Tag: john l nelson
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17 Days
With “Doves” now on deck for his next single, Prince was in the market for a suitably killer B-side–a role “17 Days” would fill with aplomb.
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When Doves Cry (Why the Butterflies)
More perhaps than anything else, “When Doves Cry” existed for Prince as a symbol of what he was capable of when he pushed his artistry to its absolute limits.
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Love and Sex (1984)
When Prince mentions “the upper room,” he seems to be literally referencing Heaven; and when he sings, “Will He let you hurt me in the upper room?”, he’s asking if God will allow him to fuck there.
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Father’s Song
Prince conceptualized Purple Rain during a period of estrangement from his father; yet the specter of John L. Nelson haunted the project from the beginning.
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Purple Rain (Verse 1)
The origins of “Purple Rain” are murkier than the rest of the album that shares its title: No one seems to recall from where, precisely, the song emerged–even as everyone seems to have played a role in its conception.
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I Would Die 4 U
More, perhaps, than any other song in Prince’s catalogue, “I Would Die 4 U” has transcended its original meaning to become something bigger than all of us.