The world lost another music icon yesterday morning—2016 hasn’t been good to the ’80s, has it? First David Bowie, then Glen Frey, and now Prince. Even if you aren’t a fan of the ’80s, I think everyone can appreciate how amazingly talented and creative Prince was, and that his influence on the music world will be felt for eternity.
The success of a tribute ride like this totally depends on your market, your relationship with your riders, and how you present it. If you are passionate about Prince and his music, it will come out in the love you project in your coaching. Can’t stomach a one-artist playlist? Then just do a few of his iconic songs—your riders will likely appreciate the nod to this genius!
I threw together a playlist and profile just a few hours before my class yesterday. My planned ride was threshold climbing intervals, so it was easy enough to use Prince songs to fulfill the same objective. You’ll find this profile below for you to download.
The beauty of Prince’s music is that it blends genres—so much of it works well in the indoor cycling studio. Many of his songs have a dance rhythm and fall into the climbing bpm range, and some, like “Let’s Go Crazy” at 97 bpm, translate to a much higher cadence.
What many people don’t realize is that Prince was such a prolific songwriter; he penned many songs that helped other artists make a name for themselves. Artists such as Chaka Khan, The Bangles, Morris Day and The Time, Sheila E, Sheena Easton, and many more. For a list of Prince songs to consider for your tribute, here are his 40 biggest Billboard hits, and here are all his songs on Wikipedia, including the ones he wrote for others.
You don’t have to do a tribute of just Prince songs; you can add other artists to the mix. Why not do a profile that includes songs from the iconic musicians we lost in 2016 and have “one helluva show”? (Although, you may be hard-pressed to find a Merle Haggard song that works well in the cycling studio!)
Prince’s talent was legendary, as were his eccentricities. He won 7 Grammys and was nominated 30 times. He played 27 instruments, occasionally even playing every instrument on an album. Here is an excellent article in The Guardian about his enormous talent, and this article discusses some of his quirks. Here are some of his most iconic moments, and here are some more of his eccentricities. You can have fun with trivia in your Prince tribute ride.
We are now learning that he was an amazingly generous man who gave and gave and gave, but didn’t talk about it—and he didn’t want others to talk about it either. Watch the video of this interview with Van Jones to understand the depth of his generosity. Often, he put on small concerts in communities, but they were fronts for his goal of helping those communities behind the scenes, like Baltimore (after Freddie Gray’s death) and Chicago. He put other people’s faces as the leader of some of his initiatives, but he was the driver behind the scenes (and the money). His ex-wife—whom he met through his philanthropy—is building schools in his name.
- Intersperse a few other artists who sang songs he wrote
- You must play “Purple Rain”—I suggest toward the end of the ride, use the long version, ask them to climb in silence on their own, and shut up. Be prepared for tears…
- Wear purple, and ask your riders to wear purple.
- Can you find purple lights?
- Cut out some doves from white construction paper, draw a tear in their eye, and put them on the wall, the entrance door, maybe even one on each bike.
- Go crazy!
- Create a flyer and put it up on social media and throughout your facility (see examples below).
- If you have video capabilities, there are many options on YouTube, but be sure to include Prince on The Muppet Show and his Super Bowl halftime performance in the pouring rain (videos embedded below).
Here are a few ideas for flyers created by fellow Prince-loving instructors:
Flyer created by Gwen Slade Bouchie. The ride will be team-taught by Gwen and Krista Leopold.
ICA contributor Billy Coburn will be doing a Prince tribute, of course!
Prince On the Muppets
Prince Super Bowl Halftime Show
(This is the full version; you can also find an edited version.)
Prince Tribute Ride Profile—Lactate Threshold Intervals (PDF)
I put these in-(amongst others)
Cream(NPG remix)-116bpm
Sexy Mutha(Clean Version)-107bpm
Super Hero(by EWF)-115 bpm
I Feel For You (by Chaka Khan)-124 bpm
It’s About That Walk-128bpm
Guitar-130bpm
When Doves Cry(Fatboy Slim Remix)(Prince + Depeche Mode)-127 bpm
I had posted on FB, but was asked to share here. I also built a tribute ride and called it Prince & Friends (strength ride) 59 minutes.
I had done some research, read tid bits in Rolling Stone which pulled my ride together. I was most touched by reading that Stevie Nick’s wrote Stand Back as she was listening and humming along to Little Red Corvette…called Prince, and he later met her at studio and played on a synthesizer for 25 minutes. Maybe it’s because I know the story, but now – I hear similarities. Here’s the ride.
Manic Monday – warm up
Love Bizarre – warm up
U Got The Look – seated climb, 80 rpm
Let’s Go Crazy – jumps, they start quick but then move in to 8count
Jungle Love – flat
Kiss – seated climb, run on chorus, 75rpm
When Doves Cry – steady seated climb, 70 rpm
Raspberry Beret – flat
I could Never Be Your Man – run, flat in last minute
Little Red Corvette – seated limb, 65 rpm
Stand Back – Standing climb
I would Die For You – breakaways on flat, coming in/out of speed
Nothing Compares To You – Flat to bring HR down
Purple Rain – stretch.
Some sang along to nothing compares to you; I found myself emotional during Purple Rain.
Enjoy!!
Allison Coleman
ACT Fit Studio, Brattleboro VT
Thank You Jennifer and Kate.
Thank you so much for the ideas! Here’s my playlist:
Delirious
Nasty Girl (full mix) – Inaya Day
Cream
Naughty Girl (remix 1) – Beyonce
Raspberry Beret
When Doves Cry
TKO (radio Edit) – Justin Timberlake
The Glamorous Life (re-recorded) – Sheila E
Can’t Feel My Face – The Weeknd
Scream – Usher
1999
Purple Rain