THE RITUALISTIC LIFE and MURDER OF PRINCE: PT. 4 SEGMENT 5 “Controversy”

THE RITUALISTIC LIFE and MURDER of PRINCE:

PT. 4 SEGMENT 5: “Controversy"

Released on Patreon 12/23/2017
Run Time: 1 HR 53 MIN

-"The Ritualistic Life and Murder of Prince" series is available to Patrons on the "Sign O' The Times" tier of support and higher on the Spooky Electric XPOSED Films Patreon channel.

In 1981, at the end of the “Dirty Mind” tour, Prince is facing the possibility of being released from Warner Brothers Records, since “Dirty Mind” was the last album in the 3-record deal Prince signed with the label in 1977. 

Since “Dirty Mind” was not a big commercial success, Prince began contemplating what he could do to be a valuable asset to the label going forward, and to stay on Warner Brothers Records despite the low sales of his last album. 

But, he also thought that by offering additional talent managed and created by himself, he would become a reliable source for new talent for the Warner Brothers label.

Prince "Controversy" era
Prince "Controversy" era

Prince created the “side groups” at this time for different reasons, but at his core, he saw these other acts as a means to express other sides of his “musical personality”. 

Prince creates his first “Side Group”: The Time

In 1980, Prince created the side group The Time first.

The Time was created from the members of the local Minneapolis group Flyte Tyme, (Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Monte Moir, and Jellybean Johnson).

Flyte Tyme (from left): Monte Moir, "Jimmy Jam" Harris III, David Eiland, Cynthia Johnson, Terry Lewis, Garry "Jellybean" Johnson
Flyte Tyme (from left): Monte Moir, "Jimmy Jam" Harris III, David Eiland, Cynthia Johnson, Terry Lewis, Garry "Jellybean" Johnson

Morris Day, Prince’s high school friend and former bandmate was added to the group as the lead singer. 

You see, Morris used to be the drummer in Prince’s high school funk band Grand Central, long before Prince got a solo record deal.  One day in 1980, as Prince was working on the “Dirty Mind” music, he heard Morris playing a groove on drums.  Prince liked it and made a deal with Morris$20,000 for the song OR a group of his own signed to Warner Brothers Records.  The groove turned out to be “Partyup” from the 1980 “Dirty Mind” album, and Morris became the lead singer of The Time.

Then, Prince added Jesse Johnson on guitar, and Terry Lewis’s brother Jerome Benton as roadie and “sometime” band member. 

The Time in 1981
Prince assembles his first "side group" The Time in 1981
OUTTAKE: "Prince, The LM-1 Drum Computer, and the 1984 Agenda"
OUTTAKE: "Prince, The LM-1 Drum Computer, and the 1984 Agenda"
The Time: Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam, Morris Day, Jellybean Johnson, Monte Moir, and Jesse Johnson
The Time: Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam, Morris Day, Jellybean Johnson, Monte Moir, and Jesse Johnson
Grand Central band without Prince
Grand Central band (without Prince) from left: Morris Day, William "Hollywood" Doughty, Linda Anderson, and Andre Anderson (Andre Cymone)
Morris Day on drums in 1980
Morris Day on drums in 1980

Prince, Lisa Coleman, and Dez Dickerson wrote the songs that would comprise The Time’s first album.  Warner Brothers loved The Time’s album and quickly signed them to the label. 

Prince also begins using the “Linn LM-1 Drum Computer” at this time to create the drum beats for his music. This machine will become the “lynchpin” of Prince’s sound through the 1980’s, but Prince only used it on one song on the “Controversy” album, “Private Joy”

Coming up in “The Ritualistic Life and Murder of Prince” series the OUTTAKE: “Prince, the LM-1 Drum Computer, and the 1984 Agenda” will take a closer look at this machine, its creators, and Prince’s metaphysical use of the LM-1 to manipulate the vibration and frequency of his music.

It was also around this time that we see Prince first incorporating the color “purple” into his life and music.  We will discuss this further in upcoming episodes and OUTTAKES.

