“It helped me realize that I wasn’t alone…that I could be weird and get away with it,” says Chris Rouse, reflecting on the music and man that changed his life. Since first hearing Prince at the age of 12, Rouse has always felt a connection deeper than just how the songs make him feel.
“I always thought of him as a big brother. I think there was just a kinship that was natural and organic. I had already been told that I reminded people of him, even without trying,” says now lead vocalist of the ultimate purple power Prince tribute band, The Funk Frequency.
Eventually, when it came time to bring his personification of Prince to the stage Rouse didn’t have far to look when it came to inspiration. He just looked within.
“Even though I studied him in every way and do my best to be the kind of artist that he is in my own way, the truth is there are a lot of natural things that were similar about us.”
For all involved with the band, this was more than just tossing on a purple fedora, slipping into some high-heeled boots or turning up the falsetto. When New York based bandleader Sean Alexander and Toronto-based manager Maria Roscetti put together The Funk Frequency, they wanted more than just a group that could play hits like “1999” and “When Doves Cry”. This had to be the total embodiment of everything Prince and the musicians he worked with created both on and off the stage.
“Prince brought a lot of peace, love and passion to the world,” says Rouse. “When we hit the stage we want to remind people of that.”
Always ready to party like its 1999, The Funk Frequency will set the tone of Ottawa’s newest event next week when the band kicks off the Nostalgia Music Festival. Before that storm of purple rain, Rouse and I chat up The High Priest of Pop and the band all about putting the fun in funky!
Can you tell me about what you were up to before becoming Prince in The Funk Frequency?
I was busy working on my own music and performing around the city. I guess I was just being a working musician, producer, co-writer, arranger and sometimes assistant mixing engineer. I was always trying to give music to the world in whatever way I could. I still do that now. Just busy trying to be the best musician I can be and, ideally, the best artist I can be.
Can you share with me the first time you heard Prince’s music and what affect it had on you?
The first time I heard Prince’s music I was about 12 and going through puberty. I just remember thinking it sounded like the way I wanted to sound, especially because my voice was changing at the time. I no longer had a high falsetto, innocent, sweet angelic sound that I had as a child. I was starting to use my lower voice. When I first heard Prince he wasn’t singing in falsetto at the time, he was using his real voice too. It was the album 1999, actually the song “1999”. I had also heard the song “Lady Cab Driver” at the time. Both songs I heard separately but had the feeling it was the same artist.
I remember thinking I wanted so badly to know what he looked like because he sounded so funky and quirky and sexy. He was so unique. Completely different than anything I’d heard before but, yet, so reminiscence of the artists that I loved like James Brown, Stevie, Sylvester Stewart of Sly and the Family Stone. He was a fusion of all of them in one funky think. It seemed like everything I loved about music wrapped up in one person.
What has his music meant to you?
His music has meant literally everything to me. It still means everything to me, even more now as I’ve grown. It helped inspire me to be the artist that I want to be and continue evolving and be a better person, musician, and performer in every sense of the term. He defined that in so many ways. His music spoke to me. It made me realize I could be anything I wanted to be. That’s just skimming the surface.
Did you ever get to see him perform live and, if so, can you tell me what that show was like for you?
I did, many, many, many times. Every time it was always mind-blowing, always inspiring, always exciting. It would always take me to a place where it felt like another world. Another universe, even. I remember my very first Prince concert, especially. It was the very first live music concert I went to on my own. I even went alone just to soak it all up to myself. There’s not enough words to describe how much it impacted me. I remember thinking I needed to be up there, too. It just always inspired me to keep at it so that I could one day get on the stage just like him and blow everyone’s minds just like he blew mine.
When did you first find yourself emulating Prince’s mannerisms?
I first started when I was about twelve, shortly after I first heard his music. Really the first time was when I saw the video for “Little Red Corvette”. I think that was the first time I saw him…either that one or “1999”. After seeing both of those videos I was forever changed. I remember wanting my hair to look like his, pulling it as much as I could into the shape of his coif.
From seeing the YouTube clips, you're really spot on. It’s unbelievable! What did you find yourself studying to really capture the his movements and nuances as you do?
As far as studying his mannerisms and nuances, I guess it was always just natural for me. It never felt like studying because I grew up with it. I was at least influenced by pretty much all of the same influences as Prince when he was growing up. To be very honest, most of the time I would see things in him that I would see in myself but also in Elvis, Mick Jagger, John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix, especially. People like Little Richard, James Brown, Bowie, and Freddie Mercury…even Joni Mitchell. I shouldn’t forget Sly Stone. I’m probably missing a whole bunch. It’s a long list. For me, anyway, in performing Prince’s music I always felt like I was really just tapping into an energy that was pre-existing even long before him. If I was emulating anything it was soaked up through pop culture, art and entertainment.
Why do you feel this particular artist slices through generational barriers?
His music is timeless. He’s just always had a way of creating music that was always ahead of its time, usually by many years. You could never really put a date on his music.
He always had a way of mixing things, creating new hybrids so you couldn’t even categorize him if you tried. If it was rock, it was still funky, if it was funky, it was still rocking. He speaks to everyone, lyrically, spiritually, he just taps into something that defies age and gender.
When you have someone telling you so many stories from so many different viewpoints –feminine and masculine perspectives, from the young and the old, different characters—it just opens up new avenues and keeps your mind open. He did that all the time. There was so much variety of expression that allowed wide listenership across time…and space.
Where were you when you found out he had passed?
I was at home. I had just come from in from performing. The interesting thing about it was I was actually performing some of his music at a club. There was a whole bunch of young people in the audience who I’d never seen before at this particular venue. The news wasn’t out yet as it was the night before. I was just really taken that this was the youngest crowd I’d seen enjoying Prince. They knew all the words and were just really getting into it, even more than some of the older people I’d performed for. It was really beautiful. I haven’t shared this story with a lot of people.
