John Blackwell - nicest guy ever - I was at a PASIC ( percussive arts drum show in 2003) sitting in a room listening to Omar Hakim do a seminar. Guy comes up and sits down next to me and we start commenting on Omar - how incredible he is and just talking drums with each other. Talking to him was like talking to someone you've known your whole life. Super fun - drummer to drummer geeking out. After it ended, he said he just put out a drum video and said to stop by his booth and he'd sign it. (At that point I didn't know who he was.) I bought it the next day and had John Blackwell Jr sign it. He was so cool an such a great drummer. What a loss to us all.
I worked with John Blackwell in 2005. He was a monster player but was the most humble and sweetest human beings I have ever met. If you notice the China boy crash behind him, he had a story he told me about its unusual placement. His little daughter passed away by drowning in their pool while he was on tour with Prince. He had his custom cymbal put behind him so he felt she was looking down on him as he played. I also had the pleasure of playing his drumkit during soundcheck. Such a wonderful soul!!!!!! RIP John.
In all his greatness, Prince never forget to play the lead/solo, like a privilege. Never too much. Never too little. Never forgetting to bring the band and audience along for the ride.
Gene Simmons paid tribute to Prince’s guitar playing during an interview after Princes death. The issue with Prince is that he was so damn good at other musical skills that they overshadowed his guitar playing: songwriter, singer, choreography, dancer, piano, drummer, and on and on. How can one understand how good he was at guitar when he was gifted in so many other ways. Yes I’m a huge Prince fan.
You know so many people throw shade on music they just dont like personally, which is a huge disservice to artists and their talents. Prince transcends personal taste, he is literally one of the best overall artists music has ever seen or will ever see. He not only does everything well, but he does everything to the point of inspiring those that are masters of their craft. Prince is actually the king.
I saw Kiss when in my teens, mid 70’s.They struck me as imposters, and I don’t mean just their costumes and disguises. Once their IDs were revealed, they dropped out of sight. I was amazed they made a comeback cause I didn’t hear much improvement their second time around, and Simmons on his realityTV show didn’t endear me to him. Well, that is just my opinion/ rant. Have a gooder, and stay well.🌼👍
Prince, apart from his great musical chops on any instrument was a master arranger. He played his hits and album tracks at concerts in an incredible myriad of styles. He was like a classical musician in that respect. The most gifted popular musician of the twentieth century in my opinion. Thanks, Michael. Great synopsis.
I always feel sorry for fans who never saw him live. I first saw Prince in '88 (Lovesexy tour) and that was me hooked. Saw him 5 times after that, with One Nite Alone tour being the last - and probably the best live performance I've seen by anyone. It was basically the same band as in this video but in a smaller venue. This band is such high calibre, they make it look so easy. But Prince always kept them on their toes. Thanks for the memories. RIP Prince & John Blackwell.
Prince was raised by a village of great musicians. I knew a couple of them well back in the mid 70's: Roberta Davis and Morris Wilson. Ms. Davis was one of his vocal coaches and Mr. Wilson was a great sax player who gave Prince a few pointers. One night I was sitting with Ms. Davis at a jam session in an old theater. Morris was playing on stage. Prince walked down the aisle and took a seat. He was about fifteen years old at the time. Roberta says, "Chris, you are looking at a prodigy." How true.
Prince was such a creative genius. Jimmy Hendrix once talked about having trouble playing songs the same way more than once because he let the music take him on a creative journey. I bet Prince felt that too.
Prince is and was the GREATEST musician of our lifetime, u got that right! Also his performances, arrangements, producing and lets not forget the MOST Prolific writer of all time. He was more than a legend and HE WILL be remembered and his music will be taught forevermore.
I saw Prince 20+ times in concert. He was the best I ever saw. He worked extremely hard on his craft. Above all else Prince was a working musician. Thank you for this. 💜
One of the joys following Prince as a youngster was a new album every year. Exceptions being 1983 and 93 and few other years later on. But as a young teenager in a weird about way, he became like a parent or this reliable figure in the background of your life that you could turn to for guidance with new music to listen to every year, and it always had something in it that helped sooth your soul. Prince helped keep me inside the circle, if you know what I mean. uhh
I saw this genius in Hamburg. An over two hours after show at the Grosse Freiheit 36. I left the venue rebirthed. I'm so thankful I had the opportunity.
@@anthonybaird1451 : Killer-brilliant musician. Hawt babe. No wonder she gigged with Prince and now gigs with Jeff Beck. I'm redoubling practicing my chops....
Man, just seen this for the first time!!! Outstanding as f…!!!! What’s really as outstanding as John and Prince , to me… Your excitement and enthusiasm is just like a lil kid and I love it! I can’t do anything after watching or listening to Prince live…. I can’t sleep!! Like the bloody night before Xmas and I’m like 6yrs old. Crazy, thanks so much!!!
Thank you for this! John Blackwell and Prince were special! Brothers. Twins. John had a clock for a heartbeat. He and Prince were seamlessly in sync. He doesn’t get enough love!
