Month: July 2024

On July 27^th,1984 Prince’s landmark movie “Purple Rain” opened in theaters.  I was there for that first night premiere, but I need to share some back story first.

Motorcycle riding Prince posing for his movie’s poster.

I got into Prince’s music in 1981 when I started on the air at Elmhurst College’s radio station WRSE, 88.7 on your FM dial.  College radio played lots of off the main roads music and that’s when I was introduced to and started spinning Prince tunes like “Controversy” and my personal favorite, “When You Were Mine.” 

In the fall of 1982, Prince’s double album “1999” came out.  Leading with the M-TV favorite “Little Red Corvette” along with the title track and songs like “Delirious” and “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” I was all over that set of songs.  So were millions of other music fans. 

A month after “1999’s” release, Michael Jackson’s mega hits album “Thriller” came out.  This is when the whole “Who’s better, Prince or Michael Jackson?” debates began.  I liked Michael’s music but I preferred Prince.  That Prince/Michael debate continues to this day.

Fast forward to June of 1984- Prince released the “Purple Rain” album with the lead single “When Doves Cry.”  “Doves” was another huge video hit on M-TV showing the lady killing star naked in a bathtub.  

Prince in his video for the single “When Doves Cry.”

My dear friend and mentor, Lee Swanson was a massive Michael Jackson fan but thanks to my urging, he was beginning to explore Prince’s music.  This brings us to late July and the opening night of the “Purple Rain” movie.  Lee and I were all in and showed up early to get tickets to the 7:00 showing at the Hillside Square Movie Theater.  This cinema had 4 screens which preceded the whole 20 screens googolplexes theaters that would come out in a few years.

Lee and I took seats in the last row of the center section and were totally into the film from the opening scene of Prince and the Revolution performing, “Let’s Go Crazy” to the final song of the film, “Baby I’m a Star.”  “Purple Rain” was a perfect mix of great music, family and backstage drama and even goofy humor, thanks to Morris Day of The Time. 

Seeing the buxom bare chest of Prince protege “Apollonia” in the scene at the lake was fine by us too.  This movie had a little bit for everyone and was a huge hit across the country and established Prince as a major music and now movie star.

Apolonia, about to jump into Lake Minnetonka.

Our theater was oversold and a group of folks had to stand in the aisle behind our last row seats for the whole film.  At one point, some of these moviegoers started talking loudly and yelling back at the screen. I wanted to focus on the dialog and was getting annoyed.  Finally, I turned to these yakkers and told them to shut up.  Lee quickly elbowed me in the ribs and whispered, “We’re the only white guys in this whole place!” He was right but those who gabbed DID quiet down.  (Me shouting down those loud movie goers was like what George Costanza did to some goofs in a “Seinfeld” episode titled “The  Opposite.”)

Like George Costanza would do years later on ‘Seinfeld’, I had to quiet down some rowdy talkers during “Purple Rain.”

Witnessing “Purple Rain” on the big screen, Lee Swanson fully appreciated the musical genius and appeal of Prince.  He loved Michael but ended up being almost as devoted to the purple clothed guitar slinging dude from Minneapolis.  Later in 1984, Lee was one of the first of us to see Prince in concert.

In fact, Lee got so into Prince, a few years later he dragged me and some friends out to see Prince’s bad movie, “Under the Cherry Moon”, which should’ve been titled “Under the Cherry Bomb!”

All of this “Purple Rain” fun was going on 40 years ago.  Lee has been gone for almost 30 years and I still miss him.  But, whenever I hear a song or see a clip from that film, I think of my pal and smile about our time at that movie and so many other great times we had together.  40 years ago, and it feels like yesterday.  

NEXT BLOG- When I know, you’ll know.

O.K., so I have a few more things on my mind to share while on my summer break, which is going just fine by the way.

Last week the Rolling Stones wrapped up a two-night stand at Soldier Field.  Many of my friends attended one or both shows and by all reports and video clips I saw, Mick, Keith and the rest of the guys were still in fine form.  I admire REM’s reasons to retire from road shows years ago to stave off any claims of their skills diminishing. However, the Stones still roll great at age 80!  And I would kill for that dark purple leather jacket Jagger wore.

Despite them being octogenarians, the Rolling Stones still bring it hard every night.

Another recent cool live event happened at the CMA fest in Nashville.  Newer star Jon Pardi paid homage to the 35^th anniversary of the release of Clint Black’s “Killin’ Time” debut album and song.  Jon invited Clint onstage to duet on “Killin’ Time” and they both killed it.

Jon Pardi & Clint Black knocked their duet out of the park.

Last Sunday I guested with my pal Jim Turano as he filled in for Dean Richards on his Sunday morning radio show on WGN AM 720.  One of the things we talked about was how 40 years ago was a great year for big albums from music acts who were known but hit it bigger with their releases in 1984.  Besides Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”, there was Prince’s “Purple Rain”, Van Halen’s “1984”, Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”, Bryan Adams’ “Reckless”, The Pretenders’ “Learning to Crawl”, REM’s “Reckoning” (my personal favorite of theirs) and Tina Turner’s smash solo record “Private Dancer.”  Also, Huey Lewis’ “Sports” disc was filling the radio airwaves with hits like “I Want a New Drug” and “The Heart of Rock n Roll.”  The “Sports” album was actually released in 1983 but from ’84 through 1990 Huey was on a massive high with hit songs and sold-out concerts.  I got to hang with Huey twice during this time and he was one of the nicest and most unaffected stars I ever met.

1984 was a banner year for landmark albums.

Speaking of anniversaries, July 9^th marks the 25^th anniversary of the first (and best) of the “American Pie” movies.  I still love that comedy. A bit raunchy and yet so truthful and even sweet as the teen characters pursued their sexual interests.  I even came up with a novel idea for the film that a co-worker got made for me. Somewhere in my closet I have a t-shirt that reads, “And This One Time at Band Camp…” And under that phrase is a picture of a flute.  (Figure out that one for yourself)

“And then this one time, at band camp…”

On the subject of current movies, I took a hard pass on Kevin Costner’s “Horizon” and the smash with kids “Inside Out 2”. However, I really liked “Thelma.”  Ninety-three year old June Squibb plays a grandmother who chases after the people who scammed her out of ten thousand dollars.  Richard Roundtree co-stars in this comedy about the elderly which doesn’t mock them and gives us all a preview of what we face as we age.

“Thelma” was a darn good movie. I graded it a B+.

O.K… it’s time to resume my summer break.  Yet, in a few weeks I’ll post a new blog.  It’s all about the time we all sang ‘Let’s Go Crazy.” Stay tuned.