Here are some of my votes:

Electric Chair - SNL. It has a few gaffes, but it just rips that audience a new one. Wish I saw that live. Missed out.

She's Always in My Hair - Probably my fav song of his. On the Live 1999 show. Just because he did it, even though it was too short.

Gett Off - MTV. Aw lawd.

Creep - Coachella. Not his song but he kills it and makes you cry.

Somewhere Here on Earth - Leno. Not in my top 50 fav P songs. But his voice here and the fact that he's a legend doing it at that point in time just floors.

Erotic City - Warehouse. Not really live, but the pinnacle.

When Doves Cry - Washington, D.C, Musicology Tour. My other fav P song (probably the top) and I was in the front row for the only time I've seen him in person. Best $250 I ever spent.

What say you, brothas and sistas?

That we've seen or heard??? lol my apologies for being too exact.

Best heard one is his birthday concert back in 84'. That kills everything.

Best seen is one of the LoveSexy tours, either Dortmund or Toronto. I want to say Dortmund

his best tv performances have been on leno with musicology (2004) and The everlasting now (2002). Both are up on youtube and both are brilliant.

The Trojan Horse Aftershow (Small Club) is quintessential.

The argument of what his best show is, ultimately comes down to taste; as does (nearly) every objective musical statement/question. Nevertheless this is one that I personally enjoy.

not his BEST but my 3 faves are

If i had a harem-lovesexy live 88

Housequake-SOTT movie

Automatic-Parade 86 7.6.86 detroit...infact fuck it that whole 7.6.86 gig is my fave

i also love the NAACP 06 mini gig in front of obama and oprah

hmm bUT baby im a star live from the purple rain tour is pretty high up there

so is the grammys

oh MOTHERLESS CHILD from septimo

Electric man from nude tokyo?

AURGHHHHH too much!

I'm just going to throw out a number of my quintessential performances

Concerts

Controversy (LIVE HOUSTON) - I'll add Dirty Mind from New Orleans too

SOTT Movie 87 - ALL OF IT

Lovesexy'88 Dortmund- ALL OF IT (Harem Of course!)

Nude Tour 90 Tokyo - Bambi/ Question of U/ When Doves Cry

One off performaces

Benefit Gig FIRST AVE. 83 - ALL OF IT

26th Birthday FIRST AVE. 84 - ALL OF IT

27th Birthday DETROIT 86 - ALL OF IT

SOTT Warmup gig FIRST AVE. 87 - Best rendition of Strange Relationship FACT!

Television Performances

Purple Rain GRAMMYS 85

Electric Chair SNL 89

Arsenio 1992 - Agreed with Kiss (Sounds great)

Motherless child SEPTIMO 99

Creep COACHELLA 08

Aftershows

Trojan Aftershow 88

Paris ACT II Aftershow 93

[Edited 1/10/11 1:05am]

It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night - SOTT "The Movie"

I cant believe "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the Hall of Fame performance has not been mentioned. The ridiculous guitar work is obviously the centerpiece but Prince stole the show without opening his mouth or really moving from one spot on the stage - with other Hall of Famers. Throwing the Telecaster in the air and the pimp walk off at the end sealed it as the single greatest Prince performance I have ever seen - and I have seen him live since the Controversy tour.

purplenuts said:

I cant believe "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the Hall of Fame performance has not been mentioned. The ridiculous guitar work is obviously the centerpiece but Prince stole the show without opening his mouth or really moving from one spot on the stage - with other Hall of Famers. Throwing the Telecaster in the air and the pimp walk off at the end sealed it as the single greatest Prince performance I have ever seen - and I have seen him live since the Controversy tour.

that could easily be argued as his greatest piece of guitar work

AMA'S 1985 "Purple Rain". nuff said.

anna stesia- lovesexy dortmund

the question of u -tokyo nude tour

international lover- homecoming 1983

piano medley encore- 12/29/10 MSG NYC W2A

electric chair SNL

little red corvette new arrangement 12/29/10 MSG NYC W2A

the gingerbread man 12/29/10 MSG NYC W2A

jonylawson said:

purplenuts said:

I cant believe "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the Hall of Fame performance has not been mentioned. The ridiculous guitar work is obviously the centerpiece but Prince stole the show without opening his mouth or really moving from one spot on the stage - with other Hall of Famers. Throwing the Telecaster in the air and the pimp walk off at the end sealed it as the single greatest Prince performance I have ever seen - and I have seen him live since the Controversy tour.

that could easily be argued as his greatest piece of guitar work

I have to agree, I remember stumbling across this & I had friends over (they aren't Prince fans & aren't really music minded either), when it finished we all had tears in our eyes!!!! Absolutely BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!

He has alot of great performances but one that will always stick out is Electric Intercourse Live 1st. Ave 1983..Amazing.

digitalelectric said:

Here are some of my votes:

Electric Chair - SNL. It has a few gaffes, but it just rips that audience a new one. Wish I saw that live. Missed out.

She's Always in My Hair - Probably my fav song of his. On the Live 1999 show. Just because he did it, even though it was too short.

