Tuesday night there’s a Prince tribute show on CBS. They’ve done very little PR for it. Luckily the show’s writer, David Wild, has tweeted about it every four minutes. Otherwise, this special is ratings-doomed.
Someone shared the setlist online. Glaring omissions among the artists include Chaka Khan, Alicia Keys, and Janet Jackson. Also where is Larry Graham, who played with Prince so often and made records with him, a genius from Sly and he Family Stone?
Chaka, of course, had an all time monster hit with “I Feel for You.” She wasn’t available. Alicia Keys covered “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore.” She also hosted the Grammys two nights before this show was taped. Couldn’t they find her?
Janet Jackson lives in LA. She had a hit with “When I Think of You.” Hello? Cyndi Lauper‘s “When You Were Mine” is classic. Cyndi? Did they call her?
Okay, Susanna Hoffs sings her Bangles hit, “Manic Monday” with Chris Martin on guitar. But where is Sinead O’Connor, who had the biggest cover of all with Prince’s “No One Compares 2 U.” She’s MIA. The ubiquitous John Legend sings it instead. Good lord, does this guy sleep? And Usher sings three songs. Where was Tom Jones, who had the hit with “Kiss”? Wendy & Lisa? Hello?
Well, Prince will be laughing, wherever he is in the purple sky.
H.E.R. and Gary Clark, Jr., “Let’s Go Crazy”
Miguel, “I Would Die 4 U”
St. Vincent, “Controversy”
John Legend, “Nothing Compares 2 U”
Juanes, “1999”
H.E.R., “The Beautiful Ones”
Usher, “Little Red Corvette,” “When Doves Cry” and “Kiss”
Chris Martin and Susanna Hoffs, “Manic Monday”
The Time, “Jungle Love,” Cool” and “the Bird”
Foo Fighters, “Darling Nikki”
Earth Wind and Fire, “Adore”
Common, “Sign O’ the Times”
Beck, “Raspberry Beret”
Gary Clark, Jr., “The Cross”
Sheila E., “America,” “Free” and “The Glamorous Life”
Princess, “Delirious”
Mavis Staples and the Revolution, “Purple Rain”
Everybody, “Baby I’m a Star”
