Sleep with Prince, Part 2
Summary:
In this episode, we hop in the DeLorean and cruise back to the early ‘90s to bask in the purple glow of The Artist Formerly Known as Prince—yes, that’s the unpronounceable symbol guy your parents warned you about. We're talking 1991 to 1996, a transformative stretch where Prince dropped bangers like Diamonds and Pearls, gave the record label execs a collective migraine with his name change, and basically redefined what it meant to be a musical rebel without a pause.
We break down the high notes, the wild wardrobe choices, and the kind of creative genius that made the rest of us wonder if we should just stick to our day jobs. Prince wasn’t just ahead of his time—he broke time, rearranged it, and added a killer guitar solo.
So grab your Walkman, light some incense (or at least pretend to), and let this episode be your chill soundtrack to remembering a legend who didn’t just play by his own rules—he rewrote them in purple ink with a heart-shaped quill.
Don't miss our first episode featuring Prince.
Show Notes:
Gen X Hearts Prince – The Bold, the Purple, and the Unpronounceable
Let’s rewind to a time when flannel was in, mixtapes were sacred, and Prince was busy blowing our collective minds—again. In this episode, we dive deep into the wild, genre-bending ride that was Prince’s evolution from the early to mid-'90s. We're talking Diamonds and Pearls, The Gold Experience, and all the brilliance in between. If you remember staying up to watch MTV just hoping they’d play “7” or “My Name Is Prince,” this one’s for you.
This wasn’t just Prince making music—this was Prince waging an artistic rebellion in real time. From his legendary (and let’s be honest, delightfully petty) war with Warner Bros. to the moment he changed his name to a symbol and made every music journalist collectively lose their minds, Prince was showing us what it looked like to fight for creative control with style, sass, and a gold lamé jumpsuit.
We break down each album, track the twists and turns, and sprinkle in some behind-the-scenes stories that’ll make you nod, laugh, and maybe throw on your old raspberry beret. Also, yes—we talk about the eyeliner. Because of course we do.
Bottom line: This isn’t just a podcast episode. It’s a love letter from one Gen Xer to another, honoring the artist who taught us that being fabulous, bold, and unapologetically yourself was the real path to greatness. Blouses win. 💜
Takeaways:
- This podcast episode explores the profound impact of Prince's music on the Gen X generation, highlighting his enduring influence on contemporary culture.
- Listeners are encouraged to allow the soothing narratives about musicians to wash over them, facilitating relaxation and promoting restful sleep.
- The episode emphasizes the significance of repetition in listening, which can condition the mind to associate these stories with a tranquil state conducive to slumber.
- Prince's illustrious career is recounted, including his groundbreaking albums and cultural milestones that define his legacy in the music industry.
- The hosts articulate the importance of a good night's sleep, reminding listeners that their time dedicated to rest is both deserved and necessary.
- Throughout the episode, listeners are reminded that the podcast serves as a calming backdrop, rather than a source of entertainment, allowing for peaceful disengagement from the day's stresses.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Warner Bros.
- EMI
- Sony BMG
- NPG Records
- Billmark Records
- Columbia
- Universal Music
- HM Publishing
- Nature Publishing Group
Recommended If You Like:
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Transcript
Welcome to Sleep With Rockstars, the Gen X Sleep Podcast because you deserve a.
Speaker B:Good night's sleep or whatever.
Speaker A:I'm Sloane Spencer. In each Sleep With Rockstars Sleep podcast.
Speaker C:I will read from Wikipedia about your.
Speaker B:Favorite Gen X musicians and bands.
Speaker A:If this podcast helps you relax and fall asleep, please leave a five star.
Speaker C:Rating and a kind review in your favorite podcast app. You may find that the more you listen, the more your mind will begin.
Speaker A:To associate these stories with sleep. So feel free to return to each.
Speaker C:Episode again and again. Repetition can help create a signal to.
Speaker A:Your brain that it's time to rest. And if the musical act isn't your.
Speaker C:Favorite, that's perfectly okay. You don't need to pay close attention.
Speaker A:Instead, let the words wash over you.
Speaker C:Let their rhythm and softness lull you, not for interest, but for sleep. You're not here to be entertained, you're here to let go. Now let your breath guide you deeper into stillness. Take a moment to settle in.
Gently close your eyes and let your body begin to rest. There's nowhere you need to be, nothing you need to do. This is your time.
Speaker A:A time to let go of the day.
Speaker C:Unwind and allow your mind to slow down with each breath in, invite, calm with each breath out, release the tension.
Speaker A:As your body begins to soften into.
