Et pendant ce temps là dans les médias ...

[JCO8]

Merci pour ce beau témoignage. Une des dimensions les plus importantes dans les passions c'est le partage, et tu décris très bien tout ce que ça implique avec nos proches.

Je suis également allé voir cette version Imax qui m'a beaucoup impressionné au niveau du son. La résolution de l'image était également excellente, bien que le film n'ait clairement pas été restauré pour autant (beaucoup de poussières et de petites tâches noires, et bien sûr cette fameuse séquence U Got The Look dans une qualité inacceptable - moins bonne que la version Youtube du clip - et qui casse complètement l'harmonie du film).

J'ai été très ému au début de la projection, je ne m'y attendais pas. J'ai toujours aimé ce film hybride qui ne ressemble à rien d'autre, à l'image de Prince. Comme beaucoup de concerts de Prince, je le connais sans pour autant l'avoir trop vu, ce qui me permet de le redécouvrir à chaque fois. La dernière fois, ça devait être lors de sa ressortie en 2017. Le revoir aujourd'hui dans ces conditions, c'était une expérience unique. Quelle intensité.

La salle était très clairsemée. Sign O' The Times... Petite discussion à la sortie avec un couple de la soixantaine qui hallucinait de ce qu'ils venaient de vivre et regrettaient d'être passé à côté de Prince... C'était touchant, un peu triste, et aussi encourageant. Prince n'a pas fini de surprendre pour le peu que les personnes en charge sauront mettre son oeuvre en valeur.

[jesuisfandeprince]

merci greghost, merci JC08, je me souviens que j’appréciais toujours vos interventions toujours très pertinentes
et surtout merci de votre indulgence …
quelle disgrâce , quelle honte , ça pique les yeux
je viens de me relire
comment ai-je pu écrire
"après ce que j’avais « subit » en live »
"où je pouvaient exprimer"
"que ma compagne et surtout ma fille apprécie le spectacle »

Bon vous avez compris que je n’aimais pas les dictées !

[Gaspard Elliott]

Prince fans disappointed with reissue before it’s even released
Repackaging of 1985’s “Around the World in a Day” contains no rare tracks from the vault.

By Jon Bream
The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 12, 2025

Here comes another Prince reissue — 1985’s “Around the World in a Day” — but fans are overwhelmingly disappointed that, unlike other posthumous Purple reissues, there is no promise of any unreleased vault tracks.

Available on Nov. 21, the “Around the World in a Day” repackage includes the original album remastered and mixed in Dolby Atmos for the first time, according to an announcement on X. The music will be available on streaming, CD, blue marble vinyl, picture disc and a deluxe 3-LP edition.

The blue marble version of Prince's "Around the World in a Day" will be available on Nov. 21. (Prince Official Store)
The lack of a super-deluxe edition with coveted unreleased and rare tracks from Prince’s vaunted vault has fans fuming.

Here are some comments on X:

Scott4343: “This kind of mistreatment of princes estate risks diminishing his legacy and reverence to future generations”

Vince Mon: “7 inch edits but no vault tracks. I usually bite my tongue but this takes the cake. It keeps getting worse and worse”

Daniel Wood: “This is trash. Do better”

DCO75: “Please, everyone responsible for this, step down”

Giacomo Burrasca: “Utterly pointless”

Nina: “Who wants vault tracks when you can buy t-shirts, mugs and stickers? I must have been dreaming when they said the vault was free”

This forthcoming reissue contains B-sides like “She’s Always in My Hair” and “Girl” plus dance mixes and remixes of several tracks, including a nearly 22-minute version of “America.”

The follow-up to the blockbuster “Purple Rain,” this Prince & the Revolution project featured the hits “Raspberry Beret,” “Pop Life” and “America” as well as “Paisley Park.”

This will be the first major Prince reissue since “Diamonds & Pearls” in 2023, but that super-deluxe version included three discs of vault tracks plus two discs of concert recording and a concert Blu-ray.

Meanwhile, while announcing the reissue, the official Prince store unveiled a new line of “Around the World in a Day” merchandise including T-shirts, hoodies, mugs and a $140 hard-cover suitcase. One fan calculated that it would cost a total of $527.70 to buy one of each new item.

Source : https://www.startribune.com/prince-arou ... /601472465

[SIGNO'THETOM]

