September 1998: Rock & Folk magazine - September 1998
INTERVIEW with The Artist by Alain Orlandini
(Kindly translated by Vincent Voltzenlugel)
A FORERUNNER
Before we start our conversation,I would like you to know how great a joy it
is for us to be able to talk to you face to face
today. We've only been
observing you for a few seconds,and already so many beautiful memories are
coming back to us. For
example, I could tell you about this fabulous New
Morning aftershow in 1987 during the Sign of the Times Tour... Your
performance was stunning that night.
The Artist: I remember this show very well. My band and I reall enjoyed playing there.
R&F: You opened the show with "Red House" and you ended it with "Sex Machine"...
The Artist: Paradoxically, usually I don't remember the exact titles I played
during club performances. However, I have
pictures in my head for each
public performance and I will never forget them. For example, about the show I
played at the New
Morning club in 1986 during the Parade tour, I have the
exact picture in my head of my father playing piano. It was really
overwhelming for me to be able to play with him in Paris.
R&F: You are a truly modern musician; you're always looking for new
sounds. Now you've just released Crystal Ball, a
compilation of outtakes
recorded some years ago.Why did you do that? Was it for thank the fans ?
The Artist: Obviously... But let me ask you a question, which deserves to be asked: these titles, do they seem dated to you?
R&F: They don't, most of them could have been done today. "Crystal Ball", for example, sounds very trip-hop...
The Artist: Well, that's exactly what I want. I've often said in the past
that i never read articles about my music. But that's not
exactly true. In
fact, I like to read some of them, and more particulary those which are written
a long time after the album was
released. I can then better understand the
evolution of my music over time and how the perception we can have of it
changes.
Quite often, journalists end up recognizing that my compositions
had and still have something groundbreaking to them.
ABOUT BOOTLEGS
R&F: When will you finally decide to release all these masterpieces that
tucked away in the vaults of Paisley Park? I'm thinking
of titles such as
"Witness", in particular, and all these live public recordings that enabled
bootleggers to make a fortune...
The Artist: In that respect, please allow me to tell you something that I
have never said before: as soon as next fall, I'm going
to release two
albums that were created in 1986 with my former band The Revolution. I'm doing
this, because I know what it's
like to be a fan. I am a fan myself. I too
buy all the records by James Brown, Sly Stone and Jimi Hendrix...
R&F: "Crystal Ball" contains many important titles recorded between 1993
and 1995.This period has been one of the most
productive ones. But this new
state of grace seems to remain unknown to critics and the public...
The Artist: I never stop creating. And I produce many things -- I also throw
away many of them. I never take a break and go
on holidays. This means I
don't have time to wonder whether such and such a period of my life is more
creative than an another.
But it's true I sometimes realize there's
something historic in what I'm doing. For example, the version of "The Ride"
that I
played at Bagley's Warehouse in London in 1993 was grandiose. I
realized that as I was playing the song.
R&F: You seperated from Tommy Barbarella, Sonny T and Michael Bland. But
many people think this band was the best
band you have ever had. What was
the motivation behind this separation?
The Artist: I had worked too much with these people. About 5 years living together on a daily basis... It's a very long time...
R&F: But with this band, you recorded some of your best songs: "Days of
wild", "Interactive" or "Shh...", the 90's version of
"Purple Rain"...
The Artist: But precisely, what can I do with this band after "Days of wild"?
I had expressed everything I had to express with
this band. I needed to
separate from them.
R&F: When we hear that you and your new band often jam with Larry Graham,
that leads us to think about your former
musicians. Your performances of
"The Jam" with Michael Bland, Sonny T, and Tommy Barbarella was wonderful. Sonny
T
must be sad now...
The Artist: I'm convinced that Sonny T thinks that history is unfair. But if
he suffers from seeing me play with Larry Graham,
that's because he doesn't
love me.You need to be able to wish other people to be happy. That's being
generous. But I've got a
story to tell you. Michael Bland once told Larry
Graham that he'd like to play with him before he died.Well, today it's done,
we've sampled the "Billy Jack Bitch" drum track on a new track on the LP.
R&F: What kind of relationships do you have with your former musicians? Did you see each others sometimes?
