“There was a boy named Camille” — Exploring Prince’s Elusive Alter-Ego
Much of the literature written about Prince’s “Camille” alter-ego focuses on the character’s attributed gender or lack thereof. The artist’s use of pitch alteration, which at times created an androgynous-like vocal has led many to believe the persona is without an apparent gender or defined primarily as an expression of Prince’s exploration of the feminine. Camille is more than a quirky alter-ego represented by pitched vocals, but a character conjured during an exciting yet turbulent period in the artist’s life. Prince would use this persona as a vehicle to explore the concept of dual personalities and the internal struggles between vice and virtue, curating complex and rich mythology often overlooked when assessing the purpose of the Camille character.
Time Upon A Once
There was a boy named Camille
Now this boy named Camille
didn’t know how 2 feel.
Sometimes he was lonely
sometimes he was sad
but most times
he just took 4 granted
all the nice things
that he had — (Excerpt from Camille’s Poem — Lovesexy Tour Book)“The lights go off, the smell of doom / is creeping into your lonely room. / The bed’s on fire, your fate is sealed / and the reason is Camille. Shockadelica!” — Shockadelica
Camille would first be referenced on Shockadelica, recorded on the 16th of September 1986. Reigniting an old rivalry, Prince became aware that Jesse Johnson, a former member of his protégé band The Time, would soon be releasing an album called Shockadelica without a title track. Through Prince’s humorous playfulness, he wrote a song based around what would be the title of the album and premiered the track on Minneapolis radio station KMOJ weeks before Johnson’s album release. Camille’s introduction is immersed in the warning of impending doom, conveyed with vivid imagery of flickering lights and consuming flames. Listeners are presented with an insight into Camille’s turbulent psyche as he wrestles with potent and intoxicating desire for a woman that’s so intense, it’s likened to a witch that’s placed a spell. He isn’t presented as a malevolent entity but rather a victim of the isolating feeling of ‘Shockadelica,’ a neologism that manifests in loneliness and uncontrollable lust, a trait that would become a defining conflict for the character and a lyrical motif that Prince would explore frequently.
“Poor lonely computer/It’s time someone programmed you/It’s time you learned love and lust/They both have four letters/But they’re entirely different words.” — Computer Blue ‘Hallway Speech’ Version.
“Shockadelica is the feeling/the lonely cold/Sleepin’ alone will bore ya/ and soon U’ll grow old/In lust we will suffer/but in love we will grow/Shockadelica- the feeling nobody should know/I’m talkin about the lonely cold.” — Shockadelica 12” Extended Version.
“From that song was born this notion of Camille who might have been male, might have been female, it wasn’t really clear — might have been kind of ghostly, might have been kind of humanoid.” — Susan Rogers (Prince’s engineer: 1983–1987)
As mythology began to grow around Camille, Prince would establish an auditory identification of this new alias using studio trickery to manipulate his vocals, at times creating an androgynous effect. He would produce the ‘Camille’ vocals via two methods: the ‘Publison Infernal Machine’ (a pitch-altering device) and speeding the tape. The vocal alteration was not a new concept for Prince, as evident by many of his former tracks, including Automatic, Erotic City, and All My Dreams, in which he would mold his voice from high pitched to a deep growl. Furthermore, speech would be a vital component utilized by the artist to express different personas, including the Jamie Starr alter-ego, typically serving as guide vocals for Morris Day’s character in The Time, in which he’d adopt a humorous accent.
Following the recording of Shockadelica, Prince would continue to record a wealth of material while also enveloping himself in the studio with saxophonist Eric Leeds and recording tracks that would form the debut album of their jazz/funk fusion band Madhouse. On October 18, 1986, a day after news of The Revolution’s disbandment became public, Prince created the funk masterpiece Housequake, once again utilizing this pitch shifting technique on his vocals. The song would follow the likes of The Bird and The Walk, where Prince would conceive and instruct a new dance with contributions on horns from Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss. Additionally, personnel in the studio including engineers Susan Rogers and Coke Johnson would provide the party voices featured prominently on the track.
“This track was recorded during an intense period of musical changes 4 Prince — He had disbanded The Revolution and moved 2 LA, booking Sunset Sound Studios- Sometimes 4 months at a time. Shockadelica, Feel U Up, and parts of The Black Album were also recorded during this period. Prince was happy during this time and very optimistic about his musical possibilities…” — Prince on ‘Good Love’ (Crystal Ball Liner Notes)
In the succeeding two weeks, the artist would record several new songs featuring the Camille vocals, including Rebirth Of The Flesh and the horn-tinged jam Rockhard In A Funky Place, both on the 28th of October, 1986. During Rebirth Of The Flesh, Prince declares the arrival of a musical impasse likening his artistic progression to a physical rebirth indicative of the significant changes occurring within his own artistry at the time. He’d recently disbanded The Revolution, parted ways with Wendy & Lisa, and assembled a mostly new crew of accomplished musicians. Furthermore, he was once again immersed in recording at Sunset Sound, a studio he relentlessly frequented throughout the ’80s. Behind the sparse soundscape, he declares:
“It’s a brand new day/Three-two funk ain’t in our way/It ain’t about the money, we just wanna play/The rebirth of the flesh is here to stay.”
