People didn't understand that Prince controlled EVERY aspect of his shows, usually throughout the entire set. Musicians, singers, sound, lights, EVERYTHING.
That's one of the most underrated and fascinating aspects about Prince. He was the greatest maestro ever. The way he controlled the stage and how his bands responded to his commands whether it was vocal, hand signal, or stomping of his feet. He ran a well oiled machine on the stage.
He was just like James Brown in that aspect. James would fine members of his band for even the tiniest of infractions, like a flat note, or a late cue. Guys were rankled about it, but stayed around because they recognized genius when they saw it, and knew that they were a part of something extraordinary...
That "James Brown", "George Clinton", modernized "big band" showmanship. That's the problem with the "modern artist", they forgot where it all came from, so they don't know where its going.
I once had the pleasure of chatting for a while with Billy Triplett (RIP) who ran sound for Prince sometime in the 80s/90s. When he auditioned for the job, he arrived at a soundboard which had 90% of the controls taped off. He was instructed only to use the mix bus faders and very little else to mix the band. He thought it was strange, but whatever. So, he starts mixing sound check, and he can’t get anything acceptable. Frustrated, he tears off the tape and gets to work, making a good mix. Afterward, someone handed him an envelope. Inside was a letter that read, “Be here Monday morning at 9 AM.” Prince was literally checking to see if Billy had the nuts to disobey him in favor of getting a good mix. Fucking genius.
Got to see Prince in concert twice in Chicago, 20 years apart and he was great the first time, but greater the second time! Played for 2 and a half hours! 🎙🎸🎹🎼
Envious! I saw Him on the Purple Rain tour and deeply regret not catching Prince live in the late stage of His legendary career. I always thought there would be much more time to do so 💜
Anyone who was blessed to see this hunk a hunk of man is so lucky and I am jealous as he'll. RIP PRINCE ROGERS NELSON. Will never forget this man. OMG no one can ever be sexier.
I saw him 7 times and wished I could have seen more. Purple Rain tour, 2x Act 1 with NPG Jam of the Year Lovesexy Welcome2America (5 years to the day of his death😭) And a one-off concert after the 1987 MTV Music Awards. That show didn't start until around 2:30 am. Got home around 5am. Very much worth it, just glad it was a Saturday.
My Sister and I saw Prince at the Forum in Inglewood,Ca. He made sure the whole neighborhood came by lowering ticket prices. We adore Prince and miss him so much
Now this is talent! I'm so tired of artists today (if that what you want to call them) twerking in every song that sounds the same and being called talented!
I wrote this the day after Prince died... I had my doubts about this Prince guy. I liked “Soft & Wet,” cause girls went all buttery when it came on, and they let you put your hands on them while you danced. The falsetto was problematic, but Smokey Robinson had done pretty well for himself, so I let it go. All I saw of him was still pictures, so I saw the hair and soulful eyes, but I ain’t automatically go to male hatred of pretty guys, cause he played guitar well, and I’m a rock guy (Van Halen is my favorite rock group). I figured he had to be a regular guy, more or less. I would have a chance to see him up close and personal, because he’s coming to Jacksonville with Rick James, the King Of Punk Funk! I LOVED Rick James, absolutely loved him. He took funk to a new level; he did what he wanted to, said what he wanted to, and looked like he wanted to. He smoked weed unapologetically, sometimes onstage; his latest album was named “Fire It Up,” after all. I hoped that the new guy could hang onstage, that Rick wouldn’t blow the kid away with pyrotechnics. Lenny White is an established jazz drummer, with a neat slice of funk named “Peanut Butter,” but I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup at gunpoint. He came on stage while I was getting my head right in the low seats of the Jacksonville Coliseum. It would only take a few minutes to wend my way up to front row center if I left a little before Lenny finished playing. Just have to be persistent. As Lenny White ended, I was in place. I was a little to the right of center, about four rows back. Perfect. I’ve always liked to be close to the stage; I like to see the expressions on the artist’s face, hear their voices over the mikes. Bands had talent back then, they could stand the scrutiny. But, I digress. That Prince guy was about to come on. Let’s see what this purty muhfucka was all about. The band came onstage generically, except for how they looked: Dez and Andre looked like they could have been in Led Zeppelin, if Led Zeppelin had Black guys in it. Lisa looked like she was out cheating on her richass, old husband. Fink was in full doctor regalia, complete with jet-black shades, and Bobby Z looked much too cool to be the drummer. They all just strolled on stage with the house lights only partly dimmed, followed by this little dude who I swore seemed like he had an aura around him as he walked to the middle mike. He had on a little lacy shirt (more like a blouse, really), thigh-high woolen leg-warmers, leading into high-heeled black boots with stars at the ankles, along with black bikini briefs. A palpable gasp echoed