Prince thought the better of unleashing his bleak and brutal bible of funk and pulled it at the last minute. 'The Black Album' was Prince's reaction to hip-hop and a response to critics in the black community that he had sold out. The album was rumored to be so violent, disturbing, and dirty that it was going to come out with just a black cover; but then it never happened.
His drummer Sheila E (Escovedo) revealed: "It was very dark and negative. Prince thought, 'What if something happened to me before I'm able to put out another?' He couldn't sleep at night thinking about 10-year-old kids believing 'this is what Prince was about—guns and violence.' He said, 'I can't leave this on little kids' minds. I don't care if they pressed 500,000 copies.' " 'The Black Album' was recorded with the assistance of Sheila E on drums and vocals; Levi Seacer, Jr. on bass; Miko Weaver on guitar; Boni Boyer on keyboards; Matt Fink on keyboards; Eric Leeds on saxophone; Atlanta Bliss on trumpet; and Cat Glover on vocals.
According to Prince's tour manager at the time Alan Leeds: "Paisley Park was freshly open, and much of the bulk of 'The Black Album' was among his first work done there...Actually, 'The Black Album' began with some tracks that he cut specifically as party music for a birthday party that he was throwing for Sheila E. Some of that album was designed as party music, which may or may not mean that he had ideas of ever releasing it. So there was nothing really dark going on in his life; the album started out as very innocuous dance music for a girlfriend, and his dream building, his facility and his company, was growing by leaps and bounds...It was inspired directly by this epiphany that he went through that dictated to him to cancel 'Black Album' and do something that he felt was more uplifting and responsible. He had some kind of a spiritual awakening that dictated it. Some voice told him, 'Don't release that record.' The only thing he ever said to me was that if something happened to him, that would be the last statement he made to the public, and he didn't want that to be how he was remembered...So, to everybody's chagrin who worked at Warner Bros. and had the thing on the loading dock, it was stopped. Now the true story is that he did make the decision; Warners had nothing to do with stopping the record. It was his sole decision to stop it, and copies were literally on the loading dock, pulled back and destroyed."
His next album 'Lovesexy' would deal with the push and pull between the two parts of himself. In the tour program Prince expounded thusly:
Time upon a once
There was a boy named Camille
Now this boy named Camille
didn't know how 2 feel.
Sometimes he was lonely
sometimes he was sad
but most times
he just took 4 granted
all the nice things
that he had.
Some people said they loved him
but Camille said
"Contempt!
Winter, Spring,
Summer, or Fall,
love is no good
unless it's felt by all"
So, naive & terrifically in need
Camille started looking for answers
His paintbrush the questioner,
his canvas the arena,
Camille set out to silence his critics.
"No longer daring" - his enemies laughed.
"No longer glam, his funk is half-assed...
one leg is much shorter
than the other one is weak.
His strokes are tepid,
his colors are meek."
So Camille found a new color.
The color black:
strongest hue of them all.
He painted a picture
called Le Grind --
hittin' so tall.
And then Cindy C --
THE vogue fantasy.
Horns & vocals 2 die 4.
Lollipops -- in yours!
Stroke after stroke callin' all others a joke.
Superfunkycalifragisexi.
Camille rocked hard in a funky place. Stuck his long
funk in competition's face. Tuesday came. Blue Tuesday.
His canvas full, and lying on the table, Camille mustered
all the hate that he was able. Hate 4 the ones who ever
doubted his game. Hate 4 the ones who ever doubted his name.
"Tis nobody funkier -- let the Black Album fly." Spooky
Electric was talking, Camille started 2 cry. Tricked.
A fool he had been. In the lowest utmostest. He had allowed
the dark side of him 2 create something evil. 2 Nigs United
4 West Compton. Camille and his ego. Bob George. Why?
Spooky Electric must die. Die in the hearts of all who
want love. Die in the hearts of men who want change.
Die in the bodies of women who want babies that will grow up
with a New Power Soul. Love Life, Lovesexy -- the feeling
u get when u fall in love, not with a girl or boy but with the
heavens above. Lovesexy -- endorphin. Camille figured out
what 2 feel. Glam Slam Escape -- the Sexuality Real.
Tonight we make love with only words. Girls first. This
feeling's so good in every single way.
God is alive! Let Him touch u and He will quench
every thirst. Let him touch u and an aura of peace will adorn u.
God is alive!
Let Him touch u and your own Lovesexy will be born.
Let Him touch u, let Him touch u, and Heaven is yours.
Welcome 2 the New Power Generation.
'The Black Album' would be released by Warner Brothers almost seven years later during the time when Prince was refusing to record new music for the label and using an unpronouncable symbol that combined the male and female symbols in place of his name. He was referred to in most circles as T.A.F.K.A.P. (the artist formally known as Prince). His spokeswoman Karen Lee would explain: "He had to sign an agreement - I can't go into why - but contractually, he didn't have a choice...He feels like he wrote that album when he was a different person. He was angry, and it wasn't music he ever wanted to get out. How can you tell him, as an artist, what to do with his music? He's like, 'I'm in a whole different space now, the world is in a different space; the contribution I want to make doesn't sound like that.' And here we are back in the record-company politics again, and he doesn't have a choice."The official release of 'The Black Album' only sold moderately well, going to forty-nine in Germany, forty-eight in Canada, forty-seven in the US, thirty-six in the UK, thirty-five in the Netherlands, fifteen in Australia, eight in Switzerland, and number seven in Austria. By some estimates, bootlegged copies of the album had sold more than two hundred and fifty thousand copies.
https://officialpaisleypark.com/
'The Black Album'
full album:
All songs written by Prince, except where noted.
Side 1
Side 2
"Rockhard in a Funky Place" – 4:31 (Prince and Eric Leeds)
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