Randall RobertsIn the wake of Prince's much decried three-show evening at L.A. Live on Saturday, which was plagued with sound problems and saw many fans still waiting in line for the Club Nokia show while he was inside performing, the musician last night issued a formal apology, via email, for evening's confusion. As an effort to make amends, the artist will be releasing a new remix CD available only through west coast hamburger chain In-N-Out Burger. West Coast Sound learned this information in the middle of one of the most surreal evenings of our life.
We received an email from Prince last night at about 8 p.m., and, of course, thought it was fake. We replied in an attempt to confirm that its veracity. The email exchange follows. (At Prince's request, we have removed his email address.)
Message: 1
Date: Tues, 31 Mar 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
______________
Message: 2
Date: Tues, 31 Mar 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
____________
Message: 1
Date: Tues, 31 Mar 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 emailed him our cell number, and about fifteen minutes later get a phone call from someone purporting to be Prince's driver, who called himself Pipe Dream. He wanted directions to our house. We warily gave it to him, and an hour later Pipe Dream calls saying 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 somewhere close by. We're freaking out inside. In the backseat 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 for what we wrote. We complained about 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 under-appreciated 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 said. “Replicating it would be impossible. Plus, most of those songs weren't very good.” (He's right, but it's still got some great tracks on it.)
Buy one of these tomorrow, get yourself a totally hot Tiesto remix!
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 of the parking lot, Prince asks if we like the remix that's playing. Yes, and he says that it's part of a collection of quick-turnaround dubs that 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 that 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 Latino dude's eyes pop wide. “Can I take your order, Prince?”
“Yes, I'd like a double-double, animal style, extra pickles, an order of fries and a Diet Coke.”
We died and went to heaven. We just heard Prince order In-N-Out. “I'll have the same,” we say.
Prince then tells us the plan. As a symbol of his remorse, he will issue a limited edition CD of these remixes via In-N-Out Burger. The money for the pressing will come out of his own pocket, and In-N-Out has graciously offered to hand them out to anyone ordering what Prince orders: A double-double, animal style, extra pickles, an order of fries and a Diet Coke.
We pull up to get our food, and Pipe Dream tells the cashier that Prince is in the car. She summons the manager, who smiles out the window, waves to Prince in the back seat, and hands us our food, along with a CD. Apparently they'd pre-arranged this.
Prince pulls down a TV tray type thing — “cherry wood,” the artist offers — and we unload our food and cruise down the Sunset Strip eating burgers and listening to remixes. We're not a Tiesto fan, but his take on “Housequake” is pretty frickin' deep. Prince also played a wicked version of “She's Always in My Hair” as interpreted by Hot Chip, and, unbelievably, a Lil Jon remix of “Kiss” in which, instead of Prince singing “kiss” in those little breaks, Lil Jon screams “Yeeeahhh!” Sounds bad, but in a Bentley sound system with an animal style In-N-Out burger in your stomach, it's pretty frickin' wicked.
The whole experience took less than a half hour. He drove us back to our place, we thanked him for the late night dinner, and he and Pipe Dream drove away. He let us keep the CD.
Prince's In-N-Out 4 Me-N-U remix CD will be available at the Hollywood In-N-Out Burger for one day only, starting tomorrow, April 2.
Track Listing:
1. “House Quake” – DJ Tiesto's Retarded Thump remix
2. “Raspbery Beret” – Diplo's Purple People Eater Mix
3. “When Doves Cry” – Peter, Bjorn and John's Whistle While You Funk Remix
4. “Kiss” – Lil Jon's All Tongue, No Lip Mix
5. “Delirious” – DJ Assault's Ass, Titties, Ass, Ass, Titties Titties Mix
6. “Darling Nikki” – R. Kelly's Naughty Girl Does Bad Good Mix
7. 'P Control” – Snoop Dogg's Smell It Like It's Funky Mix
8. “Gett Off” – A.R. Rahman's Raspberry Bhangra Mix
9. “Little Red Corvette” – Coheed & Cambria's Epic Futility Remix
10. “She's Always In My Hair” – Hot Chip's Sunshine Turn to Rain Remix
11. “Alphabet St.” – T-Pain's More Retarded Than Tiesto Mix
12. “Jack U Off” – George Michael's Stall Locked, Fly Open Mix
EDITOR'S NOTE: PLEASE READ THIS.
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