One of the many reasons so many of us watch this performance with "mouths agape" is that at no time does Prince lose the song. His solo weaves around the material, musically-dancing in and around the original song. He didn't just honor the song, but elevated it to another level. That he did this live, spontaneously, and without rehearsal is mind bending. Even after dozens of viewings, the performance still raises goosebumps on my arm. When considering this performance - Plus - his Halftime Superbowl show - in the pouring rain.....its legendary, a combo "mic drop" for the ages. RIP Prince. - MN Twin cities fan girl
Under regular circumstances this was an amazing performance but to think he had never played this solo or rehearsed it with this band before this performance makes it epic. Self-taught musical genius are not just waisted words when it comes to Prince Roger Nelson. R.I.P Purple One
For someone with his talent rehearsal wasn't necessary required. The scales he played in the solo in are common. A decent guitar player would have no problem playing a solo to the song. Don't get me wrong, this is NOT a decent solo, it's an excellent solo imo. I believe we're pretty much saying the same thing though lol
@@Fred-oh9vl I don't believe we are saying the same thing in fact um sure we are not saying the same thing. It's funny how what you seem to see as a common and simple solo blew the minds of everyone else who heard all those years ago and is still rocking people to this day including the legends on the stage with Prince at the time, but it is what it is, let the haters hate. If rehearsing wasn't important then why was the rest of the band rehearsing, if I'm not mistaken, I'm sure everyone on that stage was just as talented in their own rights and all of them has played that song before so by your logic why would anybody show up to rehearse period. 😧😧😧
Can we appreciate how just how well this video is done? Gets to the point, delivers the information, and wraps up. So many other RUclips videos on this topic would have started with the invention of the electric guitar and fill an extra six or seven minutes of prologue before getting to the freaking point.
I was in the room that night and I can tell you that it was electrifying. The footage (while great) does not convey how magical it was from inside that ballroom. I had been to every ceremony and most rehearsals from 1997 -2008 and nothing in that room before or since came close to that solo. The room is usually filled with record company people and celebrities who rarely show their excitement about a particular performance but that night the energy from the audience was insane. It may not be the greatest solo of all time but trust me it was from another world and there’s a reason, 20 years later I remember it clearly and that people are still talking about it. Getting to meet him during rehearsals and spending a few minutes talking about the Staple Singers and a concert film from 1971 we were getting ready to release called “Soul To Soul” was a personal magical moment for me.
Very jealous! Petty has always been one of my favourites, so cant imagine what it was like to see a performance by one of my heroes alongside that absolutely insane performance by Prince!
@ Petty is truly one of the greats as well. Back in 2002 I had the pleasure of screening an hours worth of footage from our archive for Tom and the entire band backstage before they went on and later in 2011 Tom came to the premiere of the documentary I directed on The Hollies called “Look Through Any Window” and both were unreal experiences for me.
@@geckolor I wish there were multi-tracks to the audio instead of a live two track mix because they would have been able to make the mix fuller. The visual quality is stunning.
Nah. Anyone who knows music at ALL already knew about Prince's guitar skills. Nonsense. Prince is one of the greatest musicians of all time and that's a widely accepted opinion.
Greatest live guitar solo I have ever watched. Jimi is my man and this one is just above and beyond...perfection. Met Prince a few times doing security at Bunkers Bar in the early 2000's. Such a small humble man unleashed the beast that night. RIP legend.
As a long time prince fan, I was surprised that people needed that solo, that late in his career, to realize his guitar skill and artistry. But boy, am I happy it had to come to that. I watch it all the time.
@@hw2508 It's a shame that Dhani later had negative things to say about it. Yeah, Prince was a self-absorbed weirdo & he was showing off but it was a one time event. R & R HOF induction ceremonies are exclusive to the artists being honored on their special night. Artists don't get "re-inducted" into the R & R HOF & the ceremonies don't get redone. I think what he did was very cool. Over the top, yes but not in a bad way. 🇺🇸
@@DoyleFM And why even does Dhani have an opinion of the solo? His father employed a guest guitarist to play it on the original song (Eric Clapton) so it's not like Prince was disrespecting George Harrison. If anything Prince was true to the song's ethos.
You can just see the guitar strap at 6.12 as it falls into the hands of the guitar catcher in front of the stage and Prince walks off. Such a great showman musician and artist.
This was Prince letting us into his full world, not just the music he wanted to share, but all of his greatness, and we should all be so thankful he did. I have seen so many amazing artists over my 50 years - Prince is the one I will always regret not seeing.
I have seen so many amazing artists over my 50 years - and I can´t tell you how sorry I feel for you, ´caus I´ve seen Prince 10 times live in concert and they´re all in my Top Ten Concert Moments of all time!
Everyone knew Prince could play funk and R&B guitar and certainly everyone knew he could perform and sing and write. I think people were stunned he could solo on a rock song at that level, which is basically top 5 guitarists along with the legends as far as I'm concerned.
Prince could play that well on basically every instrument. The man was a savant and an absolute legend. There is no better musician in the history of the world than Prince.
@@galdessa1It's 100% accurate! ....to the person that made the comment. Tantamount to Rolling Stones lists. Top 100, sure....to the person that made the list!
