EntertainmentStevie Wonder Speaks Out About Prince
As more and more celebrities share their tributes to Prince following his death on April 21, I'm realizing that there is still so much brilliance to share about him and his spirit. In an appearance on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, Stevie Wonder shared heartbreaking words about Prince's death and opened up about the "Purple Rain" singer's true musical genius.
We already know that Prince was a once-in-a-lifetime artist. Aside from being a talented songwriter, visionary, and public figure, he was a true musician, in every sense of the word. Prince could play many instruments and on the notes for his debut album, For You , he is credited as playing ALL of the 27 instruments on the recordings. That's right, 27 instruments, which include, but are not limited to: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, bass synth, singing bass, electric piano, acoustic piano, mini-Moog, poly-Moog, Arp string ensemble, clavinet, drums, slapsticks, bongos, congas, and finger cymbals.
As a prolific musician himself, Wonder took the time to speak about how Prince worked to create his music. He told Cooper,
He was a great musician. He loved music. He loved playing his instrument. The times that we did jam together were amazing with all of the various people that he would bring together, and most of all he brought all the various cultures together. He could play classical music if he wanted to. He could play jazz if he wanted to, he could play country if he wanted to. He played rock, you know, he played blues. He played pop. He played everything... And [he was] very cognizant of what his responsibility was as a musician and a human being.
Wonder was visibly shaken throughout the interview, freely crying at one point, while giving beautiful insights about his experiences with Prince.
Wonder continued emotionally through the interview, opening up to Cooper about his immediate reaction and shock to the news of his death. He said,
I didn't believe it as I find it so hard to believe. You know, in this journey of music, we as artists that create the reflection of society and reflect, really the people that really want to see a better world, a better people, a unity of people, all those things — as did his music do and will continue to do for those of us who will continue to listen to it — it's a heartbreak to lose a member of that army of love.
I appreciate Wonder sharing this account of his friendship with Prince and his creative process. It's just another comforting reminder that we were lucky to witness and hear his genius, and we can always visit him through his music when he's missed.
It is known that Prince could play at least 27 musical instruments. On his debut album "For You", released when he was 20 years old, Prince is said to have played every single instrument: 27 in all.
In the album's notes, Prince is listed first as the musician behind "all vocals". Second, he is noted for playing (deep breath) "electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, bass synth, singing bass, Fuzz bass, electric piano, acoustic piano, mini-Moog, polymoog, Arp string ensemble, Arp Pro Soloist, Oberheim four-voice, clavinet, drums, syndrums, water drums, slapsticks, bongos, congas, finger cymbals, wind chimes, orchestral bells, woodblocks, brush trap, tree bell, hand claps, and finger snaps".
More Info:
en.wikipedia.org
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Thread started 08/19/19 4:59pm
macaylasdad | Did Prince REALLY play 27 instruments? I keep hearing that Prince played 27 instruments. He didn't play brass or woodwind instruments... Can anyone name the 27 he played?? |
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Reply #1 posted 08/19/19 5:13pm
PennyPurple | Yes! If not more. And he had no music lessons. |
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Reply #2 posted 08/19/19 8:13pm
luv4u Moderator
| Lots of threads on this topic. Just use the Google custom search box Ohh purple joy oh purple bliss oh purple rapture! |
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Reply #3 posted 08/19/19 9:27pm
PurpleSpirit31 | In my opinion he didnt!! Yes he played bass, rythym, electric and acoustic guitar, but that is realistically only ONE instrument, albeit different types but only ONE with ONE method of playing yes, he played piano and synths, but yet again, that is only ONE instrument, with only ONE method of playing then he played drums and other percussion instruments which again is only ONE instrument, with ONE method of playing, so, in total its only THREE instruments he played!! Hell, theres not even 27 instrument groups in a full blown orchestra!!! The idea that Prince was this multi-talented, multi-faceted multi instrumentalist and heralded as such, if very much overblown out of proportion!!! |
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Reply #4 posted 08/19/19 11:42pm
JorisE73 |
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Reply #5 posted 08/20/19 8:01am
