West Coast Sound: Burger, Fries and a Prince Remix CD

In the wake of Prince’s much decried three-show evening at L.A. Live on March 28, an event that was plagued by sound problems and saw many fans still waiting in line for the Club Nokia show while he was inside performing, the musician issues a formal apology, via e-mail, for the evening’s confusion. As an effort to make amends, the artist announces he will release a new remix CD available only through the hamburger chain In-N-Out Burger. This information leads to one of the most surreal evenings in the life of West Coast Sound.

It begins when we receive the e-mail from Prince at about 8 p.m. Of course, we think it’s fake. We reply in an attempt to discover its source. The e-mail exchange follows. (At Prince’s request, we have removed his e-mail address.)

Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 20:08:12 -0600

From: “PRN”

Subject: L.A. LIVE: U ARE RIGHT

To: rroberts@laweekly.com

Message-ID: <004e01c9afe5$d0f97230$72ec5690$@com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=”us-ascii”

EYE READ YOUR REVIEW AND U ARE RIGHT. IT WAS NOT JUST L.A. LIVES FAULT. IT WAS MY FAULT 2. I WOULD LIKE 2 APOLOGIZE 2 MY FANS 4 ANY FRUSTRATION THEY HAVE FELT.

LOVE AND PEACE 2 U,

PRINCE

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 20:14:22 -0600

From: rroberts@laweekly.com

Subject: re: L.A. LIVE: U ARE RIGHT

To: “PRN”

Message-ID: <024e01c9adwr7$d0f97230$72ec4560$@com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=”us-ascii”

Ha ha. You’ll forgive me if I’m a little skeptical that this is actually Prince. Can you prove it?

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Date: Wed, 1 Apr 2009 20:16:23 -0600

From: “PRN”

Subject: re: L.A. LIVE: U ARE RIGHT

To: rroberts@laweekly.com

Message-ID: <004e01c9afe5$d0f97230$72ec5690$@com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=”us-ascii”

EYE WILL CALL U? WOULD U LIKE 2 GO ON A RIDE?

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

We e-mail PRN our cell number, and about 15 minutes later get a phone call from someone purporting to be Prince’s driver. He calls himself Pipe Dream and he wants directions to our house. An hour later Pipe Dream phones to say that he and Prince are out front. We run down to my parking lot and fuck if there’s not a white Bentley there.

We climb in the back and there’s Prince. He smiles, shakes our hand (for the record: He’s got a loose, dead-fish handshake) and we start driving. He says he’s glad we live in Hollywood, because he wants to take us someplace close. We’re freaking out inside. In the back seat with Prince. He’s got on this red-and-black get-up that looks like something a figure skater would wear, and, oddly, purple UGG slippers. (We never thought we’d be seeing Prince in UGGs!)

It’s actually really awkward, because he’s not saying anything, and we’re not sure if he’s pissed about what we wrote. We’d complained about the frustration that many people felt at the sound during the recent L.A. Live shows, which were held at three venues in the complex. We’re driving down Sunset in Hollywood, and Prince turns up the stereo. There’s a weird remix of “Tambourine,” a great underappreciated track from Around the World in a Day. We mention that it’s one of our favorite songs of his, and ask him why he never plays it live.

“That whole album existed in the studio,” he says. “Replicating it would be impossible. Plus, most of those songs weren’t very good.” (He’s right, but it still has some great tracks.)

And then, bam, next thing we know we’re in the drive-through at the In-N-Out by Hollywood High, and we’re about to lose it. Can life get any more surreal? (This is actually our second run-in with celebrities and fast food. We once shared White Castles with Jerry Lewis.)

While we wait in the line, which, as always, is stretched out the parking lot, Prince asks if we like the remix that’s playing. He says it’s part of a collection of quick-turnaround dubs he commissioned on Sunday afternoon in the wake of the L.A. Live disaster, part of a plan to make amends with the West Coasters who spent good money on tickets to a subpar show.

“People think I exist in this bubble, that I don’t watch what’s going on in the clubs. This CD will show them otherwise.” He then explains the concept: a dozen remixes of Prince classics, created in 48 hours, by some of the world’s best producers.

One of the burger grunts standing in the parking lot walks up to the car, and Prince rolls down his window. The dude’s eyes pop wide. “Can I take your order, Prince?”