It was initially released as a download on the launch date of Prince ’s website lotusflow3r.com, with a CD release exclusively at Target five days later, in a 3CD package that also included MPLSound and Bria Valente ’s first and only album Elixer. Lotusflow3r is a a very different animal from Prince`s other album of 2009`MPLSound`. Instead of the one man band with a synthesized and drum machine-infused R&B sound of that album we get a very organic rock/jazz/funk fusion of styles, a bit similar to 2001`s `The Rainbow Children` but a lot more focused on Rock this time around and with less religious dogma.
From Princepedia
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TheDawn.com
The first official web presence of Prince.
In early 1996, the website contained the 'Wedding Program' for Prince and mayte, something he advertised with a half-page ad in USA Today.[1]
The domain was abandoned when Love4OneAnother.com became the official site.
paisleyparkstudios.com
The official site of Prince's studio, Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
That is blank now, use http://www.paisleyparkstudios.com/archive/ if you want to see the site as it was..
love4oneanother.com
...oh boy...
npgmusicclub.com
Mostly designed as a site for fans to purchase concert tickets and music, via the 'NPG Music Club membership', this site went online in XXXX and functioned until YYYY. Fans used it primarily to sign up to buy special seating at concerts during the XXXXX and YYYYYY tours, as well as download the semi-regular 'NPG Ahdio' mp3 'radio shows'.
The club membership, which granted full access to the site, cost $50 US / year.
Prince Lotusflow3r Website Site
newfunk.com
3121.com
This was Prince's official site following the closure of the NPGMC in 2006, up until late December 2007 when it mysteriously went blank. Prince did not have an official website from this time forward until the lotusflow3r.com preview site appeared in late 2008.
3121.com was live for both the 3121 Vegas and 21 Nights in London residency and fans had the opportunity to purchase tickets via this site. It also at one point contained a newsletter and blog, to which various songs and pictures were posted, including archive material such as the song 'Splash', recorded with The Revolution in the mid 80's, and a previously unreleased acoustic mix of the song 'Love', from 2006's 3121 album release.
lotusflow3r.com
This site appeared with a teaser graphic at the beginning of 2009. Due to the presence of an interactive 'ticket' on the site that allows one to sign up for updates, that prominently displays the date January 31, 2009, that was believed to be the official launch date for the rest of the site. The intro states that visitors will be able to 'Listen to new tracks by Prince and special guests', 'Watch videos and exclusive content' and 'Buy music, concert tickets, and more.'
Tied to Prince's 2009 release LOtUSFLOW3R.
prince.org / Superspaceboy's guide to navigating the galaxy
www.lotusflow3r.com went live in March 24th 2009 with great confusion and frustration among fans. prince.org's own Superspaceboy formulated this helpful guide to get people off the ground with the site:
1) Go to www.lotusflow3r.com2) To unlock the site you're taken back in time to 1986. Click the small TV and watch the video 'Kiss' For 'Hint 1' (needed for the first slot on ticket) which the VJ announces on the TV 'this is going to be the hottest ticket of 1986,Prince on tour and this is his hottest video Kiss.' 3) For 'Hint 2' (needed for second slot on ticket.) Go over to the right of the site and turn on the boom box by clicking, where you'll hear the DJ announce 'that was a hot new track from the artist known as Prince,everyone I know is dying to get a 'ticket' to his show March 7th here in 'Los Angeles'. Now you have the answers(1986 and Los Angeles) for the ticket on the ground that you need to click and enter that into the blank slots that unlocks the site. The site is now unlocked. Now you need to register...
4) Choose a Screen Name and Password. If this isn't working, you need to CLEAR YOUR CACHE. This can be done normally under the options in your browser. I have heard some browsers don't work. FIREFOX does. If you don't have Firefox go to www.firefox.com and DL the browser. Repeat steps 1-4 if neseccary
5) Once your screen name and password are accepted, you'll then go and enter your personal info and pay 77 dollars to get in. You will also get to choose what size T-Shirt you want. (I missed this...but there is a 7 dollar charge for S&H if you live outside the USA)
Once you are in you have 3 areas to explore...one for each of the albums.Next steps will guide you to where you can download them or listen to them. You navigate to the different 'worlds' by dragging your curser around.
Lotusflow3r - Click on the middle world and then once that comes into full view if you click on the lightning above his head, that will bring up the player. From there you have options to download Mp3 or Wav. Also in this area, if you click on the pyramid, you will get to see the Crimson & Clover video.