The experimental sounds emanating from Madhouse and Camille are clear examples of the exciting creative ventures Prince would embark on around this time.
Rockhard In A Funky Place is a playful, quirky showcase of Prince’s humor and clever wordplay. Once again, Prince (or rather Camille) is chained to his carnal desires, fuelled by an unquenchable and desperate quest for sexual gratification. The lyrical content’s comical nature is further enforced by the interplay between Prince’s lead vocals and background vocals (as provided by Susannah Melvoin, Prince’s fiancé at the time). Eric Leeds’ memorable horn line is incorporated from a solo track he was working on, titled Pacemaker, which compliments the lyrics’ playful nature and contrasts the dry sound of the guitar and drums.
On the 30th of October 1986, Prince recorded Good Love, utilizing the Camille vocal effect once again. In contrast to the foreboding visual imagery describe in Shockadelica, Prince employs whimsical metaphors to describe the euphoric feeling of sexual attraction between a boy and girl. The attainment of ‘Good Love’ is presented as a sanctuary away from the troubling outside world as Prince declares, “You and I in each others arms/Here is another world/Here I’m protected from all harm”, the anthesis to the loneliness conveyed in Shockadelica. The quirky composition bursting from the seams with funky percussion, vibrant synths, and a sample of a dog bark, perfectly encapsulates the light-hearted and eccentric nature of the lyrics, complimented by the pitched-up Camille vocals and additional background vocals by Jill Jones and Susannah Melvoin.
In addition to these new tracks, Prince would reclaim Feel U Up and Strange Relationship from the vault, initially recorded in 1981 and 1983, respectively, considerably re-vamping their sound while also re-recording his vocals and altering them in line with the Camille affectations. The Feel U Up demo’s dark sound, characterized by the aggressive snare of a Linn drum and the prominent synths, would be replaced with softer percussion, lighter keys, and Leeds’ notable contributions on saxophone, resulting in a more playful soundscape. Prince would remove most of Wendy and Lisa’s assumed contributions on the 1985 version of Strange Relationship, burying the synthesized sitar low in the mix and keeping the composition comparably sparse, exemplifying the danceable nature of the percussion. Prince would also double-track his lead vocals fusing his normal register with the Camille vocal effect, akin to a duet with himself. (The distinction between the two vocals is most prominent in the recently unearthed Shep Pettibone remix) Curiously, Prince would change one lyric during this re-recording, replacing “I’m only human” with “Baby, I’m sorry,” potentially to maintain the Camille character’s ambiguous nature.
“You can slow the track way, way, down, sing a vocal, and then when you bring the speed back up to where it’s supposed to be, you get that high, thin voice that he liked. He put on a character. He became kind of a character in timbre in order to say something that he really meant. He was dating Susannah Melvoin at the time. I think it’s fairly safe to say, because they were in a really close relationship at this time, and she has a twin sister, Wendy Melvoin, and twins are really, really close.” — Susan Rogers
On November 2nd, 1986, Prince recorded If I Was Your Girlfriend, a masterpiece that would become the Camille persona’s defining expression. The song was allegedly inspired by fiancé Susannah Melvoin’s relationship with her twin sister Wendy (guitarist in The Revolution), a dynamic further complicated after Prince disbanded the band. Behind the sparse soundscape dominated by the Linn drum, haunting synths, and an irresistible bass lick, Prince explores the limitation of his connection with Susannah, positing that their lack of a higher intimacy is inextricably linked to the dynamics that define his romantic relationship. To break down this wall, he attempts to blur the lines by positing that if he was viewed as a “girlfriend,” he’ll uncover a connection innate within the confines of sisterhood but unreachable as a mere romantic partner. He begins by asking, “If I was your girlfriend, would you remember to tell me all the things you forgot when I was your man?” seemingly aware of his limitations in the relationship. He desires to partake in the benign yet intimate acts of friendship, including washing his spouse’s hair, crying together while watching a film, and helping her pick out an outfit. His fantasized relationship is not without its contradictions, as evident with the line, “If I was your girlfriend/ Would you run to me/ If somebody hurt you/Even if that someone was me.” As the song progresses, the dynamic begins to change as Prince’s fantasies become more sexual, and he once again vies to break free from the conventions of his relationship and encompass everything to his spouse, a lyrical thread that would present itself often in earlier tracks.
“I wanna be your brother/I wanna be your mother and your sister, too” — I Wanna Be Your Lover.
“I wanna be more than your mother/more than your brother/I wanna be like no other.” — Adore
“Maybe you think I’m being A little self-centered/But I, I said I want to be
All of the things you are to me.” — If I Was Your Girlfriend
The vocal alteration is used to its most significant effect on the track, with Prince utilizing the Camille voice as a vehicle to convey the malleability of his image. While his lead vocals are pitched up to sound somewhat feminine, deep and haunting background vocals add striking sonic contrast. A technical hiccup would lead to further distortion on his lead vocals; however, Prince opted to leave them intact rather than re-record, conveying this sentiment to a greater extent.
“And so we started collecting all those songs. He had six or seven of them that he had sung with that higher voice, and he didn’t want to throw them away because they were good songs. So I think that’s where he was putting together the Camille album.” — Coke Johnson (Prince’s former engineer: 1986–1990)
During this incredibly prolific period, Prince recorded six new songs and considerably revamped two utilizing the pitch alteration on his vocals. On the 5th of November 1986, Prince sequenced these tracks and formed an album titled Camille.
