Glam Slam Ulysses

Last updated
Glam Slam Ulysses
GlamSlamUlysses.jpg
Poster for Glam Slam Ulysses
Music Prince
LyricsPrince
Basis Homer's Odyssey
ProductionsGlam Slam, Los Angeles, 1993

Glam Slam Ulysses was a 1993 musical production by Prince, loosely based on Homer's Odyssey , featuring a combination of live performances and video, with twelve previously unreleased songs. [1]

Contents

Each song represented an element from Homer's Odyssey (Ulysses is the Latin name for the protagonist, Odysseus). The musical received a limited performance at Prince's Glam Slam nightclub, with a few shows being performed in late August to early September 1993. [2] Carmen Electra, who was relatively unknown at the time, was a featured dancer in the performance, as was Frank Williams. Jamie King provided the choreography. Genny Schorr Costumer

When Prince first announced to change his name to an unpronounceable symbol on June 7, 1993, he also stated that he would no longer be releasing new albums; instead he was to focus on alternative performances, films, etc., while his record company, Warner Bros. Records, would be able to release albums from Prince's vault of unreleased material to fulfill his contract. The first of these alternative performances would be Glam Slam Ulysses.

Songs

As listed on a flier for the production, the story elements were represented by the following songs:

Story elementSong
The Ship"Strays of the World"
Lotus Land "Dolphin"
The Cyclops "Interactive"
Circe "Pheromone"
Penelope "Dark"
Hades "Loose"
The Sirens "Space"
Scylla "What's My Name"
Calypso "Endorphinemachine"
The Suitors"Race"
The Trojan Horse "Come"
The Homecoming"Strays of the World"
The Celebration"Pope"

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nirvana (band)</span> American rock band (1987–1994)

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, before recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990. Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Despite a short mainstream career spanning only three years, their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture.

<i>Odyssey</i> Epic poem attributed to Homer

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. Like the Iliad, the Odyssey is divided into 24 books. It follows the Greek hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his journey home after the Trojan War. After the war, which lasted ten years, his journey from Troy to Ithaca, via Africa and southern Europe, lasted for ten additional years during which time he encountered many perils and all of his crewmates were killed. In his absence, Odysseus was assumed dead, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus had to contend with a group of unruly suitors who were competing for Penelope's hand in marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince (musician)</span> American musician (1958–2016)

Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona; his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, blues, and hip hop. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beck</span> American musician (born 1970)

Beck David Hansen, known mononymously as Beck, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his experimental and lo-fi style, and became known for creating musical collages of wide-ranging genres. He has musically encompassed folk, funk, soul, hip hop, electronica, alternative rock, country, and psychedelia. He has released 14 studio albums, as well as several non-album singles and a book of sheet music.

<i>Lovesexy</i> 1988 studio album by Prince

Lovesexy is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Prince. The album was released on May 10, 1988, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album was recorded in just seven weeks, from mid-December 1987 to late January 1988, at Prince's new Paisley Park Studios, after the cancellation of the infamous Black Album and most of the album is a solo effort from Prince, with a few exceptions. The lyrical themes of the record include positivity, self-improvement, spirituality, and God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Art of Noise</span> British avant-garde synth-pop group

Art of Noise were a British avant-garde synth-pop group formed in early 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan and programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with keyboardist/arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn, and music journalist Paul Morley. The group had international Top 20 hits with its interpretations of "Kiss", featuring Tom Jones, and the instrumental "Peter Gunn", which won a 1986 Grammy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twisted Sister</span> American heavy metal band

Twisted Sister was an American heavy metal band formed in 1972 in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York. Their best-known songs include "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with music videos noted for their sense of slapstick humor.

<i>Come</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Prince

Come is the fifteenth studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on August 16, 1994, by Warner Bros. Records. At the time of its release, Prince was in a public dispute with Warner Bros. A lack of promotion from the label and Prince himself resulted in Come under-performing on American record charts, stalling at No. 15, and becoming his first album since Controversy (1981) to not yield any top 10 singles in the US. However, it was more successful overseas, reaching the top 10 across Europe and topping the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Graffiti Bridge</i> (film) 1990 musical drama film directed by Prince

Graffiti Bridge is a 1990 American rock musical drama film written, directed by, and starring Prince in his third and final major theatrical film role. It is a standalone sequel to his 1984 film Purple Rain. Like its predecessor, it was accompanied by a soundtrack album of the same name.

