Prince - Baby Knows • TopPop

Опубликовано 17 апреля 2026, 12:54

We commemorate Prince who died ten years ago on April 21, 2016.
The story on this video of "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold" is investigated by Dutch journalist, author of Prince books and Prince-expert, Edgar Kruize, who recounts Prince’s turbulent appearance on the Dutch television program "TV Show" in 1999. Prince was scheduled to perform two songs, “Baby Knows” and “The Greatest Romance Ever Sold”, alongside an interview. The show, known for its high ratings, was set to mark Prince’s Dutch TV debut in front of an enthusiastic audience largely made up of fan club members. However, the performances were only briefly practiced and followed a complex semi-playback format: parts of the music and vocals were pre-recorded while others were live. Communication issues and Prince’s strict artistic demands created friction with the production crew. Matters escalated when Prince suddenly refused to participate in the planned interview, causing panic among the show’s staff. Despite uncertainty, the performance went ahead. The audience reacted enthusiastically, briefly lifting the tense atmosphere and prompting Prince to agree to a last-minute interview. Still, Prince relied much on Larry Graham as a buffer. The real controversy began after the recording. Prince was dissatisfied with the audio quality and blocked the scheduled broadcast, even claiming he had destroyed the tape, though in reality, he had taken it with him. Eventually, Prince reworked the recordings himself at Paisley Park and allowed a revised version to air on December 21, 1999, including “The Greatest Romance Ever Sold” and the interview. The performance of “Baby Knows,” however, remained unaired for over 16 years, only being broadcast in April 2016 after Prince’s death, cementing its status as a long-shelved and legendary moment in Dutch television history.

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) was one of the most innovative and influential musicians of the modern era. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he grew up in a musical family, his father was a jazz pianist, which helped shape his extraordinary talent. A multi-instrumentalist from a young age, Prince quickly rose to fame in the late 1970s and 1980s with a sound that blended funk, rock, pop, and R&B. His breakthrough came with albums like "1999" and "Purple Rain", the latter becoming a global success and cultural milestone. Among his greatest hits are “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry,” “Kiss,” “Little Red Corvette” and “Sign o’ the Times.” Many of these songs achieved top chart positions worldwide; “When Doves Cry” reached No. 1 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, while "Purple Rain" topped charts in multiple countries and sold millions of copies globally. Throughout his career, Prince earned 7 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for Purple Rain, and a Golden Globe. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, cementing his legacy as a musical pioneer. Prince passed away on April 21, 2016, at the age of 57 due to an accidental overdose of fentanyl, a powerful opioid. His death sent shockwaves around the world and highlighted the dangers of prescription drug misuse. This recording is from Dutch program TROS TV Show and first broadcasted in the night of April 21/22, 2016.

(d2026)

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This is to let you know that the video recording of the video clip was originally recorded by AVROTROS Broadcasting. AVROTROS Broadcasting hereby warrants and represents that it is the sole and exclusive owner of the physical film and/or videotape footage in this video clip.

The performance of the artist(s) in the clip was filmed and recorded with the written consent of the artist(s) and their representatives.

AVROTROS is a Dutch radio and television broadcaster, founded in 2014 from a merger of AVRO and TROS. From January 1st, 2014 the name of the merged broadcaster was used in joint programmes. AVRO was founded in 1923 as the Netherlands first public broadcaster. TROS started broadcasting in 1964. Toppop was a weekly AVRO pop program that was aired between 1970 and 1988.

AVROTROS Broadcasting
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1200 JA Hilversum
The Netherlands

TopPop was the first regular dedicated pop music TV show in the Dutch language area. Dutch broadcaster AVRO aired the programme weekly, from 1970 to 1988. Presenter Ad Visser hosted the show for its first fifteen years.
World famous music artists performed on TopPop: ABBA, 10CC, Bee Gees, The Jacksons, David Bowie, Earth & Fire, Boney M, Smokie, KC & The Sunshine Band, Chick, Donna Summer, Rod Stewart, and many many more.