Prince fans disappointed with reissue before it’s even released Repackaging of 1985’s “Around the World in a Day” contains no rare tracks from the vault. By Jon Bream The Minnesota Star Tribune September 12, 2025 Here comes another Prince reissue — 1985’s “Around the World in a Day” — but fans are overwhelmingly disappointed that, unlike other posthumous Purple reissues, there is no promise of any unreleased vault tracks. Available on Nov. 21, the “Around the World in a Day” repackage includes the original album remastered and mixed in Dolby Atmos for the first time, according to an announcement on X. The music will be available on streaming, CD, blue marble vinyl, picture disc and a deluxe 3-LP edition. The blue marble version of Prince's "Around the World in a Day" will be available on Nov. 21. (Prince Official Store) The lack of a super-deluxe edition with coveted unreleased and rare tracks from Prince’s vaunted vault has fans fuming. Here are some comments on X: Scott4343: “This kind of mistreatment of princes estate risks diminishing his legacy and reverence to future generations” Vince Mon: “7 inch edits but no vault tracks. I usually bite my tongue but this takes the cake. It keeps getting worse and worse” Daniel Wood: “This is trash. Do better” DCO75: “Please, everyone responsible for this, step down” Giacomo Burrasca: “Utterly pointless” Nina: “Who wants vault tracks when you can buy t-shirts, mugs and stickers? I must have been dreaming when they said the vault was free” This forthcoming reissue contains B-sides like “She’s Always in My Hair” and “Girl” plus dance mixes and remixes of several tracks, including a nearly 22-minute version of “America.” The follow-up to the blockbuster “Purple Rain,” this Prince & the Revolution project featured the hits “Raspberry Beret,” “Pop Life” and “America” as well as “Paisley Park.” This will be the first major Prince reissue since “Diamonds & Pearls” in 2023, but that super-deluxe version included three discs of vault tracks plus two discs of concert recording and a concert Blu-ray. Meanwhile, while announcing the reissue, the official Prince store unveiled a new line of “Around the World in a Day” merchandise including T-shirts, hoodies, mugs and a $140 hard-cover suitcase. One fan calculated that it would cost a total of $527.70 to buy one of each new item. Source : https://www.startribune.com/prince-arou ... /601472465

Une crainte devenue réalité !

[tieri6]

Dans liberation ce 11 octobre,interview du photographe Claude Gassian,auteur de la photo de pochette de l album "vault, old friends 4 sale"
Une question reponse au sujet du One

[Gaspard Elliott]

Le chanteur D'Angelo, icône de la soul, est mort à l'âge de 51 ans.
https://www.rtl.fr/culture/musique/le-c ... 7900553042

[Greghost]

La vache !

[Minder One]

Je ne pense pas que ça ait été posté ailleurs, je viens de lire que Jellybean Johnson serait décédé le 21 novembre, à 69 ans:
https://www.fox9.com/news/jellybean-joh ... -69-nov-22

[Minder One]

Je ne pense pas que ça ait été posté ailleurs, je viens de lire que Jellybean Johnson serait décédé le 21 novembre, à 69 ans.

[Greghost]

RIP

[Purple Man 1992]

J'ai également vu cela sur le Facebook de Wendy & Lisa...

[laurent]

Nouveau clip pop life
https://www.reddit.com/r/PRINCE/comment ... ife_music/

[DandyMoove]

Pouvons nous espérer la sortie du concert au First Avenue "remasterisé" entre aperçu au milieu du gloubiboulga de ce clip pourri ?..

[SIGNO'THETOM]

Pouvons nous espérer la sortie du concert au First Avenue "remasterisé" entre aperçu au milieu du gloubiboulga de ce clip pourri ?..

L'espoir fait vivre...

[Greghost]

Merci pour le lien vidéo du clip.
Quel dommage de ne pas diffuser le concert qui semble avoir été parfaitement restauré.

[Purple Man 1992]

Je vous trouve un peu durs L'imagerie du clip est cohérente avec la chanson et l'album, c'est assez chouette je trouve. Les Américains ont l'air plutôt enthousiastes. Et puis, ces quelques extraits du First Avenue me font saliver (et je suis d'accord que c'est bien dommage de ne pas le diffuser restauré comme il l'est maintenant. Peut-être en 2026 avec une ressortie de Parade ?).

[Jul3s]

Après le commentaire de Purple Man 1992, j'ai été voir le clip. Ben franchement je suis plutôt agréablement surpris. Ce n'est pas Prince bien sûr, mais c'est frais, c'est fun, à l'image de la chanson. Et c'est rempli de symboles et d'allusions au monde princier de l'époque, et même d'autres albums. Disons qu'à l'ère post-Prince, c'est une chouette vidéo de promotion. A destination du grand public donc, pas des fans. Je salue quand même l'effort, ça change d'autres trucs bâclés pondus par l'estate.

[Virgile]

Je trouve aussi que c'est une bonne initiative. C'est émouvant de retrouver "Pop Life" sous les projecteurs. Certains "vieux" titres des années 50/60 ont pu recouvrer dans les années 80, 90 une nouvelle "jeunesse"(au détour de films le plus souvent) , c'est sans doute la bonne façon de faire.

L'édition cd Deluxe d'ATWIAD à un format un peu problématique: un peu trop grand, (comme celui de Rave ou du live Purple Rain) et un sticker, au dos, pour lier le packaging, qui est tout un "poème". A décoller avec prudence pour ne pas abimer la pochette, mais à maintenir, pour pouvoir la refermer (fallait y penser...). Ce constat fait, je suis très heureux du choix effectué. Ce disque s'est toujours suffit à lui même et ce qui est intégré (b side, extended, 4 the tears...) ne fait que valider à un très haut niveau de qualité sur l'ensemble de la séquence. Je pense qu'il faudrait ne pas passer 10 ans à rééditer les années Warner de cette façon. Je pense que des coffrets "The Vault", ou "Crystal Ball", affranchis d'une vision d'archiviste (Les Super Deluxe), voire vulgaire (The Originals) serviront mieux le coffre princier. Il faut aussi mettre en valeur de nouvelles périodes. Si des projets complets existent, rien n'empêche l'Estate de la jouer comme Prince avec "The Truth".