I got to see Prince at the Birmingham NEC UK in 1995 - before the Gold Experience album released. That concert blew me away - it was so good!! I had seen Vai/Satch (G3), Def Leppard, GNR (with Brian May for the encore), Doningtom Monsters of Rock and numerous others but Prince was absolutely amazing!! His sound was so big, his showmanship second to none and his guitar playing was unreal...
Yes. Prince used to lament that his style of playing was always compared to Jimi Hendrix...only because they were both Black. But he always said that his style was more Carlos Santana than Hendrix.
@@ikenga02 yea I’m aware because I used to search and search in the city I moved to yrs ago when Tower Records and Borders were actually open and not out of business. I have live At The Aladdin and there was a mix of stuff including rock etc. on there and I love his RnB, blues, funk and pop and jazz. I have the Rave unto the year 2000 dvd. But I just thought with the 3rd eye girls he seemed to be more into rock. Not that it matters. He was a genius musician. I miss him like all his fans. I remember telling my guitar teacher as a kid you know Prince is completely overlooked as a genius player except by his fans and other guitarists and literally that next month Guitar Player mag came out with him on the cover. I couldn’t believe the timing. But the general public didn’t take complete notice until the George Harrison tribute.
Your dissection appreciation and enthusiasm for the song is beyond freaking addicting. Love it! Thank you so much even if I don't know half of what you're talking about because I'm a drummer. LOL
You've got a great ear and some of the best theory call outs I've seen - I'd love to hear your breakdown of Prince playing Little Red Corvette at Coachella (hard video to find however). It's a one-off arrangement he hasn't played elsewhere.
I can clearly remember listening to Prince's The rainbow children album , man those drums kept me up for a week, so so good! John was a beast, a great loss for funky drumming.
I've been fortunate to see Prince over 25 times since my first concert in his 1980 when he played in Lakeland, FL. I was 16 and The Time opened....My last Prince concert was around 2012 in Boston. He always over delivered on his performances. Every iteration of his band was as tight as tighty whities three times too small. So many memories that stick with me, but the two that stand out were an early 90's concert in Sunrise, FL in a small 5000 seat hall. At one point he jumps off the stage into the crowd...he lands one row in front of me and I instinctively reached out to help catch him but I did get to touch his shoulder....awesome moment for me. The second was a concert at PSU in the mid 2000's. My wife and I had great seats due to the subscriber website where we got preferred seats. 4th row to be exact during his Musicology tour. Steven Tyler was just two rows in front of us grooving out. No doubt Prince is the best all around musician in history.
Great analysis. Thanks for giving Prince and John the props they both deserve. I’m sorry you didn’t get to see Prince in concert. I was lucky enough to have seen him countless times. Words other than Genius can’t describe how good he was. He was one of a kind that’s for sure. Great content. Thanks for sharing it. 👍👍
I'm a giant Prince fan, deep. My favorite thing about his tracks is the ear candy, those little chirps and riffs that just come in and out very sneaky like.
“Look at that gun microphone” 😂 Love that you explained what the other instruments are doing but on guitar. Sometimes as a guitarist we miss the other great parts of a track
I was lucky enough to see Prince in concert three times, and he really was the best. The way you break down the musical arrangement here makes me almost sad that you never got to see him live, because you would certainly have appreciated the musical talent on display. And I totally agree with you about John Blackwell - an unbelievable drummer, he and Rhonda Smith were the best rhythm section that Prince ever recorded with. RIP to all of them.
So cool to see Prince getting some love on your channel. I lived in Anne Arundel County (Fort Meade, Laurel, and Severn) until I was 12. Go CAPS! We used to go to this pizza tavern in Laurel and the first Prince song I ever heard was “I Wanna Be Your Lover” in 1978 when I was 7 years old and I’ve been a huge fan ever since. I put more quarters into the jukebox to play that song at that tavern than I did into the Space Invaders and Asteroids games! The dude is a freaking genius beyond words. And JB is one of my all-time favorite drummers too, along with Carter Beauford... their cymbal work is ridiculous. Another killer video, Michael. Yours has quickly become my favorite channel and I look forward to your uploads. Keep up the great work, brother!
Awesome! Love Prince and as for me was and still is the G.O.A.T.! So glad your covering him and so glad they're now posting his music and live performances on RUclips which I'm now watching almost daily ha! It's too bad he had his people taking them down prior to his passing but he did have his reasons. Also on sax is legendary James Brown sax player Maceo Parker who played for James Brown. All his band members were top notch musicians and they had to be to keep up with him. ha! lol That said, please do more on him! :-)
Funny thing is... all of Prince's work is tight. For every song he ever recorded for his entire career, he didn't miss any steps. He never cheated on his craft. He is absolutely the greatest of all time.
Hell yea! John Blackwell was unlike no other. I steal so many licks from this guy and still trying to get his feel. Rest in Peace to the both of them. They're jamming in funk heaven
John Blackwell is amazing. One of the best drummers I’ve heard. Damn cancer. Rest in power. Great breakdown of all the changes. There’s so much going on there.
Prince is my musical hero. This is fantastic. Also I don't know how to read music, but I'm hoping to pick some stuff up by osmosis every time you talk about theory. "C Minor is the center. Or C Dorian. You know where we're at". Nope. But I enjoy watching you geek about it.
