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Dances on par with James Brown, can play guitar like Hendrix and can sing like Michael Jackson but all in his own voice and style. There will never be another Prince. 👑

I feel the world is forgetting about Prince and that really should not happen. In the words of Dave Grohl: "Prince is a genius and everybody knows it. He is better than everyone at everything. Thats just how it is"

Keep in mind he didn't participate in the rehearsal, he came and listened to them play and left.

Back story: During rehearsals, the guy who nailed all the Clapton fills actually played the solo Prince was slated to play. After the take, Prince was asked if they should do the song again so he could rehearse the solo. He declined, saying, "I got it." So what we see is Prince's first take on the solo. Incredible!!

the real treat was seeing George Harrison's son and the massive smile on his face watching prince.

The story I heard is that Prince was annoyed that he hadn’t been included in Rolling Stone’s list of greatest guitarists in that year so he used this solo to prove a point by incorporating the different styles of others on the list. Basically saying I can do all their styles, but can they do mine. There is definitely a nod to Hendrix, Santana and Clapton in there

That performance combined with his Super Bowl Halftime Show really made me regret not being a bigger appreciator of his music growing up.

I think the best part of this video is Dhani Harrison’s absolute joy, and completely astonished look. All those guys on stage knew how good prince was, and I think that they all were super stoked to have him play this solo. He did so many greats so much justice.

Prince was the Mozart for my generation. Absolute musical genius.

I was in the audience that night and as amazing as it looks here on video it was draw-dropping to witness live. The audience was full of rock stars and record executives and everyone was completely slayed…

My favorite part was when the other players realized that they were experiencing a golden moment in time.

Now that is a king. Prince on a guitar. Man.

The smile on Harrisons face says it all

I wish you had commented on the incredible touch he shows in that almost final solo part where he does the 4 wah bends (19:40). In each of those, he's bending the note ever so slightly, making each pluck rise in pitch and clarity until it hits the final root note with strong vibrato dead-on. Either he's rotating his pick ever so slightly or changing position where he picks the string, the control is mind boggling and as soulful as one could hope to ever do.

THAT WAS A SICK SOLO! He was in a zone and he owned the world for almost 3 minute's! That was a roller coaster ride for sure. A real true master class on how to do it. Not a lot of your favorite guitar players past and present could have came close to that. The Rhythm, the Feel, the Swagger, and the Passion was on another level! His technical skills blew me away and whats crazy its like he freestyled the whole thing.....Prince was simply amazing and still underrated!

All I know is I cannot stop watching it and crying a little that I never saw him live. RIP

Prince was a monster musician,composer,performer and front man. He's missed. He was really special.

I always loved how Prince is in heartbreaker red and Tom is in Prince purple

Saving the F at the end felt like after all that he was just messing with us. The man was a scoundrel.

One of the most spectacular moments of my life was the first time I watched that whole video. I was just down to watch the tribute and had no idea I was about to have my brain exploded by Prince.

You left out the best part of the solo, where at the very end he throws up his guitar and IT NEVER COMES BACK DOWN. What a legend.

Prince is a literal musical savant and virtuoso, having learned to play several instruments as a child. He famously played 27 instruments on his debut album. Dude is the definition of a "natural". If you ever wondered what a Beethoven or Mozart would be like in the modern era of pop music, the answer is Prince.

Best live guitar solo, ever. Full stop.

The look on Tom Petty's face when Prince back dives off the stage...priceless!

12:28 i really dont think he actually winged stuff like this. He was never unprepared for big moments like this. He was a genius but also perfectionist.

His guitar greatness finally revealed to all.

Thank you for breaking this down and explaining what was happening. I’ve been listening to this for years. RIP Prince.

on a side note too, this performance by Prince was completely unrehearsed. He had originally been booked to play all the solo parts, and in the rehearsal the guy playing the solos played over the top of him, nailing all the parts perfectly. Prince took this in stride and said, he can play and I'll just solo at the end. When producers asked to rehearse this arrangement (of Prince solo at the end) Prince just said, no it'll be alright, see you tonight :)

Prince's guitar playing is even more amazing when you realize that he mastered so many other instruments. That level of musicality is hard enough on one instrument now imagine that on over 10 or more. True genius

there are freaking college courses breaking down this performances now -- it's a amazing how this performance has taken on a life of its own

prince was one of the most underrated guitar players of all time. the dude was a fuckin ripper.

