A song made for 80,000 people to sing along with
JOE continues to look at some of our favourite classic songs of all-time with a tribute to an artist that recorded some of the best songs ever as well as electrifying crowds with his unique and funky style of guitar playing.
Artist, album and year: Prince and The Revolution, Purple Rain, 1984.
Why is it a classic? : Prince had long established a reputation as being a lothario on tracks like ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover’, ‘Soft and Wet’ and ‘Do It All Night’ but this track proved that ‘The Purple One’ was also equally comfortable reflecting on heartache and loss as much as he was on sex and lust.
This is Prince at his most raw as he laments on an unrequited love and what could have been. Listen to the sheer pain and anguish in his voice at 3:46 as proof of this sea change.
The album was Prince’s first time working with The Revolution and the resulting songs added a different dynamic to his body of work especially in terms of the added layers of guitars, keyboards, synths and drum machines.
The song itself is an absolute masterpiece and the very definition of a stadium anthem because it it incorporates elements of rock, gospel and orchestra.
As a guitarist, Prince is sublime because the track opens with a lone guitar which stays in the song throughout and synchronizes with the organs and drums to incredible effect.
It’s almost as if those notes at the five minute mark in the outro can express more than pages and pages of lyrics could ever do.
Did You Know? : Prince’s back-catalogue is notoriously difficult to find online because he’s recently decided to eliminate his digital footprint.
The lyrical hook: “I never wanted to be your weekend lover, I only wanted to be some kind of friend, Baby, I could never steal you from another
It’s such a shame our friendship had to end”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDWbonbkFXc
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