NPG

Lore & Background

The New Power Generation crystallized in the mid-1980s as Prince moved beyond the tight, polished unit of The Revolution. Drawing on Minneapolis-session musicians and the legendary sisters Wendy and Lisa—whose guitar interplay and vocal harmonies became a signature texture—Prince built a group capable of handling his increasingly sprawling compositions. The band's chemistry was central to the creation of Sign o' the Times, a double album that stretched across funk, gospel, rock, and electronic experimentation in a way that demanded every member to be a composer in their own right.

The early 1990s brought the defining conflict of Prince's career: his bitter dispute with Warner Bros. over artistic control and ownership of his master recordings. In the aftermath, Prince founded NPG Records, giving the band a home and a business identity of its own. The label became a vehicle not only for Prince's own releases but for a roster of artists who shared his Minneapolis-rooted, genre-fluid ethos. The band's sound during this period—more raw, more spiritually charged, more politically pointed—reflected the freedom that came with no longer answering to a corporate gatekeeper.

By the mid-to-late 1990s, the NPG had evolved into a more fluid collective, with membership shifting as Prince's creative focus broadened. Yet the core identity remained: a group of exceptional players who could match his tempo, his risk-taking, and his insistence that music should be felt in the body before it was understood by the mind.

In Their Own Story

The stage lights at the 1988 Super Bowl had barely come up before the crowd of over seventy thousand fell silent. Prince stood at center, guitar in hand, the NPG arrayed behind him in a semicircle of keyboards, bass, and drums. The first chord of "Kiss" hit like a freight train through the stadium PA, and the silence shattered into a roar that could be heard, they later said, in the parking lots. Wendy and Lisa traded guitar licks so tight they seemed to be playing a single instrument. Michael B. locked the groove with a snap that made the concrete vibrate. For four minutes, the coldest February night in Minnesota felt like a furnace, and the New Power Generation had just announced to the world that Prince was not a one-man show—he was a movement with a rhythm section.

Reader's Guide

The New Power Generation's core lineup during its most recognizable era included Prince on vocals, guitar, and keyboards; Wendy and Lisa on guitars and backing vocals; Brown Mark on bass; Cat Glover on keyboards; and Michael B. on drums. Each member was expected to contribute compositions and arrangements, not merely play written parts.

The band's defining recordings span the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, most notably Sign o' the Times (1987), Dreams (1994), and Emancipation (1996). Their live performances—including the legendary 1988 Super Bowl halftime show and the 1990s NPG tours—were known for extended improvisational sets that could run well past two hours.

Internally, the dynamic was one of mutual respect tempered by Prince's exacting standards. Wendy and Lisa, in particular, were treated as creative equals, and their guitar harmonies became a recognizable fingerprint on the recordings. The transition from The Revolution to the NPG marked a shift from a more polished, pop-oriented sound to something grittier, more spiritually driven, and more politically engaged.

The NPG's energy shaped Prince's output during this period by providing a live, reactive ensemble that could chase his ideas in real time. Where earlier work leaned on studio production, the NPG era prioritized feel, call-and-response, and the kind of spontaneous interplay that made his concerts feel like controlled chaos. The band's sound—deep funk grooves underpinned by gospel harmonies and sharp rock edges—became the template for the Minneapolis sound that would influence generations of artists.

Did You Know?

• Wendy and Lisa were not just session musicians; they were full creative partners whose guitar harmonies and vocal arrangements are woven into the fabric of multiple NPG-era albums.
• NPG Records was founded by Prince in the early 1990s as a direct response to his dispute with Warner Bros., giving him full ownership of his masters and a platform for other artists.
• The 1988 Super Bowl halftime performance by Prince and the NPG is widely regarded as one of the most iconic live moments in the history of the show, drawing a crowd of over 70,000.
• The NPG's sound during the 1990s was notably more raw and spiritually charged than the earlier Revolution era, reflecting the creative freedom Prince gained after establishing his own label.