Thread by @anildash

An alternate video edit of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", featuring one of Prince's most-beloved guitar solos, was recently uploaded to YouTube. Features shots focused more on Prince's performance.

Some more details on this performance. This truly was the only time Prince ever played the song, though the idea that he wasn’t familiar with the song at all (which is sometimes claimed) is likely a bit of myth-making exaggeration. He *did* definitely want to play with Tom Petty.

The most stupefying part of the performance is when Prince tosses his guitar up to the heavens at the end. This is a stunt he did on stage many times; long-time guitar tech Takumi Suetsugu caught the guitar & handed it to Oprah. (She gave it back & it’s at @PaisleyPark now.)

Prince had done his own full set earlier in the night as part of his induction to the Rock Hall. He’d been playing these hits in his Musicology tour that year, which became the highest-grossing tour of 2004 and of his career.

Because of Prince’s dominating performance on this song, some people felt he’d been too much of a showboat at the Hall of Fame induction and a good bit of the initial reaction to his appearance was negative. These people were fools.

Much of the legend around this solo (calling it Prince’s best, etc) is due to the fact that almost no other live Prince solos were widely available before his estate started sharing his work online. This solo was actually fairly *typical* of how he played at almost every show.

Bonus: one of my favorite Prince photos ever was taken by @AfshinShahidi while Prince was walking over to the rehearsals for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, carrying his guitar down the streets of midtown Manhattan.

The other thing most folks miss in watching this performance is that Prince is actually onstage the entire time. He kept the spotlight off on himself (and is largely kept off-camera) until it was time for him to shine.