What Attracted So Many Artists to Work with Prince in the Eighties?
The Twelve Inch 123 : "Are You My Baby" (Wendy & Lisa)
Welcome, I’m Pe Dupre and this is “The Twelve Inch”, a newsletter that tells the history of dance music between 1975 and 1995, one twelve inch at a time.
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Introduction: The Enigmatic Influence of Prince
If you want to write about dance music in the eighties, you'll inevitably come across Prince. Not only is he one of the era’s most influential artists, but he also produced a vast array of talent during this period. The list of artists he influenced or collaborated with is impressive, comprising both existing and new talent who took their first steps into the music business under his mentorship.
Why were so many artists drawn to Prince? Was it his musical genius, his groundbreaking approach to production, or his immense success in the eighties? But why did it never last? Prince is one of the most intricate figures of this era, and uncovering who he really was seems almost impossible. However, by piecing together stories, we can try to understand him better.
The Rivalry and Ambition: Prince vs. Rick James
In episode 116, we explored the rivalry between Prince and Rick James, shedding light on Prince's ambition and his 'end-justifies-the-means' approach. Today, we delve deeper by telling the story of two women who were part of The Revolution, featured in the film "Purple Rain," and who, after being fired in 1986, built successful solo careers. Meet Wendy & Lisa.
Wendy & Lisa: From Childhood Friends to Musical Powerhouses
Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman were born in Los Angeles and knew each other from early childhood. They would grow up together and the friendship would become a relationship and marriage for 20 years. Their fathers, Mike Melvoin and Gary Coleman, were studio musicians and members of the Wrecking Crew, playing for legends like the Beach Boys, Barbra Streisand, and Marvin Gaye. Wendy’s brother Jonathan was a touring keyboardist with the Smashing Pumpkins, and her twin sister, Susannah Melvoin, is a singer and composer.
After high school, Lisa Coleman worked as a shipping clerk and piano teacher. Through a connection with Prince's manager's secretary, she landed an audition and joined Prince's backing group in 1980 for his "Dirty Mind" album and tour. Wendy met Prince through Lisa and became part of his world, eventually joining the band after Prince overheard her playing guitar.
The Breakthrough with Purple Rain
Wendy joined just in time for Prince's big breakthrough with "Purple Rain," which sold millions and gave Prince his first number-one hits. The film "Purple Rain" also featured Wendy and Lisa, who played a couple, reflecting their real-life relationship, although they hadn't publicly come out at the time.
Wendy explains : I dont think the director had anything to do with it. I think Prince saw us as the couple that we were and used that relationship to add more mystery to him. And I think Lisa and I were willing to go there because at that time we felt mysterious. We were young and it was the thing, so we went with it, not knowing what the result of that would mean or imply later in life. We didnt think about it in those terms. We just thought, Wow, this is cool
Creative Collaborations and the Fall of The Revolution
Wendy and Lisa were instrumental in Prince's creative process, forming a powerful musical and emotional trio. They spent a lot of time together, especially in Nice while Prince was shooting "Under The Cherry Moon." However, this collaboration didn’t last. In October 1986, Prince disbanded The Revolution, signaling the end of their collaboration.
The Aftermath: Rights, Royalties, and Recognition
So what happened ? Why did Prince end his collaboration with The Revolution? A significant reason seems to be about copyrights and royalties. Despite their contributions, Wendy and Lisa never received proper credit or royalties for their work.
Prince's approach to intellectual property often strained his relationships with his collaborators. In his Prince Biography “This Thing Called Life” rock journalist Neil Karlen, explains what happened when Prince asked him to do some writing on one of his projects :
“No, I won’t pay you,” Prince said. “But you can say you wrote a rock opera with me.”
Jesse Johnson, in the liner notes on his most recent 3cd boxset, told the story of how, when he was member of The Time, they were not allowed any creative input. And although the first two albums went gold, they were only paid a weekly wage with deductions for tardiness, wardrobe issues or on-stage mistakes. The Time’s increasingly antagonistic relationship with Prince was further exacerbated by his not allowing them to play as his opening act in some big city venues, afraid that they would upstage him (which they often did)
Wendy & Lisa helped writing “Purple Rain” but did not share in the copyright. Lisa explains : It’s a drag. I mean, I don’t know, I don’t think about it that much. It comes up every once in a while when it’s like royalty season comes around and it’s like, I wonder if there’s any money due from Purple Rain, which sold 80-zillion copies and we only saw a little bit of … you know, I think the whole band split one point on that whole album, you know, which is not fair.
