Call me nostalgic, but anyone who "could care less" about hearing Prince play Purple Rain for the billionth time needs to go watch the 1st Avenue peformance from 8/83, the original live performance.

I just saw this in it's entirety for the first time ...to me it's so obvious how much this song meant to him, I love the emotion so clear on his face. I also feel like he knew what this song was about bring him, shortly down the road. I love how you can see him step up to the mike, but then back away- not ready yet. And it's amazing to realize how much he must have studied this footage prior to filming the movie, as it's so similar.

Anyway, I've once again been reminded of the beauty of this song, and it's place in all it is we talk about around here. It so obviously meant so much to him before it made him a "legend" or millions of dollars, and I'm glad I'm still able to watch him do it over and over again all these years later.

Anyone?

paisley16 said:

u mention 1983 and i will mention 3 others syracuse 85, lovesexy germany 88 and nude tour japan 1990. that being said the last time i could stomach this song was back in 90 and i even understood it in 2004 even tho i walked out of the arena when he did it. simply cause I AM SICK OF THIS SONG BEING PLAYED LIVE. there are a thousand other songs that prince could do instead of this one. so if i never hear this song live again, i would b so damn happy.

I feel ya. Sometimes, you have to go back to the beginning.

I've also noticed, whenever my enthusiasm for Prince has stood still, stagnated, or I just haven't been listening to him lately, all it takes is a single moment to spark it back up again.

That may not make sense, but that single moment could be a viewed live performance of a song, a song I've not heard before, a television appearance, etc.

EcstaticFanatic said:

that makes perfect sense

I'll always love Purple Rain it was the first Prince concert I went to and the beginning of my Prince experience that has lasted almost 24 years!

L4OATheOriginal said:

I agree, that version during the 1990 Nude tour in Japan was pretty emotional.

L4OATheOriginal said:

I agree the ones you mention were great performances of the song (not sure if I ever saw the Nude tour performance though- was that ever broadcast?). However- what I'm getting at is, this song obviously still holds high to him and that's probably a contributing factor to why he still chooses to do it so much, not just because it's the song that even a non-fan will know.

He's referred to his songs as his "children", (and that 1st Ave performance was its birth) I'd bet this is still one of his "favorites" amongst them as well. And that is why I am always happy to hear it.
[Edited 5/12/07 21:06pm]

wlcm2thdwn said:

I know, remember what it was like back then? None of us had heard anything like that before. He may be this, and he may be that, but LAWD!! He was so young and so brillant (still is).

diana7777 said:

My experience began when hearing Doves for the first time while riding in the back of someone's car-going too fast- after school in 84. I had the 1999 album, but it was Doves that turned me into the hardcore fan I still am today. Seeing the movie, a month or whatever later, just sent me over the edge. I missed the Purple Rain tour since the closest it got was Long Island, and my brother backed out of an offer to take me. I think my 16 year old self cried for like 2 days. The Parade, "Hit-n-Run" show, MSG in '86 was my first live experience.

PR is my fav movie of all time-I could never tire of it!!!


The song is great too
[Edited 5/13/07 6:14am]

I love the song..I love the movie...

paisley16 said:

It truely is a fanstatic performance, although the man looks like he may have had the odd line or two whilst Wendy played the intro.

Or maybe he just had a runny nose?
[Edited 5/13/07 6:52am]

[/quote]

u mention 1983 and i will mention 3 others syracuse 85, lovesexy germany 88 and nude tour japan 1990. that being said the last time i could stomach this song was back in 90 and i even understood it in 2004 even tho i walked out of the arena when he did it. simply cause I AM SICK OF THIS SONG BEING PLAYED LIVE. there are a thousand other songs that prince could do instead of this one. so if i never hear this song live again, i would b so damn happy.[/quote]


You must realize that not everyone has had the chance to hear or see this performed live. My first time wasn't til 2000 I think but the most memeorable was in '04. It just gives all who haven't a chance and that is an experience all should have before he's done with it, if he ever will be.

This is Prince's signature song. When Doves Cry would arguably be his most-successful single, but Purple Rain is what he's most associated with.

