How can U just leave me standing? ...in search of Prince Rogers Nelson.

Sam Bleazard
  • 4.5 (8)
  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

Prince Rogers Nelson was a cultural icon, ground-breaking artist and one of the most influential, prolific and revered musicians of his generation, inspiring diverse groups of people around the world. This show talks to people who have memories of the Purple one, and will include associates, bandmates and fans alike. Don't be 'alone in a world that's so cold' - join us! May U Live 2 C the Dawn...

  1. Xclusive interview with author, actor, dancer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Mayte Garcia, Prince's first wife and band member in the New Power Generation. "My measurements were the code to the Vault," she tells Sam.

    MAR 24

    Xclusive interview with author, actor, dancer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Mayte Garcia, Prince's first wife and band member in the New Power Generation. "My measurements were the code to the Vault," she tells Sam.

    Intro 2mins - Catching up with Mayte, an eruption of rescue dogs... and a strict pet policy in the UK. 5mins - Mayte's motivation for the recent TEDx Talk 'Love Without Words: from Prince's stage to animal rescue.' 7mins30s - The need for silence in a modern age, and the silent language. 9mins - What were the main lessons from Mum & Dad? "They were very supportive, as a dancer..." 11mins30s - Independence as a teenager, and fame as a child and as a young woman, with proud parents... "I had a cheque-book at 8!" 15mins - "Being Puerto Rican, they would always ask me, are you white or you black?" Belonging, and proving your worth growing up. 16mins - Being on Prince's payroll as an employee...and assuming it was only ever going to be one project. 'You're doing all the dancing.' 19mins - Funk Nights with The NPG... who would be the wildest? The brown bag tour. 22mins - Borrowing Mayte's mascara, clothing and pulling it off! 24mins - Prince's women and the secret codes... 25mins - Mayte considering another book... ' 27mins - Sam asks Mayte about The Prince Estate, 'not a lot of communication right now...', and her feelings on the vault recordings. 27mins30s - "My measurements were the code to the safe..." 29mins - Memories of Prince in the recording studio...Chaos & Disorder. 31mins30s - Prince's inability to stop. 'For me it was a shock...'. Having to leave Paisley Park, after being around Prince from aged 17 to aged 25. 32mins - Finding a new role after leaving Prince's Paisley Park world, as an actor. 37mins30s - Philanthropic work and the future? Live4Love charities. 43mins - Final thoughts on Prince - 'people don't realise how short life is...' How Can U Just Leave Me Standing? In Search of Prince... is produced and arranged by Sam J. Bleazard - but couldn't exist without the fabulous contribution from all of our guests! The show also features significant original music compositions from Gavin Calder. LINKS Please follow me on Instagram and Facebook if you'd like to interact with the show on social media. Email me at: bleazas@hotmail.com if you have any ideas for future episodes, or if you'd like to share any feedback on the show.  #prince4ever #love4oneanother

    46 min
  2. Diamonds & Pearls Deluxe, reflections on Prince's live output and working with Warners on Tina Turner and David Bowie projects. Music industry brand consultant, author and journalist Jason Draper talks to Sam.

    FEB 7

    Diamonds & Pearls Deluxe, reflections on Prince's live output and working with Warners on Tina Turner and David Bowie projects. Music industry brand consultant, author and journalist Jason Draper talks to Sam.

    INTRO 2mins30s - Did Jason get to hear any of the tracks in advance (of the Diamonds & Pearls super deluxe)? 4mins - Prince's punk period in the 90s, and creating a lot of interesting things...comic books, stage-shows and pressing his own CDS. 5mins30secs - From a Gett Off vinyl DJ pressing to The Undertaker on VHS, an artist begins to rebel. 7mins - Prince has to find other avenues to get his music out... 8mins30s - Jeff Gold, and the hologram cover! 11mins - Sam has a bit of fun with Jason Draper!! What are his favourite tracks? Jason talks New Jack Swing... 13mins30s - Jason and Sam talk about the amazing Glam Slam live gig on D&P Deluxe 14mins30s - The countdown clock... 16mins - Sam's sympathy for sound engineers. 17mins - Jason would love to work on more projects, related to his favourite artists - 'living the dream' 20mins - The Piano & Microphone show, could that be released... 'the fact that we missed out on that, in the UK, still kills me to this day.' 21mins - Sam talks about the morning tickets went on sale in the UK via Ticketmaster. 22mins - ...the Love 4 One Another room, Celebration #1: Prince plays bass on America - video is played from the DJ booth 24mins - Prince plays on Act II tour in Edinburgh: discussing track lists from 'live shows [which] are a gold mine'. 26mins - Working in McDonald's in Plymouth, and missing Prince in Hammersmith on the One Nite Alone tour...   27mins - Getting close to Prince at the Koko show in Camden...memories of the show, and of Shepherd's Bush - 'he sent hot chocolate down the queue'! 31mins - Tina Turner Private Dancer re-issue project - Jason's editorial role for Warners, and speaking to Holly Knight, co-writer of The Best and some of Private Dancer's songs. 33mins - Tina has to change behind a shower curtain in the Rivoli Ballroom in South London, for the Private Dancer video. 35mins - Jason's Instagram, and his work on David Bowie projects. 38mins - "Hope I've done justice to Bowie's career...", across 2 magazines. 40mins - What does the future hold for Jason? How Can U Just Leave Me Standing? In Search of Prince... is produced and arranged by Sam J. Bleazard - but couldn't exist without the fabulous contribution from all of our guests! The show also features significant original music compositions from Gavin Calder. LINKS Please follow me on Instagram and Facebook if you'd like to interact with the show on social media. Email me at: bleazas@hotmail.com if you have any ideas for future episodes, or if you'd like to share any feedback on the show.  #prince4ever #love4oneanother