Camille:
Side A:
Rebirth Of The Flesh
Housequake
Strange Relationship
Feel U Up
Side B:
Shockadelica
Good Love
If I Was Your Girlfriend
Rockhard In A Funky Place
The album was tentatively scheduled to be released in early 1987 and credited to Camille, excluding Prince’s name from the cover and omitting any mention of his involvement in the project. Shockadelica was selected as the first single to precede the album release with Housequake as the B-Side. While no album artwork has surfaced, it’s alleged a drawing made by Prince of a stick figure with crosses over its eyes found on the vinyl sleeve may have potentially been an initial concept for the artwork. This illustration was supposedly inspired by random doodles Susan Rogers and Susannah Melvoin would make while in the studio.
Camille received a catalog number, and several test copies were pressed to vinyl before Prince decided to abandon the project in late November as he began to compile a new album. A recently unearthed test pressing of the album was sold for USD 58,000 in 2018. The artist would continue to record tracks using his Camille vocal effect during this time, including the whimsical Cosmic Day recorded on the 15th of November 1986; however, the song would remain unreleased during his lifetime.
“Up until recently, Camille was always considered to be a single album of eight tracks. Going through this we realized that Camille actually expanded into Crystal Ball, the Crystal Ball album and the Camille album were both called that. He went back and forth between calling it Crystal Ball or Camille. This was a recent find we had to find out that he was labelling things as Camille. We weren’t sure whether he was doing it as the singer or the band or the name of the album… but he was listing things as Camille and even in the collection, Crystal Ball was referred to as Camille on some of the tapes.” — Duane Tudahl (Senior Archivist For The Prince Estate)
Soon after aborting the Camille album, Prince would set his sights on a new project assembling Crystal Ball on the 30th of November 1986. The triple-disc collection would be comprised of twenty-two tracks, including songs reclaimed from the abandoned Prince and The Revolution album, Dream Factory, seven of the eight tracks from Camille (excluding Feel U Up), and several songs recorded within the preceding year. It’s unclear to what extent the concept of Camille would have been incorporated into the Crystal Ball project. The labeling of various cassettes and master tapes as Camille indicates that perhaps the persona may have been intended to be utilized by Prince in some capacity, whether that be as the credited artist or the name of the album itself is unknown.
“They were all worried, you know, about the size of the thing. And I listened for a while and finally, I just said, “You guys, there’s no way. There’s no way that he’s gonna take three albums and condense it into one, based on what I’ve heard. I think the approach should really be, ‘Let’s do a double album.’” (Lenny Waronker — Former WB Record Executive)
Prince submitted a completed configuration of the Crystal Ball album to his record label in late November of 1986 for release early the following year; however, executives from Warner Brothers balked at the collection’s length, requesting the artist reduce it by a third. Prince was frustrated with this ultimatum but eventually complied with the label’s request, editing the album down significantly, removing six songs, including the title track and five originally destined for Camille. The socially conscious Sign O’ The Times, which initially opened side E of Crystal Ball was chosen as the album title and opening track.
Prince would continue to record new music during this time, including the electro-rock anthem U Got The Look featuring Sheena Easton as a guest vocalist. Rogers notes that Prince spent a significant amount of time nurturing the track over an extensive studio session, postulating that Prince may have been intending it as a single. (The track would ultimately be released as the third single from Sign O’ The Times) Though the song was originally recorded slower, Prince was not happy with the result and requested the tape be sped up. In conjunction, he would once again alter his vocals, pitching them up in line with the other Camille tracks recorded the previous month. Impressed with the result, Prince added U Got The Look to an early configuration of Sign O’ The Times (titled The Look) alongside Good Love in January of 1987. The latter was replaced by If I Was Your Girlfriend in the final tracklisting.
In tandem with the conflicts Prince was having with the record label during this time, his personal life was also beginning to unravel with his engagement to Susannah ending in December of 1986.
Some people said they loved him
but Camille said “Contempt!
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall,
love is no good unless it’s felt by all — (Excerpt from Camille’s Poem — Lovesexy Tour Book)“I knew that he was in pain, it was pretty easy to tell, but Prince didn’t like to admit any weakness. … It’s a genuine emotion that he’s feeling, but he doesn’t want to advertise broadly to people that he’s feeling down.” — Susan Rogers on Prince’s break-up with Sussanah.
“He wanted it to be very haunting, and to just be about the desperation in the voice — [and] about the concept of you being away from this person for forever, it seems, and you just can’t bear it for one more night.” — Sheena Easton on recoding vocals for 101.
Prince would use music as an outlet to express his despair during this turbulent period and record several songs that explored themes of heartbreak and the disintegration of relationships. First came Wally, recorded on December 29, 1986, which begins with Prince complimenting dancer Wally Safford’s glasses before revealing that his girlfriend has left him. He desires a connection by proposing that he might meet someone new at an impending party, but the memory of his ex-partner lingers as he questions how to move on. Prince had recorded an earlier version of the track the previous day; however, he ordered Rogers to erase the song, which was noticeably raw and less produced than this re-recording. On the haunting 101 recorded in January 1987, he describes lighting a candle each night his partner has been gone. Consumed by desperation and anger, he pleads for her to come back as his sanity begins to slip away, further expressed by the intensity of Prince’s riveting vocal performance. The song would be given to Sheena Easton and appear on her 1988 album The Lover In Me. In the same month, Prince would also record Come Home, a soulful ballad in which he pleads for his lover to return while reflecting on where it all went wrong. As with 101, Prince would give this song to a fellow artist, eventually recorded by soul singer Mavis Staples.