The fans at his concerts go there to see certain hits - and would be disappointed if they didn't hear them. YOU might be sick of PR - but the guy next to you might not - and among thousands of audience members I think you'd be the minority.

he didnt play it at koko.

and didnt he say that he was doing different songs evry night?? so i might not have to sufer this!!

its ok, it just drags out. i much prefere the shorter version at all of hes award show/medleys eg superbowl and brits

babooshleeky said:

I will admit. I've gotten tired of the song live before, but the last time I heard it live was here in NYC for the Musicology show. 2 of the 3 days here, it rained and the day I went, it rained early in the day so when he ended with PR, people had their umbrellas up while he did the song and that for some reason stuck with me. He had such passion when he did the song and everybody felt it. It may be played all the time, but it's arguably his best song. The song is still amazing and after that performance and the superbowl, I will not get tired of this song again.

paisley16 said:

i didn't even know he was doing long island nor could i have gotten out there even if i did. luckily i went 2 see eddie murphy live at radio city and the limo driver had gone 2 the show and told me all about it. The garden in 86 was my 1st live xperience as well

stillw8ing said:

You must realize that not everyone has had the chance to hear or see this performed live. My first time wasn't til 2000 I think but the most memeorable was in '04. It just gives all who haven't a chance and that is an experience all should have before he's done with it, if he ever will be.[/quote]

well i've never have seen him do computer blue live with the xception being the per4mance from syracuse ,but i have heard live versions of it. but that still doesn't mean it needs 2 b played on every single tour!

Se7en said:

hmm let's c, 4/9/02 at avery fisher hall in nyc, prince starts playing purple rain, half of the crowd stands up, the other half sits down pissed off..doesn't sound like a minority 2 me

I'm not tired of him performing it. When he doesn't, I'm disappointed. It is always a highlight of the show. People that say they don't want to hear this done at a concert are full of shit and are saying it to appear cooler-than-thou, to let you know they've been there, done that, and to show you how much cred they have as fans.
[Edited 5/13/07 23:45pm]

paisley16 said:

Interesting. I've had the footage of the 83 show at First Ave since 90. I was blown away that it was the version on the edited down version on the PR album. Seeing P do the song to a crowd that had never heard it before and for most of the evening, the crowd response was lukewarm at best. The guitar solo unedited was scattered. The live performance, P was definately feeling his way through the solo, totally ad libing. The solo wasn't structered at all. Like it would come to be. He clearly based his solo from the edited version that appeared on the album and just extended it from there. I don't think he KNEW the importance the song would take on for him at the time of the show. Not at all. Just the opposite. I think he dug the song but I don't think he felt his audience at the time would dig it. He was testing the waters that night. I think after he saw the footage of the song in the film is when he suspected the song would have importance. Placing the song where he did during the tour, during the first encore, set the stage for the song. Just like in the movie. He was home free after that.

RZR said:

trust me i enjoy the concerts more when he doesn't do this song. I have walked out when it was the closing number. i have gotten up and gone 2 the bathroom when he has done it. If I am listening 2 a concert in my car and the song comes on, I turn the volume down then when it's over, i turn the volume back up. if it comes on while i'm at work, i leave my office and come back when it's over. that's how much i loathe hearing this song constantly being played.

Id rather not hear it if hes doing it out of a sense of obligation. If hes feelin it and does a full version , thats cool.

My fave version is Long Island 88.

L4OATheOriginal said:

wow, you're really going out of your way for something so silly. does it make you feel cool to be the guy that gets up and goes to the bathroom during Purple Rain?

I agree, I was never too thrilled about the song Purple Rain. I can say it's ok, it's not all that as folks make it out to be. It's probably not even in my top 50 favorite Prince songs. If anything I really enjoy the guitar solos. But I do enjoy the 1st Ave. 1983 performance, including the whole show. It's incredible.

I don't like the short versions that he does live these days where he sings the first verse and chorus only and goes right to the guitar solo.

Remember that episode of Seinfeld where the guy Elaine was dating had the Eagle's "Desperado" as "his song" and whenever he hears it he is completely immersed in it and nothing can tune him out of it? Purple Rain is mine

oh ya... the 18 minute live version from the syracuse'85 show... that was a musical orgasm!!!

L4OATheOriginal said:

I was one of the people standing for it at that show!

paisley16 said:

That is a bit like saying " Anyone who doesn't want to see Betty White nude needs to go back and look at her yearbook picture." I know how Prince has played PR in the past, but I've heard it just about every way you can hear a song. No doubt I love the song and it was a high point of P's career but that doesn't mean I want to hear him playing it over and over and over. I'm good off PR right now if I never hear him play it again live, I will be good.