Prince opens for the Rolling Stones: A Memorable moment in Prince History

On October 9th and 11th of 1981, Prince and his band were invited to open 2 shows at the Los Angeles Coliseum for the Rolling Stones.  Famously, Prince and the band were booed off the stage and pelted with all sorts of disgusting garbage and debris. Prince even flew back to Minneapolis after the first show, but he agreed to return after Dez Dickerson and Mick Jagger talked him into returning.

Prince: October 9, 1981 at the L.A. Coliseum, opening for the Rolling Stones
Prince: October 9, 1981 at the L.A. Coliseum, opening for the Rolling Stones, a key moment in Prince history
Dez Dickerson and Prince before soundcheck, L.A. Coliseum, 1981
Dez Dickerson and Prince before soundcheck, Los Angeles Coliseum, 1981
Prince and the band onstage opening for The Rolling Stones in October 1981
Prince and the band onstage opening for The Rolling Stones in October 1981
Prince and the band before the Rolling Stones show at the L.A Coliseum in October 1981
Prince and the band before the Rolling Stones show

In this episode, we will hear the band members talk about those shows, decode the shows, and uncover some more sinister reasons Prince may have been invited to participate in those shows. 

The ”Controversy” album and Tour

Prince's 4th album, "Controversy" released October 14, 1981.
Prince's 4th album, "Controversy" released October 14, 1981.
Prince's band in 1981 in the "Controversy" era.
Prince's band in 1981 in the "Controversy" era. Mark Brown has joined the band on bass.

The “Controversy” album, released on October 14 1981, immediately sells twice as many copies as “Dirty Mind” and secures Prince’s place at Warner Brothers, becoming his highest selling album to that point. 

Prince on the "Controversy" tour of 1981
Prince on guitar 1981
Prince onstage 1981
The Time's first album
The Time's first album is a hit, and the band opened for Prince on the "Controversy" tour
Prince on the "Controversy" Tour of 1981

Prince embarks upon the “Controversy” tour with The Time as the opening act.  We decode the “Controversy” tour and uncover coded ritual numbers, a practice that will continue on through the 1980’s and for as long as Prince’s managers are planning the tours and encoding Prince into the rituals. 

Prince onstage in 1981
Prince on the "Controversy" tour of 1981
Prince on tour 1981
Prince "Controversy" Tour

The Time’s album has also done well, so they were a popular draw on the tour, upstaging Prince at times.  Prince will remove The Time from the bill on key shows because of this. 

The Time onstage
The Time onstage

A Second “Side Group”: Vanity 6

Then, Prince put together his second side group, “The Hookers”, composed of Jamie Shoop Prince’s tour manager, high school girlfriend Susan Moonsie, and her sister Lorene Moonsie

The Hookers: Jamie Shoop, Susan Moonsie, and Lorene Moonsie
The Hookers: Jamie Shoop, Susan Moonsie, and Lorene Moonsie
Dez Dickerson, Jamie Shoop (tour manager), Andre Cymone, and Matt Fink, 1980
Dez Dickerson, Jamie Shoop (tour manager), Andre Cymone, and Matt Fink, 1980
Vanity 6 before a show
Vanity 6 before a show
"The Hookers": Loreen Moonsie (Susan's sister), Jamie Shoop, and Susan Moonsie (Prince's high school girlfriend)

Prince is soon introduced to aspiring Canadian actress Denise Matthews, renames her “Vanity”, and adds both "Vanity" and Brenda Bennett (Prince's set designer's wife) to the group, renaming them “Vanity 6”. 

Prince's second side group: Vanity 6
Prince's second side group: Vanity 6

We look at two new mind control triggers added to Prince's live show and meet other new additions to Prince's inner circle.  There are several live clips included from Prince's tours through the years illustrating the decades old mind control programming.

*8 Unreleased Prince tracks from the episode posted for Patrons of the “Lovesexy” Tier of support and higher.    

-STREAM EPISODES of “The Ritualistic Life and Murder of Prince” series ONLY available on The “Spooky Electric XPOSED Films” Patreon channel and the Patreon App 

Prince promo photo for "Controversy" 1981