Is it just me, or did this performance prove that much of the Batman music and quite a lot of what was going on inside Prince's mind in 1988/89 was, in actual fact, impossible to transfer into live performance.

The SN turn is odd to watch. Prince sounds so far ahead of all around him but looks trapped in the past.

The band look leaden but the song seems beyond them... and yet we know the quality of the musician on stage with him.

Was Prince simply beyond what he was trying to create at the end of the 80s?

My opinion: it's just you. That's one of my all-time favorite TV performances of his. While the studio song sounds great, the live version has an incredible vibe to it and his guitar sound is phenomenal.

It could be just me, you're right... but the performance looks so... staid and over rehearsed - compare and contrast to the rehearsed but apparently spontaneous looks and feels of SOTT and Lovesexy shows...

The sound is incredible, but not quite right. The look is so odd. The one shoulder jump suit of Graffiti Bridge fame looks weird when worn with that glad lame shirt....

I just get the feeling that Prince was pouring so much into his music at that time he forgot to actually take a step back and see what other people saw...

...and couldn't hear what other people were hearing.

'gold lame shirt' - obviously!

Maybe it's the choreography? I know Prince has always done that, with the Revolution and The Time, Family etc - but it does look quite boxed in and flat - doesn't really go with the vibe of the song maybe?

I do quite like this band line up though, I would've liked to see a bit more of them. Patrice on keys, Margie on backing vox, Candy on sax? This all works for me.

Gohi said:

That's one of my all-time favorite TV performances of his. phenomenal.

Yup, a firm fan favourite that one. It's not difficult to see why.

NouveauDance said:

Maybe it's the choreography? I know Prince has always done that, with the Revolution and The Time, Family etc - but it does look quite boxed in and flat - doesn't really go with the vibe of the song maybe?

I do quite like this band line up though, I would've liked to see a bit more of them. Patrice on keys, Margie on backing vox, Candy on sax? This all works for me.

Yeah it would have been a cool band if they had done more.

The performance is somewhat a little too camp or something, I always want to show it to friends, go back and watch it again first and then decide it might be better not to...

It was a transition time between Lovesexy to Grafitti Bridge. Clothes transition and band transition. Gone was Sheila E. in comes Mike Bland. Bonnie Boyer gone, in comes Patrice Rushen, but only for that performance. No Cat, and Margie Cox singing background. Prince probably was trying to fit pieces in for his next artistic move.

However, the SNL performance was banging! I watch it on the regular. To me, it gives a glimpse of what the original Rave would have be like.

I lOVE that performance and watched it a hundred times.

joyinrepetition said:

It was a transition time between Lovesexy to Grafitti Bridge. Clothes transition and band transition. Gone was Sheila E. in comes Mike Bland. Bonnie Boyer gone, in comes Patrice Rushen, but only for that performance. No Cat, and Margie Cox singing background. Prince probably was trying to fit pieces in for his next artistic move.

However, the SNL performance was banging! I watch it on the regular. To me, it gives a glimpse of what the original Rave would have be like.

Yeah, I really did started loose interest in the bands after Lovesexy

But this band seemed like it could have been cool. Especially if he still had Sheila on the drums

Bland never did anything for me (especially in a visual world like Prince's)

Sheila E had to have back surgery

Boni left for 2 different reasons

Cat left to go do her thing in Europe

Dr Fink still there, Mico Levi, no Eric or Atlanta

I think Patrice would not have hung around because she had been on her own for too long,

Prince pulled Margie from Jesse's protege band TaMara & the Seen

I love the dark vibe of this show, the smoke, This is Prince

9 24 1989
Saturday Night Live Rehearsal
1.Electric Chair
G-Spot

Saturday Night Live: Electric Chair

Margaret Cox Dr Fink Michael Bland Levi Seacer Jr Mico Weaver Patrice Rushen & Candy

OldFriends4Sale said:

Robin Powers behind Patrice - I totally forgot she was playing guitar in that performance.