The Artist: Sonny and Michael was very surprised not to be in the band
anymore. Maybe they think I'd keep them with me
forever. But my life changes
everyday. And I have to move forward.
THE OBVIOUS
R&F: It seems that once you've separated from a band, you forget about
your former musicians very quickly. This is not a critic
but a simple
observation. Each period of your life gives birth to a specific universe which
you take a lot of pleasure in
retranscribing musicaly. But once this period
reaches an end, you forget everything. This way of working, could it be that
it's a
sine qua non of your hypercreativity ?
The Artist: Exactly. Let's take an example: if I have Rondha Smith today as
bass player, that's because she's a vegetarian.That
might seem absurd but
that's the way it is. I myself am a vegeterian now and that makes me feel close
to her. Another point: if I
seperated from Michael Bland, that's because i
wanted to have a band in which drums would be less prominent. I don't know
why I want that, but that's the reality.
R&F: You say you can forget musicians which you worked with very quickly,
but that's not entirely true. At the "Emporium"
nightclub, during the 1995
tour, you had your old saxophone player Eric Leeds come on stage for "Big
Fun"....
The Artist: Isn't this normal? Eric played on the studio version of this title...
R&F: Yes he did, but he played "Dark" with you as well...
The Artist: You're very well informed. I'm going to believe you've been paid by the CIA to spy on me!
R&F: Rest reassured, these are only words from a simple fan...
The Artist: I believe you.
R&F: The older you get, the more you expose your R&B influences. The
fact that you are playing with Larry Graham today is
evidence of it. A few
years ago, it was very difficult to determine your sources. You are unrivaled
when it comes to
deconstructing and reconstructing the idioms of your
masters...
The Artist: Should I take this as a compliment or as criticism? R&F:
Paradoxically, the overt homage to your masters in which
you are indulging
these days is a sign of openness. You have a definitely more commercial sound
today. But curiously, there are
these famous aftershows which constitute a
different world, parallel to your official career, and which enable you to
sustain this
avant-gardist aspect of your personality...
The Artist: What you just said remains to be proven.
R&F: But don't you think this going back to your roots isn't good for
your creativity? Or rather for your originality, because
you're still
creative...
The Artist: All i can say is that I have beautiful dreams at night. I can see
angels dancing in the sky and moving in an incredibly
geometrical fashion.
That's what I want to transcribe in my music.I'm always looking for perfect
harmony. Regarding the
opposition between what you called my "official
career" and club shows, I would respond by saying that our concerts of the last
US tour weren't nothing but jams. Some very funky jams, in front of 20,000
people. It might not be coincidence that I am
currently working on an album
only comprised of titles played in clubs. However, for the forthcoming european
tour, we will
have a better balance between titles. There will be Sly songs,
but also some from the new album, as well as a new version of
"Love, Thy
Will Be Done".
THE DEVIL
R&F: Why not consider a career in techno? A journalist friend of mine
assured me the other day that, in order to become a
definite part of
history, you should produce some techno music. Imagine your voice, superb as
everybody knows it is, over a
simple beat. We would have here something very
beautiful and very paradoxical too: on one side your voice, very emotional,
and on the other side electronic drums, a symbol of triumphant technology...
The Artist: That's "Sign of the times" that you're describing here. Let's be
serious. Where would my talent be if I followed the
techno movement?
Furthermore, techno is something I know very well. I've already done some early
in my career. Take
another listen to "Controversy" or "Dirty Mind"...
R&F: Two more questions in conclusion. What's exactly happened with The
Black Album? Why did you release it in 1994 and
not in 1987, the date of his
conception?
The Artist: I'm not the author of The Black Album. The Black Album was created by the Devil...
R&F: We didn't know the Devil so talented...
The Artist: The Devil can be talented, but he can lead you to commit a crime..
R&F: For your last show in France, at the Bataclan, you wrote something on your left check.What did it mean?
The Artist: I wrote: "Me'shell's idol".
R&F: But what does it mean? Are you a Me'shell fan ?
The Artist: I think it's self-explanatory.
R&F: Thank you for welcoming us.
The Artist: Thank you.