I’m a bass player and I absolutely appreciate this video and your knowledge on music theory. Much love brother. 👍🏻

Prince was the best. Always played with a lot of feel. He was unique. Absolute genius

You'd forget about Prince for awhile and then he'd come out of hiding and set the stage on fire to remind everyone he was the baddest man alive and not to forget it and then he'd disappear for awhile again. He was so amazing.

The speed at which this kind of music is played and thought out in the moment is just mind blowing.

Amazing analysis from someone in the game. Made me appreciate it even more, to see how musicians catch these subtleties. 👍

I'm not a musician. I've never played guitar. So I have absolutely no idea on the technical descriptions/jargon, but this is an incredible video. Amazing stuff.

I've watched this video hundreds of times, and as a Prince fan and guitar player I become more amazed each time. Especially when I realize how much skill it took for that entire performance. Prince was the 80's Hendrix

That solo brings tears to my eyes EVERY time I watch it and I have watched it more than 100 times!!! I honestly don't think there are that many better guitar solos ever done!

the very first moment I heard that solo I knew that it was one of the best ever improvised...every note put at the right moment, rhythmically, in context with the chord progression, the feeling....and with Prince it was all about the "in between" the notes...

Hands down the best breakdown of Princes greatness I’ve ever sat through. Bravo! Just sayin…😎

I think "greasy" is one of my new favorite descriptors for guitar licks. Prince is a bad bad man. That's all there is to it. During his solos I was getting the nose scrunchles the whole time, and I just kept leaning back...but then he just kept taking it higher and I couldn't lean back any further! Just filthy.

You hit on the very difference between Prince and other musicians. It is his musicality. His music flows through him and comes from within him.

The amount of soul you have to have to come up with this solo is un heard of

One of the most talented musicians that ever lived. Rest in Peace Prince 1958-2016

Totally love Dhanis reaction when Prince does the fallback . He perhaps just witnessed the greatest salute to his father George , ever . Magic .

There was an interview with someone close to prince at the time that said prince told him what happened. He had gone half in on the rehearsal..."darking" it...then when the actual performance came he just let loose and kind of caught the others on stage by surprize...so typical Prince :) , love it

With that performance he instantly cemented himself into rock guitar legacy!

This is insanely good analysis. Yes I am a Prince fan and yes I am a guitarist, but I have never seen an analysis as good as this. Prince's hat off to you sir! 🎩

1:57 Agree 100%! "Prince is, arguably, the baddest man who ever walked the planet!"

We used to go to Bunkers Bar in Minneapolis to see Prince when he was 18.

I discovered this epic legendary solo quite recently last year, and… what an earthquake, I was crushed under the weight of Prince’s power, it was nothing like I have ever seen. It’s an explosion of pure style and divine musicality. What a beast.

This solo was even greater than I realized

Its a Beatles classic. He knows this song backwards and forwards on a level that none of us could ever comprehend. This solo is pure improvisation.

I'm not a guitarist nor do I know how to read music, all I know how to play is the tambourine and sing, but I sure enjoy good music and watching people be excited about a craft. Very nice!

It looks like he’s never heard the song before and just winging it but Prince knew every single note he played. He’s a real professional and still one of my favourite solos

I loved this solo so much when I saw it years ago and with all the greatness on stage, he pulls this volcanic hot solo off and the other musicians are just as delighted and stunned.

I giggled through so much of this, in total delight, and even exclaimed aloud a couple of times, "F-YEAH!" You make the walk through so fun...

most everyone that plays at a reasonable level has had moments of "Genius " when you play that perfect note without thinking. to watch someone play note after note from that place blows my mind