Prince was such a wild live musician. Much more energetic and groovy than on some of his music videos! And he was an absolutely world class guitar player and his guitar sound is so awesome! Some of the best guitar sounds I have ever heard from an electrical guitar. I really regret that I never went to see any of his live performances. I always thought he was a very talented guy but just recently I have understood that he was a real genius. It's so interesting to hear when someone really musical person analyses all the things that are happening in such a short time on this video. I guess I wouldn't be able to hear all those little things. Very nice video, thank you!
Outstanding arranger...and hired some of the best musicians to work it. Enjoyed your breakdown, and loved your passion for John's gift as well. Dont know if you watched the whole set, but hope so! He was coming out of Lets Go Crazy and straight into Sign O The Times.
Oooh I've been a subscriber for a bit, and it just occurred to me to make a request.... ruclips.net/video/jyStoBVr4Lg/видео.html Sad, heavy pedal steel presence, saaaad. Keep up the great work, man. 🤘
The Oh Eeh Oh was Wizard Of Oz. Prince excelled at everything that others think they specialise in. I've seen Prince a few times and he could do a different version of every song each night.
since you mentioned it, he was segueing from "let's go crazy" (indeed F#) into SOTT. nice breakdown of the performance. this band was insane. and speaking of JB, you've got JB-alum maceo parker on alto. it's all connected!
Hi Michael, new to your channel but that was a very good video man, loved your analysis and the way you discussed this so enthusiastically and played along some bits and pieces in real-time, and yes, Prince re-arranged songs all the time, I guess to keep himself from getting bored! ;-) Anyway, would be cool if u would do more Prince react videos/songs, we can never have enough Prince, he is the Musicians' Musician, the Beethoven of modern times. Since u are a guitar teacher, do u only do guitar oriented songs or also other ones? Many of Prince's lesser known songs are fabulous. Have a nice day, liked & subbed.
@@Guitargate Okay cool. Well, here are just a few other very very cool Prince Live performances that you perhaps could watch some day (while they are there!), it would be great to hear your thoughts about (some of) them. At the moment all links work. Bye 4 now, Prince's live performance of The Question of U: ruclips.net/video/lwRKFQaWaBM/видео.html Prince's live performance of Shhh at Coachella: ruclips.net/video/8IgatlIzjy4/видео.html Prince's live performance of Purple Rain, (i know i know but this one is special) Milan 2010: ruclips.net/video/kSmuRCR4EI8/видео.html Prince's live performance of The Ride: ruclips.net/video/Xy8FN9QOKa4/видео.html Prince & 3rd Eye Girl Live - Something in the Water: ruclips.net/video/78lNNpzdTPU/видео.html Sheryl Crow & Prince - Every Day Is A Winding Road: ruclips.net/video/ZXRFJHteC_Y/видео.html
Funny how you pause it and say that can't be right a dominant fourth and the expression on Princes face says oops I fucked up, anyways I love it because Prince didn't play it safe! He was the only Superstar who risked his Life playing Purple Rain in a Superbowl torrential,thunderstorm surrounded by electronic equipment and steel)aluminium rigging. You are a great teacher!
Amen! In my ultimate quest to find unique music, I find so much on here that is completely new to me. Thank you Michael for introducing me too music I probably wouldn't have ever wouldn't have been exposed to...and I thought I listened to a lot of different stuff
@@Guitargate Prince takes his music seriously, and is also a fan of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix, hence Purple Rain from Purple Haze. And he dress like Hendrix.
This is a freaking brilliant analysis of the song Michael! And yes, once again, it's often what is not played that makes the song. Short James Brown stabs and plenty of space to move within.
He would have loved to jam with some of you guitar players that are only now finding him. He loved jamming with musicians and they went for hours because time didn’t exist.
I am not a musician, I am just Prince and music fan. I d love to see you react to him performing live version of the song shhh. I find drums of Blackwell and Prince solo sooo smooth and good, powerful sound, great tone, crispy sounding it just touches your soul
Oh, hell yeah, bro! I had to get out my ol’ VOX wah to jam along with this vid! That band is so amazingly killer it’s ridiculous. Just plan stupid feel n’ groove. Prince is still SO underrated as a guitar player. Blackwell is just bein nasty and almost disrespectful in how he’s layin it down. lol He’s absolutely CRUSHING IT! Hot damn, dude! Thanks, Michael!
Thank you sir. I will watch and practice from your break down of chord progressions in this video. I too have always wanted to study Prince's arrangements. Happy to subscribe.
Thank you very much for the video. Iam sorry for u that u didn’t see Prince live. Cuz if u have seen him live, u didn’t have the chance to close ur mouth. Iam a musician and I saw many artists and concerts. Steve Vai, Satriani, Rolling Stones, M. Jackson, James Brown, AC/DC, George Benson, Toto, Gary Moore, Lebny Kravitz and and and....But u are right: PRINCE is the best of all time. Nobody could touch his genius. He got it all. And he played to me the best guitar moments and the right licks at the right point. Ask Elton John.
