Two TV veterans reconnect over a shared credit on Unsolved Mysteries and open a door into Prince’s studio life most fans never get to see. We sit down with editor and author Duane Tudahl to map how a PA-turned-editor found his way to Sunset Sound’s work orders, transformed them into day-by-day chronicles of the Purple Rain and Parade eras, and eventually became the Prince Estate’s lead researcher and archivist. If you’ve ever wondered how a myth becomes a method, this is your tour of the vault—equal parts tape formats, climate control, liner notes, and goosebumps.

Duane walks us through the discipline behind discovery: cataloging two-inch reels and cassettes, cross-referencing engineers and rooms, and shaping box sets that actually deepen the listening experience. We talk Welcome 2 America’s unlikely release, the extended takes that turn 30 seconds into revelation, and why editing Prince means not cutting on the beat because he’s already doing something on it. The stories hit the stage too—$25 Forum tickets, five encores, and a blackout opening that blooms into Stevie Wonder rising for a 20-minute “Superstition.” It’s a reminder that live music can still feel like a secret you get to keep.

We also get practical. Duane shares how to earn trust without chasing gossip, why picking your “mountain” early matters for careers, and how learning the tools others ignore creates resilience. He reveals the next book’s arc—from Lovesexy to Batman—and a passion project worth backing: a documentary on Crack the Sky, the Baltimore band that never stopped showing up. Come for the Prince deep cuts and stay for the blueprint on creative longevity, stewardship, and community. If this conversation moves you, subscribe, share it with a fellow music nerd, and leave a review telling us your favorite Prince era.

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