[SIGNO'THETOM]

Le clip et cette sortie sont indignes de son Héritage : clip amateur qui mélange les époques et les symboles dans sa carrière (moto et logo de l'époque Purple Rain) avec des effets vraiment cheap... Quant au CD : le packaging est cheap aussi (CD + livret au même endroit, emballage cartonné qui ne se referme pas...) A part l'effet argenté en couverture (en adéquation avec les autres ressorties) cet objet est pas terrible : et son contenu est un peu léger pour un artiste aussi prolixe ! Bref : cet Estate est à pleurer pour ma part !

[Purple Man 1992]

clip amateur qui mélange les époques et les symboles dans sa carrière (moto et logo de l'époque Purple Rain).

À leur décharge, si ATWIAD est bien différent de PR, il reste que sa conception s'est totalement confondue avec la période PR, et que certains morceaux de ATWIAD auraient pu, d'un point de vue esthétique, figurer sur PR sans jurer avec les autres morceaux (l'exemple le plus frappant étant The Ladder, cousin musical de PR (même son global, avec certes un sax en plus).
Les références a PR m'ont fait tiquer un peu aussi, mais en même temps, cela doit correspondre à peu près à la perception de l'album à l'époque...

[Jul3s]

Je j'évoquais que la vidéo, pas le coffret que je trouve également pas top.

Prince aussi était capable de faire des propositions cheap ou kitch, voire de mauvais goût, ou carrément moches. Des pochettes d'album et des vidéos par exemple. Tant que la musique est là, je reste ouvert sur l'emballage et la promotion.

Et le cheval ailé du second album princier qui apparaît à la fin du clip, vous en dites quoi ?
Heureusement ils ont pas été jusqu'à insérer des love symbols dans la vidéo !

[Gaspard Elliott]

Des nouvelles de Duane Tudahl :

I recently revealed that I am Producing / Directing a Feature Documentary Film about CRACK THE SKY and their 50th anniversary! Growing up in Baltimore, I loved this band, and they are all very excited about telling their story. The campaign on Kickstarter has now raised almost 60% of its target, and has about 2 1/2 weeks to go to raise the rest. It was just named a "Project We Love" by Kickstarter itself (they only do that with 6% of projects), and both John Palumbo and Rick Witkowski - whose Rewards had sold out - have added new ones. Whether or not you back it for a Reward or not, check it out, please check out the trailer, and read the stories - after all, this film took 50 years to make.

Message publié sur sa page Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/ur ... 218972162/
Lien vers la campagne : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/11 ... ntary-film

Pour les studio book series comme pour le vault, même combat : on ne voit "rien que le soleil qui poudroie et l'herbe qui verdoie".

[julep]

https://www.liberation.fr/culture/musiq ... Z3CMBA7WY/

[Greghost]

Pfff.
"inspiré par le psychédélisme du mouvement californien Paisley Underground". Y'a Paisley dans le mot donc je place un truc pour faire genre ...

[daviddu13]

exactement ce que j'ai pensé

[Ghost Dog]

On parlait déjà du mouvement Paisley qui était à la mode en Californie lors de la sortie de l'album en 85 donc la phase est tout à fait légitime

[Gaspard Elliott]

Son intérêt pour le mouvement Paisley Undeground est bien documenté, via les Bangles mais pas seulement.

'He was a huge fan': how Prince became the patron of the psychedelic underground
The Guardian
Michael Hann
Sun 24 Apr 2016

One of the unlikely byways of Prince’s career was his interest in the Los Angeles Paisley Underground scene – and it was his patronage that made the Bangles stars.

“He was a distant figure,” Michael Quercio of the Three O’Clock told me of his single encounter with Prince, his label boss and a man he believes had been inspired by the music he and a handful of other bands had been making in Los Angeles in the early 1980s. “We met him once. He had opened up the Paisley Park complex of studios in Minneapolis at that same time and had people come out. He put us up in a hotel, and we all went to this party after his concert there in Minneapolis. I remember being on a shuttle bus from the hotel to the party. I get on the bus, and it’s me with George Clinton, Mavis Staples, Wendy and Lisa and Apollonia. Everybody’s very quiet, we’re just going to the complex, and everybody’s staring at me. Finally, Mavis Staples, who’s sitting next to me, puts her hand on my knee and very nicely says, ‘Who are you, honey?’”

What’s odd about this story isn’t that Quercio and his bandmates were invited to Minneapolis. Or that Mavis Staples had no idea who Quercio was. It’s that the Three O’Clock, a cult psychedelic garage band from Los Angeles, were signed to Prince’s Paisley Park imprint, and part of a movement of bands that briefly held him thrall, likely contributing to the naming of his studio and label, and to the sound of his 1985 album Around the World in a Day.