NouveauDance said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Robin Powers behind Patrice - I totally forgot she was playing guitar in that performance.

LOL silly, yeah Mico was glammed up on that one

Gohi said:

My opinion: it's just you. That's one of my all-time favorite TV performances of his. While the studio song sounds great, the live version has an incredible vibe to it and his guitar sound is phenomenal.

I watch that video and I want to pull his hair.

[Edited 3/23/12 8:41am]

TheDigitalGardener said:

Gohi said:

That's one of my all-time favorite TV performances of his. phenomenal.

Yup, a firm fan favourite that one. It's not difficult to see why.

In my dreams I wish NBC would release this special on DVD. Prince rocking this performance in High Def with the bass blasting would be divine.

OldFriends4Sale said:

9 24 1989
Saturday Night Live Rehearsal
1.Electric Chair
G-Spot

Saturday Night Live: Electric Chair

Margaret Cox Dr Fink Michael Bland Levi Seacer Jr Mico Weaver Patrice Rushen & Candy

Is it me, or does Miko look like he's in drag in the top pic?

Elle85n09 said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

Yup, a firm fan favourite that one. It's not difficult to see why.

In my dreams I wish NBC would release this special on DVD. Prince rocking this performance in High Def with the bass blasting would be divine.

They did release the special on VHS... WITHOUT Prince's performance!?!

I was pissed when I bought it.

I've also been collecting their DVD season sets, bought seasons 1-5, was eager for season 6 (featuring Prince for 1 song), but, they've announced... no more season sets due to the expense of the music licensing.

Dammit!

This is Prince's fault isn't it?

jackmitz said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

9 24 1989
Saturday Night Live Rehearsal
1.Electric Chair
G-Spot

Saturday Night Live: Electric Chair

Margaret Cox Dr Fink Michael Bland Levi Seacer Jr Mico Weaver Patrice Rushen & Candy

Is it me, or does Miko look like he's in drag in the top pic?

lol not drag but definately the same lipstick color that Candy & Margie share

It was a bit of an off performance since we all know what he is truly capable in a live setting.

However, I still really enjoyed the performance and the guitar solo was fantastic albeit quiet.

Thanks for posting the pics..I never realized that Matt Fink performed with him on this song?

They probably dont show him that much and its hard to see him with all the smoke

Electric Chair is a cool song...for all my future crimes

nyse said:

The only thing i can complain about in that performance is his guitar should have been turned up. other than that it was great. not as in your face as his previous performance of "party up" on the show. But with out a doubt there has been HUGE growth with his music & stage presence when u compare these two sets.

Agreed. His solos are way too low in the mix.

i LOVE this performance...

LOVE..

when those backup gals scream 'then give me the electric chair', i get chills..

oh and he is stunning and gorgeous here.

I never realized that was Margie Cox.

nyse said:

The only thing i can complain about in that performance is his guitar should have been turned up. other than that it was great. not as in your face as his previous performance of "party up" on the show. But with out a doubt there has been HUGE growth with his music & stage presence when u compare these two sets.

Prince's guitar definitely should have been turned up in the mix. As for his stage performance, he was already a master showman. This was the birth of his stripped down, no frills set, hence the Nude Tour, which seemed to come from this show.

Genesia said:

Gohi said:

My opinion: it's just you. That's one of my all-time favorite TV performances of his. While the studio song sounds great, the live version has an incredible vibe to it and his guitar sound is phenomenal.

I watch that video and I want to pull his hair.

[Edited 3/23/12 8:41am]

And then do much, much more.

i think this was the first time we saw micheal b...right?

cthevideo said:

i think this was the first time we saw micheal b...right?

This or the "Partyman" video.

Somebody mo' purple knows!

The performance of "Electric Chair" was a favorite of mine!

I remember buying a fresh video tape to capture the whole show when it was live!

Yeah, it didn't seem like he was quite ready with that "in-between" band line-up.

A few glitches, a couple text-mishaps, ROCK 'N' ROLL!!!

Prost!