Speaker C:The surface beneath you, imagine a gentle wave of warmth from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes, carrying away the weight of the day. This evening I will Read about Prince.
Speaker B: through: ,:Get off peaked at number 21 on the Hot 106 on the R and B charts, followed by Cream, which gave Prince his fifth US 1 single. The title track, Diamonds and Pearls became the album's third single, reaching number three on the hot hundred and the top spot on the RB charts.
n the United States alone. In:Agreeing to what was reportedly a $100 million deal to release six more albums with the label.
In November, Prince released his 14th studio album, the second to feature the New Power Generation and bore only an unpronounceable symbol on the COVID Later Copyrighted as Love Symbol 2 as its title, the symbol is explained as being a combination of the symbols for male and female. It was preceded by the releases of Sexy MF and My Name Is Prince, which reached number 66 and 36 respectively on the Billboard Billboard Hot Hundred.
The third single, Seven, would peak at number seven.
The album, later referred to as Love Symbol, peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and went on to sell 2.8 million copies worldwide, falling short of expectations.
In: Speaker A:With a custom font.
Speaker B:At this time, Prince was often referred to as the Artist, formerly known as Prince or the Artist. That same year, Warner Bros. Released a greatest hits compilation with the three disc the Hits the B sides.
In:The collection features the majority of Prince's hit singles and several previously hard to find recordings, including B sides from across Prince's career and previously unreleased tracks such as the Revolution recorded Power Fantastic and a live recording of Nothing Compares to youo with Rosie Gaines. Two new songs, Pink Cashmere and Peach, were chosen as promotional singles.
In:Prince began to release albums in quick succession as a means of releasing himself from his contractual obligations to Warner Bros. This led to the previously aborted Black Album being given a limited official release seven years after its initial recording.
Prince pushed to have his next two albums come and the Gold Experience released simultaneously. Warner Bros. Accepted both albums, but delayed the release of the Gold Experience fearing market saturation.
t be released until September: ming with Prince's catalog in: album was not released until: sed number of albums to them.:Prince attempted a major comeback later that year with the release of Emancipation, a 36 song 3 CD set. Each disc was exactly 60 minutes long.
The album was released via his own NPG Records with distribution through EMI to publish his songs on Emancipation. Prince did not use controversy music ASCAP.
Speaker A:Which he had used for all his.
Speaker B: Records since: hit song of: Speaker A:I Love youe written by Tom Bell and William Hart.
Speaker B: ion of unreleased material in:These pre orders were delivered months after the record had gone on sale in retail stores. The retail edition has only four discs as it is missing the Kama Sutra disk. There are also two different packaging editions for retail.
One is a four disc size jewel case with a white cover and the love symbol in a colored circle while the other contains all four discs and a round translucent snap jewel case. The discs are the same as is the CD jacket. The new Power Soul album was released three months later.
House and Larry Graham's GCS: Speaker A:The same time as New Power Soul.
Speaker B:Were promoted by live appearances on Vibe with Sinbad and the NBC Today Show Summer concert series.
In:The concert featured appearances by guest musicians including Lenny Kravitz, George Clinton, Jimmy Russell and the time it was released to home video the following year.
Musicology in:In a press conference, he stated that after being freed from undesirable relationships associated with the name Prince, he would revert to using his real name. Nevertheless, Prince continued to use the symbol as a logo in an album artwork and to play a love symbol shaped guitar for several years.
re Raven to the Joy Fantastic: y successful singles from the:The 3 CD box set also includes a disc of after show music entitled It Ain't Over.
During this time, Prince sought to engage more effectively with his fan base via the NPG Music Club, pre concert sound checks, and at yearly celebrations at Paisley park, his music studios. Fans were invited into the studio for tours, interviews, discussions and music listening sessions.
,:In a performance that opened the show, they performed a medley of Purple Rain, let's Go Crazy Baby, I'm a Star and Beyonce's Crazy in Love. The following month, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame.
along with big boy and Andre:During the ceremony, Prince also participated in a tribute to fellow inductee George Harrison in a rendering of Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps, playing a two minute guitar solo that ended the song. He also performed the song Red House as Purple house on the album Power of A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix.
In April:The US chart success was assisted by the CDs being included as part of the concert ticket purchase, thereby qualifying each CD as chart rules then stood to count towards US chart placement. Three months later, Spin named him the greatest frontman of all time.
in:Musicology went on to receive two Grammy wins for Best Male RB Vocal Performance for Call My Name and Best Traditional RB Vocal Performance for the title track. Musicology was also nominated for Best RB Song and Best RB Album, and Cinnamon Girl was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Rolling Stone ranked Prince 27 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
In April:The first single was Teomo Corazon, the video for which was directed by actress Salma Hayek and filmed in Marrakech, Morocco, featuring Argentine actress and singer Mia Maestro. The video for the second single Black Sweat was nominated at the MDV VMAs for best cinematography.