The Three O’Clock were one of the bands from Los Angeles who formed the scene known as the “Paisley Underground”, a term first used in late 1982, coined by Quercio himself to describe his own band, the Dream Syndicate, the Rain Parade and an all-woman quartet called the Bangs, later to change their name to the Bangles. It was that last group who really attracted Prince’s attention.

“He apparently saw the video for [the 1984 single] Hero Takes a Fall – one of our first professional videos,” Bangles guitarist Vicki Peterson told me – she and Quercio were both speaking to me when I was researching an oral history of the Paisley Underground in 2013. “He saw that and was just intrigued with the band. And he started showing up at shows. We’d find out after we’d left the stage and before we did the encore: ‘Prince is here and he’d like to play with you.’ OK. Here’s my guitar.”

It was always rumoured that Prince was romantically interested in the Bangles’s lead singer, Susanna Hoffs. But his interest was certainly professional, too. In 1984, he had written a song called Manic Monday and recorded it for the debut album by his protegees Apollonia 6. He pulled it and sat in it for two years. And then he decided to gift it to the Bangles.

“He presented us with a cassette tape of two songs – ‘Here, do you want to record these?’ And one of them was Manic Monday,” Peterson recalled. And so we picked that song – it felt pretty Bangle-ish, like something we could have written. He said if we wanted to use the tracks we could just re-sing it [over the top of his backing track]. Well, thank you so very, very much, but we’ll record it.”

For the Bangles, who – like all the Paisley Underground bands – had seen their record sales fail to match their reputation, Prince’s intervention was life-changing, not least because he had just become an international superstar himself off the back of albums 1999 (in 1982) and Purple Rain (in 1984). “They were trying to figure out how to get us to radio,” Peterson said. “We were getting a lot of good press and our shows were doing well, but really the idea of getting a single to radio was still a bit of a challenge, and once you have this great hook – Look! Prince wrote them a song! – it definitely helps.”

Manic Monday became a worldwide hit, peaking at No 2 in the US and the UK, and began a period in which everything the Bangles touched turned to gold. Sid Griffin of the Long Ryders, a group who joined the original four in the Paisley Underground, was living in a shared house with Bangles drummer Debbi Peterson when their success hit in 1985.

“Everyone’s equipment was in our house,” he told me, “because we had a house and most people had flats. There’d be an amp of of Steve Wynn’s [from the Dream Syndicate] or Green on Red’s, a bunch of Long Ryders’ gear, various other bands, the Celibate Rifles from Australia had some equipment there. There was a klieg light – it’s incredibly bright. So Debbi got a cheque from Bill Graham Associates, who were doing their merchandise, her piece of the pie. My friend said: ‘How much do you think it is? Do you think she got a million bucks?’ ‘No, she didn’t get a million bucks, but pick up the klieg light, and I’ll hold it up to the light. You turn it on, and I’ll be able to read the cheque.’ I’d seen it done in the movies – and it works! I held it up - and it was a sizeable cheque.”

From the Bangles, Prince’s interest moved to the Three O’Clock. “I’m told by one of the Bangles that he saw our video for Her Head’s Revolving, which was before Around the World in a Day,” Quercio said. “He started listening to these bands, and took a bit of it. I’m sure he was a huge fan of that music – I know he was a fan of Arthur Lee and Love and I think naming the record company Paisley Park right at the same time … I can put two and two together! I think it really influenced him.”

The Three O’Clock were signed to Prince’s Paisley Park imprint, although by the time he signed them, the Paisley Underground’s psychedelic swirl had rather lost its vivid colour. The one album the group recorded for Paisley Park – their final record, Vermillion, released in 1988 – was dissimilar to what had come before and is regarded as the worst of their four full-length releases, despite Prince giving them a song, Neon Telephone.

By that point, Prince’s psychedelic phase was passing. Around the World in a Day proved to be an outlier in his discography, followed by Parade, Sign o’ the Times and Lovesexy, each featuring a defining single – Kiss, Sign o’ the Times and Alphabet Street – in a way Around the World in a Day hadn’t, despite the DayGlo charm of Raspberry Beret. Peterson remembered Prince coming to see the Bangles play for a couple of years after Manic Monday, and then nothing. He had moved on.

For a moment, though, Prince was the patron of the LA psychedelic underground, a characteristically perverse and quixotic gesture from an artist who always wanted to surprise and be surprised.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/music ... nderground

[Greghost]

J'entends bien sauf que là ça place Prince comme un suiveur de tendance. Pas comme précurseur. Le petit tacle inutile au passage bien libé, bien pompeux.

