Sleep with Prince, Part 3

Sleep with Rock Stars, the Gen X Sleep Podcast. You deserve a good night's sleep…or whatever.

Relax and unwind while award-winning radio host and podcaster, Sloane Spencer, lulls you with soothing details about bands and musicians beloved by Gen X. Start with a calm meditation to train your brain that it's time to sleep, settle your headspace, and drift off with a low, mellow, sometimes whispering history lesson about the best bands to ever grace your mixed tapes.

This Week

• Prince's website
• The source material for this podcast
• Sleep with Prince, Part 1
• Sleep with Prince, Part 2
• Mixed tape of songs referenced in the podcast

Summary

We're diving deep into the purple kingdom of Prince, the one-of-a-kind genius who made us all want to wear velvet and high heels. We'll sift through the massive pile of music that's come out since he left the building, from those epic compilations to the legal smack downs over his estate. We're also hitting the rewind button on his entire career, checking out how a kid from Minneapolis became the Funky One. Get ready to discuss everything from his trailblazing tunes and boundary-pushing style to the way he shook up conversations about race and gender. And hey, while we're at it, we'll give you a chill vibe so you can drift off to sleep, maybe dreaming in purple.

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Learn "How to Sleep with Rock Stars" here and in our "Singles Going Sleepy" mini-episodes full of sleep tips.

Takeaways

• This podcast serves as a soothing bedtime reading that focuses on notable figures from the Gen X music scene.
• Use this podcast as a tool to aid relaxation and facilitate a peaceful night's sleep.
• Prince's estate has engaged in various legal battles over music rights and distribution agreements since his passing.
• The discussion highlights the extensive influence and legacy of Prince within the music industry and popular culture.

Companies Mentioned in this Episode

• Universal Music Group
• Warner Music Group
• Sony Music Entertainment
• Tidal
• Random House
• Pantone Incorporated
• AEG
• Billboard
• Glam Slam
• First Avenue

Recommended If You Like

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Chapters

Chapters

• 00:07 - Introduction to Sleep With Rockstars
• 02:55 - Transition to Posthumous Projects of Prince
• 08:29 - The Legacy of Prince's Music Releases
• 12:26 - Prince's Cultural Impact and Legacy
• 18:33 - Prince's Musical Influences and Innovations
• 23:41 - Legal Battles and Copyright Issues
• 31:21 - Prince's Relationships and Marriages
• 40:13 - Charitable Endeavors and Activism
• 40:45 - Prince's Legacy of Philanthropy and Recognition

Transcript

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This podcast continues our bedtime reading about Prince.

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Welcome to Sleep With Rockstars, the Gen X Sleep Podcast. Because you deserve a good night's sleep or whatever.

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I'm Sloane Spencer.

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In each Sleep With Rockstars Sleep podcast.

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I will read from Wikipedia about your.

00:00:31.980 - 00:00:42.420

Favorite Gen X musicians and bands. If this podcast helps you relax and fall asleep, please leave a five star.

00:00:42.580 - 00:02:17.100

Rating and a kind review in your favorite podcast app.

You may find that the more you listen, the more your mind will begin to associate these stories with sleep, so feel free to return to each episode again and again. Repetition can help create a signal to your brain that it's time to rest. And if the musical act isn't your favorite, that's perfectly okay.

You don't need to pay close attention. Instead, let the words wash over you. Let their rhythm and softness lull you, not for interest, but for sleep.

You're not here to be entertained, you're here to let go. Now let your breath guide you deeper into stillness. Take a moment to settle in. Gently close your eyes and let your body begin to rest.

There's nowhere you need to be, nothing you need to do. This is your time.

00:02:18.300 - 00:02:20.140

A time to let go of the.

00:02:20.140 - 00:02:37.580

Day, unwind and allow your mind to slow down. With each breath in, invite, calm. With each breath out, release the tension.

00:02:38.300 - 00:02:40.940

As your body begins to soften into.

00:02:40.940 - 00:02:53.390

The surface beneath you, imagine a gentle wave of warmth from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes, carrying away the weight of the day.

00:02:55.390 - 00:45:05.810

Posthumous projects 2016 through 2019 the first posthumous release from the Estate was Forever, on November 22, 2016. It was a compilation of Princess hits plus one previously unreleased song, Moonbeam Levels, originally recorded for the 1999 sessions in 1982.

On February 9, 2017, Princess Estate signed a distribution deal with Universal Music Group, which includes the post1995 recordings on his NPG Records label and unreleased tracks from his vault.

On June 27, Comerica, acting on behalf of the estate, requested that Carver County District Judge Kevin Ide cancel the estate's deal with Universal as UMG's contract would interfere with the contract with Warner Music Group that Prince signed in 2014 after Universal's attorneys were granted access to the Warner contract. The attorneys also offered to cancel the deal.

On July 13, the court voided Universal's deal with Prince's Estate, though Universal will continue to administer Prince's songwriting credits and create merchandise.

