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PRINCE, AS ANYONE with a passing interest in music will be aware, was fiercely protective of his image and music.
The footage of his performance alongside (amongst others) Tom Petty in 2004 at the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame was widely shared in the wake of the mononymous star’s untimely death on Thursday night.
In part, that was down to the fact that his guitar solo on My Guitar Gently Weeps is of the few clips of the star regularly available to view on YouTube.
But it’s also – as you’ll soon see if you haven’t watched this before – a jaw-droppingly impressive live performance…
As Rolling Stone notes, the show-stealing solo could be the greatest musical moment ever at a Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame ceremony.
The band lineup, which also included Jeff Lynne and Steve Winwood, was put together for George Harrison’s posthumous induction in 2004.
But as the US rock magazine reports, it almost never happened – as Harrison’s widow Olivia wanted to limit the performance of her late husband’s song to people who knew him.
She was persuaded to change her mind, though – and no doubt was pretty satisfied with her decision when she saw the thrilled looks on the faces of Petty and co, when Prince let rip.
“They rehearsed it a bunch of times, and every time you could see this was going to tear the roof off the place,” band leader Paul Shaffer said.
But Prince kept a little something in reserve for the actual performance itself. He really did show what a great guitarist he was. He just killed it that night.
To this day perhaps we’ll never know – did that guitar ever come down?..
A Genius, that’s all, Genius
It’s Amazing and he made it look so easy.
reminds me of that scene in Back to the Future where Michael J Fox goes solo on the band
It’s like the guitar is an extension of himself! It just does what he wills! Amazing!
Kids have too much to distract them now to have the time to master an instrument that well. Sign of the times.
My favourite cover of all time. Notice George Harrison’s son on third acoustic.
One of the greatest, musical talent’s I’ve been privileged to experience! Stunning guitarist! RIP Prince
Only had a conversation last week about who I would like to see live and it was Prince. I was broke when he played Malahide but I promised myself I would see him next time. So devestated. RIP.
He was giving the big FU to Rolling Stones mag for not naming him on the 100 best guitarist list.
Nobody takes that seriously though except hacks.
Have you read that once great magazine lately. They’re putting everyone from Garth Brooks to Simon Cowell on the cover. Christ but it gone to the dogs… These guys used to have the likes of Hunter S writing for them and ran articles like Generation War… now it f”ckin Kayne West etc….
He throws the guitar into the air in the end and it doesn’t fall down!
He’s respect for the instrument. Besides, apart from it probably being made for him them things ain’t cheap.
He threw the guitar back to his security the guy that caught him when he fell backwards.
That guitar is his walnut fender telecaster he has had from the beginning.
I love the implication that the guitar was spent. It has achieved all it was ever going to. Cocky class.
Actually just read a very odd article in The Examiner about the controversy surrounding his concert in Cork in 1990 and whether his music was pornographic. Apparently the Lord Mayor at the time Chrissie Aherne refused to meet him at the airport. Joe Duffy had a show dedicated to this with Duffy declaring about The Purple Ones songs.. “They’re all rubbish”. Simpler times I suppose… Anyways he will be greatly missed.
One of my favourite vids on YouTube, Prince, Clapton, Jeff Lynn,Tom Petty, and Steve Winwood all on the same stage, serious solo from Prince. Equally proficient on Piano, Bass and drums. Among others. Massive loss.
Fantastic guitarist, could have been a heavy metal hero with that level of skill.
Frank Zappa another who never got the credit he deserved for his ability as a guitarist., although he was voted World’s Best on one occasion.
Bot forgetting Neil Young, another ace on the axe.
Wow
I’m not even a big fan, but that’s incredibly incredibly incredibly brilliant. True showmanship too!
Amazing, saw him in Cork back in the day but also when he played in The Point around 2002, was one of the best gigs ever. An absolute genius.
I am just broken hearted. Thats all.talent gone forever.
I just jizzed purple
Seriously talented guitarist. His vibrato is like BB king the classical cellist technique. It’s very hard to not sound like every other guitarist out there but Prince managed that. Prince was a brilliant guitarist, singer, bassist , sequencer programmer , producer and humanitarian.
Never before has vocals taken second place to a guitar. He truly was a Prince among men.
If you leave behind a body of work that will inspire affect and trill people beyond explanation. You haven’t really died # pop life
There’s a rumour that he hadn’t even heard ‘while my guitar gently weeps’ until that morning……
A musician that hadn’t heard my guitar gently weeps??? Ha ha I don’t think so.
He was a sublime guitarist. You can get a reasonable copy of his guitar from http://www.Thomann.de for under 200.
He was no Lil’ Wayne
Haha!!!!
There are no words …
was at this gig , I remember that some time beforehand Cork City Co. changed the time to early afternoon because of Prince’s reputation for raunchy performances and to save us from ourselves…
the concert was forced to go ahead in daylight. I kid you not.
Prince was famous for the light shows in his concerts and a lot of that was lost in daylight, nevertheless it was a massive thrill to be there , the guy was a musical genius and even today you won’t find an equal to this show he put on that day.
Amazing
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