For Me They Are (in no particular order):

1) the first avenue 8-3-83 performance of D.M.S.R..."Gimme Some Horns,Whooo!"....

2)Mtv 1991 Preformace of gett off...that yellow outfit...

3)Soul Train 1995.

4) VH-1 Versace Performance of P**** Control...seeing mayte in that red outfit and i instantly thought:.WONDER WOMAN!..

5)The Today Show Interview with Bryant Gumbel..."Do You Own A Blazer?.."No"..."Do You Own A Pair Of Pleated Khakis?"..."Um..No"....Would You Ever Wear My Shoes"?...."Let Me See..(prince looks down at bryant gumbels'shoes)...."Hell No!..lol

anybody else?

The ultimate for me was the Purple Rain performance at the American Music Awards in 1995-96?. The entire show was incredible. I have yet to see an awards show as exciting.

#1. Purple Rain

#2.

#3. Butt Jeans

#4. The TIme / Sheila E.

5. Musicology Tour

I guess

paisleypark4 said:

What are butt jeans?
The assless yellow pants?

10 in no particular order:

-1991 MTV Awards "Gett Off" (Followed closely by Prince on Arsenio same year)

- American Bandstand "I wanna b your lover" (punkin' Dick Clark on his own show)

-1994 Glam Slam performances of "The Gold Experience" material
(Prince is , slave is on the cheek, and the baddest incarnation of the NPG is wreckin' things...)

-The entire "Sign 'O' the Times" Tour.

-The Purple Rain mass hysteria of 1984. (The movie, the charts, the academy awards, the associated artist albums, the tour, the videos, etc.)

-1st Ave show summer 1983. ("Purple Rain" material is heard for the first time.)

-Rock n' Roll hall of fame 2004. (Highlight "while my guitar...." the solo.)

-Grammy's 2004. (the beginning of "the Comeback". Prince's '68 special)

-Any performance of "Head" on the "Dirty Mind" tour.

-1st Show of the "Musicology" Tour.( LA/simulcast in the theaters)

In no order:

1. assless pants
2. Purple Rain Grammy performance
3. Performance of Dolphin on David Lettermen
4. Name Change to (that was hillarious)
5. Alicia Keys inducting him in the RR Hall of Fame

My most 5 moments are: 1. His guitar performance at his induction into the Hall of Rock and Roll. 2. His 2004 Grammy performance w/Beyonce 3. The assless pants!! 4. ANYTIME I HEAR HIM SING ADORE LIVE, it gives me chills everytime 5. Seeing him in concert this year after being gone for so long!!!!
[Edited 11/17/04 15:26pm]

1) His induction in R&R Hall of fame including the performances

2) Him being interviewed by Chris Rock on VH-1 and the comment about MJ and Quincy Jones wanting him to be in the "Bad" video.

3) Him inducting George Clinton & Parliment/Funkadelic in the R&R Hall of Fame. He brings Mayte up on the stage and she starts to giggle during his speech and he shoots her a look like "stop being retarded". LOL!

4) Him dressed as Bryant Gumbel on The Today Show

5) Him at the US Air Arena in Maryland back on the Emancipation tour (I think) and stomping around the stage saying "I ain't got no more hits." And then proceeding to launch into another hit full force.

In chronological order:


1) Prince releases "Little Red Corvette"- Critics loved him, alternative press adored him, but Prince wasn't Prince until he made Top 40 and MTV. The song is played out as hell now but back in 1982...it was a perfect pop song. And how the hell he did those splits in jeans...


2) Purple Rain---Would Prince have made it as large as he has if not for the phenomenon that was this movie/tour/mindset. This was Prince at his most mainstream...millions of teenagers hanging on his every word. He bought several years of good faith with this project. And he proceeded to squanderit almost immediately.

3) Sign O The Times---Cherry Moon could have destroyed him if not for the strength of this project. Three Top 10 hits, a great (non-US) tour, a best album nom (should have won). Prince's masterwork.

4) Diamonds and Pearls era---Not a great album but the man never worked so hard to promote...all those great videos, the typhoon do. The last time the man was a commercial force.

5) 2004/Musicology Album and Tour---Full disclosure, I am sick of the album. Probably won't stand the test of time. But 2004 was an awesome year for Prince just because people besides us actually knew who Prince was again. How in the world was this tour so successful? Easy, it was Prince being Prince, playing awesome guitar and singing the songs we all grew up with. The Grammy's, the RRHOF, the umpteen album covers and interviews. And the thing is, as big as this year was, it could have been even bigger with better singles, album promotion. Stll, 2004 ensures Prince a future, a future that the dreadful Rainbow Children almost took away.

The Top 5 for me are:

1. His performance of "I Wanna Be Your Lover" on American Bandstand. It was the 1st time I ever saw him and I have been madly in love ever since.

2. "Gett Off" on the MTV awards. I watched the tape over and over again and wished he would wear those pants more often.

3. When he won an Oscar for Purple Rain. I know it wasn't one of the major awards- but I was so happy that I cried.

4. His Bryant Gumbel impersonation on the Today Show. So hilirious.

5. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Everything about it was great.

Ah, there's so much... so I'll just respond to yours...

avatarfunk said:

Not bad (I'd probably say the whole 8-3-83 show was a "moment" in Prince history), but I love the Small Club performance of "D.M.S.R." 5 years later in August '88 -- now that was funky and very cool!



That was a great performance, but I think his 1987 MTV performance of "Sign O' The Times" was even better... the guitar... the drum line... yeah.



American Music Awards 1985



Yep, this was a goodie. Probably a bit better was the VH-1 Honors performance of "Endorphinemachine" and "Interactive" -- those he did live... with dancing girls!



He was funny with Gumble. But I'd go with the interview with Jay Leno (in 2001?) just a couple days after I had just seen him playing Oakland with soundcheck and the Fillmore in San Francisco. He was on Leno two nights in a row, and very funny. Plus, he gave stellar performances of "Dorthy Parker / 4" and "The Work Pt 1".

"When he won an Oscar for Purple Rain. I know it wasn't one of the major awards- but I was so happy that I cried."

Not a major award? The Oscar is one of the most serious awards that he has.

"Diamonds and Pearls era---Not a great album but the man never worked so hard to promote...all those great videos, the typhoon do. The last time the man was a commercial force."

I think it goes without saying that Prince was a hella commercial force THIS year. He sure sold a lot of concert tickets and albums.

the ass pants. period.

skywalker said:

I didn't mean it wasn't major to Prince. I meant that it wasn't a major Oscar- like "Best Picture" or "Best Actor". They no longer give awards for the catergory in which he won.

The all-time best moment is the performance of "Purple Rain" on the AMA's in 1985 (or was that 84?). He takes his time with the song. And he looks truly emotional about it, like not only did the lyrics mean something personal to him but also like, "yeah, I made it. Here I am, you motherfuckers, and this is what I'm gonna serve you."

The stage was wide open for him to m ove about. But then!!!... this is the best part...He knocks of the mic stand with his guitar! Fuck yeah! That was badass. And you can see the people in the audience just suddenly stand up, screaming and clapping like they just can't control it (and remember these are celeberties in the front rows). The spontanaeity, emotion and talent evident on that performance are the reasons I will forever love Prince.

paisley4me said:

CO-SIGN!!!
Cindy Lauper was in the front losing her damn mind!!!! Definately my favorite.

Miguel