It's the best solo I've ever heard! What makes it even better is the fact that he didn't get to rehearse it like is mentioned in the video. Incredible performance!!!
Some people looked at him as snobby or a jerk but that couldn't be further from the truth. Prince took his art very seriously but he treated his fans and supporters like gold. Whether it was just a small group or a massive crowed every single one mattered to him and he treated you as such. He was thankful, humble, shy, brilliant and oh my gosh do we miss him so. 💔
He was at the same time an amazing and eclectic musician (a true virtuoso), AND a flawless performer/showman. This level of perfection combined is unprecedented. Many virtuosos and brilliant musicians may be standoffish or too full of themselves or almost "nerdy" and isolated from the crowd, whereas true performers and showmen are, sometimes, all show and far less substance. Prince delivered shows that were at the same time satisfying for the eyes and the ear of both the general public and the musicians and true connoisseurs. I like Dream Theater (and classic prog/classic rock bands and a lot of other stuff) and maybe Petrucci is a better guitarist than Prince was, maybe Myung could play Prince's bass lines while sedated, with one hand tied behind his back, with no lights and with a metalcore concert playing in his headphones BUT Neither could top Prince's Stage Presence+ Pure Skill combination.
It blows my mind that people didn't realize how good of a guitar player he was before this performance... I've been literally watching Prince shred the guitar for 30 years
Hi: just a note about the "lost" guitar: "Dave Rusan, the builder of Prince's famous cloud guitar told CBC that Prince "would always throw them [his guitars] to the roadie at the end of show and they weren't always caught so they'd have to be repaired often." So it only makes sense that the key to this mystery resides with one of Prince's guitar technicians. In 2004, his guitar tech was Takumi Suetsugu, who was a guest at the 2017 Celebration at Paisley Park. Andrea Swensson, who moderated several panels at Paisley Park that weekend, wrote: Takumi Suetsugu, who caught the guitar Prince threw off - seemingly into the void - after his searing guitar solo at the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Prince told him to hand the guitar to Oprah, said Suetsugu, and after the performance, internal monitors cut to a shot of the dumbstruck talk show host holding Prince's axe.) The People of Paisley Park Facebook group recounts the event in a little more detail: Per explicit instructions from Prince, Takumi stood in the front row and caught the guitar...and then promptly handed it to Oprah Winfrey. Prince was known to toss many a guitar over the years, but this one deserves its own place in the R&R Hall of Fame. And I'll bet Takumi never dropped a guitar even once in all those years. After he tosses the guitar and just before he exits the stage with his Princely confidence, you can see him cast a quick glance in the direction of his faithful and beloved guitar tech. Swoosh, nothing but net. Ever the prankster, it was a gag. We all know how much Prince loved his guitars, especially that one, which was one of his first. Oprah gave the guitar back to Takumi, and it is enshrined at Paisley Park.
💯 accurate information! A few years ago, when Jay Leno was hosting the Tonight Show, he had prince do the music for the entire week of shows. Every night the stage was set up in a different amazing scene from the previous night before. On at least two of those performances prints through his guitar up in the air and ran off stage. I got to witness that guitar tech run in and catch the guitar. One of those catches appeared to be just inches from the stage! Truly an amazing duo!
This is a great video! Until Prince's performance there...I had no idea how great of a musician he was...wow. I knew he was a great singer and performer and now we know he was one of the best guitarists. Incredible!
Honestly, if “anyone else” had done that solo (not that they could), the people who thought it was gratuitous would have heralded as epic. 🎸🤘 I recall an interview he did in which he said there is definitely a racial component to lists of greatest rock ‘n’ roll, drummers, musicianship and guitarists in particular that leave off Black and Brown artists. He came to prove a point that night and did. His guitar throw was an epic mic drop. 🎤
That solo is not even close to his greatest solo. Listen Just My Imagination from 1988. He’s playing a club after his stadium show. He is bananas on lead rock guitar that night. He was so daring, wild and imaginative back then.
At any given time, in EVERY era, he dropped at least one wild, dope guitar moment... Just so happened the RHOF pulled all that into focus. The "Just My Imagination" bootleg is actually the first one I ever bought of him...
@LamarSowellBDApocalypse do you think his rock guitar got better over time? I'm asking because my assessment is that he was super imaginative and aggressive up until 1994/95. His rock playing wasn't the same after. What are your thoughts?
@@jaydeepbhadra I think his presentation of it, the ethos changed. By 95, he was doing big shows without an album and then countless club shows. He fronted in media, but he listened to A LOT of music. He loved Living Colour, probably started using Whammy pedal cuz of nu-metal. And he would use these effects and techniques and incorporate them into his music quickly and SEAMLESSLY! How can "I'm Yours" "Bambi" "Let's Go Crazy" have NOT convinced folks that he had "rock" guitar down from the get-go! Totally weird, this surprise.
@@davids736 only what I heard on the radio . . . just not my style is all but I can certainly appreciate his musicianship. His solo simply blew me away. It's up there with the best.
I think it's because he was such a prolific writer. His compositions tended to overshadow his lead guitar ability. But yes, he was one of the best. Even Billy Gibbons and Roger Gilmour were fans.
