There has been so much ink spilled on that epic Prince guitar solo during the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and I love it all. (I read a piece yesterday, I’ll track it down, that referred to Prince’s performance that night as “pure blood sport.”) I’ve seen a couple people say that Petty seems a bit miffed that Prince is “taking over”, but I have never agreed with that. Petty’s job was to play back-up to Prince, and keep that section of the song going over and over and over until Prince was done. Petty is the band-leader, the conductor. It’s up to him to sense when Prince is “coming down” from what he’s doing, and signal to the rest of the band it’s time to close it all up, and he does that by a casual wave of his arm, seen by everyone onstage, as well as by Prince. Petty keeps his eyes on Prince the entire time, because there’s an ESP connection that has to go on between a lead singer and his guitar-solo “side man”, so that they’re in sync. So no, I don’t think Petty was up there fuming, “Look at Prince showing off.” This ain’t middle-school, people. These are professional musicians and rock stars and if anyone understood that Prince was, say, “touched” and bigger than most of them, it was these guys. You think Tom Petty doesn’t know that Prince is “better” than him? You think Tom Petty was, in some ways, surprised that Prince “took over”? I think everyone on that stage was blown AWAY (imagine seeing that solo up close, as you play along and try to keep your shit together) – not pissed off that Prince was showing them up. Puh-leez. He’s Prince. Of course he’s showing them up.
All of this is to say: There’s a great piece in the New York Times about that guitar solo, with reminiscences from most of those guys onstage: The Day Prince’s Guitar Wept the Loudest. I’m sorry Harrison’s son wasn’t interviewed, but I suppose his huge grin during Prince’s guitar solo (that brings me to tears) needs no explanation. It’s great to hear Petty remember that crazy day, because it confirms my own feelings that of course, no, Tom Petty wasn’t fuming that Prince “stole” his moment.
There are a lot of great gems in the piece, and much that I didn’t know. The lack of rehearsal. The wondering whether or not Prince would even DO the solo, or if “the other guy” would do it.
This, though, from Steve Ferrone (Petty’s drummer) is the take-away for me.
I had no idea that Prince was going to be there. Steve Winwood said, “Hey, Prince is over there.” And I said, “I guess he’s playing with us?”
So I said to Winwood, “I’m going to go over and say hello to him.” I wandered across the stage and I went up to him and I said, “Hi, Prince, it’s nice to meet you — Steve Ferrone.” And he said, “Oh, I know who you are!” Maybe because I’d played on Chaka Khan’s “I Feel for You,” which is a song that he wrote. I went back over and I sat down behind the drum kit, and Winwood was like: “What’s he like? What’d he say?”
Then I was sitting there, and I heard somebody playing a guitar riff from a song that I wrote with Average White Band. And I looked over and Prince was looking right at me and playing that song. And I thought, “Yeah, you actually do know who I am!”
God, that moves me to tears. But it’s worth it to read the whole thing!
Wow, this is such a treasure! To know what the players/producer were actually thinking during this performance! I have watched this performance probably a million times — it never, ever gets old, and of all the Prince clips floating around right now, this is definitely my favourite. And it’s been so thrilling to read all the different analyses that people have written about it; the performance as a whole is just so rich, on so many levels.
I can understand how people would think that Tom Petty looks miffed. He does have some odd facial expressions, but that’s just Tom Petty. Like you said, his job is to keep the whole show together, so he’s probably thinking of many things at once, while still experiencing that wonderful guitar solo and probably, on some level, just wanting to enjoy it, so you can see that in his expressions. Amazing too that they never had any real rehearsal with Prince, and there may have even been an advantage to that. There’s such a freshness to the whole thing.
As you said, Petty keeps his eyes on Prince the whole time, but I also like how many times Prince deliberately connects with Petty, to indicate to him what’s happening next…”OK, now I’m going to do this…now watch out for this…and wait until you listen to this.. and now I’m just going to chill…”
Also, I like how you mention that these are professionals and of course no one is miffed to have Prince up there. If anything, I imagine they would be completely honoured (which shows in the interview clips). It made me think of 20 Feet from Stardom where one of the backing singers for Sting (I can’t remember her name) speaks of Lisa Fischer which such awe, and just stands beside her during a performance, so happy, and reveling in Lisa Fischer’s incredible voice as she solos. You never get the sense that she’s thinking, “Hey…I’m pretty good too. Why don’t I get to solo?” It must be such a pleasure just to be there and experience that voice and that artistry.
Lastly, the story that Steve Ferrone tells of Prince playing a riff from one of the songs Ferrone wrote, is just another of many examples I keep reading about lately, regarding Prince’s generosity and his thoughtfulness, and how often he took pains to connect with others.
// Amazing too that they never had any real rehearsal with Prince, and there may have even been an advantage to that. There’s such a freshness to the whole thing. //
Right?? Nobody had any idea what was going to happen – although I’m sure they were all thinking: “Okay, here it comes, here it comes …”
I too love the eye contact with Petty – there’s a moment where Prince is jamming and the camera is behind him, and Petty (who’s not singing at that moment) is turned towards Prince, playing his guitar, and basically just watching. It’s like Tom Petty is suddenly an audience member too.
