Pdge 8- The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 31, 1988
Growi
BY BRIAN BERGER
The first record I ever bought was
Purple Rain. I guess that was in the
early fall of 1984. For whatever rea-
son, I had never felt the need to buy
music before. I was content to listen
to the radio or to whatever someone
else was playing. But that was before
I saw Purple Rain.
fIn the late spring of 1984, I re-
member hearing "When Doves Cry"
for the first time. I was a freshman at
Morris Hills in Rockaway, New Jer-
STATE OF THE
sey, running track, studying, screw-
ing around with my friends a lot, and
looking for girls. Anyway, for some
reason, mostly I guess because it's
such an incredible record, "When
Doves Cry" hit me like no other
song ever had. The only thing that
even came close was Run DMC's
"Sucker MC's."
In the summer of 1984, when
school was out, it was time for me
to go to Fairview Lake YMCA camp
in Stillwater, New Jersey. I'd been
going there since 1979 and looked
forward to camp because I dug the
freedoms I had there that I didn't have
at home. Windsurfing, sailing, hik-
ing, canoeing, evening activity,
scamming at "socials," and sneaking
up into the girls' unit at night, it
was great, and I did it all.
One of my best friends was
Hakim Aubrey Green, from East Or-
0
ng up, Prince-style
ange, N.J. I'd known him since '80 Pretty soon after this, school Conrad, Hunter S. Thompson, an
and he was always down with the started. I was kicking ass in cross the Georgetown Hoyas basketba
newest and freshest fashions, be they country as one of the best fifth man's team, and fell in love again. And w
clothes, music, or pick-up lines. in the state, fooling around with the rejected again. And fell in lov
Anyway, 1984 was the Summer of fellas, all that stuff. Oh yeah, I also again...
Prince for Hakim. The boy was sim- fell deeply in love/ infatuation with a Throughout all of these changt
ply obsessed, swinging back and girl named Martha. We were on the though, I never left or forgot aboi
forth between his writhing and same bus route and when I got Prince. I went through tli
screaming rendition of "The Beautiful friendly with her and found out that psychedelic proselytizing of Arouri
Ones" and working on his Morris she dug Prince too, well, I pretty The World In A Day, the half grea
Day imitation. He said he'd seen much flipped. I thought that Martha half shit Parade, and the epochal ar
Purple Rain something like 15 was too hot for words, and certainly godlike Sign '0 The Times. Aga;
times. too hot for a lean, blond, harrier type and again, Prince amazed and inspire
When camp ended, it was time to guy like myself. No, she was defi- me with his creativity, virtuosit:
get ready for my sophomore year of nitely the cheerleader- who-goes-out- spirituality, and sexuality ...
high school, i.e., new classes, cross with-a-football-stud-who-is-a-junior-
country and freshman girls. I was in /senior-while-she's-still-a-sophomore STOP! I did all of reminiscin
awesome shape and pretty pumped person. But good cross country last Sunday, October 23. I was wri
for a good school year. Just before runners are nothing if not flexible, ing my Prince preview while alte
school started, however, I went to see tenacious, never say die bastards, so I nately blasting the Black Album ar
Purple Rain with my friend Rob. I went for it. Lovesexy and thinking about ho
was already familiar with a lot of the So, I layed the groundwork for the many people's lives were changed 1
Prince and Time songs thanks to Martha deal, kept working out, and their exposure to Prince.
Hakim, but still, I was blown away. got deeper and deeper into Prince. I Unfortunately, bad news came I
Prince's music, his personality, his went backwards, going through me on Monday afternoon. You cE
passion, his whole friggin' attitude 1999, Controversy, Dirty Mind, imagine how thrilled I was when
just kicked my mind and ass into a Prince, and For You. Then I got b- got a call on my machine saying th
whole new level of awareness. Right sides, Time, Sheila E., Vanity 6, the Prince show was cancelled. 1N
after the film, I decided that I wanted books, and magazines. Basically, I response was typically calm and rep
to be suave, sexy, hip, and cool, just immersed myself into the whole soned:
like the characters in Purple Rain. Prince empire. So, as the weeks "What?! That goddamne
The next day I bought the album passed, the undefeated cross country androgynous sex fiend cancelled tl
Purple Rain. It was great. I freaked in team won the Conference, County, show! O man, I'll kick his skinr
air guitar spasms to "Let's Go and Sectional meets (we choked in little ass if I catch him!"