Prince’s ninth studio album and magnum opus Sign O’ The Times would be released on March 31, 1987, to critical acclaim and commercial success. With the release, Prince would once again reinvent his image with a primarily peach and black color scheme, denim jacket, and frequent accompaniment by dancer Cat Glover. The album would primarily be a one-man-band effort with Prince playing most instruments, accompanied by a live recording from the Paris show of the Parade Tour featuring The Revolution performing a jam that would develop into It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night. Camille would officially receive vocal credit on four tracks — Housequake, U Got The Look, If I Was Your Girlfriend and Strange Relationship.
Each track originally sequenced on the aborted Camille album has since been officially released in some capacity. A censored 1988 rehearsal of Rebirth Of The Flesh was released in 2001 as an mp3 download and the studio version was included in the Sign O’ The Times Deluxe box set released in 2020. Interestingly, this edition features additional lyrics and an extended alternate outro. These additional elements are suspected to have been inserted from a different mix. Feel U Up was included as a B-side on the 1988 track Partyman and Shockadelica was used as a B-Side to If I Was Your Girlfriend. Good Love was featured on the soundtrack to the 1988 film Bright Lights Big City (credited to Prince) and an edited version was included on the 1998 compilation box set Crystal Ball (Not to be mistaken with the 1986 unreleased album).
After the release of Sign O’ The Times, Prince would embark on a tour of Europe showcasing his new band, while back in Minnesota, his studio complex Paisley Park was in the final stages of construction. In July 1987, after completing the tour, Prince would shoot concert footage at his newly built soundstage housed within the complex and captured on the Sign O’ The Times concert film, released on the 29th of October 1987. Concurrently, the artist would also begin working on another project that would once again feature Camille’s character in his most developed form.
“Camille was the leader of a rock n roll gang. No one could mess with him, I mean no one could hang. He could listen 2 your thang then he’d play it triple time. Camille’s got changes that’ll scramble your mind like an egg. But Camille, he’s so lonely and blue. His best girl Ruthie left him in 82. She went off 2 find THE GRAND PROGRESSSION, a song that could change Camille’s complexion. Now everyday he waits 4 Ruthie’s return 2 come & show him everything she has learned. Everybody wants 2 find Graffiti Bridge.” — Camille’s Poem — Grafitti Bridge Script (1987)
“He was toying with the idea of having Camille be the frontperson of a new band, but he never took the idea over the finish line, perhaps so that he could focus exclusively on SOTT and his next musical work” — Susan Rogers.
Prince began working on a new feature film titled Graffiti Bridge, drafting a script in September 1987. The movie was set to star Prince as Camille Blue, a poor musician struggling to find work, consumed with desperation and loneliness after his girlfriend Ruthie Washington leaves him due to his supposed infidelity. Camille is convinced that salvation lies in finding a bridge of graffiti that will guide him to salvation and provide an escape from the harsh reality of his heartbreak and the struggles of poverty. To summon the bridge, he must find and play The Grand Progression, a song described by the mysterious character Melody Cool as “the grand progression” of “17 chords, all originating from the A-flat”. Ruthie has left to search for The Grand Progression on her own after separating from Camille, which she hopes will bring peace to his conflicted soul. Despite their volatile break-up, Camille and Ruthie desire to reunite once again and mend their fractured relationship.
Prince would enlist his band members to play roles in the film including dancer Cat Glover, Sheila E, Eric Leeds, and Levi Spencer, casting them as characters within Camille’s musical entourage. Glover’s character known as Vienna would play somewhat of an antagonist as she also vies for Camille’s heart and attempts to keep him apart from Ruthie. In tandem with working on this script, Prince began gathering older material and recording new tracks to accompany the film.
On The Grand Progression originally recorded in September 1987 and referenced frequently in the film script, Prince reflects in awe and gratitude at the companionship he shares with his spouse and their inherent connection. He laments over a soundscape of keys and ethereal synthesized strings, “If love were gold then I would be fixed 4 life/ If I was a star, then baby/U would be the night/And I want 2 live my whole life through/ Inside of U.” The basic premise of the film would be incorporated from the track Graffiti Bridge, recorded three months earlier in July of 1987. The song details the search for purpose represented by the attainment of a companion — symbolized by the metaphorical bridge as Prince declares, “Everybody wants to find the perfect one/Someone that makes you happy/Someone that makes you laugh when you want to cry/Everybody wants to find the perfect one.” Many of the tracks recorded by Prince during this time were intended to be used in the film including an instrumental titled Ruthie Washington Jet Blues (with contributions on horns by Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss), Everything Could Be So Fine (a song revolving around the search for The Grand Progression and including group vocals by Cat, Sheila, and the band) and Stimulation (performed by Ruthie in the film). In addition to these newly produced tracks, Prince would incorporate older material in the film’s script, including The Question Of U and Power Fantastic (both recorded initially in 1985), Crucial (from 1986 and intended for an abandoned musical titled The Dawn), and Big Tall Wall (placed on an early configuration of Dream Factory and significantly revamped in 1987 but ultimately remaining unreleased).
