i dont see how you can really compare the two. two totally different styles of playing/music.

well I certainly agree that its of limited use to compare the two...they both are such transcendent talents...

however, when it comes to guitar playing, jimi hendrix and prince shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence IMO...one can call an prince underrated guitarist and talk about his all around performing prowess and his great songwriting, etc, etc, and I'd be hard pressed to argue against u...prince is undoubtedly great, genuis even...I just personally think jimi operated on a higher artistic level, a more sophisticated musical plane...and thats meant to take nothing away from prince, whose got to be considered IMO one of the all time musical greats...

just my opinions...

Ifsixwuz9 said:

Six, dawg,... there's no need in defending Jimi. Folks are going to think what they wanna think. No MATTER what u say. Dig, and this is the truth; if Prince himself came on here and stated that Hendrix would mop the floor with him as a guitarist, folks on here would argue Prince. So.....

In the eighties I read an interesting interview with Wynton Marsalis where he was asked to compare the two. He stated that as a musician that Prince could do things that Jimi couldn't. He seemed to believe that Prince had a more conceptual handle on composition and that Jimi was primarily a brilliant guitarist.

jdcxc said:

Exactly. Jimi's brilliance is unmatched on guitar. Take the guitar away from Jimi Hendrix and what is left? Take Prince's guitar away and what's left? That's all I am trying to say.

blackguitaristz said:

I know but it just irks me when people discount Jimi and then use the reasoning posted here. Just a pet peeve of mine.

Btw- LOL @ you calling me dawg. There is only one guy that calls me that (by the way I'm a girl )

skywalker said:

LMAO


You don't remember what muisc was in the late 60's ??? You don't remember what black artists were doing in the late 60's ???

Jimi was completely different from the rest of the music industry. His innovation, lyrics and creativity were completely new.

Do you think Prince would have the same depth or width if he was an artist in the 60's.

Don't forget that Prince came way AFTER the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Jimi, Sly, the Bowie, the Bruce Springsteen etc...


Prince was influenced by all those artists. Hard to believe Prince with the same depth or width without the influences of all those artists.

skywalker said:

YES, he completely copies the style of Jimi, PERIOD.

I have never said he has never done different stuff.

skywalker said:

Jimi wasn't just a guitar player, but he didn't influence people with his drumming, dancing, or ability to sing and play piano. The fact is Prince has copied Jimi stylewise, but not only Jimi as you are claiming.

I've never said he ONLY copied Jimi.

skywalker said:

Prince lied, of course Jimi is one of his main influence. As much as James Brown.

It's like Justin Timberlake saying Jackson ain't his main influence. Nobody believes him.


Prince stole the style of Jimi. Look at Let's go crazy performance in 1984.

Concerning Ray Charles, Little Richard they were doing BLACK music. Jimi Hendrix music was clearly mixed. And he was even criticized for that. He had white band members. His music was clearly mixed.

skywalker said:

A lot of guitar players aren't influenced by Jimi. But Prince was.

skywalker said:

You deny the truth, because you're pissed off to admit the obvious. If Jimi was alive he would have said it himself.

skywalker said:

LMAO
Clapton was scared of Jimi, He thought his career was over when Jimi came up. He was always stealing the show.

skywalker said:

LMAO
Prince was an artist of the 80's. Jimi an artist of the 60's. Hard to imagine Prince releasing Dirty Mind in the mid 60's.

skywalker said:

That's why your arguments are biased. You are constantly crediting Prince to do things he learned FROM ARTISTS THAT JIMI DIDN'T GROW UP WITH.

Prince was directly INFLUENCED by James Brown.

Again, what is with attaching color to music? I am comparing Jimi to all acts in the 60's regardless of color.


Wrong. His guitar playing was new. His psychadelic lyrics, his hippie/rock clothes, and his whole acid rock vibe was very much like ALOT of acts in the 60's. Again, ever hear of Jim Morrison? Dylan? The Beatles? Jimi's guitar was innovative. His lyrics were par for the course in the 60's, and his music was basically blues.


Again we don't have a time machine do we? Do you think Jimi would be viewed as an innovator and unique if he was around in todays rock music climate? You cannot take things out of the context of the time.



So what? What does that prove. Prince is unique regardless of his influences. He took all there stuff and made it into something unique to himself. That's all there is to it.




No doubt. I am not disagreeing with this point, nor was I ever.




Look up contradiction in the dictionary. If Prince does different stuff than Jimi, it cannot be said that he "completely copies the style of Jimi". Again, when did Jimi where zoot suits? Assless pants? Etc.....



No you said he "completely copied Jimi". What's the difference?



As much as James Brown? You told me that "Prince completely copied Jimi". Now you are admitting that James was just as big of an influence? That's what I have been telling you.





Which one? Again, you don't seem like much of a Prince fan if you are telling me to look at Let's Go Crazy of 1984. Do you mean the one with the drum machines and the synths? Yeah that was just like Jimi to use drum machines and synths.....Oh wait. Jimi didn't use drum machines or synths. How can Prince be copying him "completely".



