Susan Rogers is a remarkable person. After a successful career as a music engineer and producer, she retired from the industry, using royalties from producing the Barenaked Ladies to become a scientist. She earned a doctorate in psychology from McGill University, studying music cognition and psychoacoustics, and currently teaches at Berklee College of Music. Prince fans know her through her work during the period that produced a series of amazing, famous albums. The opportunity came about by chance when Prince hired her as his audio technician during the making of
Purple Rain. She rapidly transitioned to become his engineer, effectively taking part in the creation of music by one of the most significant musicians in our lifetime. In an engaging interview at Loop 2017, she addresses wide-ranging topics about music.
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I love the idea of a cocktail inspired by a Prince song. Lovesexy CockTail Guide contains 138 recipes celebrating the songs of Prince. Not only does the guide feature luscious drinks, but each beverage is paired with gorgeous digital art representing Prince, along with brief commentary on the corresponding song. You’ll find obvious faves (Purple Rain, Raspberry Beret) but also lesser known gems (Beautiful Strange, White Mansion). The guide’s convenient alphabetical arrangement makes it easy to locate a song. Continue reading →
Once upon a time, music did not carry “Explicit” warning labels. Then something happened in 1985, one of those moral panics that periodically sweep the U.S. The panic in this case was “porn rock,” the nickname given to racy or violent music that became the subject of Congressional hearings. Tipper Gore, wife of Senator Al Gore, had bought her 11-year-old daughter the album “Purple Rain.” The movie and accompanying album by Prince had come out the year prior, both becoming mega hits. But when Tipper Gore heard the song “Darling Nikki,” which describes a woman masturbating to a magazine in a hotel lobby, she was appalled. 
The home Prince once owned in Toronto still bears the imprint of his personality. This partly reflects Prince’s decorating tastes, but undoubtedly the house attracted him in the first place because of its design. Thematically suffused with circles and curves, the building gives the impression that Prince had the house built specifically for him. But, in fact, the house was built long before Prince even dreamed of owning property in Toronto. Half-moon bay windows jut out from the facade. A circular transom window perches above the entry door, where the ceiling arches over a rose compass that decorates the marble floor. A staircase spirals down to the lower level. Curved walls grace the master bedroom, entered through an arched doorway. A musical flow permeates the structure, like notes cascading down a waterfall.