<i>The Hits/The B-Sides</i> 1993 box set by Prince

The Hits/The B-Sides is a box set by American recording artist Prince. It was released on September 10, 1993, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album is a comprehensive three-disc set consisting of many of his hit singles and fan favorites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enuff Z'Nuff</span> American glam metal band

Enuff Z'Nuff is an American glam metal band from Blue Island, Illinois, founded by singer Donnie Vie and bassist Chip Z'Nuff. The band charted two times on the US Hot 100; "Fly High Michelle" (#47) and "New Thing" (#67).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gett Off</span> 1991 single by Prince and the New Power Generation

"Gett Off" is a song written and produced by American musician Prince, released in June 1991 by Paisley Park and Warner Bros. as the lead single from his thirteenth album, Diamonds and Pearls (1991). The album was his first with his backing band the New Power Generation. "Gett Off" was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching number four in the United Kingdom; the maxi-single was too long and pricey to appear on the UK Singles Chart, so this release was classified as an album, peaking at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart in August 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glam Slam</span> 1988 single by Prince

"Glam Slam" is a song by American musician Prince, and the second single from his tenth album, Lovesexy (1988). The song has sexual overtones with a spiritual undertone and fits the Lovesexy theme of integrating God and sex. The song is complex musically, recalling "Life Can Be So Nice" from Parade. It ends with a chorus of strings. A 12" single remix of the song by Shep Pettibone and Steve Peck mainly includes dance beats and extra instrumentation and samples.

Nitro was an American heavy metal band from Hollywood, California. Formed in 1988, the group originally featured vocalist Jim Gillette, guitarist Michael Angelo Batio, bassist T. J. Racer and drummer Bobby Rock. Nitro released its debut album O.F.R. in 1989, which reached number 140 on the US Billboard 200. Rock was replaced by K. C. Comet for the album's tour and Racer would leave the band thereafter. Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S., released in 1992, featured Ralph Carter on bass and Johnny Thunder on drums. The group broke up in 1993, with a number of previously unreleased demo recordings issued on the 1999 album Gunnin' for Glory.

<i>The Golden Apple</i> (musical) Musical

The Golden Apple is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Moross and both book and lyrics by John Treville Latouche. The musical's story is based on parts of the Iliad and Odyssey. The musical premiered Off-Broadway in 1954 and then transferred to Broadway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unreleased Prince projects</span>

Prince was well known in the entertainment industry for having a vast body of work that remains unreleased. It has been said that his vault contains multiple unreleased albums and more than 50 fully produced music videos that have never been released, along with albums and other media. The following is a list, in rough chronological order, of the most prominent of these unreleased works. Many were later released and circulated among collectors as bootlegs.

Suburban Rhythm was a ska punk band from Long Beach, California. Formed in 1990, they played numerous shows in small-venue clubs with many now famous O.C. bands opening their performances, including Sublime, No Doubt, and Reel Big Fish. Suburban Rhythm met with various roster changes and broke up in 1994. Three years later in 1997 their only full-length album, Suburban Rhythm was released.

Anthony Charles Williams II, better known by his stage name B.Slade and formerly known under the gospel moniker Tonéx, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, dancer, producer, and activist from San Diego, California. He has gone by various names and aliases, but his primary stage name of choice had for years been "Tonéx". In 2010, he began using the stage name B.Slade to rebrand himself.

Home Sweet Homer is a 1976 musical with a book by Roland Kibbee and Albert Marre, lyrics by Charles Burr and Forman Brown, and music by Mitch Leigh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stryper</span> American heavy metal band

Stryper is an American Christian metal and heavy metal band from La Mirada, California. The group's lineup consists of Michael Sweet, Oz Fox (guitar), Perry Richardson (bass), and Robert Sweet (drums).

References

  1. Gulla, Bob. Icons of R&B and Soul: An Encyclopedia of the Artists Who Revolutionized Rhythm. Greenwood. p. 497.
  2. Carcieri, Matthew. Prince: A Life in Music. p. 73.