Oh that little hand clap at 12:12 is so telling! You can barely contain yourself with all you want to say! You have so many good videos and this is a great one. Tremendous job, Michael. It helps that I love Prince. 💜
John Blackwell managed to make his drum set “sing” in the way people praise guitarists or great keyboardists for doing. It’s not something you’d think drums could do, but he seemed so capable of delivering extended phrases with such expression that you could almost think of it as melodic. He never “just” kept time - he contributed to the musicality of the whole, and he was at the top of his game in his collaborations with Prince, where they almost seemed to sync up into one giant voice.
Just stumbled across this, you have a new subscriber. Awesome breakdown, I play guitar and found this very interesting and your enthusiasm for the music shines through. Please do more Prince stuff. John was tha bomb!
I’m so sorry you never got to see him play live. I’m born and raised in the Twin Cities Saint Paul Capitol, but I was a Paisley Park rat with my cousin and his impromptu gigs were just magnificent. It’s a vibe that could never be re-created even when you visit on these tours nowadays after he’s gone.his spirits, while making music transcended that’s all I can say. I would dance for him and he would watch, and when I was in the groove, he knew he was doing right.
Back then no photos no recording devices no video recorders were allowed. But I hope he had somebody put it down because they were awesome. After he passed away, some of his photography was released from the rainbow children and my babies were there that whole week with methat we celebrated him taking his name back it was like 2000 or 2001 I can’t remember but let’s not start about when he covers a song he covers a song he adds his little magic to it it’s beautiful
John Blackwell - nicest guy ever - I was at a PASIC ( percussive arts drum show in 2003) sitting in a room listening to Omar Hakim do a seminar. Guy comes up and sits down next to me and we start commenting on Omar - how incredible he is and just talking drums with each other. Talking to him was like talking to someone you've known your whole life. Super fun - drummer to drummer geeking out.
After it ended, he said he just put out a drum video and said to stop by his booth and he'd sign it. (At that point I didn't know who he was.) I bought it the next day and had John Blackwell Jr sign it. He was so cool an such a great drummer. What a loss to us all.
I worked with John Blackwell in 2005. He was a monster player but was the most humble and sweetest human beings I have ever met. If you notice the China boy crash behind him, he had a story he told me about its unusual placement. His little daughter passed away by drowning in their pool while he was on tour with Prince. He had his custom cymbal put behind him so he felt she was looking down on him as he played. I also had the pleasure of playing his drumkit during soundcheck. Such a wonderful soul!!!!!! RIP John.
That show when John’s daughter passed was in Chicago. I had a friend working sound on that tour & was supposed to go to that show. Very sad 😢
Sure you did
The show I was at was in Boston! He did a benefit for musicians in rehab
So sad Prince and John Blackwell are no longer with us. R.I.P.
In all his greatness, Prince never forget to play the lead/solo, like a privilege. Never too much. Never too little. Never forgetting to bring the band and audience along for the ride.
Gene Simmons paid tribute to Prince’s guitar playing during an interview after Princes death. The issue with Prince is that he was so damn good at other musical skills that they overshadowed his guitar playing: songwriter, singer, choreography, dancer, piano, drummer, and on and on. How can one understand how good he was at guitar when he was gifted in so many other ways. Yes I’m a huge Prince fan.
So true.
You know so many people throw shade on music they just dont like personally, which is a huge disservice to artists and their talents. Prince transcends personal taste, he is literally one of the best overall artists music has ever seen or will ever see. He not only does everything well, but he does everything to the point of inspiring those that are masters of their craft. Prince is actually the king.
I saw Kiss when in my teens, mid 70’s.They struck me as imposters, and I don’t mean just their costumes and disguises. Once their IDs were revealed, they dropped out of sight. I was amazed they made a comeback cause I didn’t hear much improvement their second time around, and Simmons on his realityTV show didn’t endear me to him.
Well, that is just my opinion/ rant.
Have a gooder, and stay well.🌼👍
@@benjigault9043 niveau and artistic mastery and integrity only look like arrogance from below !
Half the fun of these videos is seeing Michael's passion and enjoyment. It's infectious as well as educational.
Nice to see someone enjoy the music as much as we do...maybe more :)
Prince, apart from his great musical chops on any instrument was a master arranger. He played his hits and album tracks at concerts in an incredible myriad of styles. He was like a classical musician in that respect. The most gifted popular musician of the twentieth century in my opinion. Thanks, Michael. Great synopsis.
Not just the best performer but the best musician I have ever seen
I can't understand how prince uses same scales etc but his phrasing is other worldly and pure class, drips with musicality..
I always feel sorry for fans who never saw him live. I first saw Prince in '88 (Lovesexy tour) and that was me hooked. Saw him 5 times after that, with One Nite Alone tour being the last - and probably the best live performance I've seen by anyone. It was basically the same band as in this video but in a smaller venue. This band is such high calibre, they make it look so easy. But Prince always kept them on their toes. Thanks for the memories. RIP Prince & John Blackwell.
