What are your 3 favorite Prince guitar solos? Please select your choices only from official releases. I am going with(in no particular order):
Purple Rain
Let's Go Crazy
Crimson & Clover
Honorable mention- I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

What are your top 3?

Just My Imagination
Just My Imagination

and...

Oh, yeah...

Just My Imagination

computer blue

i could never take the place of your man

and ummm...i'm having a hard time choosing between peach and temptation for the third one...

Pink Cashmere when it climaxes in the middle. mmmm love it.

Purple Rain~ from the Live sow in Atlanta 1985
Just My Imagination
Let's Go Crazy
Gold

yes I know I was only supposed to pick 3,but I had to put Gold in there.
[Edited 1/8/09 0:38am]

Honestly, I love any of his.

-just my imagination (ofcourse)
-Joy in repetion (it ain't over)
-The Undertaker (from the vid)

so we have the best from a bootleg and an obscure video....prince is hiding his guitar skills..but why?

Purple Rain
The Holy River
Gold

and a very special extra one: Empty Room

I think most of Prince's guitar solo's are awsome, but those 4 really stand out, Purple Rain just has an eerie longevity, the Holy River has that heavy yet pleasant sound and Gold just has that full of mischief kinda thing going on, and it's epic as is Purple Rain of course. Empty Room is just haunting, excellent.

fanatic4ever said:

Don't let banished see me write this but I have to agree. He chooses some sympathetic notes in this one. That's a rarity for Prince to be melodic with his soloing as normally he just wails away a la Hendrix, all disjointed and furious.

I really like the use of wah on Whole Lotta Love (21Nights). One of my favourite bits of playing actually (the rest of the track isn't too bad either).

I love his playing over Cream too. I prefer his rhythm and fills to his solos (as I've said many times). That's why I think he's a worldclass guitarist. It's his ability to play through the song and not his ability to throw in some widdling at the end or half way through.

I have to mention Colonised Mind. Not the solo but his rhythm work throughout. Amazing song too. Best of the new releases in my mind.

Prince does have his own sound and technique. It's just taken me a long time to truly separate it from his influences. It's okay to wear what inspires you on your sleeve though. In Prince's case it's his music that is truly original.

And hats off to Prince for being one of the few guitarists still brave enough to use heaps of chorus without feeling embarrassed. 80s 80s 80s!
[Edited 1/7/09 3:35am]

Best guitar solo's Price has ever done counting backwards:

3. Question of U: album version
2. Rock hard in a funky place
1. Shhh-Live version from Beautiful Experience promo with nona Gaye

Gold

Gosh, so many to choose from.

If i stick to records, and by impulse - i will say:

I hate U
I Will (Chaos & Disorder)
Dinner with Delores (was gonna say Fascination (The Truth) but ive been told that its Mike Scott playing that)

Weird that mine dont go back before '95!

Gold, Let's Go Crazy, and Temptation.

Raajput said:

Hmmmm, well this week my three favorite guitar solos are:

Planet Earth

Batdance

Sign of the times ( movie version).

live 4 love
i'm yours
i could never take the place of ur man

Joy In Repetition (It aint over)
Bambi
The Ride (sacrifice of victor)

Sign 'O' The Times - Live on the MTV music awards in '87. x infinity
Batdance
Temptation

RedKite said:

oh holy crap, i forgot about batdance. screw "peach", i would put this in my top three. this song has one of my favorite prince solos ever!

Genesia said:

Yes, fantastic solo, but the game is supposed to be played by picking from official releases. (According to the thread starter anyway ).

So hard to pick just 3 though, maybe favourite 30 would be better?

Just to throw 3 out there that I love:

1. The Rainbow Children - Some great stuff on the whole album but especially, the last 2 minutes of the title track.
2. When You Were Mine, on ONA Live.
3. Dolphin
[Edited 1/7/09 15:45pm]

Bambi
Purple Rain
Gett Off

i can't believe nobody else included 'computer blue'. holy moley.

Anxiety said:

sounds better as a piano solo. Its actually a Nelson snr. song anywho so doesnt count

I Hate U
Purple Rain
One Of Us

well from official releases:

Computer Blue
Batdance
Joy In Repetition, pretty much any version

i guess those are it. my favorites of his guitar work is on unreleased stuff and other live performances

1985 Purple Rain Concert on VHS ( I think its new york)
Rock Hall - WMGGW Performance
It Aint Over - Joy in Repetition

Anxiety said:

shame on u

I Like It There
The Holy River
Purple Rain
Gold

Genesia said:

Yep, beautiful! So...

God Instrumental
Purple Rain (any / all versions!)
Just my Imagination

Let's go crazy is classic...

All of Prince's guitar playing has kept me tuned in.