[Nevermind2b]

Franchement, c'est quoi ces remarques ?
Gaspard explique la référence de Libé, qui est donc pertinente !
Et pourquoi Prince n'aurait pas eu le droit d'être influencé par des artistes contemporains (ou mouvements) de son "présent". Il l'a été par Hendrix, Sly, Santana, en fait il suffit de se référer à sa NPG Radio List sur ONA Live…
Donc, merci à Gaspard pour le renvoi à l'article du Guardian, j'ignorais cette phase de la story Princière ; et par le fait, à l'auteur de l'article de Libé

[SIGNO'THETOM]

Ce n'est pas une critique ! Ca fait 3 lignes... et en plus ils ont du recopier un message préparé de la maison de disques pour écrire des inepties pareil : en substance "Whaou c'est génial, ça se suffit à lui-même , pas besoin de ces gros coffrets avec tous ces inédits du Vault..." Autant de connerie et amateurisme : ça me ferait presque chialer ! Quand on ne connait pas : on demande à un spécialiste, ou on ne dit rien ! C'est mieux...

[Nevermind2b]

En l'occurrence, ce n'est pas du petite article (une news plus qu'une critique) dont on parle mais de la référence au mouvement californien "Paisley Underground".
J'aurais peut-être du être plus précis dans ma réponde à Greghost mais ça me paraissait clair…
Et je le redis, cette référence ne me semble pas du tout "pompeuse" puisque ayant lu beaucoup de livres sur Prince (dont celui sur Dickens et Prince de Nick Hornby), je n'avais pas mémoire de celle-ci et le renvoi de Gaspard* vers l'article du Guardian m'a bien éclairé sur cette influence évoqué par le journaliste de Libé.
Et m'a donné du coup, probablement, l'explication du choix pour son label et ses studios du nom de "Paisley Park"…

*Je lui renouvelle mes remerciements.

[Victor761993]

When Doves Cry et Purple Rain avec une place de choix dans le dernier épisode (S05E08) de la série Stranger Things sur Netflix.

[Jul3s]

"Since the episode debuted on New Year’s Eve, “Purple Rain” has seen a 243 percent increase in Spotify global streams and a 577 percent surge in global Gen-Z streams specifically, Variety can exclusively reveal. “When Doves Cry” also saw a 200 percent boost in global streams, as well as a 128 percent increase in Gen Z streams."

D'après Variety
https://variety.com/2026/film/news/stra ... 236622700/

[Greghost]

En voyant ce qu'ils avaient fait avec Kate Bush l'an dernier je m'étais dit c'est dommage que ...

Ils ont fait coup double.
Y'a que comme ça (film, pubs,...) que la musique de Prince peut être connue et régulièrement entendue. C'est dommage mais nous sommes dans l'artificial âge.

[daviddu13]

bien d'accord avec toi Greghost

[daviddu13]

Cela étant dit, c'est bien si des jeunes découvrent la musique de Prince, tant mieux pour eux

[Gaspard Elliott]

‘Stranger Things’ and Prince: The Complicated Road to Bringing ‘When Doves Cry’ and ‘Purple Rain’ to the Show’s Finale
Variety
Jan 2, 2026

Securing the rights to use a song in film or TV is a challenging and expensive task — and the more iconic the song, the more challenging and expensive the clearance is likely to be.

So when two of Prince’s most legendary songs, “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain,” appeared in the finale of “Stranger Things,” it was obvious that therein lay a tale. And the tale is even more complicated than virtually anyone would have thought.

Why? Not only because of the challenges in clearing the songs with the Prince estate — but because of the show’s plot: The two songs required for that segment of the show had to be the first and last songs on one side of a single vinyl album, which, to use a reference from the show, is like a Rubik’s Cube for the music supervisor, and much more challenging than selecting Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” or any of the show’s many other iconic music moments.

The hard work paid off: Since the episode debuted on New Year’s Eve, “Purple Rain” has seen a 243 percent increase in Spotify global streams and a 577 percent surge in global Gen-Z streams specifically, Variety can exclusively reveal. “When Doves Cry” also saw a 200 percent boost in global streams, as well as a 128 percent increase in Gen Z streams.

And as you’ll see below, Nora Felder, president of Picture Music Company and a veteran music supervisor who has been on board for the entirety of “Stranger Things,” was more than up to the task — which doesn’t mean it was easy! Variety caught up with Felder on Friday afternoon to find out how she got it done …

Did you do anything special for the finale?

Yes, I saw it in a theater with my family — I’ve never seen “Stranger Things” like that, with an audience. It was the first time I was able to really experience how they’re so emotionally attached to the characters — they were cheering and shrieking, some of them were crying. I can’t think of another way I would rather have seen it.

I think the music in the show does so well because it stems from the fans being so attached to the characters and the stories, and the music extends their journeys, so they naturally become attached to it as well.

Music plays a bigger role in “Stranger Things” than a lot of similar episodic shows or films. Was that intentional from the jump?

I think the intention was just to find songs to push the narrative of the story, and rolling up our sleeves and keying in on “What is the right song for this character?” and “What is the right song for each moment? Should this be score or a song?” I can’t speak on behalf of the Duffers, but I don’t think there was an overall sense of “We’re going to create something that’s going to make music such a main character that it’s going to blow up all over their world!” No, they just wanted songs that accented their characters, pushed the narrative, and showed the attachment of music to the characters — and how music can sometimes save you.