    44 min
  3. From freelance writing on Bowie and Beck for Record Collector, working for record labels, contributing to the liner notes for the Diamonds & Pearls Deluxe album, and working with the Prince Estate. Sam talks to Jason Draper.

    FEB 1

    From freelance writing on Bowie and Beck for Record Collector, working for record labels, contributing to the liner notes for the Diamonds & Pearls Deluxe album, and working with the Prince Estate. Sam talks to Jason Draper.

    INTRO 2mins30s - "What led you to have the career you've had?" 25 years ago, Jason tells a friend at University that no one is going to give him money to be a music journalist. 4mins - "Finding a pathway to doing what I wanted to do..." Jason looks for work experience on Music monthlies, and picks up first freelance work at Record Collector. 6mins - Parents musical taste - 'were they big music lovers?' 7mins - Kids in Plymouth weren't listening to Kid Creole & The Coconuts...! Bowie, Beck and Prince being the Father, the Son & the Holy Ghost. 9mins30s - Was Prince in your mind (as a subject to write about)? 'I was 8 when Diamonds & Pearls came out, and my Mum had the cassette in the car...' 13mins - checking out Prince, making the connection to Beck, Sly Stone amd borrowing his friend's Dad's Sign O The Times VHS 14mins30s - How did Jason get from being a Post-Graduate student to writing books on Prince? 17mins - From the Record Collector to the Rough Guide to Prince (Pitching on 'Prince is going to turn 50 this year') 18mins - Jason discusses the publication of his Prince books and their re-issues. 21mins45secs - Favourite interviews in Prince world? Lives of the musicians... Covid-era interviews with Mayte, 3rd Eye Girl and others. 26mins - Was Prince aware of the books you were writing? "He became aware after the fact..." 29mins - How did Jason get to work on the D&P liner notes? "I think The Estate knew who I was at that point..." 31mins - A different approach: Four to five writers discuss Diamonds & Pearls from their own perspective and angle. 35mins - What is Jason's view of The Prince Estate, having worked for big record labels in the past? 39mins - What's the biggest challenge to protect Prince's legacy? "The biggest challenge is to keep Prince's audience growing..." How Can U Just Leave Me Standing? In Search of Prince... is produced and arranged by Sam J. Bleazard - but couldn't exist without the fabulous contribution from all of our guests! The show also features significant original music compositions from Gavin Calder. LINKS Please follow me on Instagram and Facebook if you'd like to interact with the show on social media. Email me at: bleazas@hotmail.com if you have any ideas for future episodes, or if you'd like to share any feedback on the show.  #prince4ever #love4oneanother

    42 min
  4. "Prince was like a combination between Mozart, Charlie Chaplin and Michael Corleone". In part 3 Sam Bleazard discusses Prince's legacy with Hans-Martin Buff, and asks him why he chose to leave Paisley Park.

    JAN 18

    "Prince was like a combination between Mozart, Charlie Chaplin and Michael Corleone". In part 3 Sam Bleazard discusses Prince's legacy with Hans-Martin Buff, and asks him why he chose to leave Paisley Park.