On April 19, an EP featuring six unreleased Prince recordings, Deliverance was announced, with an expected release date for later that week the next day, Prince's estate was granted a temporary restraining order against George Ian Vauxhall, an engineer who co produced the tracks and was in possession of the master tapes and halted the release of the EP. On June 23rd, a deluxe reissue of Purple Rain was released.

The most expansive edition contained the first being a remaster of the original album made in 2015 and overseen by Prince himself, a bonus disc of previously unearthed material called from the Vault and previously unreleased plus single and maxi single edits besides, and the first DVD issue of Prince and the Revolution Live.

Recorded in Syracuse on the Purple Rain Tour, the album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and at one on both the Billboard R and B Albums and Vinyl albums charts. In April 2018, the previously unreleased original recording of Nothing Compares to youo from 1984 was released as a single.

A music video was also released consisting of edited rehearsal footage shot in the summer of 1984.

Troy Carter, advisor for Princess Estate, later announced in an interview with Variety that a full length album was planned for release on September 28th.

In June of that year, the Prince estate signed a distribution deal with Sony Music Entertainment, including the rights to all of Prince's studio albums plus unreleased music, remixes, live recordings, music videos and b sides.

From 2021 onwards, Princess Warner Bros. Albums from 1978 through 1996 are distributed by Sony Legacy Recordings in the United States, with Warner Music Group still controlling the international rights.

On August 17, all 23 post Warner Bros. Albums by Prince were released digitally on streaming platforms together with a new compilation album entitled Anthology 1995 2010.

Only one song remained unavailable to stream the Most Beautiful Girl in the World due to a plagiarism lawsuit in Italy that was not resolved until 2022. On September 21, Piano and a Microphone 1983 was released, an intimate recording of Prince privately rehearsing with a piano.

The Sony Legacy reissues began in 2019.

Throughout that year, Musicology 3121, Planet Earth, rave into the Joy, Fantastic Rave into the Joy, Fantastic, Chaos and Disorder and Emancipation were reissued on CD and vinyl. Ultimate Rave was also released, a 2 CD and 1 DVD set which included the concert film of Rave until the year 2000.

The Versace Prelude to Gold was also reissued for Record Store Day.

In June, a compilation of Prince's original recordings of songs given to other artists entitled Originals was released initially exclusively through Tidal, then later on CD and vinyl.

In October, a single of Prince's previously unheard original acoustic demo of I Feel for your was released digitally and as a limited 7 inch single single. In 2019, Prince's incomplete memoir the Beautiful Ones was published by Random House.

Prince had worked on the memoir project with Dan Pipenbrang during the Piano and a microphone tour in 2016 and had managed to complete around 50 pages before his death.

The book includes those pages plus a lengthy account by Pippenbring of how the project came to be, a scrapbook of rare personal photos in Miscellanea from the Vault and Princess original handwritten concept for the film Purple Rain. In November, a deluxe reissue of 1999 was released.

This reissue had several configurations, the most expansive including 35 previously unreleased songs and two live concerts since 2020. In 2020, a super deluxe reissue of Sign of the Times was released.

This reissue had various configurations with the most expensive containing the original album, the single and maxi single mixes.

Related B sides plus 45 previously unissued studio tracks, a live show from the side of the Dimes tour in Utrecht, plus a DVD featuring the New Year's Eve 1987 show at Paisley Park. Pitchfork rated the Super Deluxe version 10 out of 10 and named it best new reissue.

In June 2021, the truth was reissued on vinyl for Record Store Day. The following month saw the release of welcome to America, a completely unheard album originally recorded and shelved in 2010.

In 2022, Prince and the Revolution Live was reissued on Blu Ray along with the soundtrack, which was also released on CD and vinyl for the first time. This year saw the release of the Most Beautiful Girl in the World on streaming services.

It had previously been unavailable due to a plagiarism lawsuit in Italy, which the estate has now resolved. Bruno Braganzi and Michel Vincino are now legally recognized as co writers. In Italy.

In 2023, a super deluxe reissue of Diamonds and Pearls was released containing the original album plus remixes and B sides from this era, 33 previously unheard tracks and a Blu ray of a live concert recorded at Glam Slam in Minneapolis as a rehearsal for the 1992 Diamonds and Pearls tour. As of 2024, a nine hour documentary on prints was produced by Ezra Edelman for release on Netflix.

The estate were reportedly unhappy with the project, considering it a sensationalized depiction of his life. A few people saw a rough cut of the film.

One of them, Sasha Weiss, wrote in the New York Times Magazine that it contained at least one instance of a former girlfriend accusing him of abus abuse. She said, we're asked to sit with princes multiplying paradoxes for many hours, allowing them to unsettle one another.

In February 2025, the project was officially canceled and it was announced that a new documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince's archive would be produced by the estate instead. This has been described as a watered down take to placate the powers that be.

The Prince's estate social media accounts then posted a video of a vault door being opened with the caption the vault is free. Artistry and Legacy Music and Image Prince is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation.

