Prince
by Matt Thorne
The newest, most updated book on Prince available today—now updated with information about the afterlife of his work following his untimely death.Famously reticent and perennially controversial, Prince was one of the few music superstars who remained, largely, an enigma—even up to his premature death on April 21, 2016. A fixture of the pop canon, Prince is widely held to be the greatest musician of his generation and will undoubtedly remain an inspiring and singular influence throughout our culture.This revised and updated second edition of this meticulously researched biography is the most comprehensive work on Prince yet published. Unlike other Prince books, this one eschews speculation into the artist's highly guarded private life and instead focuses deep and sustained attention exactly where it should be: on his work. Acclaimed British novelist and critic Matt Thorne draws on years of research and dozens of interviews with Prince's intimate associates (many of whom have never spoken on record before) to examine every phase of the musician's 35-year career, including nearly every song—released and unreleased—that Prince has recorded. Originally released in the UK in 2012, this revised and updated second US edition of Prince includes updated content regarding work released and made available after the artist's death..This astonishingly rich, almost encyclopedic biography is a must-have for any serious fan of Prince.
Paperback
Brand New
Author Biography
Matt Thorne was born in Bristol in 1974 and educated at Cambridge University and the University of St. Andrews. He is the author of six novels, including Eight Minutes Idle, which won an Encore Award and which he adapted into a 2014 film, and Cherry, which was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize. He is also the author of three children's books and the coeditor of the anthologies All Hail the New Puritans and Croatian Nights. He teaches Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, London and is also currently working in TV and on a book exploring famous collaborations and conflicts in popular music between 1960 and 2020.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations Prologue: Come 2 My House (Part 1)1 Justifications from a Mamma-Jamma2 The Business of Music3 Wouldn't You Love to Love Me?4 Still Waiting5 Creating Uptown6 Gigolos Get Lonely Too (Part 1) 73 7 Royal Jewels 8 Nikki's Castle 9 There Aren't Any Rules 10 New Position 11 Roadhouse Garden and Songs for Susannah 12 The Story of a Man I Am Not 13 Rebirth of the Flesh 14 Crystal Ball . . . 15 . . . Or Sign o' the Times? 16 For Those of U on Valium . . . 17 Spooky and All That He Crawls for . . . 18 Cross the Line 19 Dance with the Devil 20 What's Wrong with Graffiti Bridge? 21 Gigolos Get Lonely Too (Part 2) 22 Playing Strip Pool with Vanessa 23 The Chains of Turin 24 Part I: Introducing the Friction Years 25 Part 2: 'It Was Just About Needing to Get ItDone . . .' 26 Part 3: 'All I Gotta Do Is Sell a Million and I CanQuit . . .' 27 Wasted Kisses . . . 28 . . . And Missed Opportunities 29 Join My Club 30 New Directions in Music 31 True Funk Soldier 32 Come 2 My House (Part 2) 33 21 Nights in London: A Fan's Notes 34 Gigolos Get Lonely Too (Part 3) 35 An Entirely New Galaxy Awaits . . . 36 Ending Endlessly Epilogue: Living Out Loud Afterword to the American Edition Acknowledgements Bibliography Notes Illustration Credits General IndexIndex of Works by Prince About the Author
Review
Praise for Prince: The Man and His Music by Matt Thorne:"Matt Thorne's Prince is the definitive work on the man; I am listening again to every piece of his music with renewed enthusiasm." —Alexis Taylor, Hot Chip"[Thorne] brings an enthusiasm, intelligence, and maverick spirit to the 562 pages covering the 35-year career of Prince Rogers Nelson. . . It's to Thorne's credit that through painstaking research and interviews he manages to paint a picture of what the man, rather than the myth, is actually like. A must for the legions of Prince fans out there." —Doug Johnstone, Big Issue"Thorne brings an exhaustive knowledge and attention to detail to the task. . . if you're as much of a fan as Thorne, you'll be in heaven." —Mick Brown, Daily Telegraph"The final word on the mad genius known as Prince Rogers Nelson. There is now quite literally nothing more to say about Prince or his music. It's all here—dance, sex, romance, and above all, the music. Downright orgasmic." —Current magazine"If you've ever craved the empurpled equivalent of Paul Williams' Bob Dylan: Performing Artist. . . you are well served." —Danny Eccleston, Mojo"Impishly encyclopaedic, brings alert senses to bear. . . in stripping back the purple finery." —Ben Thompson, Independent on Sunday Music Books of the Year"Thorne is a good stylist and a deep thinker but primarily he's a fan. . . . Thorne is a compelling, emotional narrator." —Kate Mossman, New Statesman"Highly engaging." —Mark Ellen, Observer"Everything I love in a book." —Nemone, BBC Radio 6 Music
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