A few years back, we wrote about Prince for one of the first times ever, when he and his new band 3rd Eye Girl played a new song, “Screw Driver.” A few months later, he unveiled a demo of he and his all-female backing band playing his signature “Let’s Go Crazy” in a much more rock-oriented version. Prince maintained a close watch on all of his music, and as a result, neither of those song are online any more (it’s also the reason you didn’t find his music on YouTube and it’s only streaming on Tidal). However, thanks to the Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary concert after-party and alum Tim Kazurinsky, you can now see a version of “Let’s Go Crazy” that was played at the SNL after-party at the Plaza Hotel.
While it had been the stuff of legend, the performance was shown on SNL’s cobbled-together Prince tribute that aired last night in the wake of the superstar’s death on Thursday. Fallon states that Lorne Michaels put instruments on the stage in case anyone wanted to jam, and Paul McCartney, Dan Aykroyd and more did. Then Dave Chappelle said that Prince was there and suggested he ask him to play. Jay Z, Rihanna, Bill Murray and Fallon himself, as well as members of HAIM wind up onstage, and it’s an iconic moment not seen by anyone more than the after-party guests until now. Anyone doubting Prince’s guitar prowess should watch this now.
[youtube]https://youtu.be/CMNKnC9K8Uo[/youtube]
