Prince remembered from the current. We're here with Bobby Zee, drummer from the Revolution, and we're talking today about the album 1999. This had to be just an amazing time to be a part of the Revolution. It was definitely a pivotal moment.
The key to that story is it starts here in the Twin Cities at the Armory. When the video from 1999, Little Red Corvette, Let's Pretend We're Married, and Automatic, were all shot in a... it's a blur now, but probably a two or three day sequence. That really set up the album was heavy makeup.
If you remember that video, it was really... the 80s were in full bloom on that album. That was the record, the first record where it started to become billed as the Revolution, right? Right.
He was testing the name on the back of the album. He did it that illustration himself, and he put that backwards in there, like a puzzle. But everything with Prince was a puzzle. The songs are puzzles.
When you play them, they sound very repetitive, and they are. But he had the ability to put something different in every bar. And it makes it challenging as you study these and play these continuously. It was very meticulous theory.
In 1999, he really figured it out. He figured out who his audience was. I'm going to take the Stones audience, and I'm going to take this Rick James audience and all this stuff I learned over there. I'm going to make one big My audience, and he did it with Corvette for the Rock people, 1999 for party people.
The band was an uneasy situation. It wasn't settled by any means as we know the story changed going into Purple Rain. But you got to remember where it came from, which was Dirty Mine. And then this audience finding mission of Dirty Mine.
If you stuck with them during Dirty Mine, you knew Prince. Dirty Mine was his personal exercise in really experimentation to the fullest. Very interesting story about 1999, the song. We were traveling at the tail end of the Dirty Mine album.
There was a hotel sign and it said free HBO. That was a big deal. So everybody got to the room and turned out HBO. There was an HBO documentary about Nostradamus and the prediction at the end of the world, 1999, 1999.
And we're all blown away by this thing. You can feel it in the hotel rooms. They were glued to the TV. So of course, like normal people do, the next day, the water cooler talk is, did you see?
And for Prince, he had written a song. So there explains the difference between mere mortals and Prince. We're all going, wow. And then he just embodied the whole thing with 1999 the next day.
That record's also got some long tracks on that record, which maybe was afforded that opportunity because it stretched into a double album. The first double album of his career. He just decided not to edit those songs. So if most songs we did, computer blue, 20 minutes, I mean, everything was always a sweet, had passages and things.
And then eventually he could just cut it down. He was an amazing editor too. But the songs themselves could take on many minutes and many bars of different stuff. And again, it was a puzzle.
He could take out a piece of the puzzle and still be a complete thought for the rest of us, but it was a puzzle nonetheless. So something like Dance Music Sex Romance was that wasn't like a vamping jam. That was a well thought out section by section kind of performance. For him, I mean, a well thought out section by section is a vamping jam live in the studio for Prince.
So it's well thought out. You just don't know when or where, but it's coming at you. And it's just real time jam. And he'll just jam on the thing for 20 minutes.
And it's all amazing. And whatever instrument you add or he adds or whatever you add, it's just all caught up in the song. And all of a sudden there's a 20 minute amazing jam that you edit down to a three minute hit. Plus the long version on the album.
What was the, do you know what the decision was behind making 1999 into a double record? He was beginning to fight the editing of the majors of mass marketing. You know, he was always, why can't I? And we know later in life, you know, we put out albums all the time.
And he would refer to like the 30s and when people put out a record a month or every year or every six months, James Brown, every six months, you know, he liked those models. He was proficient enough to keep up with those models. And with MTV and everything got slowed down, you know, the whole process of touring and plus you had purple rain to that and his whole process got slowed down. And you could tell he was impatient.
Well, no, he was impatient. So in this case, it was a double album. I'm sure that the guys don't want to bother to hurt it. And just these are all great songs.
You know, he was just, so they went for it. But it was risky. Yeah. Another track on that record is all the critics love you in New York.
So can you tell us anything we think is going on in that song? Dirty Bine was received in positive and negative ways depending on where you sat. You know, the musical talent or the risque look, the musical talent, people in New York loved it and the critics loved it. And we played the Ritz and it was monumental.
And, you know, but New York's an island in some ways. So he was appreciative, I think, of what came out of New York, which I think led to Jagger and led to Stone's thing. You know, everybody was at the show in New York. I mean, I think, you know, like Warhol and Bowie and the Tis guys were there back then.