@apoclypse Look at it like rhis: Prince had a lot of competing elements other than his lead guitar ability. He had a ton of songs without a lead solo, live performances where the focus is on his incredible singing, him playing piano, dancing, etc. Now, think about some other of our favorite lead players. Not to take anything away from them, but they mostly always had their guitar strung on, & 99% of the time a solo is coming up in the song. The association with guitar is stronger with them than Prince. Even Billy Gibbons said that he really didn't think of Prince as a guitarist until the incredible Super Bowl appearance where the guitar was literally center stage. Not a lot of people are as versatile as Prince was.
@@BrianGallagherThose lists are silly. Some look at music like it's sports with a scoreboard. Music hits on emotion, and we're all different emotional beings. "Top" and "Greatest" are only accurate to the person using those terms.
yeah I have to agree with a lot of other commenters. Anyone who was already a Prince fan knew he could play. Most guitarists were outraged by the many amazing guitarists who were excluded from Rolling Stones lists, when compared with who was included. Prince not being on it isn't surprising. Hell anyone who saw the Rave Un 2 the Year 2000 concert knew he could play, or anyone who attended\saw any of his live performances.
Got to say i had never taken much notice of Prince as an artist, i thought he was just a pop singer artist. I had No idea what an amazing musician he actually was. I have watched the solo dozens of times, he was an amazing guitarist. I like Stevie Ray, Clapton, knoppfler, Gary More, Pink Floyd. Nothing like Prince but that solo was up there with the best.
@@johns1853 I am so pleased to see so many others enjoy what I have known for over 40 years. Prince was other-worldly! Piano, guitar, bass, drums, you name it. He did it all! He was a master musician. He lived and breathed music.
I was a bit surprised it went viral 20 years later. We were there and it was recorded several times. Prince already burned the stage down hours earlier. We were there for Traffic, honestly but Prince won me over.
The only reason people are still watching and talking about this performance all these years later is because of what Prince did on that stage, that's it. Otherwise it would have gone into the dustbin of rock and roll Hall of Fame tribute performances and no one would have cared about it anymore.
I can't agree. His pop status NEVER outshined his legendary guitar virtuousity... No way. Even as a kid in the 80s 90s I knew Prince was the goat guitarist.
I love the Steve Ferrone interview where he said after the rehearsal was winding down someone started playing the funky guitar intro to "School Boy Crush" his song from his Average White Band days, After looking around the Stage there was Prince giving him the nod!
"Jeff Lynne's guitarist' was Steve Winwood. He's a fine musician with a great history all of his own.I don't think he was ever 'Jeff Lynne's guitarist'. As for the Prince solo and indeed the whole band's performance it was truly epic!
Interesting backstory. That solo and that song were epic, one of the very best of all time. Prince changed a lot of minds that day, changed rock and roll history.
No one knew, including myself how great of a guitarist he was cause up until, lets say Purple Rain, there wasn't a song where he could just stretch out like that. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad from his self titled album that he did by himself gave a glimpse into how good he was. Like some musicians, they shine more when they play "outside" of their own stuff. Prince playing in a club or the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is probably where you would've found him playing at his best. Abd after watching the behind the scene of that night, he just decided to CLOWN on that solo. I believe that if things had not progressed the way they had from the rehearsal, we may have been given a much different guitar solo.
Every famous guitarist knew how good he was example Interviewer - Eric Clapton how does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? EC- I don't know you'd have to ask Prince
Which never happened but Eric Clapton did say on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs in 1989 he thought Prince was a genius and named in his top 10 guitarist
RollingStone magazine messed up with that list. Prince memorable solos are obviously this one, Purple Rain Syracuse 1985, anytime he played Red House, She's allways in My hair from Montreaux nights, Superbowl 2007, the end solo of Lets go Crazy. There was no one like Purple Genius.
Rolling Stone magazine's lists are hilarious. They are capable of placing the simpleton Kurt Cobain above Joe Satriani without blushing. And, just for the sake of argument, those on the list above Prince are known for playing only one or two musical styles: Prince even played jazz perfectly, in the words of Miles Davis, as well as rock, blues, funk... And he didn't just know how to play guitar! Anecdotal fact: Many guitarists on the list consider him a master. Jimmy Page admitted that he would be intimidated if he shared the stage with Prince. If you've listened to these guitarists and Prince intently, you know that Prince can play as good as Hendrix and Santana. With the latter he has shared the stage more than once.
It's hilarious when anyone ranks musicians. Music isn't sports. There's no scoreboard. Music touches emotion, and we're all different emotional beings.
That moment you could almost feel the presence of George Harrison, how he loved the surprise from Prince. But God is selfish he wants the best with him. That night I think God resolved to take Prince to be with him.
Not know Prince was a guitar player - erm, in the 1984 movie ‘Purple Rain’ his character, The Kid, is a lead guitarist/singer (and ends the film playing ‘Purple Rain’ live) 🤩
Thanks for this, there’s a cool story here. I recommend revising the comment about people not knowing prince was a great guitarist. It’s not true at all.
Imo Prince was an excellent musician, and he proved he can play a guitar solo packed with emotion. The arguments start when folks say, "greatest solo of all time" ....or when Rolling Stone releases it's "Top" lists. While "The Greatest" and "Top" do exist, they're only accurate to the person saying it. There's no scoreboard in music like in sports.
