Tora Tora (5)

Tora Tora was a pseudonym used by Prince/Symbol during 1994–95 amid his feud with Warner Bros. Records. Tora Tora, veiled and singing in a pitched-down voice, made multiple appearances alongside The New Power Generation band — unlike other alter egos, such as Camille or Jamie Starr, that solely existed "on paper" as songwriting credits. By the fall of 1995, Prince gradually retired Tora Tora's disguise, as the Warner debacle began to cool off, with only one album left to free Prince from his contractual obligations. The character debuted in the Get Wild video in late 1994, promoting the first single from the upcoming NPG's second "solo" album, Exodus; it also featured an eponymous "Get Wild" perfume launched by Prince. Filmed at Glam Slam, Minneapolis, the video showed Tora Tora ejecting Brother Jules from the stage (in the re-enactment of the "DJ Gets Jumped" segue). Tora Tora was further mentioned on the Sampler Experience cassette, released by NPG Records in January 1995 and featuring a 30-sec snippet of "(Lemme See Your Body) Get Loose!" from the forthcoming Tora Tora Experience. (The project remained unreleased, with no further details available). In March 1995, right before the album release, The New Power Generation performed Get Wild on the renowned Top Of The Pops UK television show; Tora Tora wore a veil with the words "The Exodus Has Begun." When the Exodus album came out on NPG Records, it wasn't available in the United States and worldwide, only distributed in Europe, Australia, and a few more territories. Tora Tora was listed "on double bass, vox & other shit" among the band members, with his photo appearing in the booklet. The O(+>, on the contrary, was only briefly mentioned in "thank you" credits. (One of the unreleased album segues, excluded from the final configuration, also featured Sonny T. cussing off Tora Tora: "…and that no-talkin' silent motherf**ker, how can he see with that mask on? F**k that! Put me in the trunk.") On 5 April 1995, New Power Generation hosted an autograph session at the Virgin Megastore in London upon the conclusion of The Ultimate Live Experience UK/European tour, where Tora Tora wore a bright-red suit and veil. Later the same day, the band filmed a five-track set at Westway Studios for Channel 4's live music show, "The White Room." (Get Wild video was released six years later as NPG Music Club download). Another appearance by DJ Tora Tora, interviewing the band members and playing a few songs, was on a half-hour WNPG Radio Show special aired by BBC Radio 1 on 7 April 1995. Tora Tora further participated in promotional videos for the second and third album singles, The Good Life and Count The Days, which premiered in late August/September 1995 on the American TV channel BET (even though only The Good Life maxi-single was available in the USA). Both videos were filmed in June at Glam Slam South in Miami, Florida, during a three-concert series celebrating Prince's second "birthday" as the Symbol. Tora Tora also had a cameo in the 95 Tour Wallpaper 60-min video mix shown on TV screens inside Glam Slam clubs and NPG Stores in Minneapolis and London. The last known mention of Tora Tora was during the Paisley Park Studios concert on 9 September 1995. Prince, who's already been fronting the NPG without disguise at recent shows, announced that "Tora Tora was in Chicago," so he was going to play a few of his songs; he further jokingly asked Michael Bland to check if Tora Tora was around. The band then performed "Return Of The Bump Squad," and Prince ad-libbed the lyrics, singing "…stuck it up in Warner Bros. face" (further ascertaining that Tora Tora was only part of the protest against Warner).