Podcast Summary: “Producers Wendy & Lisa On Working With Prince”
All Of It (WNYC) — January 27, 2026
Host: Alison Stewart (with Tiffany Hansen sitting in)
Guests: Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (Wendy & Lisa), Susan Rogers
Episode Overview
This episode of All Of It dives into the pivotal role Wendy & Lisa played as members of Prince’s band, The Revolution, and as groundbreaking women producers in a male-dominated industry. Joined by Susan Rogers, Prince’s longtime studio engineer, the conversation explores the group’s creative process, lessons learned from Prince, their trailblazing Grammy nomination, and the ongoing challenges and hopes for women in music production. The episode also touches on the shelved Prince documentary and the emotional legacy of working within his orbit.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Early Days in The Revolution & Defining ‘Producer’
[01:31]
- Wendy explains her natural inclination toward production:
"I always kind of, I'm an autodidact kind of gearhead...as Wendy and Lisa, we're kind of always producing each other as well, which is an interesting anomaly between the two of us as music partners."
- Lisa sees production as a seamless part of music-making:
“If that's what producing is, then that's what we do. But yeah, it's all part of the same thing for me. I never really thought of myself as a producer. I just thought I was a music maker.”
2. Learning Production from Prince
[03:06–04:31]
- Wendy reflects on Prince’s discipline and studio mastery:
“Prince was just...a guy that could do it all himself. But there were incredible lessons to be learned from his discipline and thoughtfulness behind a board and how he ran a studio.”
She also credits Susan Rogers as “an engineer that really taught me a lot about sound and about technique.” - Lisa highlights Prince’s ‘fearless’ experimentation, which encouraged her to be unafraid of technology:
“He played the studio like an instrument...I'm not afraid of pushing buttons...If it sounds cool, you're on the right track.”
3. The Intensity of 'Purple Rain' Sessions
[07:28–09:04]
- Susan Rogers reminisces on the energy of the era:
“That was over 40 years ago, and we were young...when you add the raw talent of Wendy and Lisa and Prince...it's a pretty potent mixture. We didn't realize it at the time, but...damn, we had it going on.”
- Wendy and Lisa both describe the time as “all day, every day” and “otherworldly,” with everyone bringing their “A game.”
4. Wendy & Lisa’s Unique Musicianship (Through Susan’s Eyes)
[09:54]
- Susan Rogers offers a loving assessment:
“When Lisa's on a keyboard, especially on piano, Wendy said it once, she pets the keys, you can just feel her heart going right to her hands...Wendy's skill set on guitar and her ear and her taste...you're watching maestros...masters at work.”
5. What Made Susan Rogers Special as a Collaborator
[11:06] – Wendy:
“She has an incredible ability to learn the technical side...her enthusiasm and the love that she cares and approaches everything from like a piece of gear to the sound coming through the speakers...I remember one time Susan was explaining to me how women and men differently hear low end...There's a punch to it that only Susan could have done.”
- [12:41] – Lisa praises Susan’s technical problem-solving and heart:
“She can build something out of nothing...And then her heart, the heart that she puts into everything...she's the full package.”
6. On Their Album "Eroica" and the Track "Mother of Pearl"
[14:00] – Susan Rogers
“It was delightful because it's wonderful working with Wendy and Lisa, and you learn so much from them...this really does feature the best of what Wendy and Lisa do, and you’ll hear that quality in it of sculpting music with a gentle and firm hand.”
7. Making Room for Women in Production
[16:00–19:57]
- Susan Rogers (on encouraging women in production):
“There are reasons why women choose not to enter these fields, and then, of course, reasons why women want to and are blocked...It's a bigger question than I can answer.”
- Wendy calls for more opportunity across genres:
“I'd like to see a lot more women getting into a room that can, like, actually work with either a band or artists and do the best for the artist...A lot of the guys gotta make a little bit more room.”
- Lisa addresses ingrained bias:
“For lots of people, women included, when you say who do you want to produce your record? In your mind, you automatically think a man producer...it's going to take a long time before a lot of records are produced by women and people let go of the...automatic default goes to man.”
- Wendy adds:
“Women are doing a lot more themselves...it’s just the 1% [who] are actually getting really, really famous...the women are out there, but...the 1% is almost non existent.”
8. The Princ Documentary That May Never Be Seen
[20:51–22:08]
- Wendy on the “unseeable” documentary:
“I think it’s a shame that it ended up being as complicated and fraught as it ended up being...there are some magical moments in that documentary and I hope at some point the world can see them.”
- Lisa on her choice to participate:
“I wasn't sure that it was time to do that big documentary and we had just come off like touring and grieving and doing a lot of that processing...But I decided to be part of it because I felt like I had a real honest opinion and experience of Prince and I wanted to share my point of view.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Self-Perception as Producers
Wendy [01:36]:“I'm an autodidact kind of gearhead...it wasn't out of character for me to want to go in that direction.”
- On Prince’s Influence
Lisa [04:31]:“…Prince was fearless and he played the studio like an instrument…so to witness that and to have that be the way that I learned was just great.”
- On Women’s Representation
Lisa [19:08]:“…It’s a matter of education, and I think it’s just going to take some time...You say who produced the record. You think it’s a man. So...it’s going to take a long time before a lot of records are produced by women.”
- On The Emotional Weight of Their Experience
Wendy [08:39]:“…every artist at some point in their career taps onto something that feels bigger than them. And that whole time felt bigger than all of us…it was the sum total of all of it.”
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 01:31 – Wendy & Lisa define what being a ‘producer’ meant to them
- 03:06 – Wendy describes production lessons learned from Prince
- 04:31 – Lisa discusses overcoming studio intimidation
- 07:28 – Susan Rogers on the ‘Purple Rain’ sessions
- 09:54 – Susan on Wendy & Lisa’s unique talent
- 11:06 – Wendy & Lisa on working with Susan as engineer
- 14:00 – Susan introduces "Mother of Pearl"
- 16:00 – Susan on challenges for women in production
- 17:00–19:57 – Wendy & Lisa on structural barriers for women producers
- 20:51 – Wendy & Lisa on the unseeable Prince documentary
Tone & Style
The episode is celebratory but frank, blending technical insight with personal reflection and humor. There’s camaraderie and genuine admiration between the guests, especially evident in their exchange of stories. The tone is thoughtful and open, particularly in discussions of gender and legacy, maintaining accessibility for listeners of all backgrounds.
Summary Takeaway
Wendy & Lisa’s journey—spanning from their seminal work with Prince to solo success and collaboration with Susan Rogers—reflects both the triumphs and challenges of women forging paths in music production. The conversation highlights technical craft, mentorship, the power dynamics of creative spaces, and ongoing advocacy for gender equity. Their legacy, and the ongoing importance of ‘getting out of the way’ for diverse voices in the studio, resounds throughout the episode.