The concert was a Trbute to George Harrison, not a Hall Of Fame Induction. It was an entire concert of George’s music played by George’s friends. Prince rocked it.
@@lryall you’re wrong it was the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC I know this for certain because I was in the room. Prince never played at the Tribute to George which was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London a few years earlier.
@ wow. I always thought this was from the concert for George. Same musicians, including Dhani. Almost the same backdrop. I stand corrected. And Prince did crush the solo. 👍
@@SPICYTUNAROLL69hahaha. You know very little about Prince then. Gary was great no doubt. But there's not a chance he plays circles around Prince. Go do a little research before sounding foolish. Prince is ridiculously good. Because so few people actually realize that if you haven't seen him live, you get a pass. Prince plays several of the same songs that Gary would play live and I'd challenge you to say that same statement after watching Prince. Check out his set at Montreaux from 2013(? I think it is 2013 at least.). He plays a bunch of Jimi Hendrix and other blues stuff.
They didn't put a light on him you couldn't see him. That's why i think he was pissed ripped the solo threw his guitar and walked off.. Plus of you watch George Harrison's son, you'll be able to read into it😊
They know about Prince guitar skills since Purple Rain and before. He was being compared to Jimi Hendrix then. The industry wanted to ignore his genius on the guitar.
Yeah nobody knew prince could rock a guitar except in every concert he ever played
I found that statement funny too.
A brilliant musician. Outstanding on every instrument.
That was most certainly an absurd comment.
Shiiid, errbody knew that.
He was playing and making music since I was a baby in the 80s
Fact
I've watched that guitar solo repeatedly. It never gets old. What a talented artist Prince was.
One of the many reasons so many of us watch this performance with "mouths agape" is that at no time does Prince lose the song. His solo weaves around the material, musically-dancing in and around the original song. He didn't just honor the song, but elevated it to another level. That he did this live, spontaneously, and without rehearsal is mind bending. Even after dozens of viewings, the performance still raises goosebumps on my arm. When considering this performance - Plus - his Halftime Superbowl show - in the pouring rain.....its legendary, a combo "mic drop" for the ages. RIP Prince. - MN Twin cities fan girl
Brilliantly said!
Word!
Under regular circumstances this was an amazing performance but to think he had never played this solo or rehearsed it with this band before this performance makes it epic. Self-taught musical genius are not just waisted words when it comes to Prince Roger Nelson. R.I.P Purple One
For someone with his talent rehearsal wasn't necessary required. The scales he played in the solo in are common. A decent guitar player would have no problem playing a solo to the song. Don't get me wrong, this is NOT a decent solo, it's an excellent solo imo. I believe we're pretty much saying the same thing though lol
@@Fred-oh9vl I don't believe we are saying the same thing in fact um sure we are not saying the same thing. It's funny how what you seem to see as a common and simple solo blew the minds of everyone else who heard all those years ago and is still rocking people to this day including the legends on the stage with Prince at the time, but it is what it is, let the haters hate. If rehearsing wasn't important then why was the rest of the band rehearsing, if I'm not mistaken, I'm sure everyone on that stage was just as talented in their own rights and all of them has played that song before so by your logic why would anybody show up to rehearse period. 😧😧😧
@mileswashington4201 Miles, with due respect, please re-read my comment.
@@Fred-oh9vl for sure
Can we appreciate how just how well this video is done? Gets to the point, delivers the information, and wraps up. So many other RUclips videos on this topic would have started with the invention of the electric guitar and fill an extra six or seven minutes of prologue before getting to the freaking point.
Nice try, diddy.
The foundation of this video is a joke. Nobody knew Prince is one of the greatest guitar players of all time? How moronic. This guy is clueless.
I was in the room that night and I can tell you that it was electrifying. The footage (while great) does not convey how magical it was from inside that ballroom. I had been to every ceremony and most rehearsals from 1997 -2008 and nothing in that room before or since came close to that solo. The room is usually filled with record company people and celebrities who rarely show their excitement about a particular performance but that night the energy from the audience was insane. It may not be the greatest solo of all time but trust me it was from another world and there’s a reason, 20 years later I remember it clearly and that people are still talking about it. Getting to meet him during rehearsals and spending a few minutes talking about the Staple Singers and a concert film from 1971 we were getting ready to release called “Soul To Soul” was a personal magical moment for me.
Very jealous! Petty has always been one of my favourites, so cant imagine what it was like to see a performance by one of my heroes alongside that absolutely insane performance by Prince!
@ Petty is truly one of the greats as well. Back in 2002 I had the pleasure of screening an hours worth of footage from our archive for Tom and the entire band backstage before they went on and later in 2011 Tom came to the premiere of the documentary I directed on The Hollies called “Look Through Any Window” and both were unreal experiences for me.
What are your thoughts on the quality of the released video?
Thank you for sharing this information. I was wondering how did it feel in that moment. I gets chills everytime I see the video .
@@geckolor I wish there were multi-tracks to the audio instead of a live two track mix because they would have been able to make the mix fuller. The visual quality is stunning.
Nah. Anyone who knows music at ALL already knew about Prince's guitar skills. Nonsense. Prince is one of the greatest musicians of all time and that's a widely accepted opinion.
Greatest live guitar solo I have ever watched. Jimi is my man and this one is just above and beyond...perfection. Met Prince a few times doing security at Bunkers Bar in the early 2000's. Such a small humble man unleashed the beast that night. RIP legend.
I guess you never seen Jimi live then
Jimi had two sons: Stevie Ray Vaughn and Prince. SRV took after Jimi's genre, Prince his style :)
I get chills every time I watch this when Prince starts his solo.
This performance made me cry.
This IS a guitar solo. No millions of notes at the speed of light. An organic, mind blowing, epic, technical and real classic rock guitar solo.
Agreed !!
As a long time prince fan, I was surprised that people needed that solo, that late in his career, to realize his guitar skill and artistry. But boy, am I happy it had to come to that. I watch it all the time.
I like watching Dhani's Harrisons reactions to the solo.
And Prince gave him that look: "That's how it's done."
@@hw2508
It's a shame that Dhani later had negative things to say about it. Yeah, Prince was a self-absorbed weirdo & he was showing off but it was a one time event. R & R HOF induction ceremonies are exclusive to the artists being honored on their special night. Artists don't get "re-inducted" into the R & R HOF & the ceremonies don't get redone. I think what he did was very cool.
Over the top, yes but not in a bad way.
🇺🇸
@@DoyleFM And why even does Dhani have an opinion of the solo? His father employed a guest guitarist to play it on the original song (Eric Clapton) so it's not like Prince was disrespecting George Harrison. If anything Prince was true to the song's ethos.
You can just see the guitar strap at 6.12 as it falls into the hands of the guitar catcher in front of the stage and Prince walks off. Such a great showman musician and artist.
Prince was absolutely one of the greatest people who ever lived.
This was Prince letting us into his full world, not just the music he wanted to share, but all of his greatness, and we should all be so thankful he did.
I have seen so many amazing artists over my 50 years - Prince is the one I will always regret not seeing.
I have seen so many amazing artists over my 50 years - and I can´t tell you how sorry I feel for you, ´caus I´ve seen Prince 10 times live in concert and they´re all in my Top Ten Concert Moments of all time!
Everyone knew Prince could play funk and R&B guitar and certainly everyone knew he could perform and sing and write. I think people were stunned he could solo on a rock song at that level, which is basically top 5 guitarists along with the legends as far as I'm concerned.
Prince could play that well on basically every instrument. The man was a savant and an absolute legend. There is no better musician in the history of the world than Prince.
I’m sure there is/was.
A bit over the top young lady. so many great musicians about
@@galdessa1It's 100% accurate! ....to the person that made the comment. Tantamount to Rolling Stones lists. Top 100, sure....to the person that made the list!
Prince turned that guitar every way loose. Gave me chill looking at the expression on his fsce
He owned that moment 1:57
It's the best solo I've ever heard! What makes it even better is the fact that he didn't get to rehearse it like is mentioned in the video. Incredible performance!!!
Check this out. Every bit as good as Prince’s. Trey plays this way all the time as well
ruclips.net/video/iAarSgI35U0/видео.htmlsi=uMOk8a0D61grTiNl
There are only two types of Guitarists. The ones who knew Prince could play & those who finally figured it out after this performance.
Facts
Fancy meeting you here :)
How did people not know? He was so good there were rumors in the 70s/80s that Jimi Hendrix was his real father.
It’s an ACTUAL Gundam!
Prince was very unique, talented, gifted indeed…
Gone too soon, but never forgotten 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
Some people looked at him as snobby or a jerk but that couldn't be further from the truth. Prince took his art very seriously but he treated his fans and supporters like gold. Whether it was just a small group or a massive crowed every single one mattered to him and he treated you as such. He was thankful, humble, shy, brilliant and oh my gosh do we miss him so. 💔
He was at the same time an amazing and eclectic musician (a true virtuoso), AND a flawless performer/showman.
This level of perfection combined is unprecedented. Many virtuosos and brilliant musicians may be standoffish or too full of themselves or almost "nerdy" and isolated from the crowd, whereas true performers and showmen are, sometimes, all show and far less substance.
Prince delivered shows that were at the same time satisfying for the eyes and the ear of both the general public and the musicians and true connoisseurs.
I like Dream Theater (and classic prog/classic rock bands and a lot of other stuff) and maybe Petrucci is a better guitarist than Prince was, maybe Myung could play Prince's bass lines while sedated, with one hand tied behind his back, with no lights and with a metalcore concert playing in his headphones BUT
Neither could top Prince's Stage Presence+ Pure Skill combination.
It blows my mind that people didn't realize how good of a guitar player he was before this performance... I've been literally watching Prince shred the guitar for 30 years
Hi: just a note about the "lost" guitar:
"Dave Rusan, the builder of Prince's famous cloud guitar told CBC that Prince "would always throw them [his guitars] to the roadie at the end of show and they weren't always caught so they'd have to be repaired often."
So it only makes sense that the key to this mystery resides with one of Prince's guitar technicians. In 2004, his guitar tech was Takumi Suetsugu, who was a guest at the 2017 Celebration at Paisley Park.
Andrea Swensson, who moderated several panels at Paisley Park that weekend, wrote:
Takumi Suetsugu, who caught the guitar Prince threw off - seemingly into the void - after his searing guitar solo at the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Prince told him to hand the guitar to Oprah, said Suetsugu, and after the performance, internal monitors cut to a shot of the dumbstruck talk show host holding Prince's axe.)