Black music huh? Fine. Keep attaching skin color to what essentially is rock and roll/blues.





When did I say Prince wasn't influenced by Hendrix? I never said that.







I am not pissed at all. I just disagree with you that Prince is "completely influenced by Hendrix". Yeah, Jimi influenced Prince and every rock guitarist after. However, to say that Jimi was Prince's main influence is not entirely accurate.

Furthermore, to suggest that Jimi was a genius in areas other than matters of the guitar is also way off. Hendrix was not the genius songwriter or lyricist of the 60's. Nor was he the only one to rock the style he wore in the 60's.


Again Prince owes a hell of a lot to hendrix, all of rock and rollers do, but Jimi was not Prince's only or most prevalent influence. The clearest fact supporting this is the fact that Prince doesn't ALWAYS play guitar.

It seems to me that you are mainly familiar with Prince from the Purple Rain era. It is becoming more and more evident with each exchange--if that's the case--I see your point. Watch the "kiss" video or the Parade tour. You'll see a severe lack of Jimi influence as Prince is rarely holding/playing a guitar.
[Edited 3/20/07 13:30pm]

Everytime I see or hear Prince rip a screaming solo.....all I see is Hendrix. The similarities are obvious, and I'm a 40 yr old die hard Prince fan since '78.Santana is there, Sly Stone and James Browm are there; but its mostly Hendrix, from the style of dress, the fluffy shirts, the bandannas (headrags),the eyeliner, even the pompous, aloof stage prescence. I aint hating, but it obvious, without Jimi, who's to say that Prince woulda even picked up a guitar in the first place?....

Ifsixwuz9 said:

A girl that's defending my boy, Jimi Hendrix?! With an org name Ifsizwaz9 to boot?!....I think I love u. May This Be Love?

LexNevermind said:

Prince, is that you?

LOL!..Nope. Just a musician with a discerning ear that's all! Morris....is that you?...

LexNevermind said:

Haha...I've recorded with Morris but nah. Same as u, my brother. Just a musician with killer ears.

LexNevermind said:

I don't get this, really I don't. If Jimi Hendrix hadn't existed, Prince, with his undoubted musical ability, wouldn't have picked up a guitar?

If Prince or Jimi were white, this thread would not have been started.

This entire issue is really moot because Prince patterned his playing after Santana, not Hendrix. He said so himself. "Santana played prettier" - direct quote.

allthewayvogue said:

Now wait just one gosh-darned minute ....!
I thought that's why this site existed.
To discuss moot issues.

Hell,
that's what I've been doing since I joined.....

uhmmnnn...

just ignore this post.




The org farted on me.

Again.
[Edited 3/20/07 16:17pm]

Illustrator said:

We heard you the first time!

fathermcmeekle said:

org-

allthewayvogue said:

You're exactly right. That's why Prince titled his film and biggst album of his career, "Black Magic Rain".

Illustrator said:

blackguitaristz said:

Yeah, because Jimi had trademark on the term "purple" right? Whatever...Listen I am not saying that Prince, especially in the Purple Rain era, was not influenced heavily by Jimi. He was .However, anyone who listens to the sound of Prince's guitar can hear it is more often played like Santana than Hendrix.

blackguitaristz said:

I think you'll find the title of his biggest film and album was Purple Rain.

fathermcmeekle said:

Did U know that the original title was Yellow Snow?

The studio execs eventually decided that that title would probably hurt the film as a box-office draw.

skywalker said:

Wynton said a lot of stuff in the eighties -- that rap didn't count as real music, for instance. I wouldn't hold him up as an authority. Just an opinionated person.

Much like I. So, don't take me as an expert either, just another opinionated person...

... who is familiar with Hendrix being a multi-instrumentalist, too: bass, drums, piano, etc. And, most people who've written about Hendrix's compositional prowess have well documented his genius in conceptualizing.

This is what I get for always returning to this type of thread ... every month, no less ... but it's funny that Hendrix's genius must constantly be subjugated to Prince's on this site.

Be that as it may, I have yet to see the tribute albums pumped out to Prince with the regularity that I see with Hendrix. And, I have yet to see schools of guitar players (or other instrumentalists) based on Prince's playing.

They're both giants.

ThreadBare said:

Yes, but only if Prince wears heels.

fathermcmeekle said:

I knew it was a fat pitch...

To which I'd say--when doesn't he??

Right. But just like Prince will never get enough credit for his prowess on guitar, Jimi will never get credit by the masses as being the wicked multi instrumentalist/conceptualist that Prince is. Maybe that's only fair.



Sure, just as Prince's talent would be completely overlooked and undermined on a Hendrix sight. The fact that you see big Jimi fans showing up here surmising that Prince is basically a Jimi rip off speaks to the bias that swings both ways.



Tribute albums? I am not sure if that should be the barometer for greatness or a true sign of influence. Many lesser talents than either Prince or Jimi have ALOT of tribute albums of their work.