Did we know the Clash was going to have a moment? Or Kate Bush or Metallica, or possibly what’s going on now? No, it’s always been about what is the most effective choice to either move this narrative or represent the true essence of this character. And I think that because we always constantly stayed true to that, the show became what it was.

Those two Prince songs were a surprise, and I’m sure it was a challenge clearing them. Why those songs? And how do you think they spoke to those moments in the show?

I’m glad you say “do you think” because songs can be interpreted in so many different ways. But they came about in a similar way to Kate Bush and “Running Up That Hill”: They were not scripted. They were “TBD” moments in the two spots in the script where a song needed to play: [SPOILER ALERT] for the scene when Hopper and Murray set off the bomb detonation to collapse the Upside Down gate, which was set off from the record player. So it needed to be the first song from one side of a [vinyl album], and then it needed to segue to the last song on that same side of the [same album], to play through Eleven’s emotional stand against that leads into the collapsing dimension of the Upside Down. So they needed to hit those two spots.

The Duffers reached out to me about this before the scene was shot — I didn’t even have a shooting schedule, I think they had just written the script and only the cast had seen it. They’d been going through songs, I think they were asking for ideas from the cast. And they said, “This one is a little more tricky because of the way the scenes are going to be set up: We need something preferably from 1987 — but it could be from before — the songs have to be from the same artist; and the first song has to start the A or B-side of an album by that artist, and the second song has to end the A or B side of that album.

That is an incredibly narrow window!

Exactly! So my heart stopped, like, ooh, that’s a tough one. And remember, the scene’s not shot yet, so I haven’t seen the footage and this is just me imagining it in my head — and it’s got to play through this big, emotional, sad scene that’ll lead into a dimension collapsing! I’ve been doing this for 20 years, but there’s still always a first.

Obviously I have various ways of finding music: Sometimes songs just pop into my head — and I know the ‘80s quite well — sometimes it’s just e-surfing, Spotify or streaming this or that; sometimes it’s just driving in a car and somebody drives by with a song playing; and I also have 15,000 or 20,000 CDs and albums. But for this one, I needed to go to my research books. I found a couple that listed the albums [by side], and I literally had to go and flip through the book for ideas and then see if the first and last tracks on a side could line up to our needs. And in a lot of cases, they just didn’t. I mean, I stayed up all night, and I think I came up with just two ideas.

Just to step away from Prince for a second, in these situations, I like to give the Duffers a lot of different flavors to choose from to find what works best. Like in the scene where [SPOILER ALERT] Karen is fighting the monster to save Holly, I tried all kinds of songs, from Frank Sinatra to you name it, and they fell in love with the ABBA song, “Fernando,” which was actually the first song I sent them.

So what was the other album you sent them, along with Prince’s “Purple Rain”?

Part of me doesn’t want to say what it is, because I don’t want people to feel bad. But I did send a classic artist from the ‘70s, big artists, and I said, “We could end it with this, but I’m not sure about the starting song — and honestly, I don’t even know if those guys will clear it, and it’s going to cost megabucks.”

Or, I said, “We could end it with ‘Purple Rain’ and start with ‘When Doves Cry’ — but honestly, I don’t even know if I can clear it.” I mean, I had not heard of [“Purple Rain”] clearing before, although I know now that it did clear for something right after Prince died [in 2016] — there was a relationship with someone who did a [“Black-ish”] series episode about a character mourning Prince’s death, but that was a one-off situation.

So the Duffers wrote back to me and said, “Do you think we could get this cleared?” And I’m like gulp, “I’m really not sure, but I’d be willing to try.” And they said, let’s try. Double gulp! Because this means they really want it — they weren’t having me clear anything else.

The good news is, I majored in English in college, and that helped with creating what I call “theses”: where you give the rights owners all the information of how the song’s going to be used, and the backstory of it, the meaning of it — Jennifer Barron, my clearance coordinator, and I went deep on this one. So we spoke to Marty Silverstone at Primary Wave. He goes, “Well, we all know it’s a tough one, but let’s try.” I said, “If there’s anything that they might clear it for, it would be ‘Stranger Things,’ right?” He goes, “Let’s hope!,” because the estate has so many approvals.

Then I talked to Joy Murphy at Universal Music Publishing [which administers the songs’ publishing], and she said the same thing — “Nora, let’s give it a try, we’ll do everything we can to position this in the right way.” So that was two. Then I had Thuy Lam at Warner Records — which controls the master [recording] — who I’d been down this road before with Kate Bush, and she said, “We support this.” And then we waited — that was grueling, and it took a few weeks — we were getting closer to shooting and so the Duffers made a plan to shoot the scenes in a way where the song could be added later. But shortly after that, I got the answer that [the Prince tracks were approved.]

Now, I know the Duffers feel that Prince’s estate cleared the songs because of Kate Bush, and I’m sure that had something to do with it, as the parties reminded them of the impact the show had with “Running Up That Hill.” And I did tell them I thought this was going to be one of the most significant moments in the season, although no one has a crystall ball. But still, for the rights owners, it’s not just about the money, it’s about what lines up with what Prince would have wanted, and to do it in the most respectful manner possible. As we do with the trickier clearances, I do believe the hard work we put into the “theses” made sure everyone fully understood these uses and what they meant to the characters.

For “Running Up That Hill,” though, there were hundreds of other songs that could have worked, you didn’t need songs that began and ended an album side.

Yeah, for [the Kate Bush slot], I had 9 or 10 other songs in my pocket — but I said, “This is the best one. This does everything we want it to do.” I don’t think it could have been [as good with] anything else — because the lyrical content lined up so perfectly with what the characters were going through and needed to do. You know, they needed to step outside of their own world and step into someone else’s shoes to truly understand and reconnect. I’m not saying we couldn’t have gotten something else, but I don’t know if it would have lined up as perfectly, not only with the melodic structure in the building, but also with the intricate message that seemed to speak on a deeper level and relate to our characters.

Also, those two Prince songs are so heavily associated with the “Purple Rain” film and the emotions and visuals that go with it — was that a concern?

No, not for me, and the Duffers never mentioned that. We’ve never been against using songs that have been tied to other stories because this is a completely different, unique story. And again, going back to the special relationship that the fans have with this show, once you attach it to their characters and this story, it’s almost as if it takes on a different meaning. And remember, a lot of the young people are not going to have that association. Even the older people that knew and grew up with these songs, they’re listening to it in a different way.

They kind of line up in that way as well, because “Purple Rain” is obviously the climax of that film, and here it’s part of the climax.

Yeah, when things are beginning to be resolved and [SPOILER ALERT] Eleven has made her decision that she needs to cease existing in order to save them. And “When Doves Cry” — doves have always represented love and peace, right? And in this case, they’re crying because they’re sorrowful — if we want to get heavy here, and pretend we just smoked some pot together (laughter).

But from what I’ve always understood, the song is about the conflicts that exist within relationships, right? So to me, it was interesting to put the song in that spot, because they’re feeling hopeful, but things aren’t resolved — their mission is not done; there’s still people in danger; the world is not one. So even though the song has a kind of a lightness to it, I think that’s why it worked well. And “Purple Rain” has always symbolized the chaotic, sad world that we live in, but it’s also ultimately about redemption, love, and transformation.

[Marty Silverstone, President of Global Sync at Primary Wave Music, tells Variety: “We’re thrilled that we could play a part in bringing these very special uses to life and have Prince’s music included in the phenomenon that is ‘Stranger Things.’ You have to admire the unique connection the show has with its fanbase, its brilliant music curation over its entire run, and its spotlight on the cosmic importance of music in the lives of young people, and all people!”]

OK, can I guess the other one you considered? Led Zeppelin? The Eagles?

No, it wasn’t the Eagles. And I’m not going to say Led Zeppelin didn’t come up — I tried Led Zeppelin, but it didn’t work because I was thinking “Stairway to Heaven” and it wasn’t a first [song on album side] and a last situation. And I thought maybe Pink Floyd with “The Wall,” but I can’t remember if the right song was an ending or not. I don’t know how many times I went through this: One song would work and the other one wouldn’t. I mean, that’s why I stayed up all night with my books!

Are you having separation anxiety now that the show is over?

I’m sad, but I’m about to go into “Yellowjackets” right now, literally on Monday. And I love that show. And I’m working on the Duffer Brothers’ other project that they’re executive-producing, “The Boroughs,” that’s coming out this year. And then we’ll see about after that! I really want to take some time and find something really special to work on.

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/stra ... 236622700/

[Gaspard Elliott]

Apollonia Kotero : « Prince serait horrifié » par sa succession
Rolling Stone
21/01/2026

Apollonia Kotero, dans un nouveau dossier judiciaire, affirme que deux mois avant la mort de Prince par overdose, ce dernier était « inflexible » sur le fait qu’elle devait continuer à utiliser et à se produire sous son nom.
Apollonia Kotero affirme que Prince n’a jamais voulu lui causer le moindre chagrin, et que sa succession ne devrait pas le faire non plus.

Dans une nouvelle déclaration déposée vendredi dans le cadre de son procès devant le tribunal fédéral, le mannequin et actrice connue sous le nom d’Apollonia Kotero affirme que Prince était « inflexible » lors d’une rencontre en face à face deux mois avant sa mort : elle devait continuer à utiliser et à se produire sous le nom qu’il lui avait donné pour jouer son amoureuse dans le film emblématique de 1984, Purple Rain.

Apollonia, 66 ans, déclare que Susan Moonsie, une autre membre du groupe féminin Apollonia 6 que Prince avait formé après la sortie du film, était avec elle lors de la réunion du 28 février 2016. Cette rencontre a eu lieu immédiatement après le concert Piano and a Microphone de Prince à Oakland, en Californie.

« Au cours de nos conversations ce soir-là, Prince était inflexible sur le fait que nous devions poursuivre nos projets tels que les performances musicales, le merchandising et les projets audiovisuels, et qu’il voulait que nous utilisions toutes les deux nos marques Apollonia et Apollonia 6 afin de pouvoir gagner notre vie, rester créatives et être financièrement en sécurité dans nos dernières années », a écrit Apollonia, née Patricia Kotero.