Prince was raised by a village of great musicians. I knew a couple of them well back in the mid 70's: Roberta Davis and Morris Wilson. Ms. Davis was one of his vocal coaches and Mr. Wilson was a great sax player who gave Prince a few pointers. One night I was sitting with Ms. Davis at a jam session in an old theater. Morris was playing on stage. Prince walked down the aisle and took a seat. He was about fifteen years old at the time. Roberta says, "Chris, you are looking at a prodigy." How true.
Christian Matthews Awesome story.
Great story, thanks for sharing it
Thanks 4 the story, Interesting.
Wonderful!
Wow
Prince was such a creative genius. Jimmy Hendrix once talked about having trouble playing songs the same way more than once because he let the music take him on a creative journey. I bet Prince felt that too.
Prince is and was the GREATEST musician of our lifetime, u got that right! Also his performances, arrangements, producing and lets not forget the MOST Prolific writer of all time. He was more than a legend and HE WILL be remembered and his music will be taught forevermore.
I saw Prince 20+ times in concert. He was the best I ever saw. He worked extremely hard on his craft. Above all else Prince was a working musician. Thank you for this. 💜
👊🏿👊🏿💜
Amen! So did you ever manage to be fortunate enough to attend an aftershow party? 💜 O(+>
@@endlessrage4062 I went to 10 - 12 after shows. They were the best.
One of the joys following Prince as a youngster was a new album every year. Exceptions being 1983 and 93 and few other years later on. But as a young teenager in a weird about way, he became like a parent or this reliable figure in the background of your life that you could turn to for guidance with new music to listen to every year, and it always had something in it that helped sooth your soul. Prince helped keep me inside the circle, if you know what I mean. uhh
Please do more prince, you can make endless videos about him. Absolutely genius.
Finally someone acknowledges the greatness of John Blackwell Jr, thanks you!! Can watch John all day. #ripJohn.
"it's an arrangement masterclass watching Prince"
couldn'tve said it better
I saw this genius in Hamburg. An over two hours after show at the Grosse Freiheit 36. I left the venue rebirthed. I'm so thankful I had the opportunity.
Don't ignore Rhonda Smith. She kills it on bass.
Love her
And she's gorgeous.
@Rayden Micah fake as hell, why don't you hack a famous person's account, oh right, you can't
@@anthonybaird1451 : Killer-brilliant musician. Hawt babe. No wonder she gigged with Prince and now gigs with Jeff Beck. I'm redoubling practicing my chops....
exactly!!
Man, just seen this for the first time!!!
Outstanding as f…!!!!
What’s really as outstanding as John and Prince , to me…
Your excitement and enthusiasm is just like a lil kid and I love it!
I can’t do anything after watching or listening to Prince live….
I can’t sleep!!
Like the bloody night before Xmas and I’m like 6yrs old.
Crazy, thanks so much!!!
Thank you for this! John Blackwell and Prince were special! Brothers. Twins. John had a clock for a heartbeat. He and Prince were seamlessly in sync. He doesn’t get enough love!
As a non-musician, love your analysis, and Id have to agree that Prince is the absolute best musician I'd ever seen live.
I'm watching this in 2023 and Prince is STILL the best. Love your analysis and insights.
I got to see Prince at the Birmingham NEC UK in 1995 - before the Gold Experience album released. That concert blew me away - it was so good!! I had seen Vai/Satch (G3), Def Leppard, GNR (with Brian May for the encore), Doningtom Monsters of Rock and numerous others but Prince was absolutely amazing!! His sound was so big, his showmanship second to none and his guitar playing was unreal...
I was there!!! AWESOME gig.
Saw him there and earlier on Nude and Lovesexy tours.His were not concerts, they were events.
Take this window and do like 40 more Prince vids!
Please!
Actually, though I'd love to see breakdowns of his stuff the way you did it here.
How about this one especially the solo. ruclips.net/video/GBBSDn-Jd58/видео.html Transcendence?
That would be a couple songs from any album 😎
Yes
I could watch people vibing to music all day long! Love this
John Blackwell was my cousin. Thanks for this vid!
This guy was called John Blackwell Jr.
Your love for music is a true delight. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm.
This has to be the best video of somebody that only a true Prince fan will understand. He only had the best musician. Hats off to you sir 👍🏼
That solo... He admits that Santana is a HUGE influence. Can hear it all day...
You’re damn right.
Yes. Prince used to lament that his style of playing was always compared to Jimi Hendrix...only because they were both Black. But he always said that his style was more Carlos Santana than Hendrix.
@@smoothpants true. But he didn't WANT to sound like Jim, but we all do, somehow... Sound like Jimi....
and Eddie Hazel ?
Nobody funkier than Prince. He was just getting even more into rock with 3rd Eye Gurls too. Love his blues, his funk, his rock and his jazz.
He was rock way before he started 3rd Eye Girl. Check out "I'm yours" on his first album.
@@ikenga02 yeah! And don’t forget Bambi!!!