The immediate success of: ,: ll exclusively online in July:A lawsuit was filed against Prince by the British company HM Publishing, owners of the Nature Publishing Group, also npg. Despite these events occurring on the same day, Prince's attorney stated that the site did not close due to the trademark dispute.
multiple award ceremonies in: , he performed at the: In: Also in: Speaker A:Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino.
Speaker B: d Saturday nights until April: hit animated film Happy Feet: and Hugh Jackman. In January: ,: Speaker A: Wiki Prince Musician: oncluded with purple rain. In: Speaker B:Super bowl performance ever.
Speaker A: during the Earth Tour in mid-:Prince's residency at the O2 arena was increased to 15 nights. After all, 140,000 tickets to the original seven sold out in 20 minutes before it was even then further extended to 21 nights.
erformed with Sheila E at the:The Mail on Sunday stated that it had made a deal to give Prince's new album Planet Earth away for free with the paper, making it the first place in the world to get the album.
This move sparked controversy amongst music distributors and also led the UK arm of Prince's distributor Sony BMG to withdraw from distributing the album in UK stores. The UK's largest high street music retailer, HMV, stocked the paper on release day due to the giveaway.
,: Speaker B: To promote his new perfume: Speaker A: in the film purple rain since: From: ,: ,: case out of court in February: In October: Speaker B:Prince gave them a CD with four.
Speaker A:Songs to premiere on their radio station.
,:On January 31, Prince released two more songs on Lotusflower.com Disco Jellyfish and Another Boy, Chocolate Fox, Colonized Mind and All this Love were later released on the website.
,: ,:On October 24, Prince played a concert at Paisley Park.
-: port of independent radio. In:He released a new single on Minneapolis St. Paul radio station 89.3, the current called Hot Summer on June 7, his 52nd birthday.
ared on the COVID of the July: ,:The second leg began on October 15 and ended with a concert following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 14th.
ends from the new album album: ,:On the same day, it was reported that he had not authorized the television show Glee to cover his hit K in an episode that had already been filmed.
,: ,: In January:The final two dates of the first leg of the tour were in Minneapolis.
Speaker B:St. Paul where former Revolution drummer Bobby.
Speaker A:Z sat in as guest drummer on both shows. In May, Prince announced a deal with Cobalt Music to market and distribute his music.
Speaker B: ,: Speaker A:New solo single for Download through the thirdeyegirl.com website.
s impersonation of him from a: Speaker B:Hit and Run Tour, beginning with intimate shows.
Speaker A:The first was held at the London home of singer Leanne Le Havas, followed.
Speaker B:By two performances of what Prince described.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker B:He resigned with his former label Warner Bros. Records after an 18 year split.
Speaker A: uxe edition of purple rain in: In February:Many of these shows would only be announced on the day of the concert, and many of these concerts involved two performances, a matinee and an evening show. These shows began at Camden's Electric Ballroom.
Speaker B:Billed as sound checks and spread throughout.
Speaker A: other European cities. In May: Speaker B:And Run Part 2 shows, which followed.
Speaker A: held in music arenas. Spring: Speaker B:Restrictions of mainstream record companies.
Speaker A: In May: Speaker B:In tribute to Gray and in support.
Speaker A:Of the protesters in that city.
He also held a tribute concert for Gray at his Paisley park estate called Dance Rally for Peace, in which he encouraged fans to wear the color gray in honor of Freddie Gray.
Speaker B:On May 10, he performed a special.
Speaker A:Concert at the Royal Farms arena in Baltimore called Rally for Peace, which featured.
Speaker B:A special appearance by Baltimore State's Attorney.
Speaker A:Marilyn Mosby and One Set performed with.
Speaker B:Prince alone at a keyboard.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker B:Title before being released on CD and.
Speaker A: ,: In February: Paisley park in late January: Speaker B:The Australian and New Zealand legs of.
Speaker A:The tour were played in small capacity venues including the Sydney Opera House. Hit and run phase 2 CDs were.
Speaker B:Distributed to every attendee after each performance.
Speaker A: cut short by illness in April: Speaker B:Cities specialist in family medicine, in Excelsior.
Speaker A: ,:The venue released a statement saying he had influenza.
