Prince (Archival)

Ever since my third album, I wasn't really taking large advances from the recording companies. I was recording the albums myself in my own studio. So the way I looked at it, I owned the work because I paid for it. And I did all the work. I created it, so I felt like it should belong to me. That said, the companies felt otherwise.

And they would always hold this contract up and say, well, you signed it. And I say, well, I understand that. It's not like I want to leave. I just want to, you know, talk about this thing and see if we can't make it more fair. Of course, they wouldn't change, because if they changed, they wouldn't really exist. And that's kind of the situation we're in right today.

They're not going to exist much longer. If we can work together, then it's going to be, you know, everybody will kind of move into a situation where they do what it is that they're qualified to do. If they're going to be indeed a delivery service, then that's fine. But even FedEx doesn't say that they own the thing that they ship, you know, right?

What was it that you were listening to in music today that made you say, I've got to put some more stuff out there? You have to do this.

Mainly, I sensed a great deal of negativity and entropy in the music. There's a disintegration going on that we really have to address. Our values have been lessened to a great degree. VH1's been pretty cool. They don't show too much craziness on their channel, but other Viacom channels do. So I think that we should address this as a community as to what it's doing to the culture

People can say all they want to, that there's no reason for these kids to listen to music and then go shoot somebody. But there's something that's triggering these buttons.

Lonely Christmas Darling, darling You should be there For the ones I dream about You are the one that makes my love shine You are the only one I care for My mommy used to say I always trusted your love. But now I guess that love lies down. Cause baby, you promised me. Baby, you promised me you'd never leave. Then you died on the 25th day of December.

You're the only one I've ever known Your father said it was pneumonia

Darling, darling, you should've been there.

You're the one I dream about. You're the one that makes my life.

And I've come to play with you.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Hmm.

I'm so crazy for you

Hmm.

I mean, the songs of Purple Rain alone...

Why?

It's deeply unfair.

My name is Prince.