The New Power Generation

"New Power Generation" redirects here. For the Prince song, see New Power Generation (song).

The New Power Generation
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Genres	Rock, pop, R&B, soul, funk, funk rock, funk metal, New Wave, dance, psychedelic rock, hip hop
Years active	1990–present
Associated acts	Madhouse, Nick Jonas and the Administration
Members
Prince Morris Hayes Cora Dunham Josh Dunham Shelby J Frederic Yonnet Cassandra O'Neal
Past members
see below

The New Power Generation, also known as The NPG, is the current backing group of musician Prince.

History

The phrase "Welcome to the New Power Generation" was mentioned on the opening track of 1988's Lovesexy. New Power Generation was used for the first time as a band name in the 1990 film Graffiti Bridge, and a song entitled "New Power Generation" appeared on the accompanying soundtrack album.

The New Power Generation debuted live during the Nude Tour in 1990 and on record on the 1991 album Diamonds and Pearls.

When Prince began his formal dispute with Warner Bros. and changed his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol in 1993, the NPG became a side-project for Prince, allowing him to release music outside of his contract. The NPG was intended to appeal to a more urban audience than Prince's mainstream material.^{[citation needed]}

The NPG's debut album, Goldnigga, featured Tony M. as lead vocalist/rapper. The album relied heavily on rap, while the music itself was reminiscent of 1970s funk. Prince participated heavily in writing and performing the music, while Tony wrote and performed raps. Prince provided co-lead vocals on two songs, "Black M.F. in the House" and "Johnny", and the two were often performed by him in his own concerts and aftershows.

A reduced NPG returned to the Prince fold when he began performing under the symbolic moniker in early 1994, backing him on The Gold Experience. The following year, this incarnation released Exodus in 1995. Prince again took a role behind the scenes, adopting the guise of the masked "Tora Tora" and performing lead vocals on several tracks, sometimes with an altered voice. His participation in this version of the NPG was much more apparent. Although several raps were recorded for the album, they were left out of the final release, and the focus was more on funk.

Three years later, another NPG album was released titled Newpower Soul (modifying a song title from Exodus). In fact, a spoken outtake from Exodus mentions the upcoming album, indicating its planning stages. Featuring an almost totally different version of the NPG (only Kirk Johnson and Morris Hayes were retained), Prince features prominently on the cover and liner notes and provides lead vocals on all songs. Unlike the two previous releases, the album relies heavily on drum programming by Kirk Johnson and features input from Larry Graham and Doug E. Fresh.

A fourth album, Peace, due to be released in 2001, never materialized, although a few songs have been made public through limited-release singles at concerts or through Prince's former official website, NPG Music Club.

In 2010, three former members of The New Power Generation, drummer Michael Bland, keyboardist Tommy Barbarella and bass player Sonny T., became members of Nick Jonas and the Administration (a side project of Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers).^[1]

Discography

This is the discography of The New Power Generation, credited as a separate entity from Prince.

Albums

Year	Album	US	UK[2][3]	Worldwide sales (when available)	Additional information
1990	Graffiti Bridge	6	1	2.0 million	Unnamed New Power Generation members provided backing vocals on the song "New Power Generation".
1991	Diamonds and Pearls	3	2	7.0 million	Album by Prince and The New Power Generation.
1992	Love Symbol	5	1	3.5 million	Album by Prince and The New Power Generation.
1993	Goldnigga	-	-	-	Album by The New Power Generation. Tony M. performs lead vox.
1995	Exodus	-	11	-	Album by The New Power Generation. Sonny T. performs lead vox.
1996	Girl 6	75	-	-	Includes "Count the Days", from Exodus and title track is credited to The New Power Generation, with Prince on lead vox.
1998	Newpower Soul	22	38	500,000	Album by The New Power Generation, but Prince's symbol (stylized) and portrait is on the front cover.
2002	One Nite Alone... Live!				Album by Prince and The New Power Generation
2003	C-Note				Album by Prince and The New Power Generation
2004	The Chocolate Invasion	-	-	-	The New Power Generation is credited for the track "Gamillah".
2004	The Slaughterhouse	-	-	-	The New Power Generation is credited for the tracks "Peace", "2045: Radical Man", and "The Daisy Chain".
2006	3121	1	9	1.38 million	The New Power Generation is credited for "shouts" on the song "Lolita".

Singles

Year	Song	US	US R&B	US Dance	UK[2][3]	Album
1990	"New Power Generation" Provided backing vox	64	27	-	26	Graffiti Bridge
1991	"Gett Off" by Prince and The New Power Generation	21	6	1	4	Diamonds and Pearls
1991	"Cream" by Prince and The New Power Generation	1	-	-	15	Diamonds and Pearls
1991	"Diamonds and Pearls" by Prince and The New Power Generation	3	1	-	25	Diamonds and Pearls
1992	"Money Don't Matter 2 Night" by Prince and The New Power Generation	23	14	-	19	Diamonds and Pearls
1992	"Insatiable" by Prince and The New Power Generation	77	3	-	-	Diamonds and Pearls
1992	"Thunder" by Prince and The New Power Generation	-	-	-	28	Diamonds and Pearls
1992	"Sexy MF"/"Strollin'" by Prince and The New Power Generation	66	76	-	4	Love Symbol/Diamonds and Pearls
1992	"My Name Is Prince" by Prince and The New Power Generation	36	25	9	7	Love Symbol
1992	"My Name Is Prince" (remixes) by Prince and The New Power Generation	-	-	-	51	-
1992	"7" by Prince and The New Power Generation	7	61	-	27	Love Symbol
1992	"The Morning Papers" by Prince and The New Power Generation	44	68	-	52	Love Symbol
1992	"Damn U" by Prince and The New Power Generation	108	32	-	-	Love Symbol
1993	"2gether"	-	-	-	-	Goldnigga
1993	"Nothing Compares 2 U" by Prince and The New Power Generation	-	62	-	-	The Hits/The B-Sides; B-side to "Peach"
1994	"Get Wild"	-	-	-	19	Exodus
1994	"Count the Days"	-	-	-	-	Exodus
1994	"Super Hero" by The New Power Generation featuring The Steeles	-	-	-	-	Blankman: Music from the Motion Picture
1995	"Purple Medley" The New Power Generation contributes "additional music"	84	74	-	33	-
1995	"The Good Life"	-	-	-	29	Exodus
1996	"Girl 6"	-	78	-	-	Girl 6
1997	"The Good Life" (re-issue)	-	-	-	15	Exodus
1998	"The War"	-	-	-	-	-
1998	"The One"	-	44	-	-	Newpower Soul
1998	"Come On"	-	-	-	65	Newpower Soul
2001	"Peace"/"2045: Radical Man"	-	-	-	-	The Slaughterhouse
2001	"The Daisy Chain"/"Gamillah"	-	-	-	-	The Slaughterhouse/The Chocolate Invasion
2002	"Days of Wild" by Prince and The New Power Generation	-	-	-	-	-
2004	"Controversy (Live in Hawaii)" by Prince and The New Power Generation	-	-	-	-	-

See also

• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

References

1. ^ Oceanup.com
2. ^ ^{a b} Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 392. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 439. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.