Speaker B:He rescheduled and performed what was to.
Speaker A:Be his final show on April 14 despite still not feeling well.
While flying back for the Twin Cities early the next morning, he became unresponsive and his private jet made an emergency landing at Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Illinois, where he was hospitalized and received naloxone, a medication used to block the effects of opioids, especially following an overdose. Once he became conscious, he left against medical advice. Representatives said he was dehydrated and had influenza for several weeks.
Prince was seen cycling the next day in his hometown of Chanhassen.
He shopped that evening at the Electric Fetus in Minneapolis for record store day and made a brief appearance at an impromptu dance party at his Paisley park recording studio complex, stating that he was feeling fine. On April 19, he attended a performance by singer Liz Wright at the Dakota jazz club.
,:On April 21, at 9:43am The Carver County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call requesting an ambulance be sent to Prince's home at Paisley Park.
The caller initially told the dispatcher that an unidentified person at the home was unconscious, then moments later said he was dead and finally identified the person as Prince.
Speaker B:The caller was Kornfeld's son, who had.
Speaker A:Flown in with buprenorphine that morning to devise a treatment plan for opioid addiction. Emergency responders found Prince unresponsive in an elevator and performed cpr, but a paramedic said he had already been dead for.
Speaker B:At least six hours and they were.
Speaker A: . They pronounced him dead at:A press release from The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office in Anoka county on June.
Speaker B:2 stated that Prince had died of.
Speaker A:An accidental overdose of fentanyl at the age of 57. The fentanyl that led to his overdose was in counterfeit pills made to look like a generic version of the painkiller hydrocodone paracetamol.
The question of how and from what source Prince obtained the drug was the subject of investigations by several law enforcement agencies. A sealed search warrant was issued for his estate and another unsealed search warrant was issued for the local Walgreens Pharmacy.
,: Speaker B:Attorney announced that the multi agency investigation.
Speaker A:Had ended with no criminal charges filed. The investigation did reveal that Prince was addicted to opioids. Following an autopsy performed by a. Quinn.
Speaker B:Strobel, Prince's remains were cremated.
Speaker A: ,: Speaker B:To open a probate case stating that.
Speaker A:No will had been found as of his death. The twice divorced Prince was neither married nor known to have fathered any surviving children.
Under Minnesota law, the absence of a will meant that in addition to his full sister, Prince's five half siblings also had a claim to an estate totaling millions of dollars in cash as well as real estate, stocks and cars.
Speaker B:Within three weeks of his death, 700.
Speaker A:People claimed to be half siblings or descendants.
Bremer Trust was given temporary control of his estate, had his vault drilled open, and was authorized to obtain blood sample for DNA profiling from the coroner who had performed the autopsy.
Speaker B:Prince's ashes were placed into a custom.
Speaker A:3D printed urn shaped like the Paisley park estate.
isley park complex in October: Speaker B: gs, it was reported in August: Speaker A:Filings in the Minnesota First Judicial District ordered that the cash in Prince's state Filings in the Minnesota First Judicial District.
Speaker B:Ordered that the cash in Prince's estate.
Speaker A:Be evenly split between Prince Legacy LLC and Prince Oat holdings llc. Remembrances and Reactions Numerous musicians and cultural figures reacted to Prince's death.
President Obama mourned him, and the United States Senate passed a resolution praising his achievements as a musician, composer, innovator and cultural icon. Cities across the US Held tributes and vigils and lit buildings, bridges and other structures in purple.
In the first five hours after the media reported his death, Prince was the top trending, most used term on Twitter and Facebook had 61 million prince related interactions. MTV interrupted its programming to air a marathon of Prince music videos and Purple Rain.
AMC theaters and Carmack Cinemas screened Purple Rain in select theaters. Over the following week, Saturday Night Live aired an episode in his honor titled Goodnight Sweet Prince, featuring his performances from the show.
Nielsen Music reported that sales of his materials spiked 42,000%.
The artist's catalog sold 4.41 million albums and songs from April 21 to 28, with five albums simultaneously in the top 10 of Billboard 200, a first in the chart's history. At the 59th Grammy Awards, Morris Day with the Time and Bruno Mars performed a tribute.
,:It celebrated the star's life and achievements with new photography and archive articles, including the original Vanity fair article from November.
Speaker C:1984, written in the wake of the.
Speaker A:Singer songwriter's breakout success, with other content from the magazine, the New Yorker, Wired, and Pitchfork. The COVID of the Genius of Prince featured a portrait by Andy warhol.
Orange Prince: In: ,: ,:
