i was listening to live version of uptown and i come to a conclusion that dez was better guitar player at the time.

he could play prince's original licks but more gritty with more rock edge.
do you think dez was better on guitar,
do you think any prince's guitar player was is better then prince???

Dez was probably the better 'rock soloist' back then (which is probably why Prince hired him). But for me, Prince's guitar playing really began to take off after Dez left. Maybe he just got better, or maybe he could always do it but just left that role for Dez?

But anyway... "better" is a tough word. All of his guitarists have something different to offer. Maybe they're great soloists, maybe they're great colourists, or maybe they're just great at backing Prince up. I think once you reach a certain level of musical proficiency, the terms "better" and "best" go out the window.

you think dez was better soloist?
check prince on time get it up,or 777-9311
he could play rock guitar even in the first days.

Dez had that metal sound that fit well in the funk punk of the era. Dez was badass..

Ok:

I just found a copy of Prince at the Ritz in 1980

The guitar solo in UPTOWN is insane!!!

Can't get enough of the point where P cries Dezzzzz!

Mabey you gotta point!

Whatever happened to Dez? Where is he now?

Dez was a beast. I love his work on the Prince & Dirty Mind LPs.

Jesse over both of them.

I seen Dez play live with Prince 3 times; Once on the Controversy tour, and twice on the 1999 tour. Dez was a more experienced guitarist at that stage although P really started to come into his own on the 1999 tour. Prince had the most natural abilty between the two. But like I said, Dez was older and had already had his stage show down pat when he joined Prince. He had the most expereince out of everyone in the band. He was a Hendrix freak himself and I think he encouraged P in many ways. I think he gave P confidence to really let go and Prince showcased this on the Purple Rain album. Obviously that just being a year after Dez quit, Prince could already play. He just didn't learn that overnight. P was definately a better lead guitarist in the studio. Dez's solo on Little Red Corvette is quite tame compared to anyone of Prince's solo's at that time and before. I think the major thing that showed was P focused on so many other things when they played live and he wanted Dez to come off as the guitarist and I feel P downplayed his lead playing a bit. Cuz as soon as Dez quit, P was off and running. And that was the Purple Rain tour. I know Dez states that he quit, but I truly think Dez was asked to leave because P knew what he was going to do on Purple Rain and he needed to be the only black guitarist up there at this point. He was going to come across like Hendrix in the film and on tour and he couldn't have another cat who wore a headband like Hendrix up there with him. That would distract from Prince and P couldn't afford that. Too much was riding on this. I think that's why Wendy stepped in when she did because she wasn't going to overshadow P. Dez had the strongest image in the band. P wouldn't have stood out as much in the film or the tour with dez in the band. U see how P did Mark Brown. He didn't have a single line in the whole damn movie. The only one in the band that didn't have a line. Wendy just joined the band and next to P, she had the most lines.

blackguitaristz said:

great insight....thanks.

I don't know if during that time dez was better guitar player at the time but I saw the 1999 tour few months ago, and Dez plays all the guitar solos, while Prince was more focused on dancing and performing.

I don't know if it was on purposes

blackguitaristz said:

Interesting, and quite plausible theory. Meditate on this, I will . I suspect Dez knew how crazy things would get after the tour. As Jimmy Jam says in the PR docoumentary, Prince was right on the edge of becoming a superstar. Maybe Dez knew himself that there could only be one star in that band and left on his own terms on that basis.

blackguitaristz said:

I disagree with you on this one. People always think it was some conspiracy because he was the only other black band member at the time. The movie is full of strong black characters - Morris, Jerome, Billy Sparx, The Kid's father etc. If Prince was worried about being upstaged, then why did he allow Morris to do so?!!

I think Mark Brown's fate was determined more by the art of film making than it was race. There were already enough characters and sub-plots going on. Fink and Bobby Z got what? 1 or 2 lines? Oooh...

wickyb said:

Not sure I agree with the P asking Dez to leave thing. I read Dez's book and he clearly states that after the Controversy tour he started having serious spirituality issues on what he was singing, and by the 1999 rehearsals he was only mouthing the words, and half the time he wouldn't even come to practice and wendy would step in for him.

Also, I don't think Prince would have allowed Dez's band to perform Modenaire in Purple Rain if he was afraid of another black guitarists.

Just my 2 cents.....
[Edited 3/19/07 10:49am]
[Edited 3/19/07 10:51am]

blackguitaristz said:

You bring up some great points! I loved the look and sound of the band with Dez in it. I remember when I opened up the 1999 album and saw the photo on the sleeve of the whole band. They looked so cool and badass.

But you are so right, that Purple Rain wouldnt have been the same with Dez in the band. It would have been more of a band movie and would probably feature less guitar like 1999 and Controversy did.

Ever hear "Lady Cab Driver" live from 1999 tour? I lovce that guitar in it. It must be Dez I think. Cool effects.

on ladycab driver live solos were by both prince and dez,prince played better solos in my opinion

is it also true that Dez wrote a bunch of stuff on Dirty Mind and Controversy and never got money or credit for it?

pkidwell said:

I heard that too

Taurus said:

DMSR said:

Plus it wouldn't have looked right with "P" kissing Dez on the cheek during the Purple Rain solo... ...

blackguitaristz said:

I understand where u are coming from. I have Dez's book as well. It's very good. By no means am I swearing that I know that Prince asked Dez to leave. I'm just saying that I can see that. Morris told me that as far as Dez's solo album "Modernaire" in 84 was concerned, P went to his pal at WB, Mo Ostin, and expressed "concerns" of Warners releasing Dez's album around the same time as Apple6, The Time and Sheila's, like originally planned. P felt that since Dez was such a visual part of P's band from the beginning and the most liked member, next to P, by fans, that it might side track the promotion of the Purple Rain album. So he asked Mo to "delay" the release untill October 84 instead of during the summer. Of course, what ended up happening was that WB didn't release it at all.

AzhnConnectzhn said:

Definately not.