In the climax of the film, Camille summons Graffiti Bridge, a sight to behold, adorned with the colors of the rainbow and the names of famous figures in world history, including John Lennon and Martin Luther King Jr. Camille, Ruthie, and his friends begin to walk up the bridge leading them towards the sky, convinced it would take them to eternal paradise. However, as they begin to traverse, the bridge turns in the shape of a horseshoe and leads them back to their origin. Camille, Ruthie, and their entourage have an epiphany and come to the revelation that they already have paradise. Rather than a utopia in the heavens, true salvation has come from being reunited together again.
“Everyone knows where they now belong. They all embrace. They are happy now. The End.” — Graffiti Bridge Script.
The parallel between Camille’s plight in Graffiti Bridge and Prince’s own experience with recent heartbreak may have inspired the film’s central conflict, especially given the script’s timeframe and rapid development. As the artist was fiercely private and rarely expressed vulnerability in his work, the story may have been an outlet for Prince to express his pain and fantasies through the guise of a fictional character. Camille is reunited with his past love Ruthie at the conclusion of the story providing a happy ending, one Prince had yet to obtain for himself.
Prince would contact Madonna in October of 1987, requesting the artist to star in the film as Ruthie Washington. However, this would not come to fruition with Madonna reportedly unimpressed with the nonsensical script. The project was put on hiatus and eventually released as the quasi-sequel to Purple Rain in 1990, abandoning the plot of this original script and Camille’s character.
“The reason why they are listening to us is because we are the Michael Jackson of now. Prince was it when Purple Rain came out. But we are what’s going on right now. We are the music. We are what’s hot.” — Darryl Mcdaniels of Run DMC (Rolling Stone Interview: December 1986)
The mid-1980s saw the emergence of hip-hop and rap as significant forces in the music industry and pop culture. Run DMC’s smash 1986 release Raising Hell was the first rap album to attain platinum sales status and by 1987, Public Enemy and N.W.A entered the scene with their successful debut albums. Prince struggled to embrace this changing landscape at first, discounting hip hop and describing it to tour manager Alan Leeds as being occupied by artists that “can’t sing or play an instrument.” While the artist had dominated the charts years earlier with Purple Rain, his desire to push the envelope and explore a variety of genres would result in criticism from selected music journalists who’d claim he was leaving his black audiences behind in tandem with declining commercial success.
So, naive & terrifically in need
Camille started looking for answers
His paintbrush the questioner,
his canvas the arena,
Camille set out to silence his critics.
“No longer daring” — his enemies laughed.
“No longer glam, his funk is half-assed…
one leg is much shorter
than the other one is weak.
His strokes are tepid,
his colors are meek.”
So Camille found a new color.
The color black:
He painted a picture
called Le Grind — hittin’ so tall.
And then Cindy C — THE vogue fantasy.
Horns & vocals 2 die 4.
Lollipops — in yours!
Stroke after stroke callin’ all others a joke.
Superfunkycalifragisexi.
Camille rocked hard in a funky place.
Stuck his long funk in competition’s face. — (Excerpt from Camille’s Poem — Lovesexy Tour Book)
Prince responded to these critics by compiling an album in October 1987 of predominantly funk-driven party tracks recorded throughout the preceding year. He’d facetiously named the project The Black Album, directly referring to criticism that he had left his black audiences behind. Three songs (Le Grind, Bob George, and 2 Nigs United 4 West Compton) were initially recorded in December of 1986 and played at Sheila E’s birthday party later in the month. Rockhard In A Funky Place, sequenced on the Camille album would be brought out of the vault and placed as the record’s final song. The album title adequately describes the hostile undertones evident on some tracks, notably the somewhat comical masterpiece Bob George. Prince once again utilized the Publison Infernal Machine, this time to pitch his voice down as he plays to the stereotype of a gun touting gangster (later revealed to be Camille) who suspects his girlfriend is cheating on him. Interwoven within this narrative is Prince’s response to the criticism he had received in the press. He’d name the track after his manager at the time Bob Cavallo, and Billboard music journalist Nelson George who’d been especially critical of his later work. Prince would reference George on the bridge of the track:
“Hello, Mr. George?/This is your conscience, motherfucker /Why don’t you leave motherfuckers alone, what’s wrong with you?/Well, why can’t we just dance, why can’t we just dance?”
On Dead On It, recorded in March 1987 and included as the third track on The Black Album, the artist would take a more pointed aim at hip hop culture. Behind an aggressive drum beat and a funky guitar riff, the song begins with Prince rapping “Riding in my Thunderbird on the freeway/I turned on my radio to hear some music play/I got a silly rapper talking silly shit instead/ And the only good rapper is one that’s dead on it.” He makes a more scathing assessment in the second verse proclaiming, “See the rapper’s problem usually stem from being tone deaf/Pack the house then try to sing/There won’t be no one left.”
