NME To A Party In His Basement
In 2009 he invited NME to his Paisley Park home and studio. “We walk, awestruck, through a blue-lit corridor flanked on either side by glass-fronted rooms containing customised motorbikes, similar to the one in ‘Purple Rain’. Gawping, we shuffle into a low-lit room carpeted with Turkish rugs. There, we’re treated to a private gig with a full band and – I shit you not – guest vocals from Anita Baker.” Read all about it