coldasice | PurpleSpirit319 said: In my opinion he didnt!! Yes he played bass, rythym, electric and acoustic guitar, but that is realistically only ONE instrument, albeit different types but only ONE with ONE method of playing yes, he played piano and synths, but yet again, that is only ONE instrument, with only ONE method of playing then he played drums and other percussion instruments which again is only ONE instrument, with ONE method of playing, so, in total its only THREE instruments he played!! Hell, theres not even 27 instrument groups in a full blown orchestra!!! The idea that Prince was this multi-talented, multi-faceted multi instrumentalist and heralded as such, if very much overblown out of proportion!!! Bass and Guitar are Not One Instrument. |
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Reply #6 posted 08/20/19 8:11am
Ugot2shakesumt | hmm. Perhaps more like 23 23 instruments in one night stand. |
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Reply #7 posted 08/20/19 8:30am
WhisperingDand | |
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Reply #8 posted 08/20/19 8:32am
WhisperingDand | Personally I think his abilities on guitar are a tad overrated, I'm more about them Prince water drums. And I dare you to find me any musican funkier on them woodblocks. His tree bell was better than Hendrix! |
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Reply #9 posted 08/20/19 8:36am
Genesia |
We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves. |
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Reply #10 posted 08/20/19 8:58am
leadline | Prince could play ANY instrument, but he once said it is a matter of if he could play them well. For example, he could play sax, trumpet, etc, but just never focused on those instruments to get to the point of genius, which he surely could have done. So he let Eric Leeds and others do horns for him, most of the arrangements which he wrote. Someone as gifted as Prince could literally figure out any instrument, so the 24, 27, whatever amount was always just a marketing gimmick. Now mastered? I would say 4. Guitar, Paino, Bass, Drums [Edited 8/20/19 9:01am] "You always get the dream that you deserve, from what you value the most" -Prince 2013 |
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Reply #11 posted 08/20/19 10:34am
Reply #12 posted 08/20/19 10:46am
POOK |
AND GIRL |
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Reply #13 posted 08/20/19 1:05pm
RodeoSchro |
Penicls! Don't forget he played the pencils on "New Position"! On a serious note, the day Prince died I got lots of sympathy calls and notes from friends. The best one was from a famous rockabilly guitarist. He said the thing that blew him away about Prince was that Prince was the only guy in the world who could make pencils sound funky. |
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Reply #14 posted 08/20/19 1:25pm
BalladofPeterP | As all real Prince fans know he was a master on the spoons! Unless you have heard his original version of the Beautiful Ones featuring his 20 minute spoon solo you simply can't comprehend his genius. I'll go ahead and say: It was easily his best instrument (with cowbell a close second). |
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Reply #15 posted 08/20/19 2:58pm
Reply #16 posted 08/20/19 3:03pm
Missmusicluver |
Yes, it seems to get asked often. I know he played alot and played them well. Love is God, God is love, girls and boys love God above~ |
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Reply #17 posted 08/20/19 5:16pm
onlyforaminute | Oh just make this a permanent sticky. I think this is the winner of the question most commonly asked. Time keeps on slipping into the future... This moment is all there is... |
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Reply #18 posted 08/20/19 6:48pm
WhisperingDand |
[Edited 8/20/19 18:48pm] |
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Reply #19 posted 08/23/19 10:04pm
GaryMF | Not all keyboard instruments are the same....... though listing every synth as a different instrument like they did is a bit much. . . But playing organ is a bit differenrt, as is REALLY playing synth....from playing piano. . . I am clasically trained on piano...... I can "fake" organ on a keyboard, but I really dont know how to actually play a B3 and set the stops, play the foot pedals etc. I can play something on it but I don[t "really" know the full gamut of organ techniques. . . I play a rhodes electric piano which requires different technique but its more akin to acoustic guitar vs electric guitar.]. . Anyone who plays piano CAN play a synth, but Prince relaly took Synths to a whole new level. . . Playing drums is not the same as playing congas/bongos etc.. . . I think a realistic list is:
I never heard of him playing a trumpet or any other wind instrument. Or classical strings like violin. Sheila on the other hand, clearly is a virtuoso on all Latin Percussion (conga, bonso, timbales, djembe, etc.) Drum kit She now plays guitar in concert (basic chords) I've seen her play bass (not sure how intricate) I even saw her play some keyboards in the background but I dont think she would consider herself a keyboard player. She is clasically trained in violin but when I met her years ago she said she would need to practice to be able to play it again now. I once saw her take a trumpet in concert and play a little bit of it too btw! |