How did you react to the news?
When I got in that night I was feeling so high off Princes music, how it impacted on the audience. It made me feel so good. I actually played a song by him that I hadn’t heard in a long time, a song called “Love or Money”. I was feeling energetic and it’s one of his funkier B-sides. I posted it on my Facebook page. The next morning I heard the news.
I thought it was a joke at first. Then I looked online and saw random posts and thought it was one of those Hollywood hoaxes. I guess I was in denial at first. When I learned that it was true, after much personal verification and a lot of prayer…once it was confirmed I didn’t know what to think or feel. I guess I was as paralyzed as everyone else was.
After writing a big emotional blurb on my profile I started posting some of my favourite songs of his –songs like “God” and “Tears in my Eyes” and “Sometimes it Snows in April”. I got into sharing mode and then I went into hiding and stayed there for about three weeks. I didn’t work for about three months.
What pieces had to fall into place for Funk Frequency to come together?
Talent, time and tenacity. We just needed to make sure that we could find the kind of players that were available and interested…passionate about wanting to build something from the ground up. The band leader, Sean Alexander, and the visionary behind it all, Maria Roscetti from Radioactive Entertainment, wanted to build something that was fresh. They wanted to use musicians that were not as known on the regular circuit and would be excited and enthusiastic to create something new. Beyond that, everyone would love Prince…even if they didn’t share the same love that Maria, Sean and I had. At least they knew of him and respected his talents.
For me to be a part of it was I had to make sure I was emotionally ready. I had to wait for a while after hearing the sad news. We were all preparing this a year in advance of the untimely news. When it happened I needed some time off. After that three month hiatus we continued where we left off.
How did you ensure the band you were choosing would have the precise dedication to creating the full on Prince experience that you had?
We had to make sure that The Funk Frequency had players that understood the kind of dedication that Prince had to his art. They had to at least understand the work ethic that he had. To be honest, that’s difficult to find not only in musicians but in people. Prince set the standard and bar quite high. We’ve just been relearning about that, what he instilled in his bands and musicians. We’ve just been trying to do our best to share that.
Also spot on is the clothing! How do you perfect the outfits you were on stage?
The band is styled Maria Roscetti, our fearless leader and manager. Our Wo-manager. I call her “Boss”cetti. She makes sure the ship is sailing smoothly at all times. She’s been extremely instrumental in making sure we honor the style, look and vibe that Prince created. She’s quite stylish herself so it comes naturally for her. Shawn also understands the look, that Minneapolis ethic of the heyday. He’s been helpful.
Speaking for myself, again, I was told that my style was very much like his. Many of the early pieces that we put together were already in my wardrobe. Some of them we’ve used to style the rest of the band. For example, the trench coats, sunglasses, leggings, shoes with the heels…the accessories, etc. Recently we’ve been stepping it up a bit.
Can you tell me about your rehearsal process with the band?
It’s quite involved. We basically just do our best to try to emulate and re-enact the way Prince ran his rehearsals. Then we added our own twist to that based on the energy we bring to the table.
We also just do our best to remember that every note counts be it from our fingers, our mouths or our feet. Feel it!
What is the bands goal when they hit the stage?
We want to move people, literally, figuratively, spiritually and emotionally. When I say move people I think, for us, we really want to do our best to uplift them. One of the things that happened when we got the sad news is that we realized we needed to do this more than ever. People needed to have a release, a way of mourning byway of celebrating, rejoicing and remembering. The title of the band plays on the word fun, putting the fun back in funk, just like Prince always did.
What do you feel the band best brings out in your audiences?
There’s this process that happens when the band gets up there and we do our thing where I notice if people had a bad day or they seem moody...Prince’s music picks everyone up instantly. When we hit the stage it creates an energetic shift. It’s really powerful and changes the room. We feel it too.
What Prince songs do you most love performing?
It’s a long list but one of them is “The Dance Electric”. The reason why that’s one of our favorites is that there’s so much magic in it energetically. It’s not just what the music is doing. It really is a very hypnotic song. It puts you in a trance. To quote Prince, it’s a like a “joy repetition”. It has a heartbeat.
I love performing “Erotic City”. It’s one of the funkiest songs every made. Performing it live is exciting and sexy. Just really fun. It’s a fan favorite and a band favorite. One of those songs we can really get nasty on musically. I usually feel like taking off all my clothes and doing it naked to do it justice.
There’s something about “17 Days” that has an emotional impact. It’s so funky while at the same time being so dark.
I love performing “Lady Cab Driver”, one of those first Prince songs I heard.
What do you feel Prince’s lasting legacy is on popular music?
How much time do you got? It’s vast, multifaceted and multi-layered.
Prince had the ability to constantly define and redefine himself and what music and artistry can be. What expression can be on every level, from music to lyrics, image, performance, musicianship, writing and production, acting and even spiritually. He’s an artist that just figured it all out.
He figured out a way to express himself in every possible way and every possible direction and to do so all the time. Arguably, he was one of the most prolific artists that ever was and perhaps ever will be.
Finally, if you could have talked with Prince in person, what do you feel you would have said?
I’ve thought about this a lot over the years. I actually wouldn’t say anything…it’s the one thing that I realized. I learned from watching him, observing him and the way he communicated with everyone. I knew that the best thing I could do if I ever met him would be just to listen. Anyone who really knows Prince would know that if you were blessed to meet him it was best to not say much at all. It was just out of respect. He was always a shy individual, even if his on stage persona was so extroverted. He kept to himself when he was confronted with fans. He didn’t even like the word. He considered his supporters as his friends. I feel the same way.
To be very frank, the one thing I would say to him, if I had to say something to him, it would be two words: thank you.