Prince - Purple Rain at Inglewood 2011 REACTION

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[@KB-xp6dq]

Prince did the "old hits" on this tour, and I was lucky enough to see this show three times (none were exactly the same) in The Forum (saw the "Purple Rain" show there six times in 1985; I was in his royal presence 18 times overall between the ages of 16 and 44). I really do feel sorry for the fans who are too young to have seen him live - and those who just missed the opportunity when they had the chance. Seeing Prince and MJ live multiple times when they were in their prime was such a privilege. EDIT: The audience has been singing the ooo-ooo part together during the long intro of this song since Wendy encouraged it during the "Purple Rain" tour; I think it very quickly became a tradition after that.

[@russelltaylor561]

Prince approached Stevie Nick's of Fleetwood Mac with an unfinished demo of Purple Rain and she has said that it was overwhelming and she felt there wasn't anything she could add to it, so Prince finished it and debuted it at First Avenue in Minneapolis. It is a sacred song and can't really be covered by anyone that remotely measures up to Prince. It is mythical in the sense of Excalibur, the sword that only King Arthur could draw from the stone in which it was embedded. So it is with Prince. Only he can evoke the necessary degree of emotion that the song demands and deserves. There will never be another Prince!

[@jorggollub157]

Amen to that bro!!! Peace and b wild! O(+>

[@jorggollub157]

Have you ever see a guitar player who dance while he is playing? And on record i always skipped Purple Rain but live it's always different and overwhelming. This is a live song, and I was lucky enough to wittenesed him on stage. It's almost a religious experience. Really..thank you for this and purple love from germany bro!! O(+>🎉

[@JJlovesPrince]

Hey Ron - another great Prince reaction. I’m going to try to provide insight on the questions you asked. So… Prince didn’t often give a lot of explanation about where songs came from or what they were about. I think he was a big believer in letting the listener interpret the song for themselves. He is quoted as having said that “Purple Rain” is “When there's blood in the sky... red and blue = purple. Purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/God guide you through the purple rain.” He refers to the sky being purple in the song “1999” as well. Yes, it was in the movie (which you should definitely watch!). In the movie, band members Wendy & Lisa write the music, and Prince is refusing to play it. It’s a pretty big part of the plot so I won’t give anything else away. As you looked up, Prince did actually write the song though. In the movie, he dedicates it to his father, but the song doesn’t have anything to do with his father in real life (at least not that he’s said). Prince never took long to write any song. If it took more than a day or two, that would be unusual. There isn’t much about the time it was written. The version on the album (and in the film) was recorded the very first time it was played publicly at First Avenue on 8/3/83. That version was edited (a whole verse was removed), and strings and some vocals were added in the studio. You can see the first performance on KZbin. It’s amazing to watch. Someone even posted a version with captions explaining where edits were made for the album version. It’s fascinating to me. After he wrote it, he thought it might be too similar to Journey’s song “Faithfully” so he sent a copy to them to make sure they were ok with it. They didn’t think it was similar and gave their blessing. I think it’s the part that the audience sings over and over that P thought was like “Faithfully.” I have seen so many live performances of this song (you could fill a KZbin channel just with live versions of Purple Rain) and am always amazed by how every single one is so passionate. How do you sing a song that many times and still convey such passion each time? Also, every single version is different. Some are more unique than others, but there is always something different with his vocals or the guitar solos, etc. (maybe, that’s how he managed to keep the passion every time). The great John Blackwell, Jr. is on drums here. Unfortunately, he passed away several months after Prince (7/4/2017). It would be fun to see you check out different versions at some point. The one from the Purple Rain tour at Syracuse and the performance at the 1985 American Music Awards are must sees as far as I’m concerned. I am really enjoying your Prince journey. I am loving watching you fall deeper and deeper into the realization of what a true genius he was. There was no one like him and never will be another. I miss him dearly, and today was a rough day. So, thank you for celebrating his life and this beautiful song 💜💜💜

[@RonBluu]

JJ YOU ARE EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE!! I thank you!!!

[@JJlovesPrince]

@@RonBluu haha! I’ve been a Prince fan since I was 11 (1982) so there’s a bunch of knowledge in this old brain of mine. Always happy to pass anything along.

