IN THE DAYS SINCE PRINCE'S
PASSING WE HAVE HEARD STORIES
ABOUT HOW HE MADE IT A POINT
TO WORK WITH LOCAL MUSICIANS.
PURPLE RAIN, PURPLE RAIN.
THAT WAS A CLIP FROM THE BBC
WHO WAS HERE COVERING THE
PASSING OF PRINCE AND THEY
WENT TO A REHEARSAL FOR SOUNDS
OF BLACKNESS AND THEY WERE
SINGING PURPLE RAIN.
JOINING US NOW IS THE MUSICAL
DIRECTOR OF SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
ON.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I WANT TO ASK YOU -- YOU
KNEW PRINCE FOR MANY YEARS
GOING BACK TO WHEN HE WAS A
VERY YOUNG MAN.
I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT THESE
REPORTS SUGGESTING THAT HIS
HEALTH FAILINGS OR EVEN HIS
DEATH WERE CONNECTED TO SOME
KIND OF A DRUG OVERDOSE.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS
BEFORE YOU SAID THIS WAS A MAN
WHO DID NOT DO DRUGS AND WAS
VERY HEALTHY.
PAISLEY PARK YOU CANNOT EVEN
HAVE ME IN THE BUILDING NO
SMOKING NO DRINKING NO DRUGS OF
ANY KIND.
HE LIVED THAT LIFESTYLE AND
KEPT IN IMPECCABLE HEALTH SO
FOR ME THAT IS NOT A REALITY AS
FAR AS PRINCE GOES.
LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW HE WAS
FEELING.
WE HAVE LITTLE VIDEO FROM HIS
LAST CONCERT IN APRIL.
IT APPEARS TO SHOW HIM LEAVING
THE STAGE ALMOST LIMPING AND IT
LOOKS LIKE HE MIGHT HAVE A CANE.
WAS HE HAVING TROUBLE OR WAS HE
AND PAYING -- IN PAIN?
YET HAD HIP SURGERY AND
ALWAYS KEPT ACTIVE BUT NEVER
SLOW DOWN.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHEN YOU
FIRST MET PRINCE BECAUSE HE WAS
IN JUNIOR HIGH AND HE TOLD ME
HE WAS ALREADY FAMOUS NOT JUST
FOR HIS MUSIC TALENT BUT FOR
SOMETHING ELSE.
A GREAT BASKETBALL PLAYER.
A STANDOUT NOT ONLY AT BRIAN
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN SOUTH
MINNEAPOLIS BUT AT THE HOME OF
THE PIONEERS.
HE WAS A STANDOUT ON THE
VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM.
HE LOVED THE VIKINGS AND LOVE
SPORTS AS WE KNOW.
TELL US ABOUT HIM AS A
BASKETBALL PLAYER.
HE WAS TINY.
WAS HE ONE OF THOSE BASKETS
THAT GOT THREE PLACES?
INC.
OF NATE ARCHIBALD IN THE NBA.
HE HAS THE SKILLS AND THE
FUNDAMENTALS WERE SO STRONG AND
HE WOULD CHALLENGE YOU.
YOU WOULD THINK THAT BECAUSE
YOU WERE TALLER THAN HIM THAT
YOU WOULD PREVAIL, NOT SO.
SHARE WITH US THE STORY OF
COLLABORATING WITH PRINCE A FEW
YEARS AGO.
IT TURNED OUT TO BE PART OF THE
SOUNDTRACK FOR A VERY BIG MOVIE
BUT YOU DID NOT KNOW THAT AT
THE TIME.
IT WAS HALLOWEEN AND HE HAS
GIVEN ME A CALL AND WE TALKED
FREQUENTLY.
THIS TIME HE SAID HE WANTED TO
BE PART OF A REALLY MAJOR
PROJECT BUT HE COULD NOT GIVE
ME ALL OF THE DETAILS.
AT THE TIME WE DID NOT KNOW WE
WERE WORKING ON THE BATMAN
SOUNDTRACK.
HE THOUGHT THE SESSION WOULD GO
ABOUT AN HOUR OR TWO BUT WE
WERE THERE ALL NIGHT.
IT WAS A JOY AND AN HONOR.
SHEILA E WAS ALSO AT THE DESK
IN THE RECORDING STUDIO AND IT
WAS A VERY CREATIVE AND
COLLABORATIVE AND JOY FILLED
EVENING.
WAS THAT TYPICAL OF
SOMETHING PRINTS WHAT DO --
PRINCE DO?
I THINK AT THE TIME HIS
INVOLVEMENT OF THE SOUNDTRACK
WAS SO SECRETIVE UNTIL THEY
WANTED TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW.
HE LET US KNOW SHORTLY
THEREAFTER.
THEM AS A BEEN A GOOD
FEELING FOR YOU GUYS.
WE WERE EXCITED.
TELL US ABOUT HIS STYLE OF
COLLABORATION.
TELL US ABOUT WHEN HE WOULD GET
THE CALLS AND WHEN HE WOULD
WORK WITH THEM AND HOW LONG THE
SESSIONS WOULD LAST? PRINCE
IS A 24 SEVEN GUY.
SOMETIMES HE WOULD GO TWO OR
THREE DAYS BETWEEN PERFORMED --
PERFORMING, REHEARSING,
IMPOSING, JUST NONSTOP.
YELLS -- HE ALWAYS HAVE CLEAR
IDEAS OF WHAT HE WANTED TO DO
BUT WAS OPEN TO COLLABORATION.
HE WOULD OFTEN SOLICIT IDEAS
AND ASK FOR INPUT ON THE
PROCESS.
WINWOOD PRINCE GAVE YOU --
WHEN WOULD PRINCE GIVE YOU A
SHOUT OUT?
HE WOULD CALL AT 2:00 OR
3:00 IN THE MORNING WITH THE
FEELING THAT IT WAS NOON AND I
WOULD ALMOST ALWAYS KNOW THAT
IT WAS HIM AND THE
CONVERSATIONS WERE ALWAYS
HEARTFELT. HE WOULD TALK A LOT
ABOUT HIS FAITH AND HIS WALK
WITH GOD AND THE PEOPLE AND THE
SITUATION OF THE WORLD AND THE
SITUATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS,
A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE
NONMUSICAL.
GARY HINES, IT WAS A PLEASURE
HAVE A LINK TO YOUR NEW SINGLE
ON OUR WEBSITE AND YOUR GROUP
IS SO FABULOUS AND OBVIOUSLY MY
CONDOLENCES BECAUSE I KNOW YOU