Une bataille pour l’identité
Kotero, qui poursuit désormais la succession, affirme que Prince n’a jamais déposé la marque de ce nom de son vivant. Par conséquent, la société de la succession, Paisley Park Enterprises (PPE), a dépassé les bornes lorsqu’elle a pris le contrôle de la marque Apollonia en juin dernier et a cherché à annuler ses autres enregistrements et demandes lors d’une procédure auprès de l’Office américain des brevets et des marques (USPTO). Kotero demande maintenant au tribunal de rejeter la demande de la succession visant à faire annuler son procès.

« La vérité est qu’aucun de ces litiges n’aurait eu lieu si Prince était encore en vie », a-t-elle écrit dans sa déclaration déposée vendredi. « Il serait horrifié par la conduite inappropriée de PPE et par les efforts de PPE pour usurper ses souhaits. Je ne fais pas confiance à PPE, et j’ai peur que si PPE parvient à atteindre son objectif de me prendre les marques Apollonia, mon identité sera perdue, mes droits seront diminués, mes affaires seront interrompues et je serai incapable d’utiliser les marques Apollonia sans répercussion de la part de PPE. »

Kotero a déposé sa plainte pour la première fois en août, affirmant qu’elle avait « célèbrement joué » dans Purple Rain, et que Prince avait « consenti et encouragé » son utilisation du nom de son personnage avant son overdose accidentelle de fentanyl en avril 2016, à l’âge de 57 ans. Elle a affirmé qu’il était « hautement probable » que la succession la poursuive pour contrefaçon de marque si elle l’emportait dans ses efforts auprès de l’office des marques ; elle a donc demandé au tribunal une déclaration judiciaire confirmant qu’elle a droit à son nom et à ses marques.

La réponse de la succession
Dans un communiqué publié sur le compte Instagram officiel de Prince en août dernier, la succession a déclaré qu’elle avait le droit de « protéger et préserver les actifs et l’héritage de Prince ». Le communiqué indiquait que la succession avait tenté à plusieurs reprises de résoudre le différend en privé et affirmait également avoir offert à Kotero de multiples opportunités de se produire à Paisley Park.

Dans une motion de rejet du procès déposée le 13 octobre, la succession a réitéré qu’elle n’avait aucune intention d’empêcher Kotero d’utiliser le nom. « Le défendeur n’a jamais menacé de poursuivre la plaignante, ne lui a jamais demandé de cesser d’utiliser son nom de scène adopté, ni ne lui a jamais demandé de cesser l’une de ses activités commerciales », indique la motion obtenue par Rolling Stone. La succession a fait valoir que la question de la propriété devrait être résolue par l’office des marques, et non par le tribunal.

Le conflit autour de la comédie musicale
Dans une plainte modifiée, Kotero a déclaré qu’elle pensait que la succession tentait de s’assurer le contrôle d’Apollonia pour des projets tels que la comédie musicale Purple Rain montée au State Theater de Minneapolis, avant une éventuelle exploitation à Broadway. Elle a cité une image promotionnelle de la production montrant l’actrice Rachel Webb avec le nom « APOLLONIA » imprimé bien en évidence. Kotero a déclaré que l’image violait son droit à l’image (right of publicity).

« Les défendeurs n’ont pas l’autorité pour permettre à un tiers d’utiliser le nom, l’image, la voix, la ressemblance ou d’autres indices d’identité de la plaignante, y compris la ressemblance de la plaignante issue du film original », indique son dossier.

La succession a rétorqué que l’utilisation du nom sous une photographie d’une autre actrice dans des supports publicitaires était insuffisante pour soutenir une réclamation légale. « La plaignante a seulement allégué que le défendeur a utilisé le nom d’un personnage de Purple Rain, un film dans lequel la plaignante est apparue précédemment », a soutenu la succession dans sa motion de rejet.

« Nous sommes très confiants qu’Apollonia l’emportera pour protéger son nom », déclare l’avocat de Kotero, Daniel M. Cislo, à Rolling Stone. Les avocats de la succession n’ont pas répondu immédiatement à une demande de commentaire vendredi. Une audience sur la motion de rejet de la succession est prévue pour le 13 février.

Après être devenue célèbre grâce à Purple Rain, Kotero a fait des tournées internationales pour promouvoir le film et son tube « Sex Shooter ». Elle et Prince sont devenus des « amis pour la vie », indique son procès, et elle a coécrit le tube des Bangles de 1986, « Manic Monday », avec lui. Elle a également assuré les chœurs sur la chanson de Prince « Take Me With You », en utilisant son nom de scène. En 1985, elle est devenue une habituée de la série télévisée Falcon Crest, utilisant à nouveau le nom Apollonia. Son album solo éponyme est sorti en 1988.

Prince n’avait ni testament ni enfants à sa mort, ce qui a conduit à une bataille complexe pour ses actifs. Ses six frères et sœurs ont finalement hérité de parts égales dans sa succession.

https://www.rollingstone.fr/apollonia-k ... rple-rain/