Prince

Prince turns 49, and a look back at 27

I just got done watching Prince, Sheila E., and Grupo Fantasmo tear up the stage at the ALMA Awards, which aired last night on ABC. I tell you, time after time of watching Prince perform live, he never loses a step, never loses his edge. He can transform any room, any event, into a Prince show.

Songs played: The Word / Get On The Boat / The Glamorous Life / A Love Bizzare (as Prince and Sheila walked up the aisle through the crowd and out of the auditorium)

“Get on the Boat” is as ubiquitous as P.’s high-heeled boots these days, and I have to admit, while it wasn’t one of my favorites when 3121 came out, it has grown on me quite a bit. The fact is, it’s a great tune live. As for the “Glamorous Life”, it was great to see Sheila and Prince singing it. Was it just me, or did Sheila’s voice sound a little hesitant and weak at points? But they pulled it off. A great performance all around.

The video of the performance is available for download on this French blog post.

Happy 49 – So believe it or not, Prince turns 49 years old tomorrow (June 7th). Wonder what he’ll be up to? [Update: as DDay pointed out in the Comments, Prince and his Jehovah Witness comrades don’t choose to celebrate birthdays. Well, the rest of us can, yeah?] He always seems to used to commemorate the event somehow. When he turned 27 back in ’85, he rented out the Prom Center, and called up his friends Sheila E., some members of his new group The Family (St. Paul Peterson, Susannah Melvoin – Wendy’s twin sister and his lovah at the time, I believe – and Jerome Benton), and a few members of the Revolution. A party ensued, and some serious jamming took place.

Personal highlight for me: the ‘Purple Rain’ tour dynamic duo of “Irresistible Bitch” and the James Brown homage “Possessed”. And for some good comedy relief, the improvised “Drawers Burnin” is worth the price of admission alone.

Happy 49th Have a good normal day, purple man.

Prince’s 27th Birthday Party
Prince, Sheila E., members of the Revolution and the Family
The Prom Center, St. Paul, MN
June 7th, 1985

A Love Bizarre
Mutiny
Drum Solo
Sometimes it Snows in April
Irresistible Bitch
Possessed
The Bird
Drawers Burnin’
Holly Rock

5 Comments

    • Trinagwen

      Its not a Jehova you disrespectful person. It’s a Jehovah’s Witness. A Witness meaning a listener and preacher of their word and Jehovah is the Hebrew name for God. maybe he’s not celebrating his b-day. maybe he’s just embracing the day of his birth.  

  • DDay

    Secret of his youthful looks: have you seen his girlfriends? Over the years they keep getting younger and younger (let’s forget about Mani), and now he’s dating twins? I assume he gets a lot of exercice…
    Plus the dude must spend hours in the bathroom, he’s putting out his own colognes but I’m sure he’s got a stash of makeup and lotions on his shelf 😉

    And on a sidenote: Pete, your site rocks!

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