It is a tragedy how much talent was wrapped in that one package

Prince was a Genius

I have to say I’ve enjoyed watching you become a Prince fan, many musicians of your caliber tend to be a bit jaded, not wanting to admit the level of genius that was Prince. I grew up in Minnesota, I was a fan since the Controversy record, I was a little kid, a kiss fan who understood that Prince was different than everyone else on the radio at the time, he’s the reason I became a guitar player, blessed to see him live 8 times. Have you noticed that Prince fans are different than other music fans, we are almost possessive… anyway I love your channel, there’s a good chance you’ve already done a reaction video to this live version of Purple Rain , if you did, I’ll find it, if you haven’t, let me just say this version will hug your soul & blow your mind, the guitar solos at the end are some of my favorite playing by anyone. Just like how Jimi’s Machine Gun is intense, after this version of Purple Rain, if you turn it up and submerge yourself in the sound, you might need a nap when it’s over, I’ve watched it hundreds of times and I’m still blown away every time. Here’s the link kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mNNgZtqisb-Xfpc.html

Superb DDA of this virtuoso performance. But know I have seen Prince live numerous times, and THIS may not even be in his top 100 guitar performances. 🤟🏾

Awesome, PRINCE has always been my hero, the GOAT ( total musician ) in my opinion, I'm now in my fifties I grew up eating and sleeping PRINCE, this was an enjoyable breakdown of the master, cudos. Thx u

That was the absolute GREATEST breakdown of this solo I have ever seen... Thank you! Prince, my man, I don't know what to say... I've watched this MASTERPIECE a gazillion times, and I still don't know how you did it... you were filthy... just filthy... I miss you so much... Thanks again!

To be able to rock in the mist of all those rock stars and shine the way he can only shine, is what Prince was. There will never be another genius, performer and master musician like him again.

Firstly, I honestly cannot thank you enough for doing this. As a Prince fan since my early teens in the early 90s, I witnessed his career through the highs and lows. One thing was constant - dude could play guitar with the best of them. Secondly, I know picking a favourite guitarist is a minefield and nobody will ever agree... but of all the greats, Prince played in a way that always spoke to my soul. Maybe it is a case of mother's milk always tastes best, who knows. But I've seen the guy play Santana, Hendrix, BB, and a hundred styles in between and he sold every one of them. For me, his playing has always been the playing I crave and the playing I judge others by. Thirdly, I was lucky enough to see him 36 times over 16 years and everything you heard was true. He was the best of the best. His stage show changed as he grew older and I was able to see the last of the "splits and running around" year of 1998 right up to the "Hendrix and Sly" years of 2013/14. In the 2000s, his guitar work ttok centre stage and rightly so. It was his strongest instrument and his conduit to the crowd. (in my opinion he was next strongest on bass, then keys, then drums) But during all that time I often wondered how "conscious" all that playing was. It is quite astonishing to hear what goes into playing a solo like this. Thank you for sharing your talents with us so we can guess at what was in the mind of one of the greats. Fourthly, an engineer of his at the time said that Prince had recordings of WMGGW sent to his hotel room prior to the event. He wasn't much of a Beatles fan - even snubbing an invite to join McCartney on stage in Minneapolis - for reasons we'll never know. So he did have to learn the song. My gut tells me he prepared the bulk of that solo ahead of time, leaving some bits at the end to be improvised in the moment. And lastly, if you ever visit the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland (worth it) there's a proper mix of the audio of this track. The guitarist who plays the Clapton-faithful bits (Marc Mann) steps in at the bit where you rightly showed us Prince nailing the F# and proceeds to do his own wailing as the track ends. Prince joins him with that final flourish and then the infamous guitar throw (caught by his guitar tech, handed to Oprah Winfrey who returned it backstage). But with the guitar work of Marc Mann and the other instruments raised back into the mix, the solo is even more of a joy and makes even more sense. He was showboating, he was playing to make a point, but he was in no way being disrespectful. He played with that band. THANK YOU.

When the ‘good’ notes come, I like how your facial expressions reveal how well you appreciate the ‘magic’ you’re hearing at the moment...a true sign of musical maturity. Your reactions helped me better appreciate the genius in Prince. Thank you.

The layers.... first, one of the greatest rock songs of all time by one of the greatest bands, played by an assembly of fabulous musicians, all in honoring such a beautiful soul, with his son shining like an apparition in the background... it's like the last supper, and prince nods to every piece of this with majesty and respect. On its own, perhaps the most compact and perfect piece of guitar ever... combined with the context of the performance, one of those moments that lifts every soul lucky enough to witness. Just grace.