Rolling Stone ranked Prince at number 27 on its list of 100 greatest artists, the most influential artists of the rock and roll era. In 2010, Prince was ranked number seven on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Prince at number 16 on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

In 2003, Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list included Purple Rain at number 72, Sign of the Times at number 93, 1999 at 163 and Dirty Mind at 204.

In 2004, on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, Rolling Stone included Windows Cry at 52, Little Red Corvette at number 108, Purple Rain at number 143, 1999 at 212, Sign of the Times at 299 and Kiss at number 461. The Los Angeles Times called Prince our first post everything pop star defying easy categories of race, genre and commercial appeal.

John Bareilles of the New York Times described him as a master architect of funko rock, R B and pop and highlighted his ability to defy labels, while Jeffrey Himes described him as a leading artist in a tradition of left wing black music or progressive soul, although even he conceded the term may be too narrow.

Los Angeles Times writer Randall Roberts conference among the most versatile and restlessly experimental pop artists of our time, writing that his early work connected disco and synthetic funk, while his fruitful mid period merged rock, soul, R and B and synth pop. Simon Reynolds called him a pop polymath, flitting between funkadelia, acid rock, deep soul, schmaltz, often within the same song.

ALLMUSIC wrote that with each album he released, Prince showed remarkable stylistic growth and musical diversity, constantly experimenting with different sounds, textures and genres. No other contemporary artist blended so many diverse styles into a cohesive whole.

Jean Bareilles has named Prince among the pantheon of artists in the album era, in which the album format was the dominant form of recorded music, expression and and consumption as a performer. He was known for his flamboyant style and showmanship.

He came to be regarded as a sex symbol for his androgynous, amorphous sexuality, play with signifiers of gender and defiance of racial stereotypes. His audacious, idiosyncratic fashion sense made use of ubiquitous purple, alluring makeup and frilled garments.

His androgynous look has been compared to those of Little Richard and David Bowie. In 2016, Reynolds described it as Prince's 80s.

Evasion of conventional gender definitions speaks to us now in this trans aware moment, but it also harks backwards in time to the origins of rock and roll in racial mixture and sexual blurring. Prince was known for the strong female presence in his bands and his support for women in the music industry throughout his career, Slate said.

He worked with an astounding range of female stars and promised a world where men and women looked and acted like each other. Prince also wore high heeled shoes and boots both on and off stage.

Many artists have cited Prince as an influence and inspiration, including Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Usher, Janelle Monae, the Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Lorde, Marilyn manson, Lenny Kravitz, Andre 3000, Mark Speer, Jamie Lyttle, Dua, Lipa, Frank Ocean, Miguel Mia, Robin D', Angelo, H.E.R. sierra, The Dream, St. Vincent Ween and Beck. Bono of U2 regarded Prince as one of his favorite composers of the 20th century.

Beyonce expressed her admiration for Prince in the book A Private View, calling him my mentor and also praising his independence. He dared to fight for what was rightfully his his freedom wrapped up in words and music he created.

In August 2017, Pantone Incorporated introduced a new shade of purple in their color system in honor of Prince. The shade is called love symbol. 2.

Influences and musicianship Prince's music synthesized a wide variety of influences and drew inspiration from a range of musicians including Ike Turner, James Brown, George Clinton, Joni Mitchell, Duke Ellington, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Chuck Berry, David Bowie, Earth, Wind and Fire, Mick Jagger, Rick James, Jared Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Curtis Mayfield, Elvis Presley, Todd Rundgren, Carlos Santana, Sly Stone, Jackie Wilson and Stevie Wonder. Prince has been compared with jazz artist Miles Davis in regard to the artistic changes throughout his career.

Davis said he regarded Prince as an otherworldly blend of James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone, Little Richard, Duke Ellington and Charlie Chaplin. Prince and Miles Davis performed together in December 1987 for a charity event at Paisley Park Park.

This performance was viewed as the pinnacle of their on again, off again partnership. Journalist Nick Cohn described him as Rock's greatest ever natural talent.

Prince had a wide vocal range from falsetto to baritone and performed rapid, seemingly effortless shifts of register. Prince was also renowned as a multi instrumentalist.

He's considered a guitar virtuoso and a master of drums, percussion, bass, keyboards and Synthesizer.

On his first five albums he played nearly all the instruments including 27 instruments on his debut album, among them various types of bass, keyboards and synthesizers.

Prince was also quick to embrace technology in his music making, pioneering use of drum machines like the Lynn Lynn LM1 on his early 80s albums and employing a wide range of studio effects.

The LA Times also noticed his harnessing of new generation synthesizer sounds in service of the groove, laying the foundations for post 70s funk music. Prince was also known for his prolific and virtuosic tendencies which resulted in him recording large amounts of unreleased material.

Prince also wrote songs for other artists and some songs of his were covered by musicians such as the hit songs Manic Monday performed by the Bangles.

I Feel for your originally