Though somewhat antagonistic, much of Dead On It is tongue in cheek with Prince both criticizing and portraying the stereotypical pompous rap artist who brags about his riches and street credit. The artist would clarify in a later interview that the track was not a critique on rap as a genre, but rather selected artists, “I just said that the only good rappers were the ones who were’ dead on it’ — the ones who knew what they were talking about. I didn’t used to like all that braggadocio stuff.’ I’m bad, I’m this. I’m that.’.
Regardless, it’s clear that Prince’s opinion on hip hop and rap continued to evolve as he began incorporating the genre into his work. Not every track on The Black Album would be a rebuttal against the carping music critics. Cindy C recorded in the same month is a bouncy funk masterpiece reportedly inspired by a meeting between Prince and supermodel Cindy Crawford in a club, while When 2 R In Love is a masterful sensual ballad recorded in October of 1987 and included as the last recorded track on the album.
Warner Bros were hesitant to release another album less than a year after Sign O’ The Times had hit the airwaves and only months after the concert film’s opening, however, they complied with Prince’s request. The Black Album was scheduled to be released on the 8th of December 1987 with no title or credited artist and simply wrapped in a plain black sleeve.
Tuesday came. Blue Tuesday.
His canvas full and lying on the table,
Camille mustered all the hate that he was able.
Hate 4 the ones who ever doubted his game.
Hate 4 the ones who ever doubted his name.
“Tis nobody funkier — let the Black Album fly.”
Spooky Electric was talking, Camille started 2 cry.
Tricked.
A fool he had been. In the lowest utmostest.
He had allowed the dark side of him 2 create something evil.
2 Nigs United 4 West Compton. Camille and his ego. Bob George. Why?
Spooky Electric must die.
Die in the hearts of all who want love.
Die in the hearts of men who want change.
Die in the bodies of women who want babies that will grow up — (Excerpt from Camille’s Poem — Lovesexy Tour Book)“I suddenly realized that we can die at any moment, and we’d be judged by the last thing we left behind. I didn’t want that angry bitter thing to be the last thing. […] That doesn’t mean I don’t like the music, but I don’t want the people to feel that kind of depression coming through in my music”. — Prince (1990 interview)
On Tuesday the 1st of December 1987 a week before the intended release of The Black Album, Prince would try ecstasy for the first time given to him by dancer Cat Glover. On a drug-induced trip, he’d make his way to Rupert’s, a dance club in Minneapolis where he’d preview the new album to attendees and meet a young woman named Ingrid Chavez. The pair would strike a conversation and Chavez would reveal that she was an aspiring musician. Prince invited Ingrid back to Paisley Park where they would strike a kinship after engaging in conversations about religion, love and family. Throughout the night Prince contacted old friends including Susan Rogers (who’d left the camp months earlier) and executive assistant Karen Krattinger, apologetic and regretful at how he had treated them both. Prince appeared to have an epiphany this Tuesday in October that would immensely change his next project’s trajectory.
“After we had manufactured records all over the world for the release, he called us and said he wanted to hold off and wait until we completed our campaign. We told him we had spent a lot of money getting this thing ready for market, and he said “Look, I want you to take all those albums and destroy them and I’ll pay for whatever cost you guys incurred in manufacturing.” And he actually paid us out of his royalties.” — Mo Ostin (Former WB Record Executive)
“Blue Tuesday” as it was later called by Prince would be a turning point as he’d contact Warner Bros and request for them to cancel the release of The Black Album days before it was scheduled to hit the shelves. The label withdrew the release and ordered that all 500,000 copies produced be destroyed, however some copies would survive, and the album would be heavily bootlegged. The Black Album would finally see an official release in 1994 by Warner Bros in a deal that reportedly earned Prince one million dollars.
Lovesexy — the feeling
U get when u fall in love,
Not with a girl or boy but with the heavens above.
Lovesexy — endorphin. Camille figured out what 2 feel.
Glam Slam Escape — the Sexuality Real.
Tonight we make love with only words. Girls first.
This feeling’s so good in every single way.
God is alive! Let Him touch u and He will quench every thirst.
Let him touch u and an aura of peace will adorn u.
God is alive!
Let Him touch u and your own Lovesexy will be born.
Let Him touch u, let Him touch u, and Heaven is yours.
Welcome 2 the New Power Generation. — (Excerpt from Camille’s Poem — Lovesexy Tour Book)
“I think when one discovers himself, he discovers God. Or maybe it’s the other way around. I’m not sure…It’s hard to put into words. It’s a feeling — someone knows when they get it. That’s all I can really say.” — Prince (1985 Rolling Stone Interview)
Prince began working on his next project swiftly, invigorated by a spiritual epiphany and inspired by his conversations with Chavez. On December 11th, 1987, Prince recorded two tracks Eye No and Positivity, both instrumental in shaping the concept of what would become the Lovesexy album and establishing Camille’s final story-arc. Prince would attribute the creation of The Black Album and Blue Tuesday’s events directly to Camille possessed by a malevolent entity named Spooky Electric.