    INTRO 2mins30s - To what extent was Emancipation a high personal project for Prince and/or the album he was 'born to make'. 3mins30s - A rare apology from Prince... 5mins30s - Prince and the elders: Chaka Khan, Larry Graham & Maceo Parker. How did the dynamic change when his heroes were around? 7mins - Nobody's touching that guitar!? But nobody's saying no to The Queen! 12mins - Chaka clips Prince's wings on tour...but also wows Hans in the studio. 15mins - What does Hans think Prince's legacy is...and what should it be? 16mins - "Where are we going to put him in 50-60 years time?" 19mins - Stuck between the rock star pop God and the later Guerrilla dude... 20mins - Will there be as much interest in the late 90s period Prince cannon? 21mins - Why did Hans part company with Prince? "I'm a big believer in, quit while you're ahead..." 22mins30s - "At the end I kind of became cynical..." 23mins30s - From great coffee to typing album lyrics... 25mins - "Prince was like a combination between Mozart, Charlie Chaplin and Michael Corleone" 26mins - Did Hans like The Rainbow Children? 27mins - Good times in 2026 and the power to say no, as learned from Prince. How Can U Just Leave Me Standing? In Search of Prince... is produced and arranged by Sam J. Bleazard - but couldn't exist without the fabulous contribution from all of our guests! The show also features significant original music compositions from Gavin Calder. LINKS Please follow me on Instagram and Facebook if you'd like to interact with the show on social media. Email me at: bleazas@hotmail.com if you have any ideas for future episodes, or if you'd like to share any feedback on the show.  #prince4ever #love4oneanother

    29 min
  5. In part 2 Hans discusses Prince's acoustic album The Truth, stepping into The Vault while working on the fabled Crystal Ball project, and being a studio engineer for the 3-CD opus Emancipation. Essential listening.

    JAN 11

    In part 2 Hans discusses Prince's acoustic album The Truth, stepping into The Vault while working on the fabled Crystal Ball project, and being a studio engineer for the 3-CD opus Emancipation. Essential listening.

    INTRO 2mins30s - Did Prince ever try to persuade Hans to join him on the road? 4mins - Were you aware that you were working on Prince's first acoustic album 'The Truth' at the time? 10mins - Any reason why Prince chose to do an acoustic album? Hans explains the Ani Di Franco influence. 14mins - Prince, Boys II Men, and 90s RnB. 16mins - The stuff that lit Hans' candle! 18mins - Learning the art of the sequence from Prince... 21mins - Working on the mythical 1990s version of the Crystal Ball project...and going down to the Vault, being watched by Security. 25mins - Working on the Crystal Ball edits, and Hans honing his production skills. 28mins - Working on the 3-disc Emancipation set, as five to six tracks don't make the cut. How Can U Just Leave Me Standing? In Search of Prince... is produced and arranged by Sam J. Bleazard - but couldn't exist without the fabulous contribution from all of our guests! The show also features significant original music compositions from Gavin Calder. LINKS Please follow me on Instagram and Facebook if you'd like to interact with the show on social media. Email me at: bleazas@hotmail.com if you have any ideas for future episodes, or if you'd like to share any feedback on the show.  #prince4ever #love4oneanother

    32 min
  6. Hans-Martin Buff was Prince's sound engineer for 4 years. He talks immersive music, a Grammy nomination, Nirvana, Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, and going to Prince School, before working with the purple one. Photo: Rankin for the Recording Academy.

    JAN 2

    Hans-Martin Buff was Prince's sound engineer for 4 years. He talks immersive music, a Grammy nomination, Nirvana, Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, and going to Prince School, before working with the purple one. Photo: Rankin for the Recording Academy.

    INTRO 2mins30s - Hans' musical family background 7mins - 'Made for immersive' music, and the ability to listen anywhere...on any headphones 9mins - Rave 2000 5.1 mix!   11mins - Catching lightning in a bottle vs sound quality 14mins - Prince's sound guys had it tough? 18mins - Minneapolis radio, and the programming in New York 20mins - How did Hans come to be on Prince's radar? Living and working in Minneapolis. 21mins - Hans works in the studio where Nirvana In Utero was recorded, cleaning up after them... 23mins - Did you reach out to Prince or did he reach out to you?? 25mins - Which engineer did you take over from at Paisley Park? 27mins - Prince School! 30mins - Were you nervous working for Prince initially? 33mins - Memories of pleasing the boss...by fixing his console. 37mins - Biggest life lesson from Prince? 39mins30s - Any questions you wish someone had asked you about Prince? Join us in part 2 when we discuss acoustic album The Truth, Crystal Ball and Prince's three album set Emancipation.  How Can U Just Leave Me Standing? In Search of Prince... is produced and arranged by Sam J. Bleazard - but couldn't exist without the fabulous contribution from all of our guests! The show also features significant original music compositions from Gavin Calder. LINKS Please follow me on Instagram and Facebook if you'd like to interact with the show on social media. Email me at: bleazas@hotmail.com if you have any ideas for future episodes, or if you'd like to share any feedback on the show.  #prince4ever #love4oneanother

    44 min
  7. In Part 2 of our exclusive interview, Grammy Award winning trumpeter and arranger Phil Lassiter shares memories of Montreux Jazz Festival 2013. He also reflects on Prince's legacy, band members, and his unique approach to sound.