through the crowd, and a deep, street-wise voice rang out, ”Lookit this faggot muthafucka!” Prince ain’t move for about thirty seconds, just looking out over the crowd; then, he widened his stance, and ripped into the opening notes of one of the deep cuts on his second album, “Bambi.” I was startled at how loud it was; keep in mind, I had been to an AC/DC concert, and they ain’t have shit on how loud Prince played that night. And every hit was played in a long version. I was soaking wet after dancing to “Sexy Dancer,” and he ain’t had even got to “Soft & Wet” yet. He damn near blew the roof off the sucker when he played “I Wanna Be Your Lover;” those guitar licks sounded far deeper and crunchier live. Close to the end of his set, he took off his little shirt, and threw it out over the crowd. The lady in front of me thought she had a clean shot at it, but I’m 6’4”, and a basketball player then, so I reached over her and grabbed it. She called me all kinds of sissies because I wouldn’t give it back to her, but I guess I thought that shirt would be worth something later on, because in less than an hour, I was convinced that Prince would be our next big rock star. After he finished, a voice came over the loudspeaker telling us that whoever caught the shirt would be allowed to meet Prince. I walked over to the gate, showed the shirt and was let in. His dressing room was spare, with the band scattered around; I shook everybody’s hand, Prince asked me if I enjoyed the show, I said yes, and was quickly ushered away. I guess had I been a girl, I would have been treated a bit more cordially, but I understood. For a little fella, he sure had a big presence. When I walked back out to the floor, the crowd had dissipated, almost as if it was over. Everybody had taken a seat in the stands, because Prince had wore them out. It took Rick about thirty minutes and four songs before folks gradually came back out on the floor. I heard later that Rick had gotten really angry with Prince for showing him up, that Prince had been stealing Rick’s onstage moves, and often went over time as an opening act. It was a beef that lasted until Rick’s death. I went to three more Prince shows after that one: the Controversy tour, 1999 show, and the Musicology extravaganza. I would have gone to see him every time he came, even if both of us were on walkers. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he is no longer breathing the same air as me. But I guess that he’s through looking for the purple banana, since they put him in the truck. But he left the world better than he found it, if only for his being in it.
BROTHER, I saw the same tour in Baltimore, 4/12/80. Instead of Lenny White as the opening act, it was Kleeer. Like you said, Prince pretty much drained the crowd before Rick James came onstage. I liked Rick James but I was there to see Prince. I had caught Rick James' act before & although I really liked his records, I wasn't crazy about him as a performer. probably because he mixed business & pleasure onstage. It was obvious he didn't care for Prince by the way he was with the audience. Seeing the reaction Prince received then demanding, "stand up mfs!", "sing mfs!", "dance mfs!" all while getting fucked up onstage. I don't remember the details like you but I remember feeling like I had seen the future. Exactly like when I saw Van Halen open for Black Sabbath in September of 1978.
@@kirkg811 I remember it so vividly, because I had never seen anything like him before. Usually, if a guy dressed like Prince did on that stage, he would branded a homosexual from then on, by men and women alike. But Prince was so talented, his music so invigorating, that I noticed that females would defend him whenever guys would call him a "faggot." Prince was one of a kind, and I am saddened that I will not see his like again...
Do you realise that he's not even really performing here? He's just getting the sounds where he wants them to be. Honestly. He's just setting up. One of his last songs said: "you'll never see another like me" and that's a (sad) fact.
This is So, So Funky! Sounds so Nice! Thanks for Sharing! I heard him saying Michael Jackson Don't Stop Til You Get Enough? but he was playing "COOL" from the Time behind it
Like Bob Marley, Prince was "in a Sense a hybred both musically and genetically-Afro+ Italian(Tiger woods, anyone Thai + afro American) Anyways, Not to rattle On, Prince brought people together and that's What good musicians do! All this "Prattel about this and that don't mean Nothing,
@@chuckst98 This is one of the very few videos of that concert still online. It's filmed by someone in the audience. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BSUGJBcNF0E.html
He destroyed this song. Please, someone tell whoever plays the keyboards, that fixed violins have nothing to do with it and that the guitar riff is mandatory. If you take that riff away, you've destroyed the whole song. Mamma Mia. I'm sorry he died. He was very good ..... but not with the covers.....🤔🤔🤔
@@annickb6183 is Just my opinion as a musician. For me, Prince wanted to play on a song. Just a game. It is not prohibited. It can be done. It is funny. But the main musical phrases, you have to do them well. however, we must not make a controversy. I liked Prince too.
I was in college when this song came out and couldn't stand it BUT this version is a MASTERPIECE! Prince worked his magic with it and made it a terrific jam !!