Vibe To This Emotional Performance Of Prince’s “Purple Rain” By None Other Than Tom Jones And Pink Floyd Legend David Gilmour!
You know if Tom Jones and David Gilmour team up on a tune, it’s gonna be a banger.
You can be doubly sure of that if they’re hooking up to jam on Prince’s classic “Purple Rain”! Jones performed the timeless hit on his 1992 television show The Right Time, and he made it an extra special one by recruiting the Pink Floyd legend on guitar.
Tiger was dressed for the part in a snappy purple suit and drew upon his famous baritone to give the song an intense emotional depth.
The Music Man readers will definitely want to tune into the big moment from 2:30 onwards, where Tiger delivers a rocking scream to kick off Gilmour’s guitar solo.
It’s no secret that Gilmour is the undisputed master of six strings, and he definitely doesn’t disappoint here with a tasteful and emotive guitar solo.
Gilmour then beautifully plays around the backing vocalists to bring the song to a thunderous conclusion.
Although the “Purple Rain” cover is by now quite a retro performance, it’s only a recent upload, as Jones released it on his YouTube channel on June 7, 2024.
Fans watching online knew they were seeing something special, and added appreciative comments such as “As a diehard Prince fan, this is one of the best remakes I’ve ever heard of this song. Who knew?!” and “You can tell David Gilmour loves this song. He plays like he wrote it.”
It seems that Jones was really firing on all cylinders in the ‘90s, as he had a number of truly epic collabs from that era.
Another great moment was when Tiger teamed up with another British guitar legend, Mark Knopfler, on “I Feel Like Coming Home.”
Knopfler had previously recorded the Charlie Rich-penned tune with his country project The Notting Hillbillies, and roped in Jones to play it live in 1996.
As you might expect, the live cut also features another cracking guitar solo.
Prince and the Revolution released “Purple Rain” on September 26, 1984, as the third single from his sixth studio album of the same name.
The Music readers might be interested to hear the curious fact that “Purple Rain” peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, as it was kept off the number one spot by Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
What a time for music the ‘80s were, hey?
2 minutes readThe 1987 Soul Cover That Turned Bruce Willis Into a Billboard Hitmaker
“Respect Yourself”: The 1987 Soul Cover That Turned Bruce Willis Into a Billboard Hitmaker
At the height of Moonlighting, Bruce Willis recorded a Pointer Sisters-assisted remake of the Staple Singers classic for Motown—and unexpectedly carried it into the U.S. Top 5.
Bruce Willis performs the 1987 version, with June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters contributing featured vocals. The track appeared on Willis’s Motown debut album The Return of Bruno.
Listen on YouTube
Eddie Kendricks’ Dreamlike Farewell Masterpiece with The Temptations
“Just My Imagination”: Eddie Kendricks’ Dreamlike Farewell Masterpiece with The Temptations
Released in 1971, the Norman Whitfield–Barrett Strong ballad gave The Temptations another No. 1 pop hit while becoming one of Eddie Kendricks’ final recordings as a member of the group.
The Temptations perform “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me),” with Eddie Kendricks singing the principal lead and Paul Williams contributing an important second lead passage. Motown’s Funk Brothers provide the instrumental foundation, with orchestration arranged by Paul Riser.
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The 1964 Motown Classic That Gave The Temptations Their First Pop No. 1
“My Girl”: The 1964 Motown Classic That Gave The Temptations Their First Pop No. 1
Written and produced by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, “My Girl” placed David Ruffin’s unforgettable lead voice at the center of one of Motown’s most enduring recordings.
The Temptations perform “My Girl,” with David Ruffin on lead vocal. Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams and Otis Williams complete the classic vocal lineup, while Motown’s Funk Brothers provide the instrumental foundation.
Listen to “My Girl”
The 1984 Hit That Made Ali-Ollie Woodson a Defining Later Voice of The Temptations
“Treat Her Like a Lady”: The 1984 Hit That Made Ali-Ollie Woodson a Defining Later Voice of The Temptations
Co-written and led by Ali-Ollie Woodson, the single gave The Temptations one of their strongest later-era hits and a fresh 1980s identity.
The Temptations perform “Treat Her Like a Lady,” with Ali-Ollie Woodson delivering the commanding lead vocal.
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The Heartbreak Ballad That Helped Make Ricky Van Shelton a Country Star
“Somebody Lied”: The Heartbreak Ballad That Helped Make Ricky Van Shelton a Country Star
Traditional Country | Neo-Traditional Country | 1987 | Song Story
In 1987, country music was rediscovering the power of traditional voices.
Among the artists leading that movement was Ricky Van Shelton, a Virginia-born singer whose deep, clean country delivery sounded connected to an earlier Nashville era.
Then came “Somebody Lied.”
A song about a man pretending he has recovered from a breakup — until his former lover hears otherwise — it became Shelton’s first No. 1 country hit and helped turn a promising newcomer into one of Nashville’s fastest-rising stars.
“Somebody Lied” is performed by Ricky Van Shelton.
The song was written by Joe Chambers and Larry Jenkins and appeared on Shelton’s debut Columbia album, Wild-Eyed Dream.
That album introduced Shelton as part of the neo-traditional country movement of the late 1980s, when singers with stronger ties to honky-tonk and classic-country traditions were finding a new mainstream audience.
“Somebody Lied” proved that Shelton had both the voice and the material to compete at the highest level.
Listen to “Somebody Lied”