The People of Paisley Park Facebook group recounts the event in a little more detail:
Per explicit instructions from Prince, Takumi stood in the front row and caught the guitar...and then promptly handed it to Oprah Winfrey. Prince was known to toss many a guitar over the years, but this one deserves its own place in the R&R Hall of Fame. And I'll bet Takumi never dropped a guitar even once in all those years.
After he tosses the guitar and just before he exits the stage with his Princely confidence, you can see him cast a quick glance in the direction of his faithful and beloved guitar tech.
Swoosh, nothing but net.
Ever the prankster, it was a gag. We all know how much Prince loved his guitars, especially that one, which was one of his first. Oprah gave the guitar back to Takumi, and it is enshrined at Paisley Park.
💯 accurate information! A few years ago, when Jay Leno was hosting the Tonight Show, he had prince do the music for the entire week of shows. Every night the stage was set up in a different amazing scene from the previous night before. On at least two of those performances prints through his guitar up in the air and ran off stage. I got to witness that guitar tech run in and catch the guitar. One of those catches appeared to be just inches from the stage! Truly an amazing duo!
I just saw it there and the tour guide told this story!
This is a great video! Until Prince's performance there...I had no idea how great of a musician he was...wow. I knew he was a great singer and performer and now we know he was one of the best guitarists. Incredible!
Honestly, if “anyone else” had done that solo (not that they could), the people who thought it was gratuitous would have heralded as epic. 🎸🤘 I recall an interview he did in which he said there is definitely a racial component to lists of greatest rock ‘n’ roll, drummers, musicianship and guitarists in particular that leave off Black and Brown artists. He came to prove a point that night and did. His guitar throw was an epic mic drop. 🎤
That solo is not even close to his greatest solo. Listen Just My Imagination from 1988. He’s playing a club after his stadium show. He is bananas on lead rock guitar that night. He was so daring, wild and imaginative back then.
At any given time, in EVERY era, he dropped at least one wild, dope guitar moment... Just so happened the RHOF pulled all that into focus. The "Just My Imagination" bootleg is actually the first one I ever bought of him...
@LamarSowellBDApocalypse do you think his rock guitar got better over time? I'm asking because my assessment is that he was super imaginative and aggressive up until 1994/95. His rock playing wasn't the same after. What are your thoughts?
Wow! Thanks for the recommendation. Just my imagination is an explosion of Prince magic.
@@jaydeepbhadra I think his presentation of it, the ethos changed. By 95, he was doing big shows without an album and then countless club shows. He fronted in media, but he listened to A LOT of music. He loved Living Colour, probably started using Whammy pedal cuz of nu-metal. And he would use these effects and techniques and incorporate them into his music quickly and SEAMLESSLY! How can "I'm Yours" "Bambi" "Let's Go Crazy" have NOT convinced folks that he had "rock" guitar down from the get-go! Totally weird, this surprise.
Is there a video of it I can see? 🔥
I am one of the many who didn’t know the ability Prince had as a guitarist until I saw that solo. It was unbelievable
It's mind blowing thanks Prince.
I love you Prince God knew when it was over. Thank you Prince for your solo at the end.
It was not until I saw that tribute to George Harrison that I realised that Prince was a very talented guitarist.
That solo was simply brilliant.
So had you never listened to his work before?😂😉
@@davids736 only what I heard on the radio . . . just not my style is all but I can certainly appreciate his musicianship. His solo simply blew me away. It's up there with the best.
Some people were upset with Prince’s guitar solo because they felt it was too flashy and showboaty. I’m like, it’s Prince and he’s a rock star 😂
I miss him so 💔
this and the superbowl
Sexy MF could play...
If no one has said it, then Princes' Superbowl in Miami. Everything. Everything was Hall of Fame right there.
…… and it rained !!!
How could anyone not know of Prince as a guitar player - for that matter, one of the greatest guitar players?
I think it's because he was such a prolific writer. His compositions tended to overshadow his lead guitar ability. But yes, he was one of the best. Even Billy Gibbons and Roger Gilmour were fans.
Anyone who gets inspiration from the industry knows NOTHING about music, let alone the people who make it.
R.I.P. Prince.
@@johnbryant6610 I mean sure, but people forgot Purple Rain? He has iconic an solo in that song.
@apoclypse Look at it like rhis: Prince had a lot of competing elements other than his lead guitar ability. He had a ton of songs without a lead solo, live performances where the focus is on his incredible singing, him playing piano, dancing, etc. Now, think about some other of our favorite lead players. Not to take anything away from them, but they mostly always had their guitar strung on, & 99% of the time a solo is coming up in the song. The association with guitar is stronger with them than Prince. Even Billy Gibbons said that he really didn't think of Prince as a guitarist until the incredible Super Bowl appearance where the guitar was literally center stage. Not a lot of people are as versatile as Prince was.
Many people don’t think of his guitar playing because he plays so many different instruments. He played all the instruments on his first few albums.
#14 deservingly so. Don't underestimate talent from a great writer, entertainer and musician. RIP to 1 of the greatest!
