Radio\/TV presenter Danny Baker once said that if aliens came to our planet wanting to know something of our musical heritage, he would play them ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’.<\/p>\n
And then he’d say, ‘That was written by the third-best songwriter in The Beatles’.<\/p>\n
It’s a thought-provoking statement that goes straight to the depth of musical ability in that collective of Liverpudlian lads.<\/p>\n
Yesterday afternoon’s very sad news that Prince (aka TAFKAP, aka Squiggle) no longer resides on this mortal plain immediately brought me back to Danny Baker’s words.<\/p>\n
This isn’t, by any stretch, a Prince song.<\/p>\n
But at 3m 28s he turns in one of the classiest guitar solos I have ever heard, and, in so doing, Prince elevates\u00a0an extraordinary song in to a showcase of written and performing talent.<\/p>\n
And I haven’t even begun to think about his own written work, yet.<\/p>\n
Onstage with the Purple One is Tom Petty, Stevie Winwood, Jeff Lynne, and Dhani Harrison, Paul Shaffer, and probably one or two others I’ve missed.<\/p>\n
Don’t fast forward, but please go along for the ride, right up to the end.<\/p>\n
It’s awesome.<\/p>\n