The LGBTQ+ Issue and Its Impact
Prince's complex views on sexuality and relationships added another layer of tension. Although initially supportive, his views seemed to shift over time, possibly influenced by his religious beliefs (Prince was a practicing Jehova’s Witness). This shift became evident in an interview in 2008. When asked about his perspective on social issues—gay marriage, abortion—Prince tapped his Bible and said, “God came to earth and saw people sticking it wherever and doing it with whatever, and he just cleared it all out. He was, like, ‘Enough.’ ”
We all know Prince as an androgyne artist at the height of his career. Wendy: He was incredibly conscious of it. Look at the way he looked during Dirty Mind and Controversy and 1999. He was so androgynous. He didnt care if you were [paraphrasing Princes Uptown lyric] black, white, straight, gay, Puerto Rican, just a freakin. That guy wanted fans. So anyway he could get them -- and a more interesting way he could do it -- appealed to him.
He was aware that Wendy & Lisa were a couple, living together. It wasn’t an issue when they started playing in The Revolution but did that change a few years later ?
Wendy & Lisa's Solo Success
After the break-up and a period of introspection, the ladies got together with other former Revolution member Bobby Z to write a few songs. At that stage, they had no intention of releasing the new material as ‘Wendy & Lisa’. But once they agreed to front the band, a record company bidding war ensued. Huge advances were mentioned. They settle on a ‘big but sensible deal’ with Virgin.
It would result in three albums that would be quite successful in Europe. Much less so in the US. “Are You My Baby” is the first single of the second album “Fruit At The Bottom” and would be a top 10 hit in most of the European territories. The follow-up “Lolly Lolly” would also make it into the top 10.
Trevor Horn vs Wendy & Lisa
In 1994 they would record an album with Trevor Horn that would never be released. They had a serious falling out. Apparently Trevor Horn wanted to re-make them into a sort of “Spice Girls”. But it was their sexual preference that would be the main issue of contention.
Lisa: He would come in and start talking, Well, I asked my rabbi about homosexuality and my rabbi said its comparable to being born a mass murderer. You can be born a mass murderer, but if you practice mass murder its sinful. I was like, Okay, you can be born gay, but if you practice being gay, you might as well be a mass murderer?
Last year Trevor Horn published his autobiography : Adventures in Modern Recording: From ABC to ZTT. Not a word on this production gone wrong.
Wendy & Lisa today
Today Wendy & Lisa are doing a lot of session work for other artists and are active as soundtrack composers. In April 2009, Melvoin gave an interview with Out that, for the first time, publicly revealed she is a lesbian and discussed her past romantic relationship with Lisa Coleman, who is still her musical partner. Melvoin is in a long-term relationship with film director Lisa Cholodenko, with whom she has a son.
Conclusion: Prince's Legacy and the Complexity of Genius
Prince remains an enigmatic and complex figure. His relationships with collaborators were often strained by issues of intellectual property and changing personal beliefs. Yet, his impact on music is undeniable, and his legacy continues to influence new generations of artists. There will be more episodes on his oeuvre and more opportunities to delve deep into the phenomenon that is Prince
Call to Action
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Further reading (or should I say watching)
There are a number of interesting video’s/links :
So You Wanna Hear More ?
I thought you would !
It’s fun to write about music but let’s be honest. Music is made to listen to.
Every week, together with this newsletter, I release a 1 hour beatmix on Mixcloud and Soundcloud. I start with the discussed twelve inch and follow up with 10/15 songs from the same timeframe/genre. The ideal soundtrack for…. Well whatever you like to do when you listen to dance music.
Go To The Mixcloud Mix Of The Week
There is a Facebook & Instagram page. You can follow The Twelve Inch” to keep informed of what is happening with the blog, the mixes..etc..
So what’s in this week’s mix ?
From (way beyond) Hi-NRG in last week’s mix to slow, sensual beats of this week. The BPM is 103 and we are at the end of the eighties. This means : funk, R&B, world music, hip-hop & house.
I start with the twelve inch version of “Are You My Baby”, followed by Sheena Easton’s funky “What Comes Naturally”. Prince '(Get Off) and his production “Martina’s Kitchen” by Martina are next.
The mix has world music by Les Rita Mitsouko and Les Negresses Vertes. Hip-hop by De La Soul and The Beastie Boys and House by William Orbit’s Bass-O-Matic, Madonna & Grace Jones.
Enjoy !
Next week it’s time to polish your glitter ball because we head to 1977.
Well done. Prince is my favorite topic and I appreciated how thorough this article was in explaining his complex relationships, especially with Lisa & Wendy. It should be noted that Prince did reconcile with the pair and began performing with them again later in his career. Always unpredictable.
This was great. Lots of details I didn't know about. I love Prince's music. He rightfully deserves his place in music history because of his talent and influence. I had heard some of these stories regarding royalties and his beliefs. I'm sure he was an absolute pain to work with. One of those stars and individuals who are too talented as well as too clever for their own good. Having said that, this doesn't affect my appreciation of his music.