It was, you know, big time stuff and up and comer was pulling the stars in and that happened there. So there was an explosion, definitely Saturday Night Live. We did party up. There was a movement there for him.
And he liked it. What was it like for you being in that, in the eye of that hurricane and a little bit? And were there moments when you were sort of like, awestruck or starstruck as well, when you're going to New York and Mick Jagger and David Bowie are showing up at the gigs? Yes.
And Prince was too. I was very grateful. I had, you know, Dr. Fink with me, Matt from St.
Louis Park, Prince Andre. We're from Minneapolis. We had each other in the face of these monumental characters and show business and it was comforting that we did it together. I was just very grateful that the, that the, that was starting to happen.
It took a while for the thing to happen. I started like two years before the demo, it feels like, but it was probably right when the demo at Moonsong was recorded. People don't realize Purple Rain was the sixth album. After all that time, that's a lot of life there.
In the beginning, everybody has a beginning and he didn't win everybody over in the beginning for sure. His music was doing that, but he just, he was bowling now. He was bowling people over. It certainly changes everything about playing live when people are coming prepared.
You know, the songs that are into it, they're waiting for songs, you know, you can tell the anticipation for certain songs, you know, and how he constructed a set and how he was starting to play with the set list to leak new songs and future events. So it definitely became an audience, you know, a real, real audience. And they couldn't get in everybody, you know, stuff like that. So it definitely changes the dynamic from where it was in the very beginning for sure.
Do you remember like what it meant at that time in that era in the Twin Cities when you guys came home? How you were treated? Was there a sort of a different, you know, perspective at that point because you had left and came back as heroes or didn't? It definitely felt good to come home.
It almost feels good to come home. It did feel more and more and more building up to not far from here at the St. Paul Civic Center and seven shows for Purple Rain. I mean, that really felt like something special growing up here coming from here.
But it was, like I said before, I mean, we were very proud. We were from Indianapolis. Princess, obviously, a very Minnesota guy, you know, he came back here and built Paisley Park, you know, he didn't have to, but he was in LA, he was hanging out. And so there was a, there was definitely pride in what we were doing, accomplishing and coming back and sharing it with people.
And that started to show up in the concerts. Again, not all of them in the beginning. This is where it started, you know, took a while for the engine to chew sugar, but people definitely were appreciating prints and word was out. And that was, again, gratifying that it was being recognized here at home.
Yeah. Delirious, we had always done kind of rock ability stuff, whether it was Elvis or Blue Swade shoes or, you know, sometimes we do like this rock ability version of how much is that doggy in the window. I love that song. And Delirious was kind of a fun play to that.
He kept it short and sweet. And it's a real favorite, you know, it's just really a fun, humorous play on words, print, it's really classic prints. I just hear a little bit of almost like the, the, the, the punk and new wave in that track it seems like. Yeah, I think the sounds definitely the new wave since sound, the lead, the, the, the, the, the lead line going in there.
And that, that definitely is the 80s since sound for sure. Now, is that the kind of track that was really band involved in the creation or was that one that prints sort of did all the music and then sort of brought it to you guys and you fleshed it out live then? That's all prints on the record. That song turned into an epic.
We, with a revolution from doing a version of what we did with Delirious now, and it's because it's just, it's, it turns into the B section of let's go crazy from the 12 inch. The doo doo doo doo doo doo. It's got that part goes into it. So that, that this is an original arrangement from that.
And he would run around the stage on Delirious. I mean, he was really, it was one of those songs were sprinting and doing the, the, there was a bar he had that fireman's pole. It was, that he would just spin down and do all kinds of crazy stuff. It was a big event live.
Delirious. Yeah. Have a little red Corvette. Corvette is, is a song that he called me over on the lake, on the lake Riley house and studios in the basement.
And, and we put the messing around with this syndrome, synchions to put the, the times doo doo doo those things. And he played me this, the track before we did anything. And he was like, wow, that chorus is, is powerful as you can get. So it, it's, it's struck me right away.
So there's something different. And, you know, rock and roll. It's really different. So this is one of the records where the, the, was this the first record where Prince had the Lindrums and those sort of pushed to the fore more or that started on controversy, the synthetic.
