It took one video to remind me how much I underestimated and dismissed him when I was younger. After watching the video, now I miss him more.
I almost weep for his guitar.
Cousin Jose started this melancholy trip. It began with a simple question on Google Hangouts: “hey what was that vid where prince was in and he fuckin killed it in the guitar solo?” “remember the name?”
I instantly knew what video he was referring to. Thinking about it for the first time since Prince passed away made me want to watch it again. Watching it and hearing it made me remember just how much of a musical genius he was, and how much I dissed him during his early days.
Yes, I used to diss him when I was younger. Never forget this, people: I am a fucking idiot and a moron! Not necessarily in that order.
The performance in the video was meant as a tribute to the late George Harrison, the quiet member of the Beatles. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 along with Prince, and this performance was meant for him. Among the members present in the video are Tom Petty and ELO’s Jeff Lynne, two of the surviving members of the Traveling Wilburys, whom George recorded with. Also present was Steve Winwood, as well as Dhani Harrison, George’s only child. There are quite a few heavy hitters performing in the video.
But the performance was, and will always be, about Prince, the final member of this grouping. Google the name of the song in the video and THIS performance is the top hit. It’s like Prince grabbed this song and made it his, just like he did ANY song he ever touched!
The song they performed in tribute to George was While My Guitar Gently Weeps, the first song on the Beatles’ double album, White Album. The performance was an awesome homage delivered by his former Traveling Wilburys bandmates. It was mostly about the song and those performing it in its author’s name. Prince is barely even seen initially, mostly obscured in shadow.
Then at the 3:28 mark in the video, Prince strums his first note in his guitar solo. And, in my eyes, there isn’t a single person on that stage that matters a damn after that.
I get mad when I get to that point. Mad at myself, because I remembered how little I thought of him in my younger years and how much I ridiculed him.
The moment Prince belts out his solo in that video, I go back in time. All the way back to 1982, when I first knew about him and dismissed him, like so many stupid boys my age. He had been a musical veteran by then, beginning his musical journey in 1978 with his first album, For You. I had never heard about him or that album at that time. The only song I had heard prior to 1982 was I Wanna Be Your Lover, off his eponymous second album, released in 1979. The song was catchy but uninteresting to an 11-year old more interested in video games, AC/DC and girls. Not necessarily in that order.
Then 1999 happened. Prince was thrust in my face, without my consent. As a “cool” pre-teen with no interest in what I considered a feminine-looking dwarf of a man (he was 5’2”; I’m 6’ if I let the three short hairs on the top of my hair stand up) prancing around in sissy clothes. I made fun of him in public, insecure child that I was, but I secretly appreciated his musical style and talent.
Random fact: Did you know that he played all the instruments in his recordings up to that point? That’s right; he recorded himself playing EVERY instrument prior to his grouping with The Revolution. He was talented in ways most people can’t even understand!
His most iconic album was Purple Rain, an album which spawned a movie of the same name. I care about two things and ONLY two things about that movie: Apollonia Kotero’s purification in the waters of Lake Minnetonka, and the soundtrack. Not necessarily in that order.
That album made me realize just how much he could make me fall in love with music again. When Doves Cry is everyone’s go-to favorite song from the album, but my personal favorite is Take Me Wit U. No real reason, I just love the song like you would not believe.
Personal memory: In 1984, I was attending Brownsville Middle School. I was part of a group of “elite” students knows as the #1 Club, students who were essentially brainier that most. I didn’t think I was that smart, but they said I was, so fine. One of our rewards for being so “smart” was a ticket to see Prince perform at the now-defunct Orange Bowl. The thought of seeing Prince in concert was mind-blowing…but, remember, I was a stupid teenager. I ended up giving my ticket away in exchange for sex.
I don’t regret too many things, but that is a decision that comes really close to regret on my part. The list of near-regrets is really small: I traded a Prince ticket for sex, and I didn’t stay home the night I was nearly killed. Not necessarily in that order.
The years went by and I loved his music more. His name change to “The Symbol” struck me as odd until I worked for a record label and realized just how seedy the music business could be. I still loved his music and his passion for it, and I supported his rebellion from the music industry.
Eventually, he fell from the public eye. I still listened to his music, mainly my favorite song of his, Raspberry Beret from his Around the World in a Day album. The older I got, the more I appreciated his musical genius.
Then I saw that video, and it reminded me exactly WHY I loved his genius.
The video was posted on YouTube in 2012 by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame itself. I had seen it a couple of years before; I couldn’t even tell you how I came across it. All I know is that the moment Prince becomes the focus of the video, there is NOTHING on that stage but him!
Watching it again, the hurt finally hit me.
On April 21, 2016, we lost an absolute musical icon. We lost someone who influenced music from the 80’s to now. We lost someone who can take a guitar and make it play notes even the GUITAR didn’t know it could hit.
You can talk about his diminutive frame or the frilly clothes he wore during his apex, you can talk about the scores of beautiful women he plowed through back in the day, and you can even talk about Dave Chappelle’s skit about him, which still makes me laugh harder than my guts can handle.
I choose to remember the first time I heard Take Me Wit U. That was when I realized what a wonderful musician he was. Then I choose to replay that video, where he took George Harrison’s song, looked at George’s son, and said, “I got this.”
Listening to his solo, I almost wept real tears for the guitar. No one will play it quite like that again.
Rest in peace, Prince Rogers Nelson. I guess heaven needed another angel in its choir; maybe you could teach the rest of the choir how to play guitar and get hot babes in bed.
Not necessarily in that order.