MPLSound - This is to the right of the site. Once there, click on the bird, who'll plug into the site. The CD disappears and a guitar rises in it's place. Click on the string of the guitar (towards the top) and the player opens up for the album. You can DL mp3 or wav files here. Click the blimp off to the right top of the screen to see a preview of Chocolate Box video.
Bria Valente - Her's is off to the Left of the site. A little more straight forward. Click the 'on' button for her player. Same deal as above. The video for her single can be access by clicking on the moon.
The videos are located behind Prince's face in Lotusflow3r land. Once clicked, you are taken past the face to an Orange Glowing Ring and then soon after a globe of videos comes up to pick videos and pictures to choose from.
TIPS and TRICKS -
It is recommended to Download the Mp3's instead of the wav files. They seem to work easier and the wav files come as a .php file and all of the tricks to turn it to a .zip aren't working for me.
Yes the videos are choppy. This could be due to high traffic and there is no work around. Update: If you go to full screen, this will improve the video viewing experience. Also Firefox has an option to get the video. Scroll to page 2 of this thread to read how that might be done.
At the top left corner are 3 controls: Symbol take you to your acct info. You can also get tix here. The middle control is for sound and the last gives you full screen access.
Invalid and corrupted files means you didn't fully download them. So much traffic on the site makes this tricky. Go for the MP3's. They are at a great bit rate.
There is also a known issue with closing out and logging back in. Again, clearing caches and cookies seems to work.
So far that's all that seems to be there.
Good Luck! And hopefully this helps.
References
- ↑Prince puts his love for new bride online with wedding Web site, Article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) - Article date: February 15, 1996 - Author: Covert, Colin.
On the evening of March 24th, Prince will be performing at three different locations with three different bands throughout the Los Angeles area. How he plans to do this is still a mystery and even his musicians are not sure of all the details, but Prince fans have come to expect the unexpected. In addition, it was previously announced that Prince will play an unprecedented three nights in a row on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on March 25th, 26th and 27th and will return to help Leno end his reign on the late night show by performing on his next to last show on May 28th.
LotusFlow3r.com is an entire interactive galaxy, conceived by Prince and created by Scott Addison Clay and Anthony Malzone, that takes the Prince fans into three distinctly different worlds emanating the feel of the three new albums in a high-end 3-D style design.
Prince Lotusflow3r Website Hosting
Currently, the beta version of the site hosts new tracks “Colonized Mind” from the new LOtUSFLOW3r album, “DiscoJellyfish” from the new MPLSoUND album and “Another Boy” from Elixer with Bria. In addition, the site is slated to release a new music video from each of the three albums on the launch date including “Crimson and Clover” from LOtUSFLOW3r, “Chocolate Box” from MPLSoUND and “Everytime” from Elixer.Prince also plans to give his fans access to tickets to live shows, concert footage from past performances, exclusive imagery from his past albums and other exclusive photos, exclusive information about any private or secret shows, as well as exclusive content that will only be available in the first week of the site launch and may never become available again. Fans who join the site early will also receive a boutique-quality “Founding Member” t-shirt that displays the central image from the galaxy. Over time, Prince will continue to give fans more access to high-end never released photos and video content and much more.
Prince collaborated with Malzone and Clay throughout the design and development of the entire website. In fact, the three often fed off of each other’s creative ideas. For instance, Prince wrote the music for the track “DiscoJellyfish,” which inspired Malzone, who visualized a design and took to his computer programs to design graphics and artwork to communicate the feel of the song, which then, upon seeing the designs, further inspired Prince to continue to write the song. Everything within this galaxy is a creative portal derived from the brilliant mind of Prince, beautifully executed by Malzone and Clay.
Newsweek.com has exclusively released the new cover art for Bria’s Elixer and Prince’s MPLSoUND albums: click here for Newsweek story.
Since his debut in 1978, Prince has had numerous hits on the Billboard Charts. In 2004, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has won six GRAMMY® awards, an Academy Award® and a Golden Globe®. From the moment he stepped onto the music scene, he has captivated fans with his continual reinvention as an artist and remains one of the most celebrated performers of all time. In 2006, Prince won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 10th Annual Webby Awards. The founder of the awards called Prince “a visionary, who recognized early on that the web would completely change how we experience music.”