Opening track Eye No (developed from the 1986 track, The Ball) is a spiritual affirmation in which Prince celebrates the revelation of embracing God’s love in the face of tribulation and conflict, “I know there is a heaven, I know there is a hell/Listen 2 me people, I got a story to tell/I know there was confusion lightnin’ all around me/That’s when I called his name don’t you know he found me.” Accompanied by his live band, he ecstatically calls for his listeners to say “yes” to God’s embrace in times of moral dilemmas and remain undeterred from the seeds of doubt harbored by the malevolent entity Spooky Electric. Prince first references the term ‘Lovesexy’ on Eye No, declaring, “Lovesexy is the one/ till my day is done” and further elaborates on the term as being “a feeling you get when you fall in love, not with a girl or boy but the heavens above.”
On Positivity, Prince notes the importance of expelling the negative energy of Spooky Electric in order to reach salvation. He questions the listener, asking if they would cuss out a man on the street had he been their father, instead positing to reflect inwards on their spiritual health. While the concept of Lovesexy may have been born out of a personal awakening for the artist, further explored in Camille’s poem (featured in the Lovesexy tour book), he chronicles a universal struggle between right and wrong. Everyone has their own battle akin to the conflict described between Camille and Spooky Electric as Prince declares, “In every man’s life there will be a hang-up/ A whirlwind designed to slow you down/It cuts like a knife and tries to get in you/This Spooky Electric sound/Give up if you want to and all is lost/Spooky Electric will be your boss”.
The battle is ongoing as Spooky Electric is a personification of the perpetual vices inherent in human nature, emphasized in times of internal conflict and exasperated by societal factors, explored further on the bombastic track, Dance On. An extension of the themes explored on Sign O’ The Times, Prince reflects on lives ruined by gang violence and petty crime, advocating to dance on in the face of societal woes and the temptation of Spooky Electric in all its forms. The Spooky Electric sound refers to The Black Album’s antagonistic elements as Prince had succumbed to his ego and created music he’d retrospectively describe as bitter and angry to prove his detractors wrong. His choice to rise above the temptation and shelve the project was crucial for finding his salvation as he declares, “Don’t kiss the beast/Be superior at least/Peace and honesty/Hold on to your soul/got a long way to go.”
Prince would utilize elements of the original plot of Graffiti Bridge as he began developing the concept of Lovesexy and its complex mythology. Camille’s journey towards redemption is the central theme that drives the original Graffiti Bridge script’s narrative and the concept of Lovesexy. Both begin with Camille experiencing a crisis that shakes to the very core of his identity. In Graffiti Bridge, it’s the loss of his soul mate Ruthie that leads to his despair while possession by the malevolent force Spooky Electric guides the character to his apparent doom on Lovesexy; The antidote to his suffering is found in the power of music. Camille had to search for The Grand Progression to materialize Graffiti Bridge. It was the sacred sounds of Lovesexy that lead the character to find spiritual actualization and purge Spooky Electric from his heart. An early demo of Eye No references Graffiti Bridge with Prince declaring, “Near the bridge of graffiti there lives a band whose soul belongs to god”, confirming an initial link between both projects.
Aptly, the last song produced for the Lovesexy project was I Wish U Heaven, recorded on the 31st of January 1988, two days after Prince had assembled an early configuration of the album, which included the unreleased song, The Line and an early version of the title track, titled Luv Sexy. I Wish U Heaven encapsulates the central ethos of Lovesexy with a message of enduring empathy and compassion. The simple but profound lyrics “If I see eleven/ You can say it’s seven/Still I wish you heaven” demonstrate a means to progress despite our differences, a sentiment world apart from the antagonistic elements of The Black Album and the musical yin to its yang.
“Examining man’s inner conflicts has been a source of intrigue to the world’s greatest thinkers for centuries. One side is dark, the other is light. Opposites attract and repel. Left or right? Black or white? Good or bad? Images of dual personalities — and paradoxical metaphors — have been conjured up by Prince throughout his career. Prince vs. Camille. Batman vs. The Joker. He sings of the pleasures of spirituality and pleasures of the flesh”. — Excerpt from Nude Tour book.
The running thread that ties together each of Camille’s various incarnations is a struggle between vice and virtue. The character’s search for love and happiness is often stifled as he succumbs to the lustful feeling of Shockadelica and the damned sound of Spooky Electric. Camille’s primary form of identification is altered, pitched vocals; however, Eye No begins in contrast with Prince’s pure unadulterated voice as he proclaims, “Welcome to The New Power Generation/The reason why my voice is so clear is because there’s no smack in my brain” referring to his ecstasy trip and the events of Blue Tuesday. Suppose Camille was an alter-ego manifested during a time of sadness and anger, his purging indicates a triumph for Prince reflected in the purity of his voice, absent from pitch shifting.
The Lovesexy Tour would further explore this transformation, which loosely tells the story conveyed in the poem and analyzed further on the album. The first half of the show is driven predominantly by the more explicit and sexually charged tracks culminating in performances of The Black Album’s Superfunkycalifragisexy and Bob George. Prince, donning an oversized coat and sparkled glasses as Camille re-enacts the latter’s storyline leading to his apprehension and death. Soon after, the haunting opening keys of Anna Stesia begin as Prince emerges on a platform that slowly begins to rise above the stage akin to a heavenly transcendence as Prince urges the crowd to chant “Love is God/God is love/Girls and boys/Love God above.” Anna Stesia (written about Blue Tuesday’s events) comes at a pivotal part of the show representing Camille’s baptism and the emergence of Prince with his name branded on his thigh as the ecstatic sounds of Eye No begin.