[@RonBluu]

@@JJlovesPrinceare you on Instagram? If so I’ll follow you

[@JJlovesPrince]

@@RonBluu I am @jenngjoyce

[@JJlovesPrince]

I thought of a few Prince songs I would love to see you react to (besides those other versions of Purple Rain). I just love hearing musicians provide their insight into Prince. The 2 songs I thought of earlier today are “Shhh” and “The Love We Make.” Two very different songs with great guitar solos. There are several great live versions of “Shhh” out there. My favorite is from the Detroit stop of the Musicology Tour. John Blackwell is on drums there as well, and there’s a really cool drum solo. I am aware of 3 live video versions of “The Love We Make” but only 2 seem to still be on KZbin. I left the link for one below. Also, since you mentioned John Blackwell and the Rock and Roll HOF, Prince’s own performance when he was inducted is overlooked. The solo in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” gets all the attention, but his performances of his songs was great as well. I think there is a version of the whole thing on KZbin. Here’s “The Love We Make.” Some of the most beautiful lyrics ever written. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpXRfqmkn6qKldUsi=0PMvNkZhct1ZRx1-

[@dragonballz4998]

All my life I never wanted to hear anyone try and cover Purple Rain, it's so iconic that it needs to be left alone. There are hundreds of Prince songs out there that can be covered so leave Purple Rain alone. IMO ☔ Liv4luv 0(+->

[@jamiem1]

You should definitely watch Purple Rain the movie. Its awesome and kind of ties in the storyline with this song, pretty sure you'll love it!

[@gregwilliams9737]

2 me, the song " Purple Rain " has multiple meaning's as do many of Prince's song's...Prince gave us Prince Friend's a foundation with each song 2 build on 2 find our own meaning 2 his song's & if u ask of us what is the meaning of " Purple Rain " 2 u? U will not get the same feeling's, definition & or meaning twice ...I saw a comment watching another reaction 2 this & the comment said... " Prince has played Purple Rain a thousand times & in those thousand times Purple Rain has never sounded the same in any of those thousand times that Prince has played this song "... & I truly haven't seen a more truer comment cuz of all of the live performances/versions of this song that I have seen , I never heard the same sound twice & or got the same feeling's twice... the very 1st song that I heard by Prince was " Free " off of the 1999 album in 1983 & I have been a Prince Friend ever since 😎💯🔥 I can truly & honestly say that Prince & his music has rounded off my rough edges, made those rough edges smooth, guided me through out my life & has helped make me the man that I am 2-day... constantly & continuing 2 learn 2 b who & what kinda man I am as I get older ( I'm 56yrs old now ) ...& it's a life-long learning process & experience... thankx 4 posting & sharing your reaction video's 2 Prince with us & please keep up your good work 😎💯🔥

[@aeitschkay]

❤️ same4me. u speak out of my heart!

[@msdarknlovely846]

John Blackwell was a beast on drums ❤ he passed away about a almost a year after our beloved PRINCE 💜💜🕊 🕊 check out Musicology Live from Detroit "Shhh" "The Question of you" and "DMSR" I promise you'll enjoy 😉 The drummer John and PRINCE 🔥 he used top tier musicians on this tour.

[@elvisstridiron3399]

Prince can do it all and the first Batman movie ever the first he wrote the whole and played the sound track in 2 weeks for WB

[@ScottLaVine-br8wt]

Prince asked Bob Seeger how did he fill up venues the way he did and Seeger told him he had to make a song that had a universal effect.

[@saschaD02]

He asked his bandmates about Bob Seger. ;)

[@JazMegan]

The most beautiful song ever made in my opinion, what I would give to have been able to see him live

[@wandamanning9198]

He will forever be loved💜💜

[@RonBluu]

Yes he will!!

[@nancymurphy7760]

Beautiful man Prince love you forever Beautiful man ❤️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

[@nancymurphy7760]

Love you prince forever!!!!!!!!! 💓

[@AMYV3]

Thank you. Brought me back I miss him completely ❤️❤️🇨🇦

[@vanessaseymour2634]

Hope you get this message. Ne-yo is performing on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Friday April 26, 2024.

[@RonBluu]

Thank you!! I’ll be on it as soon as I get home

[@chantalschultz4847]

Nope didn’t take him all his life man… he did this shiz in his sleep… there is a Vault full of more than 3000 songs unreleased he is just a phenom no other never will be again in our lifetime

[@nancy9891]

You need to see the movie to understand the song. In the movie, his girls in the band wrote the songs and in his father’s fashion, he would not listen to their talent. Then his father attempted suicide and it shocks him into accepting his guitarists song. And they create it on stage at a music show. Epic in every way. Everyone was stunned and America was awakened to Prince. Prince is our Mozart. A creative genius who played multiple instruments and wrote so masterfully.