Crazy," imitated Hakim imitating the Groups...), school went on, and I So, yeah, I was pretty pissed off
Prince to "The Beautiful Ones", did waited impatiently for Martha to know a lot of you are bummed als
low down dirty grind to "Darling break up with her successive "pretty For me, it was Ann Arbor or not'
Nikki," and then caught my breath boy" boyfriends. ing; for others, Ann Arbor was
and flipped the disc to side two. With Yeah, so life goes on. I eventually convenient alternative to trucking o
the incredible release of "When sent roses and candy to Martha but to to Detroit. I know people who so
Doves Cry," followed by the goofy no avail, "We're just friends..." I their tickets to the Detroit show b
and funky "I Would Die 4 U," fol- evolved from a runner to a triathlete, cause they had better seats for t
lowed by the celebratory "Baby I'm found new heroes in the likes of Ann Arbor show. Now they ham
A Star," followed by the grand and Howard Stern, the Velvet Under- nothing, except a few more dolla
elegiac "Purple Rain," this side is ground, The Replacements, Woody and the memory of how psyched the
among the finest in rock 'n' roll his- Allen, Alfred Hitchcock, Joseph See Prince, Page U
tory.
0
4
CORNER OF STATE AND HILL
994-4040
11
4
k
A= k
A.
ALL YOU CAN EAT PIZZA
Every TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY
$375 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
,;
H:
*;
,.
r
., .
THREE
OF THE BIGGEST
NAMES IN
BUSINESS ARE
COMING 10
SEE YO
Prince shows (clockwise from top left) his many faces with
_ his Parade pout, Sign '0 The Times smirk , and Purple
Rain perusal.
The Taubman Program in American Institutions invites you to attend the discussion:
"The Art of Effective Interviewing"
Tavi Fulkerson
Tuesday, November 1 12:00N-1:00 p.m.
Kuenzel Room, Michigan Union
Tavi Fulkerson, is president of the public relations agency the Fulkerson Group.
4
.. .. ..
r ;~~~~*. ' *: + i{; Y x ! "w " ;fr" r " f;
IIYF' Illtll'ile }ifiii}:": it .,,,".:?iirF i>*:a} 8G.5Y".:. l}f: ~rf ": f': \ . . F . .
a
_
They're three names recognized in business circles worldwide as the
ONE source for the mosteffective and competent human resources
consulting services around, And now, we're cmig to your campus,
to tell you about the exciting possibilities wating for you here.
We'll host a reception, presentation and interviews tomorrow,
Novemnber 1st. Our areas of interet includ<:
. Statistics * Actuarial Science
+ Mathematics * Human Resources Management
+ Consulting - Benefits Communications
If you are an undergraduate or graduate in Business or Applied Math-
ematics, we might have the opportunity for yOu.
We are Mercer-MeidingerHansen., the nation's largest consulting irm
of our kind, addressing the diverse needs.of the human resources
field: in benefits, compensation, comrnnication, asset pla nIng and
management. With global resources and localized service that's second
to none.
Came see us tomorrow November.1St, at
The Michigan Union
Terrace Room
5:30pm-7:Opm
As one of the major forces in our industry today, we can provide you
with the outstanding opportunity, '<otential and compensation yo'd
WE'RE
BACK
,4
4
I.
MONDAY
wells 9 - 10)
:.. Alternative Dance Music ($1 cover, $1
WEDNESDAY ... Quarter Night (No cover, U-M, EMU
I.D., 25 cent drafts, $1 wells) DJ JAMMIN' JON
THURSDAY
ROGER L.
... Eurobeat ($1 cover, $1 wells 9 - 10) DJ
RATI I1flAY Ton 40/Modern Dance r(:30l -*9:3. 1