@@ikenga02 yea I’m aware because I used to search and search in the city I moved to yrs ago when Tower Records and Borders were actually open and not out of business. I have live At The Aladdin and there was a mix of stuff including rock etc. on there and I love his RnB, blues, funk and pop and jazz. I have the Rave unto the year 2000 dvd. But I just thought with the 3rd eye girls he seemed to be more into rock. Not that it matters. He was a genius musician. I miss him like all his fans. I remember telling my guitar teacher as a kid you know Prince is completely overlooked as a genius player except by his fans and other guitarists and literally that next month Guitar Player mag came out with him on the cover. I couldn’t believe the timing. But the general public didn’t take complete notice until the George Harrison tribute.
Prince was a master arranger this shit is way to dope
Your dissection appreciation and enthusiasm for the song is beyond freaking addicting. Love it! Thank you so much even if I don't know half of what you're talking about because I'm a drummer. LOL
You've got a great ear and some of the best theory call outs I've seen - I'd love to hear your breakdown of Prince playing Little Red Corvette at Coachella (hard video to find however). It's a one-off arrangement he hasn't played elsewhere.
I can clearly remember listening to Prince's The rainbow children album , man those drums kept me up for a week, so so good! John was a beast, a great loss for funky drumming.
Yesss love John
The drum work on Prince’s “SHHH” is INSANE.
Courtesy of the mighty Michael B.😀
Facts
@@inspectorbudget She's talking about the Lives
@@theteleisewilliamsexperience Oh ok.
Subscribed just because of the joy I see in your face as you watch and talk about the performance.
I’m not a musician but I believe everything you said must be true. Love the enthusiasm!
Lol…same!!!
He was awesome.I loved Prince and i still do.
This was Prince's tightest & Funkiest Band of all time..!!!
Thanks for the breakdown.. & Yes, seeing him Live pretty much caused the same reaction...
Michael, you are the most precious thing on the planet! Your reactions and excitement are what I enjoy most about your videos 🥰🙏
I've been fortunate to see Prince over 25 times since my first concert in his 1980 when he played in Lakeland, FL. I was 16 and The Time opened....My last Prince concert was around 2012 in Boston. He always over delivered on his performances. Every iteration of his band was as tight as tighty whities three times too small. So many memories that stick with me, but the two that stand out were an early 90's concert in Sunrise, FL in a small 5000 seat hall. At one point he jumps off the stage into the crowd...he lands one row in front of me and I instinctively reached out to help catch him but I did get to touch his shoulder....awesome moment for me. The second was a concert at PSU in the mid 2000's. My wife and I had great seats due to the subscriber website where we got preferred seats. 4th row to be exact during his Musicology tour. Steven Tyler was just two rows in front of us grooving out. No doubt Prince is the best all around musician in history.
The handgun mic! 😂❤ prince is the best and will always be!
Great analysis. Thanks for giving Prince and John the props they both deserve. I’m sorry you didn’t get to see Prince in concert. I was lucky enough to have seen him countless times. Words other than Genius can’t describe how good he was. He was one of a kind that’s for sure. Great content. Thanks for sharing it. 👍👍
I am sad for you that you never got to see him live 😩 he was/is the best 💜
I'm a giant Prince fan, deep. My favorite thing about his tracks is the ear candy, those little chirps and riffs that just come in and out very sneaky like.
Very sneaky, indeed.
“Look at that gun microphone” 😂
Love that you explained what the other instruments are doing but on guitar. Sometimes as a guitarist we miss the other great parts of a track
I was lucky enough to see Prince in concert three times, and he really was the best. The way you break down the musical arrangement here makes me almost sad that you never got to see him live, because you would certainly have appreciated the musical talent on display. And I totally agree with you about John Blackwell - an unbelievable drummer, he and Rhonda Smith were the best rhythm section that Prince ever recorded with. RIP to all of them.
So cool to see Prince getting some love on your channel.
I lived in Anne Arundel County (Fort Meade, Laurel, and Severn) until I was 12. Go CAPS!
We used to go to this pizza tavern in Laurel and the first Prince song I ever heard was “I Wanna Be Your Lover” in 1978 when I was 7 years old and I’ve been a huge fan ever since.
I put more quarters into the jukebox to play that song at that tavern than I did into the Space Invaders and Asteroids games!
The dude is a freaking genius beyond words.
And JB is one of my all-time favorite drummers too, along with Carter Beauford... their cymbal work is ridiculous.
Another killer video, Michael.
Yours has quickly become my favorite channel and I look forward to your uploads.
Keep up the great work, brother!
Awesome! Love Prince and as for me was and still is the G.O.A.T.! So glad your covering him and so glad they're now posting his music and live performances on RUclips which I'm now watching almost daily ha! It's too bad he had his people taking them down prior to his passing but he did have his reasons. Also on sax is legendary James Brown sax player Maceo Parker who played for James Brown. All his band members were top notch musicians and they had to be to keep up with him. ha! lol That said, please do more on him! :-)
Don't forget about Candy Dulfer on sax. She's funky on her own as well.
I had so much fun watching you unpacking Prince! Thanks! :)
Publicly this is underrated, but for musicians, they will never forget it🎉
Glad you did a Prince video. My personal favorite of all artists. Saw him live twice. He was a master at arranging music. Nice video.
This is actually the funkiest guy around. Plus, he can play pop, blues, rock, jazz and funk.