Not taking anything away from Prince - phenomenal performer - but a Top 250 list that failed to include Gary Moore is not to be taken seriously.
@@BrianGallagherThose lists are silly. Some look at music like it's sports with a scoreboard. Music hits on emotion, and we're all different emotional beings. "Top" and "Greatest" are only accurate to the person using those terms.
One of the most unsung guitar heroes of our generation
It was Brilliant!!😎
Prince brought the whole thing alive.
Prince was absolutely one of the coolest people who ever lived.
yeah I have to agree with a lot of other commenters. Anyone who was already a Prince fan knew he could play. Most guitarists were outraged by the many amazing guitarists who were excluded from Rolling Stones lists, when compared with who was included. Prince not being on it isn't surprising. Hell anyone who saw the Rave Un 2 the Year 2000 concert knew he could play, or anyone who attended\saw any of his live performances.
His performance made me cry.
Not only should Prince's name
be amongst the greatest guitarists but also among the greatest drummers.
@@tedwilliams185 And master pianist! 😉
Good grief. 🙄
@ I doubt you could name 20 drummers better.
I think his quiet demeanor in real life was his way of knowing, actually knowing he was better than most musicians out there.
Got to say i had never taken much notice of Prince as an artist, i thought he was just a pop singer artist. I had No idea what an amazing musician he actually was. I have watched the solo dozens of times, he was an amazing guitarist. I like Stevie Ray, Clapton, knoppfler, Gary More, Pink Floyd. Nothing like Prince but that solo was up there with the best.
@@johns1853 I am so pleased to see so many others enjoy what I have known for over 40 years. Prince was other-worldly! Piano, guitar, bass, drums, you name it. He did it all! He was a master musician. He lived and breathed music.
An interviewer asked Eric Clapton what it was like to be the greatest guitarist in the world and he said, "I don't know. Ask Prince."
@@eswift8318 Actually, Eric stated he never made that statement, but he did say Prince was a "true genius and inspiration".
He could play virtually any instrument and usually better than his bandmates.
Genius at play...
I was a bit surprised it went viral 20 years later. We were there and it was recorded several times. Prince already burned the stage down hours earlier. We were there for Traffic, honestly but Prince won me over.
Prince was a master of every instrument he ever touched. He could play every instrument on the stage better than the other musicians playing them.
The only reason people are still watching and talking about this performance all these years later is because of what Prince did on that stage, that's it. Otherwise it would have gone into the dustbin of rock and roll Hall of Fame tribute performances and no one would have cared about it anymore.
Anyone who had seen Prince perform at the Super Bowl already knew he was a masterful guitarist
Love him or hate him he made a statement 😎
Prince 's Super Bowl Stadium show is Tops!!!
Prince was pretty damn close to a musical genius. Extremely under rated guitar player.
Eddie Murphy thought so. 😉
I can't agree. His pop status NEVER outshined his legendary guitar virtuousity... No way. Even as a kid in the 80s 90s I knew Prince was the goat guitarist.
My favorite part of this story has always been the smug haters that thought Prince was being disrespectful.
Only top 14 for man that played every instrument?
“Purple Rain” ☔️ song is all you need to hear!👑🐐🙏
I love the Steve Ferrone interview where he said after the rehearsal was winding down someone started playing the funky guitar intro to "School Boy Crush" his song from his Average White Band days, After looking around the Stage there was Prince giving him the nod!
Listen to his live Purple Rain too. Mind boggling for sure.
What a ballsy moment. Of course, Prince had been on stage since he was 14 so it was just another day on the job for him.
"Jeff Lynne's guitarist' was Steve Winwood. He's a fine musician with a great history all of his own.I don't think he was ever 'Jeff Lynne's guitarist'. As for the Prince solo and indeed the whole band's performance it was truly epic!
Mike drop with the guitar is hilarious.
Interesting backstory. That solo and that song were epic, one of the very best of all time. Prince changed a lot of minds that day, changed rock and roll history.
No one knew, including myself how great of a guitarist he was cause up until, lets say Purple Rain, there wasn't a song where he could just stretch out like that. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad from his self titled album that he did by himself gave a glimpse into how good he was. Like some musicians, they shine more when they play "outside" of their own stuff. Prince playing in a club or the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is probably where you would've found him playing at his best. Abd after watching the behind the scene of that night, he just decided to CLOWN on that solo. I believe that if things had not progressed the way they had from the rehearsal, we may have been given a much different guitar solo.
Every famous guitarist knew how good he was example
Interviewer - Eric Clapton how does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world?
EC- I don't know you'd have to ask Prince
Which never happened but Eric Clapton did say on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs in 1989 he thought Prince was a genius and named in his top 10 guitarist
Not a huge fan of Prince’s music, but to me that performance took him from a known guitar player to a guitar god
Well made. Thanks.
RollingStone magazine messed up with that list. Prince memorable solos are obviously this one, Purple Rain Syracuse 1985, anytime he played Red House, She's allways in My hair from Montreaux nights, Superbowl 2007, the end solo of Lets go Crazy. There was no one like Purple Genius.
1983 Minneapolis charity show first time purple rain was preformed live is epic.
The greatest overall musician ever...what couldn't he do?
