THE RITUALISTIC LIFE and MURDER OF PRINCE: PT. 4 SEGMENT 19 (PT.2): "The Fight for Freedom Continues" 1994-1995

This is the second part of this 3 part SEGMENT 19 where we are wrapping up the first of two19-year cycles in Prince's life and career.  This episode's focus is on the event filled year of 1994.

We pick up in March 1994, where Prince submits a new album called "Come" to WB Records.  The “Come” album did not consist of new material however, it was filled with the songs from the failed “Glam Slam Ulysses” musical of 1993, and other throw-away material from Prince’s “vault”.  “WB tells Prince the "Come" album is unacceptable, and obviously crappy material Prince submitted to the label to fulfill his contract.

Prince revamps "Come" by removing the few good songs on it, and placing them on a second album "The Gold Experience".  Prince then returns to WB and submits  2 full albums to WB Records: the "Come" album by Prince, and "The Gold Experience" by "Love Symbol".  Prince wants WB to release these "2 albums by 2 separate artists" simultaneously.  Of course WB refuses, since flooding the market with “Prince” music is what they had been trying to avoid for years.  Warner Brothers then prepared to release the "Come" album by the still marketable "Prince".

Around this time, Denise Matthews aka "Vanity" is hospitalized for kidney failure related to a drug overdose, and is on life support with 3 days to live.  Prince is contacted to help Denise in her hour of need.  He uses some old recordings of “Vanity” from the early 1980’s on the track “Orgasm” on the “Come” album.  This would help Denise a bit financially, as well as close the door on “Prince” with his last album (for a while anyway).

Prince begins writing SLAVE on his face and starts bad mouthing WB publicly.  Prince refuses to promote “Come” and to make any videos for it.  Instead, Prince makes another multi-media project starring Nona Gaye, and makes several TV appearances to promote the songs he records with Nona, and the new "Gold Experience" music.

Prince opens a new GLAM SLAM club, “GLAM SLAM South” in South Beach Florida, on his 36th Birthday.  The show doesn't go over well, since Prince ignoring the "Come" album songs, plays only songs from "The Gold Experience" that as Prince tells the media, "May never be released".

Prince receives many awards in 1994 for the hit "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", and uses the opportunity to talk about his oppression under WB Records, while also pressuring the label to release "The Gold Experience".

There are several important changes in the leadership at WB Records, WMG, and Time Warner, and these changes seem to be delaying Prince's escape from the label.  Prince releases NPG Records' 1st album release, "1-800-New-Funk" a compilation album of songs from Paisley Park and NPG Records artists.  You may recall from the last episode, Segment 19 (Pt. 1): The Fight to Escape Warner Brothers Begins,  that WB would only allow Prince to release one single this year under his NPG Records music label, and he released “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” under these terms.

Prince prepares to release a single from “1-800-NEW FUNK”, a duet between Nona Gaye and “Love Symbol” called “Love Sign”.  He prints up the singles, promotes it on television with Nona, and films a video, but Warner Brothers blocks release of the song. 

Rumors of Prince abusing cocaine abound, as Prince's finances go into freefall, and mass firings start at Paisley Park, prompting the departure of many longtime associates, and leaving a staff of 3; Princes brother Duane Nelson, and 2 admin assistants.  Prince makes a deal with WB to release "The Black Album" that he cancelled in 1987, in return for release of "The Gold Experience", but he isn't happy about it.

As the year comes to a close, Prince asks WB to release "Purple Medley", to remind the public of all the hits he had in the past, and to prepare them for "The Gold Experience" planned for release the following year.