Absolutely. His arrangements were the best. The blend was him. Like orchestral genius!
Funny thing is... all of Prince's work is tight. For every song he ever recorded for his entire career, he didn't miss any steps. He never cheated on his craft. He is absolutely the greatest of all time.
Hell yea! John Blackwell was unlike no other. I steal so many licks from this guy and still trying to get his feel. Rest in Peace to the both of them. They're jamming in funk heaven
Wow! Incredible! I was Spellbound watching this video. Amazing stuff.
John Blackwell is amazing. One of the best drummers I’ve heard. Damn cancer. Rest in power. Great breakdown of all the changes. There’s so much going on there.
Prince is my musical hero. This is fantastic. Also I don't know how to read music, but I'm hoping to pick some stuff up by osmosis every time you talk about theory. "C Minor is the center. Or C Dorian. You know where we're at". Nope. But I enjoy watching you geek about it.
Haha I'm here for the passion. It's alien language to me. 😅
Same 🙌🏽
Prince was such a wild live musician. Much more energetic and groovy than on some of his music videos! And he was an absolutely world class guitar player and his guitar sound is so awesome! Some of the best guitar sounds I have ever heard from an electrical guitar. I really regret that I never went to see any of his live performances. I always thought he was a very talented guy but just recently I have understood that he was a real genius. It's so interesting to hear when someone really musical person analyses all the things that are happening in such a short time on this video. I guess I wouldn't be able to hear all those little things. Very nice video, thank you!
Prince was a blizzard of music . Decades of gems. I would love to see him do his America performance .
Outstanding arranger...and hired some of the best musicians to work it. Enjoyed your breakdown, and loved your passion for John's gift as well. Dont know if you watched the whole set, but hope so! He was coming out of Lets Go Crazy and straight into Sign O The Times.
Giving this performance a 9 questions your ability to critique. This was of the best of all time
Your Knowledge and Enthusiasm always gets me!!!!!
Out of all the drummers Prince had John was the best
Nope. For you yes. For me MICHAEL BLAND was the BEST.
Both are Monsters. I prefer JB's style too though.
True dat, mr Blackwell all day, any day!
No! Sheila E!
I'm in the Michael Bland camp.
One of the biggest regrets I have was never seeing Prince live! So funky! You would love Tower of Power if you like funk!
I love the way you suffer&enjoy experience watching and listening to prince playing. i feel the same, bro. Peace&Love
Minnesota proud here! The whole state turned purple on that sad day 4 years ago.
Oooh I've been a subscriber for a bit, and it just occurred to me to make a request.... ruclips.net/video/jyStoBVr4Lg/видео.html
Sad, heavy pedal steel presence, saaaad.
Keep up the great work, man. 🤘
The Oh Eeh Oh was Wizard Of Oz.
Prince excelled at everything that others think they specialise in.
I've seen Prince a few times and he could do a different version of every song each night.
Yes that's 💯% facts. He would turn one of this own songs into a whole new song when playing it live. He would change them up every few years
since you mentioned it, he was segueing from "let's go crazy" (indeed F#) into SOTT. nice breakdown of the performance. this band was insane. and speaking of JB, you've got JB-alum maceo parker on alto. it's all connected!
Fascinating!! Thanks for your highlights on the work of this Genius!
That was sooo good. Really liked that one. Need some more Prince.
love your reactions and breakdown of the song, coming from someone who knows music, and you excitement is contagious!
Do the "Ride" prince did in london in 1993 playing small club .He is playing his yellow Guitar.
This band also has Candy Dulfer and Maceo Parker on sax. This was truly an amazing band as this video shows.
Hi Michael, new to your channel but that was a very good video man, loved your analysis and the way you discussed this so enthusiastically and played along some bits and pieces in real-time, and yes, Prince re-arranged songs all the time, I guess to keep himself from getting bored! ;-) Anyway, would be cool if u would do more Prince react videos/songs, we can never have enough Prince, he is the Musicians' Musician, the Beethoven of modern times. Since u are a guitar teacher, do u only do guitar oriented songs or also other ones? Many of Prince's lesser known songs are fabulous. Have a nice day, liked & subbed.
I do everything! Thanks brother!
@@Guitargate Okay cool. Well, here are just a few other very very cool Prince Live performances that you perhaps could watch some day (while they are there!), it would be great to hear your thoughts about (some of) them. At the moment all links work. Bye 4 now,
Prince's live performance of The Question of U: ruclips.net/video/lwRKFQaWaBM/видео.html
Prince's live performance of Shhh at Coachella: ruclips.net/video/8IgatlIzjy4/видео.html
Prince's live performance of Purple Rain, (i know i know but this one is special) Milan 2010: ruclips.net/video/kSmuRCR4EI8/видео.html
Prince's live performance of The Ride: ruclips.net/video/Xy8FN9QOKa4/видео.html
Prince & 3rd Eye Girl Live - Something in the Water: ruclips.net/video/78lNNpzdTPU/видео.html
Sheryl Crow & Prince - Every Day Is A Winding Road: ruclips.net/video/ZXRFJHteC_Y/видео.html
Break down the gently weeps with Prince and Tom Petty...
