I mean, this was a time where there was no technology.
You didnt have drum machines; you didnt have anything.
The only other person I can think of that was capable of really doing that was Stevie Wonder.
Credit: Sherry Rayn Barnett /Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
The presence of Prince was also interesting because he had an incredibly strong vibe to him.
His silence was powerful and when he did say something you listened.
We were sitting [there] with six or eight songs and they sounded finished.
I didnt think [he needed] a producer.
Because it wasnt just the songs, it was the way they were performed.
What you didnt want to do was get in the way of that.
Do you think that telling him hed have this creative freedom helped sealed the deal?I think so.
Warner Bros. had a pretty good reputation about creative freedom.
We were interested in helping develop incredibly talented people.
Most great artists stand out because they have their own way of doing things and their own personality.
If youre building a record company youre hopefully surrounded by artists that are a step ahead of you.
He liked to be there and play whatever album it was for the company.
I dont know that anybody ever put together so many different genres and did it so gracefully.
There were times where there was something to say.
There were occasions where he actually took the suggestions and responded.
In the case ofDiamonds and Pearls, Gett Off was the last thing he wrote.
I was very, very excited about the album it was unbelievable.
The fact that there was concern about the it was bothersome for me.
He listened for about 30 seconds.
My sense was This is not over.
All he really cared about was how good it would be.
The following Monday, I get a call from him.
He said You got a new baby.
I got something to play you.
He came in and he played Gett Off.
It was the first single and did incredibly well, especially in the urban world.
And the rest is history in terms ofDiamonds and Pearls.
We were worried that it would saturate the marketplace and that it could hurt him.
It was much more about marketing.