Rolling Stone magazine's lists are hilarious. They are capable of placing the simpleton Kurt Cobain above Joe Satriani without blushing. And, just for the sake of argument, those on the list above Prince are known for playing only one or two musical styles: Prince even played jazz perfectly, in the words of Miles Davis, as well as rock, blues, funk... And he didn't just know how to play guitar!
Anecdotal fact: Many guitarists on the list consider him a master. Jimmy Page admitted that he would be intimidated if he shared the stage with Prince. If you've listened to these guitarists and Prince intently, you know that Prince can play as good as Hendrix and Santana. With the latter he has shared the stage more than once.
So its a USA thing ? is this the only country in the world?
@@galdessa1 I don't understand your question.
It's hilarious when anyone ranks musicians. Music isn't sports. There's no scoreboard. Music touches emotion, and we're all different emotional beings.
@@Fred-oh9vl then there is a range of music that touches your emotions more.
@oskarobit Many artists do, and it changes daily. Music is a big part of my life both as a player and listener.
Prince was a Master ❤
Amazing Prince!
Listen to Joy In Repetition Live it's on RUclips in the live recording that was released.
That moment you could almost feel the presence of George Harrison, how he loved the surprise from Prince. But God is selfish he wants the best with him. That night I think God resolved to take Prince to be with him.
Not know Prince was a guitar player - erm, in the 1984 movie ‘Purple Rain’ his character, The Kid, is a lead guitarist/singer (and ends the film playing ‘Purple Rain’ live) 🤩
PRINCE.....THE GOAT
Thanks for this, there’s a cool story here. I recommend revising the comment about people not knowing prince was a great guitarist. It’s not true at all.
My words won't justify how good and tasteful a guitarist Prince really was. So I will shut up now.
OK top ten live performances, Ever - I'll start:
1) Queen, Live Aid
2) This Solo
3) KISS, New York Groove, 1996 at the Brooklyn Bridge
Prince doesn't play the guitar. Prince "IS" the guitar!
Of all the Prince word/sentences play
( even the clapton one...)
This is nr1 😂😆😂🔥🔥❤️
What does that even mean?
@@rarefind57 If you have to ask, you don't know Prince.
@@lauriehowell1640 yea who cares. It’s a ridiculous statement
@rarefind57 Obviously you care because you responded. Careful, your claws are showing and it's not a good look. 😏
It's one of the great rock performances more than anything. Truly magnificent.
He is the greatest guitarist and any musical instrument to have lived and walked this earth
Just another good guitar player. why does everyone have to be better?
He is to you, and that's okay. Others have their own opinion, which is also okay.
Imo Prince was an excellent musician, and he proved he can play a guitar solo packed with emotion. The arguments start when folks say, "greatest solo of all time" ....or when Rolling Stone releases it's "Top" lists. While "The Greatest" and "Top" do exist, they're only accurate to the person saying it. There's no scoreboard in music like in sports.
The concert was a Trbute to George Harrison, not a Hall Of Fame Induction. It was an entire concert of George’s music played by George’s friends. Prince rocked it.
@@lryall you’re wrong it was the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC I know this for certain because I was in the room. Prince never played at the Tribute to George which was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London a few years earlier.
@ wow. I always thought this was from the concert for George. Same musicians, including Dhani. Almost the same backdrop. I stand corrected. And Prince did crush the solo. 👍
엄청난 에너지와 수많은 리듬의 변화 와 불규칙성 그리고 감정에 호소하는 느낌등 폭포같이 모든것이 분출되는 명연주였음. 지미헨드릭스가 다시돌아와도 그만큼 연주할수 없었을것이다.
Prince is the best blues player that ever played the guitar period.
SRV bb king Albert king keep walking please
Gary Moore played circles around little Miss Princey.
@@SPICYTUNAROLL69hahaha. You know very little about Prince then. Gary was great no doubt. But there's not a chance he plays circles around Prince. Go do a little research before sounding foolish. Prince is ridiculously good. Because so few people actually realize that if you haven't seen him live, you get a pass. Prince plays several of the same songs that Gary would play live and I'd challenge you to say that same statement after watching Prince. Check out his set at Montreaux from 2013(? I think it is 2013 at least.). He plays a bunch of Jimi Hendrix and other blues stuff.
Interesting. Especially like the narrator.... Such excitement he brings to the story. 😂
Unbelievable!
Wow... 😲 that first finger notes were amazing. Wat a speed in different notes?
that solo is the ONLY prince music I like, and its awesome
Im stunned that so many people thought Prince was just some pop star. Maybe they aren't old enough to remember Purple Rain & earlier. 🤷
Check out Paul Gilbert playing WMGGW with Yellow Matter Custard!
George would be dancing in his grave with that solo
They didn't put a light on him you couldn't see him. That's why i think he was pissed ripped the solo threw his guitar and walked off..
Plus of you watch George Harrison's son, you'll be able to read into it😊
That was a definite OMG moment.
They know about Prince guitar skills since Purple Rain and before. He was being compared to Jimi Hendrix then. The industry wanted to ignore his genius on the guitar.
Jan Wenner is in the RnR HOF? Oh boy.
I have a bass that supposedly was owned by prince. Any idea how i would get info on this?
Well reported
the idea that Prince's guitar prowess was unknown is so crazy it should get you banned