Here’s a fun fact about Prince Rogers Nelson: that wasn’t a stage name. Prince was his actual, legal, on-the-birth-certificate first name. Once you accept that a man named Prince grew up to become the artist known as Prince, you’re already most of the way to accepting everything else. The 8,000 unreleased tracks in a literal underground vault. The candles balanced precariously on the mixing boards. The 2 a.m. phone calls to musicians who had to be at Paisley Park by sunrise because the basketball game just ended and inspiration had struck.Pete Wright and Kyle Olson have feelings about this man. Deep, well-organized, road-tripped-to-Minnesota-for-the-Purple-Rain-musical feelings. They’ve come to walk Mandy through the empire — the side projects, the symbol, the Warner Brothers war, the Rolling Stones opening slot that ended in chicken bones — and to make a case that the artist most people think they know is actually three or four artists they don’t. There are detours into Sinéad O’Connor, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson ping pong, and one of Mandy’s most committed pre-adolescent performance choices. Press play.Guest SpotlightPete Wright and Kyle Olson are TruStory FM family — Pete is the engineer and producer behind much of the network (and Make Me a Nerd itself), and Kyle is a writer, playwright, and his frequent co-conspirator. Together they host Craft and Chaos, a podcast about staying creative through difficult times, and The Marvel Movie Minute, where they break down Marvel films five minutes at a time. Kyle’s plays can be found at the New Play Exchange (when he remembers to put his name on them — long story, listen to Craft and Chaos). Pete just released his debut work of fiction, a novella called Lattice, available at itsmepete.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.The PlaylistPete and Kyle’s Prince playlist on YouTube Music — the listening companion for this episode.Songs Mentioned

“My Name Is Prince” — Prince & The New Power Generation
“Darling Nikki” — Prince & The Revolution
“When Doves Cry” — Prince & The Revolution
“Let’s Go Crazy” — Prince & The Revolution
“Little Red Corvette” — Prince
“Raspberry Beret” — Prince & The Revolution
“1999” — Prince
“Delirious” — Prince
“Head” — Prince
“Sister” — Prince
“When You Were Mine” — Prince
“I Feel for You” — Chaka Khan (written by Prince)
“A Case of You” — Prince (Joni Mitchell cover)
“Nothing Compares 2 U” — Sinéad O’Connor (written by Prince)
“Nothing Compares 2 U” — Prince (original)
“Manic Monday” — The Bangles (written by Prince)
“Sugar Walls” — Sheena Easton (written by Prince as Alexander Nevermind)
“The Glamorous Life” — Sheila E. (written by Prince)
“A Love Bizarre” — Sheila E. (with Prince)
“Stand Back” — Stevie Nicks (co-written with Prince)
“Kiss” — Art of Noise feat. Tom Jones (Prince cover)
“Round and Round” — Tevin Campbell (from Graffiti Bridge)
“How Come You Don’t Call Me” — Alicia Keys (Prince cover)
“Thieves in the Temple” — Prince
“New Power Generation” — Prince
“Get Off” — Prince & The New Power Generation
“Tick, Tick, Bang” — Prince
“Tamborine” — Prince
“Scandalous” — Prince
“Venus de Milo” — Prince (Parade)

Albums Mentioned

For You (1978)
Prince (1979)
Dirty Mind (1980)
Controversy (1981)
1999 (1982)
Purple Rain (1984)
Parade (1986)
Sign o’ the Times (1987)
The Black Album (1987/1994)
Batman (1989)
Graffiti Bridge (1990)
Love Symbol Album (1992)