Camille’s final official credit on a track would be the P-Funk reminiscent classic Scarlet Pussy released as the B-side to I Wish U Heaven in September 1988. This would be the only song that Camille would receive credit as the artist, (The previous four tracks featured on Sign O’ The Times had Camile listed on vocals only) and the last direct reference to the alter ego in his work. Recorded in January 1988, Scarlet Pussy was originally intended for Sheila E’s fourth studio album, due to be released by Paisley Park records but ultimately shelved.
“With 1989’s release of the critically lauded and best-selling Batman soundtrack came a stir amongst critics 4 it’s “supposed” departure from the acclaimed and enchanting Lovesexy. Reportedly one of the fastest-selling albums in the history of the charts, Batman was actually quite similar to Lovesexy: both explored the polarities and dualities of mankind.” — Excerpt from Nude Tour book.
Prince continued to record new material during the Lovesexy tour, compiling an early configuration of the Graffiti Bridge album in September 1988, featuring tracks included in the original script and some additions including Pink Cashmere (ultimately released on The Hits in 1993).
In March 1989, Prince began working on a soundtrack for the upcoming Batman film after being approached by director Tim Burton who’d intended to use the tracks 1999 and Baby I’m A Star. Though hesitant at first, Prince visited the set in January 1989 and viewed a rough portion of the film, becoming inspired to write original music for the project. By March 1989, after completing the final leg of the Lovesexy tour, he’d recorded several tracks for the soundtrack, including the up-tempo Trust and Partyman, replacing 200 Balloons and Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic respectively in key scenes of the film. Prince would utilize the pitch shifting technique when recording Partyman, reminiscent of the Camille vocal effect.
Once again Prince would choose to assign characters to his work, this time utilizing the personas established in the comic book universe including Batman and The Joker as the authors of their prospective tracks. Prince credits the explosive rock track Electric Chair, (originally recorded in June of 1988) to The Joker with the lyrics that complement the insidious psyche of the supervillain, “if a man is considered guilty/For what goes on in his mind/Then give me the electric chair/For all my future crimes”. The opening track, The Future is assigned to the character of Batman and somewhat intertwines with the concept of Lovesexy. On the sparse funk number, he notes the urgency for a “new order spirituality that will last” in preparation for judgment in the afterlife. In tandem, Prince refers to the dangers of temptation through the form of a drug offered to him by a character known as “Yellow Smiley” — most likely intended to be The Joker. “Yellow Smiley offers me X/Like he’s drinking seven up/I would rather drink six razor blades/Razor blades from a paper cup/He can’t understand/ I say too tough/It’s just that I’ve seen the future/And boy it’s rough”. Within the Batman universe, Prince effectively rewrites the narrative of Blue Tuesday by refusing to take the drug while reinforcing the need to embrace a higher spirituality,
The unceasing battle between Batman and The Joker for the soul of Gotham City is one of the most iconic depictions of the struggle between good vs evil in popular culture. The conflict that arises from this battle shares a similar theme to the internal conflict detailed by Prince between Camille and Spooky Electric.
The most befitting visual expression of the dual personalities explored during this era is the Partyman film clip which portrays the artist divided in appearance with The Joker. Extending this concept further, Prince is dressed in both Batman and The Joker attire in the Batdance clip representing a new character he’d refer to as Gemini, named after the constellation. Gemini (which translates to Twins in Latin) presents the duality between good and evil present in all of mankind and demonstrates that Prince would continue to explore this dichotomy beyond the Camille narrative.
While known to abandon concepts rather quickly, Prince would utilize Camille for several projects around this time ranging from an unreleased album of incredible music to the protagonist in a feature film, while continuing to develop the character’s mythology. Camille would also be an outlet for Prince to continue experimenting with vocal alteration in the studio while exploring other aspects of his versatility as a writer. Furthermore, Camille would make a viable outlet for Prince to express his emotions and vulnerabilities through the guise of this fictitious character at a turbulent point in his career and personal life, as he began adjusting to a new musical landscape and questioning his own identity as an artist.
As much folklore as there is about Camille, there isn’t a definitive theory as to who the character is or what they represent. As is apparent in the documentation of its development, Prince himself didn’t seem to exactly know either. This point in itself is what has made the character so compelling and a subject of endless discussion and conjecture by fans and music historians alike. Camille is yet another weave in the tapestry that is Prince’s rich discography.
Special Thanks: John Cameron
Works Cited:
SAVAGE, MARK |Prince’s Sign O’ The Times: An oral history| BBC News 2020
STASH019 | Susan Rogers On Prince “Sign O’ The Times” | Hi Fi Way
HELMREICH, STEFAN AND McMURRAY, PETER | Tape, Prince, and the Studio: Interview with Susan Rogers 23 May 2016, Cambridge, MA
TALBOT, MARTIN | The inside story on the recording of Prince’s legendary Sign O’ The Times album | Official Charts
RED BULL MUSIC ACADEMY | Interview with Susan Rogers
ASWAD, JEM | Former Warner Bros. CEO Mo Ostin Recalls His Long Relationship With Prince: ‘He Was a Fearless Artist’ | Billboard
