I've read several people on this message board stating that Prince was high or drunk when he went onstage with JB and MJ that night. His bizaarre screeches, guitar playing, and knocking the prop light down.

Given the fact that Prince historically has shunned drugs---I have to say that there is a better chance that he was not on anything. This was 1983 right? 82? Prince's act/persona at the time was the cosmic/aloof/mysterious rock star. He played that image up more back then, than he ever has since. Anyways, I viewed the footage and I think he was just "acting like Prince". However, I don't think him tipping over the lamp was intentional-not having to do with him being on anything-just a bit clumbsy.

I think it was mostly a cross between Prince being his 80's "mysterious weirdo" act and his nervousness in an uncontrolled enviroment with one of his most influential idols and following up his media rival. Basically, I think he was trying too hard to be cool and failed that night.

yeah, he mighta been a little looped on the sauce at most, but i'd bet most of it was "holy shit, what do i do?!?".

Prince is a normal human being, he was a rock star, of course he got drunk lots of times, maybe it was one of the times, he was altered he never acts like that liveand never acted since. he was tripping

I am so tired of this Guitar talk of this moment.

Listen to it again! Watch James Brown's Band they are playing like what 300 beats per second!

They were the ones on drugs! I bet PCP

Prince did his best to put fillers in that PCP mess

ElectricBlue said:

lol
Yeah, James must've been a bit twisted too to be wearing that green get up.

sitruk7 said:

Spot on!

I think Prince made a fool of himself at the performance, but it's hilarious to watch!

i've said it before and i'ma say it again: prince shoulda stayed in his seat when mike and james called his ass out.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Maybe he would have if Michael hadn't been on stage first. I think his ego told him he had better get up there an represent.

sitruk7 said:

ego-trippin or no, he still shoulda stayed his simple ass put. i have a copy of that whole bit somewhere in my collection...

I have never seen it.
Where can I see it?

klhk said:

can't ask.

I think the funniest aspect of it is that his entire performance is edited out of the released footage of that concert

jacktheimprovident said:

perhaps MJ slipped him some alcohol, since Prince is very short .... and maybe MJ thought he was a 13 yr old "he had to have" ....

MisterMan38 said:

From the clip I always thought MJ told James to call Prince up (when he whispered in his ear). I don't think Prince was drunk, he was just nervous IMO. What was he supposed to do, they just handed him a guitar that wasnt set to his specs and they wasnt playing any song with lyrics so what was he supposed to sing.

Is it me or does James make that clip funnier? He should really do voice overs in cartoons. “I love when he says Prince… There he is. Prince…HA HA HA “. I love his laugh. Is this on DVD? There is so much to dissect.
[Edited 3/6/05 16:40pm]

MJ fans can also see Bob Jones in that clip to.
[Edited 3/6/05 16:42pm]

sitruk7 said:

If he'd just played the guitar,
work the mic & ended it with
a split, then left the stage without sayin'
anything, he would've made Mike
wish he had'nt request him on stage.....
But Mike was on it that night.....
He did just enough on stage & he got off....
I think he had great admiration for Prince
at that time...To a degree, Prince was still underground...
But JAMES BROWN!!! is still the man.....GOOD GAWD!!!
[Edited 3/6/05 18:09pm]

MisterMan38 said:

So you think MJ slipped P a little bit o' that Jesus Juice,huh?

funkpill said:

Mike has always been on point when he goes on stage.

lilgish said:

on point...till that damned bear hug. that whole episode between he and prince was a lot like (stuart from mad tv voice) "look what i can do!"

"And also, Give him a big round of applause cause he just insisted that I introduce PRINCE. He's here.....There he is. Prince…HA HA HA"

the bow & faux lamppost knock over was the icing on the cake, tho'.

Prince shoulda did that move from the 1999 video after playing guitar, that woulda been dope.

Did any of you guys wonder why P didn't have a shirt under his leather jacket.
Who walks around with just a leather jacket on?

lilgish said:

why the hell'd he take his jacket off in the first place? it's like "dayum prince, this is a respectable affair...or somethin..." that or he was thinkin, okay, i'm totally fuckin up here...c'mon prince, think of a way outta this...ooh! lemme take my top off to distract folks!!!

lilgish said:

Okay M.J. fan...

I think Prince was trying to impress James when he was working the moves on the mic. I mean, after he did a couple of things with it, he would look over to James who was on the side of the stage, but if you notice, James turns around to face Prince after he already did what he probably wanted to show to James in the first place, so, it's like, James wasn't even watching his ass to begin with.

But you know what's funny to me? When he's playing guitar and he looks at the camera with that "Oh my God" face and slaps himself. The face is classic. But I don't understand why ol' boy was crying after he hit that God awful note.

Or the part in the beginning, after he gets off Big Chick's back, and takes his glove off, and throws it into the crowd, and it gets tossed back right at him, and hits him in the face. Damn, that's hilarious.

Everyone did back then. Prince, Rick James, Eddie Murphy, Larry Blackman from Cameo, O'Bryan, Larry Dotson from the Barkays, etc.

hepped
up
on
goofballs