Arise ye pris’ners of starvation
Arise ye wretched of the earth
For justice thunders condemnation
A better world’s in birth!
No more tradition’s chains shall bind us
Arise, ye slaves, no more in thrall;
The earth shall rise on new foundations
We have been naught we shall be all.Eugène Pottier‘s ‘L’Internationale‘; written in 1871 after the violent crushing of the Paris Commune that Pottier was a part of
1984’s ‘Purple Rain’ was an incredible – and completely illogical – success. That film starred an at the time moderately successful pop star in their first acting role; an ensemble cast that was essentially made up of people that moderately successful pop star was either in a band with, was mates with, or was shagging; a script that had gone through several rewrites and rejections until eventually being shaped by a television writer building on that moderately successful pop star’s own bonkers ideas; and was also directed by an unknown debutant who’s recently edited an absolute flop. And who was far from the first choice.
The film made $70 million off a $7 million budget, picking up an Oscar as well for its troubles. Shit, thought Warner Brothers, We don’t understand it at all but this guy just shits money, maybe just do whatever He wants in future? When Prince said to Warner Brothers in 1985 that He was thinking of making another film, they greenlit the idea without even seeing a script. ‘Purple Rain’ was a monster hit when it starred a moderately successful pop star, now we’re getting the same shit again only now it’s by the biggest star in the world?? We could be talking Rocky IV numbers!!
If you wanted to buy a Sam CookE aLblum, where would you go?