YES!!!
Funny how you pause it and say that can't be right a dominant fourth and the expression on Princes face says oops I fucked up, anyways I love it because Prince didn't play it safe!
He was the only Superstar who risked his Life playing Purple Rain in a Superbowl torrential,thunderstorm surrounded by electronic equipment and steel)aluminium rigging.
You are a great teacher!
My favorite Prince solo maybe ever. Another great is the everlasting now live from the aladdin.
This is quickly becoming the first site i visit each day . Thank you .
Thanks Jon!
Amen! In my ultimate quest to find unique music, I find so much on here that is completely new to me. Thank you Michael for introducing me too music I probably wouldn't have ever wouldn't have been exposed to...and I thought I listened to a lot of different stuff
@@Guitargate Prince takes his music seriously, and is also a fan of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix, hence Purple Rain from Purple Haze. And he dress like Hendrix.
This is a freaking brilliant analysis of the song Michael! And yes, once again, it's often what is not played that makes the song. Short James Brown stabs and plenty of space to move within.
Exactly.
He would have loved to jam with some of you guitar players that are only now finding him. He loved jamming with musicians and they went for hours because time didn’t exist.
FYI, the guitarist in the background is Rev. Mike Scott. He came and went in the band over the years.
RIP John Blackwell
Prince had one of the most prolific drummers on the Planet in John Blackwell ...RIP both of them
I am not a musician, I am just Prince and music fan. I d love to see you react to him performing live version of the song shhh. I find drums of Blackwell and Prince solo sooo smooth and good, powerful sound, great tone, crispy sounding it just touches your soul
the greats always die young rip prince and john blackwell very inspirational and talented brothas
I agree. Paul McCartney and Flea are going to live forever.
Man, this is one of the most beautiful live things that i ever seen in my life. You are right.
This is pure groove and genius!❤️
Oh, hell yeah, bro! I had to get out my ol’ VOX wah to jam along with this vid! That band is so amazingly killer it’s ridiculous. Just plan stupid feel n’ groove. Prince is still SO underrated as a guitar player. Blackwell is just bein nasty and almost disrespectful in how he’s layin it down. lol He’s absolutely CRUSHING IT!
Hot damn, dude! Thanks, Michael!
Michael, you’re totally making me bring back and remember theory too! Thanks, man!
Thank you sir. I will watch and practice from your break down of chord progressions in this video. I too have always wanted to study Prince's arrangements. Happy to subscribe.
Thank you very much for the video. Iam sorry for u that u didn’t see Prince live. Cuz if u have seen him live, u didn’t have the chance to close ur mouth.
Iam a musician and I saw many artists and concerts. Steve Vai, Satriani, Rolling Stones, M. Jackson, James Brown, AC/DC, George Benson, Toto, Gary Moore, Lebny Kravitz and and and....But u are right:
PRINCE is the best of all time. Nobody could touch his genius. He got it all. And he played to me the best guitar moments and the right licks at the right point. Ask Elton John.
U R Right. He was the most gifted musician ever. Seen him many times, even after party's.
Great video and breakdown. More more more please.Prince is a Unique guitarplayer. I saw him 15 times Holland.
Oh that little hand clap at 12:12 is so telling! You can barely contain yourself with all you want to say! You have so many good videos and this is a great one. Tremendous job, Michael. It helps that I love Prince. 💜
John Blackwell managed to make his drum set “sing” in the way people praise guitarists or great keyboardists for doing. It’s not something you’d think drums could do, but he seemed so capable of delivering extended phrases with such expression that you could almost think of it as melodic. He never “just” kept time - he contributed to the musicality of the whole, and he was at the top of his game in his collaborations with Prince, where they almost seemed to sync up into one giant voice.
Just stumbled across this, you have a new subscriber. Awesome breakdown, I play guitar and found this very interesting and your enthusiasm for the music shines through. Please do more Prince stuff. John was tha bomb!
I’m so sorry you never got to see him play live. I’m born and raised in the Twin Cities Saint Paul Capitol, but I was a Paisley Park rat with my cousin and his impromptu gigs were just magnificent. It’s a vibe that could never be re-created even when you visit on these tours nowadays after he’s gone.his spirits, while making music transcended that’s all I can say. I would dance for him and he would watch, and when I was in the groove, he knew he was doing right.
Back then no photos no recording devices no video recorders were allowed. But I hope he had somebody put it down because they were awesome. After he passed away, some of his photography was released from the rainbow children and my babies were there that whole week with methat we celebrated him taking his name back it was like 2000 or 2001 I can’t remember but let’s not start about when he covers a song he covers a song he adds his little magic to it it’s beautiful
Prince’s father gave Prince such a great Jazz influence. It’s in everything, BUT, so pronounced as he got older.
Love your reviews. I always learn so much. I see a tee shirt that says "There's just so much to unpack here"😁. Keep on keeping on!
I remember seeing Prince during his Musicolgy tour. I couldn't keep my eye off the drummer, which I found out later was Mr. Blackwell.
Enjoyed the breakdown!