    12/20/2025

    In Part 2 of our exclusive interview, Grammy Award winning trumpeter and arranger Phil Lassiter shares memories of Montreux Jazz Festival 2013. He also reflects on Prince's legacy, band members, and his unique approach to sound.

    INTRO 2mins - Working on Andy Allo's material...and two horn sections in the mix! 4mins - "Regular is not a word I would ever use about Prince...he was very mysterious and difficult to read. But he understood how to be a leader." 8mins30s - Getting the group to be performance ready in Paisley Park.   11mins30s - Phil talks about Prince's former drummer Michael Bland. 13mins - Sound engineers and Prince's unique approach to onstage monitors. "We all put ear-plugs in otherwise we were going to go deaf!!" 17mins - Phil's luggage goes missing, the story of the White Suit at Montreux... 22mins - Meeting his wife Josephine at a Prince gig in Curacao. 24mins30s - Favourite live moment with Prince? 30mins - Reflecting on the end of an amazing career...going down in history as a great musician and bandleader. 33mins - Cassandra playing a leadership role in Prince's band, and the underrated nature of great musicians. 35mins - Big City, an arrangement of Mutiny in the Vault and working with Nik West on Hair. 36mins - When The Wooten Brothers played at Paisley Park... 39mins30s - https://philthyfunk.com/ - PhilLassiter.com - https://www.instagram.com/philiplassitermusic/ How Can U Just Leave Me Standing? In Search of Prince... is produced and arranged by Sam J. Bleazard - but couldn't exist without the fabulous contribution from all of our guests! The show also features significant original music compositions from Gavin Calder. LINKS Please follow me on Instagram and Facebook if you'd like to interact with the show on social media. Email me at: bleazas@hotmail.com if you have any ideas for future episodes, or if you'd like to share any feedback on the show.  #prince4ever #love4oneanother

    42 min
  8. Phil Lassiter's Philthy Texas Funk, Alabama Gospel, New Orleans Jazz & Nashville Soul, makes him an 11-time Grammy award winning horn and string arranger. But what was it like recording at Paisley Park, and playing live with Prince? Tune in now.

    12/01/2025

    Phil Lassiter's Philthy Texas Funk, Alabama Gospel, New Orleans Jazz & Nashville Soul, makes him an 11-time Grammy award winning horn and string arranger. But what was it like recording at Paisley Park, and playing live with Prince? Tune in now.

    INTRO 2mins - Developing a sound and working with major artists 3mins30s - A love of music that developed in childhood in a church background. 'I learned to read music in school, but I learned to play in Church.' 6mins - Music programme at St Louis with wind ensembles, marching and jazz bands. 'That was really a big step for me...' 7mins45s - Listening to Christian versions of what was on the radio. 'I was influenced by some good music...' 8mins30s - New Orleans music 'was always there...' 10mins - The battle between the sacred and the profance, God vs The Devil? 10mins45s - Ultimately, where has Phil's love of music come from? 12mins - The importance of music teachers, and their approach... 13mins30s - What Phil's kids are listening to... 'funk'? 16mins - Teaching and further studies 20mins - Having an open-mindedness in music. 22mins - Meeting extraordinary musicians in Texas including the 'cats' in the jazz clubs. 25mins - Working on strings for Ariana Grande...and for Roberta Flack. 29mins30s - What's the difference between a musician and an arranger? 32mins - Making the connection to Prince via Gospel...in 2012. 36mins - Working on purple projects behind the scenes, while struggling financially. 38mins - Flying to Paisley... 40mins - Crossing paths with Andy Allo... How Can U Just Leave Me Standing? In Search of Prince... is produced and arranged by Sam J. Bleazard - but couldn't exist without the fabulous contribution from all of our guests! The show also features significant original music compositions from Gavin Calder. LINKS Please follow me on Instagram and Facebook if you'd like to interact with the show on social media. Email me at: bleazas@hotmail.com if you have any ideas for future episodes, or if you'd like to share any feedback on the show.  #prince4ever #love4oneanother

    44 min
See All (47)

4.5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Prince Rogers Nelson was a cultural icon, ground-breaking artist and one of the most influential, prolific and revered musicians of his generation, inspiring diverse groups of people around the world. This show talks to people who have memories of the Purple one, and will include associates, bandmates and fans alike. Don't be 'alone in a world that's so cold' - join us! May U Live 2 C the Dawn...

Information

You Might Also Like