Gett Off - MTV. Aw lawd.

Creep - Coachella. Not his song but he kills it and makes you cry.

Somewhere Here on Earth - Leno. Not in my top 50 fav P songs. But his voice here and the fact that he's a legend doing it at that point in time just floors.

Erotic City - Warehouse. Not really live, but the pinnacle.

When Doves Cry - Washington, D.C, Musicology Tour. My other fav P song (probably the top) and I was in the front row for the only time I've seen him in person. Best $250 I ever spent.

What say you, brothas and sistas?

Erotic City at the Warehouse was part of a rehearsal, but it was still a live performance, wasn´t it?

My favorites are:

Purple Rain 1985 Syracuse,NY

Purple Rain 1988 Dortmund, Germany

Noon Rendezvous 1984, The Warehouse (Eden Prairie?)

Shhh.... 1994, Paisley Park ( Beautiful Experience/ A Night in Erotic City)

Just My Imagination 1988 Den Haag

18 & Over 1995, Paradiso/Amsterdam (not really a strong song, but loved that rendition that night, especially the guitar and the organs....still can´t get them out of my head )

Something In The Water 2002 Paisley Park, Minnesota

I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man 2002, Paisley Park, Minnesota

Nothing Compares 2 U 1991, Buenos Aires,Argentina

Purple Rain 2010, Berlin,Germany

Something In The Water 1984 ,The Warehouse

She´s Always In My Hair 1993, Lüneburg,Germany

One of Us 1998,Cologne, Germany ( not my kind of song but I loved how he performed it....great rendition)

Just a few off the top of my head.....there are probably dozens and dozens of great live performances but I can´t give you the exact dates. And yes, I also loved the rendition of Somewhere Here On Earth on the Tonight Show. Great performance.

Totally forgot the 1983 Benefit Show at First Avenue! Of course When You Were Mine, A Case Of You, Purple Rain, and Computer Blue. Pretty much the whole show was spectacular but that version of When You Were Mine is my favorite version of that song. Love it! Just a bit too short.

[Edited 1/10/11 16:40pm]

Rinluv said:

He has alot of great performances but one that will always stick out is Electric Intercourse Live 1st. Ave 1983..Amazing.

Absolutely co-sign! That version still makes me high everytime I hear it.

When You Were Mine was also brilliant....most energetic version ever, and I loved the lyric changes in it.

how bout the love we make from2010 everything from dorthmund on tv american music awards pr

jokocur said:

how bout the love we make from2010 everything from dorthmund on tv american music awards pr

That´s a good one.

littleredcorvette said:

AMA'S 1985 "Purple Rain". nuff said.

Yeah....that was so great! I wore my VCR out on that!

http://cloudguitarcentral...-amas.html

I've got several personal favorites, but the One Nite Alone Tour Aftershow at Le Bataclan, Paris 10-29-02 is right near the top. Incredible energy from Prince, the band and the audience. 2 1/2 hours that actually went until the dawn.

Digifuwill said:

littleredcorvette said:

AMA'S 1985 "Purple Rain". nuff said.

Yeah....that was so great! I wore my VCR out on that!

http://cloudguitarcentral...-amas.html

HELL YEAH THIS WAS AWESOME! When he kicked the mic stone....he tore that place down!

I have to say the Milan performance of Purple Rain from 2010 was AMAZING!!

That SNL performance of Electric Chair, OMG AMAZING!! Sexy Prince at his best!!

2004 Musicology LA performance of The Question of U/The One blows me away, gives me chills!

1983 1st Ave performance of Electric Intercouse...wow!

MTV performance of Gett Off..ass-less pants, is so representative of Prince!

Leno performance of Somewhere Here On Earth

I really like all of the Arsenio performances he did..Kiss, Cream, Blue Light, etc.

everything! but in my early fandom, stuff that got me panting 4 more were

the snl fury nite

the superbowl show & music hall of fame, when my guitar gently weeps

but i was in milan to see purple rain.. best ever, chilllz to the max

March 30, 1985

Carrierdome

Syracuse, NY

I watch the DVD at least once a month.

1983 1st Ave performance of Electric Intercouse...wow!

:yeahthat:too

Frederick96 said:

Digifuwill said:

Yeah....that was so great! I wore my VCR out on that!

http://cloudguitarcentral...-amas.html

HELL YEAH THIS WAS AWESOME! When he kicked the mic stone....he tore that place down!

Truly some intense magic there. Greatness. Prince has had some awesome spectacular live moments on TV.

littleredcorvette said:

1983 1st Ave performance of Electric Intercouse...wow!

:yeahthat:too

was watching that one of the org meetup. it was skipping during this song though and wouldn't play past the middle...just found it and ordered it. it's worth getting it for that song and i don't recall having any concert dvds with computer blue either..and i got quite a few!

purplemookiebut said:

littleredcorvette said:

was watching that one of the org meetup. it was skipping during this song though and wouldn't play past the middle...just found it and ordered it. it's worth getting it for that song and i don't recall having any concert dvds with computer blue either..and i got quite a few!

I love the enite concert. one of my favs