But how often have these guys jammed with Prince? Like – never? I would imagine that someone like Prince automatically makes everyone tighten up for their A+++++ Game because he’s the best, everyone knows he is, and you had best be there for him as he goes off and does his thing. It’s like what young actors who have barely worked before say about working with DeNiro: he is so generous and so focused and so IN the scene with them that he makes his scene partners better – and he makes THEM better. (Jodie Foster has talked about that with Taxi Driver.)
Watching that band – all of them who are no slouched themselves – support Prince as he does his thing – is like watching people try to control a tornado. They aren’t trying to contain it – but they have to be ON IT in order to feel where he is going, respond to it, but never lose the structure of the song so that he – and only he – can riff off the map on it. I mean, these guys are professionals and they know music – so obviously they’re up to the task – but again many of them had never played with Prince before.
I love how everyone in that anecdote above is a fanboy. Nervous. Winwood: “What’d he say? What happened??” Ha!
I, too, thought of 20 Feet From Stardom! PROFESSIONALS.
There’s something so beautiful about that – and I think outsiders – meaning listeners or jealous amateurs – sometimes project their own insecurities onto these scenarios – when to those guys on the stage – or to geniuses like Lisa Fischer – they know what they’re to do, they’ve been hired to do it, and they “show up.”
(That moment when Sting gives his show over to Lisa, and just stands back to listen to her … it makes me want to cry.)
Yes Prince did shred his guitar, nothing new there. He was one of the greatest guitar players ever but when he walked off stage, he gave me the impression that he was too good to remain on stage with the rest of the group. He wasn’t “better”. They are all masters of their craft.
“nothing new there”
What a baffling attitude.
Not at all what I am about here, this is a place of celebration and tribute. 100% disagree with your ungenerous take. Mainly because it’s zero fun at all.
The thing to remember is although Prince seems to display an arrogant attitude at the end of the performance, he was inducted that night himself to the hall of fame. His confidence was soaring and, as always, made on point t [ stand out. The awesome power musicians on stage with him have always backed the performance and have repeatedly embraced the experience. Rock n roll at its finest!!
Cosign!
Let’s hear it for well-deserved arrogance.
It’s not that he thought that he was better than the rest of them, he was just a kook. He was alwaysblike that it was part of his mystic. Search for the Stevie Nicks article where she talks about when she wrote “stand back” She was inspired by little red corvette and she called him to tell him she wrote the song, and she said he showed up while they were recording and laid the keyboard tracks down in one take, then just walked out like it was no bug deal. Jimmy Kimmel also said he was the same way one time when they played ping pong, and at the VMA’s
From the version, I read, they didn’t practice together bc Tom Petty’s back up guitar guy took over on the guitar solo in practice earlier that day. The entire group felt Clapton should have been on stage instead of Prince (even though Prince got inducted that year) including Harrison’s widow so noone said anything to the guy when clearly being disrespectful.
Prince gave him the opening solo then made him eat crow and the performance was amazing! Prior to that moment Prince hadn’t made the Rolling Stone top 100 list of guitarist yet and that was the producers point that he was underrated as a musician
Strange impression, but then maybe mine is strange too:
Prince stood in the shadows while a bunch of heroes played to their fans, knowing that he could steal the show at any moment and not wanting to shine without purpose. Then he stole the show, purposefully.
Having done that, he then returned to the shadows, giving light back to the heroes.
George Harrison’s son beaming may be my favorite thing about that performance. His father was a freaking BEATLE and he’s as starstruck as can be.
If only it was as it appeared. See the post by Jim Dorman below….I read the same thing..was laughing at him, not with him.
I was kind of shocked to hear Dhani in a more recent interview refer to Prince’s performance as gratuitous and that he was smiling because he was wondering what Tom and Jeff were thinking and that he was the buffer zone between Petty and Lynne, and Prince. “I was smiling because I could imagine Tom and Jeff going, in their heads, ‘What the hell is going on?'” said Harrison. Man – that’s weird. Prince’s performance was monumental. On another note, I always figured he tossed his guitar forward to the same guy who caught him when he leaned back. If you stop it, his eyes lock on someone like you might when you throw someone something.
This, exactly. Bummed me out…junior was out of line.
Cutting heads is nothing to be looked down on, it drives musicians to new levels..Prince was a Hall Of Fame inductee having his moment in the sun, and rightfully so. Was it a response to being slighted in rehearsals? No. Even if it was… So what/ if that happened then they had it coming. He was the perfect example of onstage professionalism, very aware of everyone’s musical toes and never stepped on anyone’s.
Dhani was only on that stage as a COURTESY, everyone else EARNED the right….big difference.
Should’ve held his tongue and had some respect.
say what you will Prince is the Greatest Live Performer in the Game .
He is Also one of the best Live Singers in the game , you have to remember he is
one of the best Song producers IN THE game. He WAS THE Black Liberace .
H e was PRINCE