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Reply #20 posted 08/24/19 2:28am
paulaiden | No It was a marketing thing. He played 4 instruments Drums No one lists different types of synths, organs as different instruments. The end |
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Reply #21 posted 08/24/19 6:04am
OnlyNDaUsa | In thoes early days they fibes a bit, With his age (he was 19 when "For You" came out they said he was 17. He later fibed about it on American Bandstand. They fibed about his ethnic background, even he said his parents were mixed (In one of the 2 "Dirty Mind" era inerviews in the UK/Europe.) They also listed multiple types of keybords and drums and guitars as part of the 27... for example a polymoog is a type of synth... one of many "Keep on shilling for Big Pharm!" |
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Reply #22 posted 08/24/19 3:52pm
jdcxc | GaryMF said: Not all keyboard instruments are the same..... though listing every synth as a different instrument like they did is a bit much. . . But playing organ is a bit differenrt, as is REALLY playing synth....from playing piano. . . I am clasically trained on piano..... I can "fake" organ on a keyboard, but I really dont know how to actually play a B3 and set the stops, play the foot pedals etc. I can play something on it but I don[t "really" know the full gamut of organ techniques. . . I play a rhodes electric piano which requires different technique but its more akin to acoustic guitar vs electric guitar.]. . Anyone who plays piano CAN play a synth, but Prince relaly took Synths to a whole new level. . . Playing drums is not the same as playing congas/bongos etc.. . . I think a realistic list is:
I never heard of him playing a trumpet or any other wind instrument. Or classical strings like violin. Sheila on the other hand, clearly is a virtuoso on all Latin Percussion (conga, bonso, timbales, djembe, etc.) Drum kit She now plays guitar in concert (basic chords) I've seen her play bass (not sure how intricate) I even saw her play some keyboards in the background but I dont think she would consider herself a keyboard player. She is clasically trained in violin but when I met her years ago she said she would need to practice to be able to play it again now. I once saw her take a trumpet in concert and play a little bit of it too btw! I recall reading that the Sax was his first instrument...the only instrument he received formal lessons for. Any info? |
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Reply #23 posted 08/24/19 4:13pm
GaryMF |
I never read that it was his first. I always read his first instrument was the piano his father left in the house, and that his first song was picking out the Batman theme song from the 1966 show by ear. . . Then guitar.... . . Never heard WHERE he learned sax, just the Jill Jones story about him playing it (not that well) and maybe Eric saying something about his trying but not having mastered the embouchure or something. |
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Reply #24 posted 08/24/19 10:15pm
WhisperingDand |
//prince.org/msg/7/454403 First interview, Central High, February 1976: He plays several instruments, such as guitar, bass, all key-boards, and drums. He also sings sometimes, which he picked up recently. He played saxophone in seventh grade but gave it up. He regrets he did. He quit playing sax when school ended one summer. He never had time to practice sax anymore when he went back to school. He does not play in the school band. Why? “I really don’t have time to make the concerts.” [Edited 8/24/19 22:15pm] |
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Reply #25 posted 08/25/19 4:20am
PurpleBlackmon | He played about 9. most of the stuff listed in For You were different types of Synths and I don't consider wind chimes an instrument. |
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Reply #26 posted 08/25/19 7:20am
Free2BMe | PurpleSpirit319 said: In my opinion he didnt!! Yes he played bass, rythym, electric and acoustic guitar, but that is realistically only ONE instrument, albeit different types but only ONE with ONE method of playing yes, he played piano and synths, but yet again, that is only ONE instrument, with only ONE method of playing then he played drums and other percussion instruments which again is only ONE instrument, with ONE method of playing, so, in total its only THREE instruments he played!! Hell, theres not even 27 instrument groups in a full blown orchestra!!! The idea that Prince was this multi-talented, multi-faceted multi instrumentalist and heralded as such, if very much overblown out of proportion!!! According to an interview done by his first manager, the “27 instruments” claim was not true. He said that was a promotional tool they used to promote Prince. |
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Reply #27 posted 08/25/19 7:31am
Reply #28 posted 08/25/19 8:39am
Reply #29 posted 08/26/19 3:06am
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