21 NIGHTS
By Prince and Randee St. Nicholas
Featuring “Indigo Nights/Live Sessions,” an exclusive CD capturing Prince’s speak-easy, after-hours, raw, live after-show sessions
Masterful composer, multi-faceted musician, international megastar and cultural icon—Prince—presents his first book, 21 NIGHTS (Atria Books; September 30, 2008; $50.00), a stunning multi-media volume offering a rare glimpse into the life, lyrics, and mystique of one of the most notable and prolific performers of our time. This beautifully designed photographic essay flows from Prince’s sensational, unprecedented, record-breaking, sold-out 21 concerts in 21 nights at London’s O2 Arena in 2007. Juxtaposing his dueling worlds of music and solitude, it incorporates Prince’s evocative poetry and lyrics to new songs and other selections, and 124 full-color and black and white, sumptuous, never-before-published images by celebrated photographer Randee St. Nicholas.As part of the dimensional experience, 21 NIGHTS also features “Indigo Nights/Live Sessions,” a CD capturing Prince’s speak-easy, after-hours, raw, live after-show sessions of pure unadulterated jams. His legendary after-shows are known by his die-hard fans most notably as unstructured and uninhibited, reminiscent of juke joints, featuring a spontaneity that is an amalgamation of jazz, blues, funk, and searing extended guitar solos in which Prince re-invents a favorite cover or one of his own tunes. “Indigo Nights/Live Sessions,” which includes 14 selections plus the live version of the song “3121,” will not be available in any other format.
For the first time in 21 NIGHTS, Prince is seen behind the scenes. Randee St. Nicholas, renowned for her rich visuals, deft touch, and distinctive style, was given access to Prince’s life and career, providing a nuanced and unparalleled view of the artist, accompanying him onstage, backstage, and into his sleeping quarters. Prince’s poetry is woven throughout the volume, creating a portrait that is intimate, riveting, and unforgettable.
Prince’s 21 London dates at the O2 Arena in 2007 generated an unprecedented $44 million in ticket and merchandise sales in just one month. The 24,000-person venue was sold out for all 21 concerts. The first 16 dates sold out in one hour; the remaining tickets by the following day. His album “3121” debuted at #1 on the charts.
Lyrical and visually rich, 21 NIGHTS captures the spirit and voluptuous sound of Prince’s brilliant 21-night residency at the O2 concert hall in London. The innovative multi-media book project, created by a musical visionary and uncompromising artist, is an invitation to experience a side Prince has not revealed, until now.
About the Authors
Prince is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award winner, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, in his first year of eligibility. His most recent song, when made available via iTunes, garnered 40,000 downloads in the first two weeks. His last four albums have averaged more than 4 million copies worldwide—without a traditional label deal. In 2007, Prince won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for the film “Happy Feet,” which grossed more than $300 million in the U.S. alone. Prince’s last major U.S. tour, in 2004, was the highest grossing concert tour of that year, topping those of Madonna and the Rolling Stones, and generating $250 million, even though tickets were at half the cost of either of the afore-mentioned acts. Defying categorization, his widely acclaimed music has ranked highly, decade after decade, in the categories of Funk, Neo Psychedelia, Alternative, Rock, New Wave, Pop, Soul, and Jazz.
Randee St. Nicholas is an artist/photographer who began her commercial career in the music industry photographing such iconic artists as Prince, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Chris Cornell, Jakob Dylan, Dwight Yoakum, Shelby Lynn, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, The Bee Gee’s, Melissa Ethridge, and BuckCherry. Her reputation for mixing glamour with edge was also sought after in the entertainment world, giving her the opportunity to photograph celebrities, as well. Her extensive client list includes Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, Drew Barrymore, Howard Stern, Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage, Gabriel Byrne, Martha Stewart and countless others. Her work has been seen in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Arena, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Giant, Vibe, and Flaunt, to name a few. Her success in photography also led her to a directing career beginning with music videos and branching out into commercials. To date, she has directed some 160 music videos, dozens of commercials and is in preproduction on her first feature film to shoot early next year.
Prince is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award winner, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, in his first year of eligibility. His most recent song, when made available via iTunes, garnered 40,000 downloads in the first two weeks. His last four albums have averaged more than 4 million copies worldwide—without a traditional label deal. In 2007, Prince won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for the film “Happy Feet,” which grossed more than $300 million in the U.S. alone. Prince’s last major U.S. tour, in 2004, was the highest grossing concert tour of that year, topping those of Madonna and the Rolling Stones, and generating $250 million, even though tickets were at half the cost of either of the afore-mentioned acts. Defying categorization, his widely acclaimed music has ranked highly, decade after decade, in the categories of Funk, Neo Psychedelia, Alternative, Rock, New Wave, Pop, Soul, and Jazz.
Randee St. Nicholas is an artist/photographer who began her commercial career in the music industry photographing such iconic artists as Prince, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Chris Cornell, Jakob Dylan, Dwight Yoakum, Shelby Lynn, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, The Bee Gee’s, Melissa Ethridge, and BuckCherry. Her reputation for mixing glamour with edge was also sought after in the entertainment world, giving her the opportunity to photograph celebrities, as well. Her extensive client list includes Charlize Theron, Kim Basinger, Drew Barrymore, Howard Stern, Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage, Gabriel Byrne, Martha Stewart and countless others. Her work has been seen in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Arena, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Giant, Vibe, and Flaunt, to name a few. Her success in photography also led her to a directing career beginning with music videos and branching out into commercials. To date, she has directed some 160 music videos, dozens of commercials and is in preproduction on her first feature film to shoot early next year.
21 NIGHTS
By Prince and Randee St. Nicholas
Atria Books; September 30, 2008; $50.00
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-5444-8; ISBN 10: 1-4165-5444-0
By Prince and Randee St. Nicholas
Atria Books; September 30, 2008; $50.00
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-5444-8; ISBN 10: 1-4165-5444-0
About Atria
Atria Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation. Simon & Schuster is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Online, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com
Atria Books is an imprint of Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation. Simon & Schuster is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Online, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com