Love how you focus on that opening phrase (“something special happened!”) after the sustained 4 to 5 bend. I’m a Bebop player and this phrase totally kills me the way Bird, Trane or Rollins might. On a meta level, to me this is Prince immediately establishing his supreme and sublime musicality. For those who can truely hear, with this phrase you immediately realize you are in the presence of greatness and are about to be floored by the playing to follow. Joseph P Cannavo

Attempting to demystify the enigma that is Prince is no easy task. You actually elevated my appreciation. Great job!

Thanks for a superb deep dive 👌 Prince is from another planet 🙏

I just love how Dahni's face just lights up starting with the nod. Love it

Great breakdown. As a person that has been on stage an in the wings. Especially seeing some of the greats. It’s cool to see others point out the unspoken communication that goes on, on stage. The changes, the nods of approval. I saw the encouragement they gave him at every turn and he took it and ran with it. It’s like they were in on it, and I heard that Prince didn’t go to the rehearsal. It all happened flawlessly live.

One thing that I haven't seen ANYONE mentioning, is how many times Prince is actually controlling the knobs. Just look how many times he reaches his tone knob and sometimes the volume knob.

this was one of the greatest solo live performances I ever seen. and he didn't even show for rehearsal.

Thank you, you made me appreciate this song much more than I already did. Thank you....

I love prince in general. It's so hard to articulate why his solos are so full of swagger, immaculate timing and more than anything taste and emotional resonance. Thank you for breaking it down so thoroughly. I felt that!

This has to be by far one of my favorite epic Prince guitar shredding ever!! The man was a musical genius that knew all the little nuances in music and add his own flair to it!! Phenomenal musician!! Gone too soon!!

One of my favourite go to videos, almost weekly , gets the juices flowing

I appreciate this break down of this performance

What an absolutely brilliant analysis of Prince and this legendary moment in time!

Massive respect for your commentary/ lesson on arguably one of the greatest showmanship guitar solos from a Master! 🤘🤘🤘R.I.P. Prince😇😇😇

Really enjoyed the breakdown of this performance. I've watched it many times and have always been amazed thst throughout the improv, there's never a sign that he's trying to find his way back, he's always on point and knows which turn it is. That grin when he knows what's coming and lands on the F. Good grief that's not just showmanship thats pure musical magic and those moments that we occasionally stumble into as musicians. He knew where he was, and that was just a gift that he was giving to the others on the stage.

That was the best ever R.I.P Tom and Prince

Prince was a musical genius, BEST GUITAR SOLO

Man, you are great, if not only for the grasp of your material, but for having your emotions take over and trusting your audience

Prince is your favorite musicians favorite musician. He was just pure "X" factor.

Brilliant analysis of an improv piece which is very hard to do, instructive for guitarists of all levels.

Thoroughly enjoyed watching your facial expression while watching Prince grind out that solo. Then at the end when he resolves the solo and you stare at the camera with a look a admiration. 😊

They have a new directors cut that concentrates more on Prince! Miss this guy...

Prince was restricted in where he could go on this tune, search out his guitar solo work on the Time Albums, there you really hear what he could do when he controlled it all.

I found the name of that song so appropriate to Prince's craft because he made that guitar SCREAM.

that's why the main video post has like 120 MILLION views....incredible

Michael. I also see a node or exho of Hendrix. When he lifts the guitar and does the throw you describe. As a budding guitarist myself I saw Hendrix do that on his first U. S. tour. We were all in awe of his mastery. Prince has earned my respect over and over. Thanks for posting this deep dive.

This Rock & Roll Hall of Fame performance has been and is still my all time favorite live performance thanks to Prince’s insane mastery and reverence for this George Harrison classic. YOUR breakdown has now added incredible depth to my listening experience. I’ll keep digesting and appreciating further thanks to you. Just subscribed. Peace

I was waiting for somebody to do a video like this. This changes seem to go on forever. They were probably seven or eight great guitar players on the stage of that boy and he just blew everybody away

I love after he catches him Prince is like yeah, I'm done and they look at him and signal...Yeah give me more. I love it, they felt every part of this. That's music, it grabbed them.

...Prince, what a showman and amazing musician he truly was. RIP.