The first time you hear the Lind, the LM1 is private joy, controversy. And then you really get the hang of it. He gets the hang of it. And I think all drummers at that point were a little scared of the thing.
The whole drummer universe was in revolt mentally, but Princess Managers Steve finally gave me some really good advice. He said, it's here. Learn how to use it. And that was really good advice.
So not only did I take his advice, but it was part of the job. We had interfaced the back of the wind, which they were smart enough to put outputs for every one of these channels. So Don Dats are really a talented technical wizard back then created an interface with the only thing really available was acoustic guitar pickup. You triggered the velocity of the device interfaced with the back of the land through this kind of early model T version of what was yet to come.
And Prince was pushing the envelope with his first technology. And all of a sudden there was playable versions of those sounds. And all of a sudden the show opened up to a new hybrid style of drumming with organic drums underneath. But it was definitely, I was the muse for something completely different in the drumming world that's never been seen before.
And put another credit to him, given another credit to him for pushing that. Then Roland and everybody started coming with the pads and the interfaces. But they still weren't playable in sounds. And even the LM2 was not as good as the outputs on the LM1.
So it created a whole different world until the 808 came along. And then of course, I changed everything as a drum machine goes. I became the meat and potatoes for years. I guess the only other I know, I know Kraftwerk was experimenting with creating their own triggering devices.
Very drums. An inspiration for everybody because that was really early. Thomas Govee really early. But Kraftwerk, I mean, their whole, I don't know what their first album was what year.
That was really early computer stuff. And we were paying attention to that. How they were doing that. That was very laborious, I'm sure, what they were doing.
And we, you know, I remember seeing something on them live and get to see them live. But I'm sure, you know, Prince was definitely aware of Kraftwerk. And we were into it. So it all, like I said, little pieces of that, for sure.
Well, yeah, that was the time when African Mambada was taking from Kraftwerk as well. So there was this communication going on where some of the early hip hop artists and New York-based artists were delving into the European. And then you create your own beat. And, you know, what's wrong with that?
I mean, that's what the whole premise was, was, you know, taking a beat or a loop and, you know, creating a new entity out of it. But here, if you could program beats, you're a beat maker, you know, like Prince was and Dr. Dre is, you know, ultimately what these guys are. You know, I certainly had my share of contributions, but the organic musicality and the rhythm that, you know, was just, you know, flew it out of him.
That you just let it kind of be, you know, just kept coming. What was the most surprising thing about Prince's demeanor that we wouldn't know? The illusion that he's shy. Yeah.
He definitely, if you knew him, he wasn't shy. If you didn't know him, he was shy. It was kind of a wall there. That if you got on the other side of the wall, it was completely different person.
But he used that ability to be himself, I mean, cautious. I think when I could replay his laugh in my head, it makes me smile. It was something was truly funny. And making him laugh was a thrill because when he laughed, he fully and belly laughed.
And his sense of humor was, you know, I loved it. A lot of slapstick. He loved physicality humor and sarcasm. I mean, he just, he could play with all the words and the emotions and you were always just kind of not sure.
Even the lyrics in real life, even when he was talking to you were parables. What was the best part of having Prince's your boss? He was Prince. He was my friend and the guy I met before he was famous, but it was him.
And that's the best part. Well, you've had a God 40 years. Yeah, it was 43, actually. And I often think of the private days.
The earliest moments with him were very telling of his talent for me. But we were still just kids and doing scene movies and going to shopping malls and wandering around, listening to music. Most of the time listening to music. And then he got two boomboxes.
He recorded a recording boombox over here. And then he would put a tape and cut the tape on the other one. And then he would play that one. And then he would overdub.
And he'd create these masterpieces in his apartment on a 28th in DuPont. Maybe that's where Moonsan was, but it was in that area. And a lot of hiss. But he would have multi-tracks from bouncing cassette back and forth with a boombox.
And I would just be fascinated with these pieces of work that he was doing. I couldn't believe the meticulous scene. And finding these notes and creating these operas. So it was astounding for me every day musically.
And I just had no doubt that he would find his way. It's just everybody's got to find their way. And so his way was just his own way of manipulating an ancient business, show business, and his way of doing it. And it was just remarkable to witness.
It's Bobbie Z here at the Current.