Prince – Royal Intrigue

Prince kept his music and life private. In these new exclusive interviews, those who knew and worked with him share untold secrets and tales from the studio and road.

- By Art Thompson with Mike Scott, Dez Dickerson, Donna Grantis, Kat Dyson & Hans - Martin Buff

The phenomenal body of work Prince created during his 57 years on Earth testifies to his genius for songwriting, his sheer musicality and his awesome guitar skills. But Prince was unique in that he processed similarly high-level skills when it came to recording, producing, choreography… You name it.

Prince, who seemed born to become the high priest of pop/funk, drew the inevitable guitar and showmanship comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and James Brown, and he was certainly the funkiest dude around, even though he loved hard rock and psychedelic music and drew from influences wherever he found them. His work ethic was unstoppable, and he drove those around him to rise to their utmost abilities, and then take it a notch further. The ultimate manifestation of his all-or-nothing approach to just about everything was, of course, Paisley Park, his Minneapolis-based headquarters, where he drilled his musicians relentlessly, recorded music practically nonstop, and basically inspired everyone to be all they could be. If you were invited to be in Prince’s band — which in itself was a litmus test that hinged on one’s musical skills and creativity — it was implicit that you were signing on to work at the same grueling pace that Prince demanded of himself. That included rehearsals that lasted for hours, mandatory choreography for the stage show, and then the studio sessions that all band members were on call for virtually any time of the day or night.