[@CBatso]

I believe some of it is about the way he feels about his dad. :((((

[@smh93]

Just gonna leave this here... ;) *EBONY:* Will you be remastering the catalog? *Prince:* Hopefully, yeah. A new Greatest Hits. Because I never had anything to do with [The Hits/The B-Sides]. But put great liner notes in it to explain what record came from what and why. Explain the backstory of it. Somebody said “Purple Rain” was inspired by Bob Seger! I said, call him in. “Sit down, man. Y’all got to have everything, huh? Bob Seger?! You gon’ put that in the ether? OK.” [laughter] *EBONY:* Let’s talk about horns in your music. The lore is that you went to a Bruce Springsteen concert and saw how much Clarence Clemons brought to winning his crowds over. And then you incorporated horns into your live shows afterwards, with Eric Leeds on the Purple Rain Tour. *Prince:* How do you get “Hot Thing” from “Born in the USA”? ’Cause that’s where Eric shines, on “Hot Thing.” But how do you get Madhouse from “Dancing in the Dark”? I have a lot of respect for Bruce and everything he’s done. He’s one of my favorite bandleaders of all time. But he wouldn’t even say that. But seriously, here’s the thing. There’s half of me that understands that. Because I don’t talk about it, they have to fill in the gaps because there’s nothing. There’s nobody saying anything about it. So they gotta say something. But what I notice is that they keep naming names that there’s no connection. Clarence Clemons don’t play funk. There’s nothing about Clarence that’s funky. He plays old ’50s saxophone that was on those types of records, Frankie Valli and that type of stuff. If you notice when Eric showed up, it was during the Purple Rain tour. And I was the only soloist in the band if [Matt] Fink wasn’t soloing. And he had his solos that were planned out. He didn’t improvise. There’s the channel and then there’s the practiced, technical way that somebody plays. And Fink, he’s incredible at that: something he’s practiced. No Doubt, you know that group? Friends of mine. Came in here and jammed together. They don’t know how to jam. They don’t know nothing about that. You get them to play one of their songs? They’ll pound you in the ground. Girl jumping on top of tabletops and all of that, all kinds of stuff. But you get them to do anything other than what they done practiced at the house, they don’t know where they are. You know what I’m saying? Esperanza Spalding, that’s a different story. She’s gonna actually lead. So there was no other soloist in the band. So Eddie M., one of the horn players, and Eric was brought in. But Clarence Clemons, that’s just a sideman. One of the greatest sidemen in history, and he’s a star in his own right. Them two was nothing like that. C’mon, man. That’s a whole different thing. Clarence’ll smile and you’ll forget every solo Eric ever did. Like Louis Armstrong. Beautiful dude. Aura was huge. And you can’t copy Bruce. I would never mess with somebody whom I respect and who was actually gigging at the same time. *EBONY:* I’ve read “The Beautiful Ones” was based on Susannah Melvoin. *Prince:* Any ballad like that, you know it’s not going to be about anything, uh, what’s the word? Carnal. It’s not gonna even be based in flesh. Regardless of what I’m singing about, it’s all spiritual. This is a channel. I’m trying to do “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” It’s not about somebody human that I’m looking at right now. It wouldn’t have worked if it was. This was literally for that character. And that’s why it worked. Everybody thinks the song is about them. “This song’s about me and the other one’s about Bob Seger.” [laughter] If they look at it, it’s very obvious. “Do you want him or do you want me,” that was written for that scene in Purple Rain specifically. Where Morris [Day] would be sitting with [Apollonia], and there’d be this back and forth. And also, “The beautiful ones you always seem to lose,” Vanity had just quit the movie. To then speculate, “Well, he wrote that song about me”? Afterwards you go, “Who are you? Why do you think that you’re part of the script that way? And why would you go around saying stuff like that?” So we just let people talk and say whatever they want to say. Nine times out of 10, trust me, what’s out there now, I wouldn’t give nary one of these folks the time of day. That’s why I don’t say anything back, because there’s so much that’s wrong. *EBONY:* But you could set the record straight. *Prince:* There’s too much! They get down to, “See, what he was thinking at that specific time was… His mindset at the time…” They psychoanalyze you. There was one engineer who said that their sole purpose in life was to get the stuff out of the vault, and get it copied so it wasn’t lost to the world. I’m trying to figure out if that’s illegal. Should I fear for my safety that you might need some medical attention? You want to come up in my vault and you feel like that belongs to you and that’s your purpose? You better find something to do. That’s scary.