Chelsea Rodgers is a Prince video released for broadcast. It was first available on (former model and Prince’s muse at that time) Chelsea Rodgers’ official website on 27 October 2007. The song only received a promotional release in the USA in August 2007.
The shooting was organized very quickly while Prince and The NPG were in England for the final dates of The Earth Tour. Wanting to go to London Fashion Week which was taking place at the same time, Chelsea Rodgers advised him to attend Matthew Williamson’s fashion show (one of her favorite designer). Prince asked if he could shoot a video on the catwalk, which Williamson agreed to. The video was shot on 19 September 2007 at Eaton Square, London.
The video for Chelsea Rodgers is a performance of the song with Prince erupting on the catwalk and joigning (the full lineup of) The NPG. The performance is interspersed with footage of the fashion show and backstage sequences. The inspiration of the song, Chelsea Rodgers, also appears in the video in the audience and on the catwalk (although the song describes her as a former model).
The exceptional shooting conditions generated a lot of press and interest, but because of this rush (Prince and his band reportedly did only one take with no rehearsals in this context) and a more than perfectible cinematography and editing, the video is not really effective.
Of note, Shelby J. makes her first and only appearance in a Prince video.
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