"That Night I Had to Call You" - Updated List of Interviews

It's been a long time since I provided a list of my interviews. Here are the people I've spoken to so far:

Interview with former pre-Revoluation band member Gayle Chapman

Interviews with Rolling Stone journalists

Interview with former press agent Howard Bloom

Interview with former Warner Bros. Director of Publicity Roberta Burrows

Interview with gossip columnist CJ

Interview with former church youth group leader Art Erickson

Brief chat with a very special person

Interview with a family member

Interview with members from the Seventh-Day Adventist church Prince attended

Interview with Larry Graham

Interview with former music collaborator Chris Moon

Interview with former girlfriend Jill Jones

Interview with former set and lighting designer Roy Bennett

Interview with former business associate Craig Rice

Interview with former stagehand and production assistant Cheryl Sonny Thompson

Interview with flower girl Ali Zampino


More great interviews to come in 2016!

"All is Well in Gotham City" - the Batman Album

I finally listened to the "Batman" soundtrack by Prince. I didn't think I would enjoy it, but I did! As I mentioned last week, I really like "The Future" and "Trust."

However, the best song on the soundtrack is, by far, "Vicki Waiting." I just love the melody, and the joke that Prince tells on the track is hilarious! I would repeat it, but...well, just listen to the song.

"Vicki Waiting" also provides some insight into Prince's romantic relationships. According to other biographers, the song was originally titled "Anna Waiting," and it's about Prince's ex-girlfriend Anna Garcia (by the way, I've been waiting for over two years to interview her. Maybe it'll happen one day). The lyrics confirm some things that Jill Jones shared with me in my interview with her. I can't wait to write about the song in my book!

I think my next favorite song is "Partyman." It's just great fun! My least favorite tracks? "The Arms of Orion," followed by "Batdance." 

I still have to do a close reading of each song's lyrics, but "The Future" seems to be the most spiritual song on the album.

Be back next week! Thanks for reading!

What is your favorite track on the Batman album?

"Black and White, Red and Green" - the Batman Movie

I've been planning to start researching the "Batman" era of Prince's life and career, and I finally watched the 1989 Tim Burton film on Sunday. I hadn't seen it since I was little, and I didn't remember much. I figured I'd watch the movie and then listen to Prince's soundtrack.

It was really cool seeing Prince's name high in the opening credits. I felt really excited for him; landing the opportunity to do the "Batman" soundtrack was likely a huge deal.

I thought the movie was decent. Jack Nicholson did a superb job as the Joker; he definitely stole the show. The "Partyman" scene was great. I wonder how much of the scene was conceived prior to Prince's involvement. I also appreciated the purple outfit. I don't know enough right now to determine the extent of Prince's influence on Nicholson's character; I still have a lot of research to do.

I didn't see any themes in the movie that might relate to the subject matter of my book. Some say that there are parallels between the Joker character and Prince. I don't know enough about the Joker's psychology to offer an opinion. Burton's movie didn't really provide a detailed character analysis.

I'm looking forward to listening to the soundtrack from beginning to end. Prior to watching the movie, I was only familiar with "The Future," which I love. "Trust" also stood out to me while I watched the film. I also can't wait to listen to Peach & Black's analysis of the album.

Do you like Tim Burton's first Batman movie?