In 2016, after Prince’s untimely death — and the phrase “untimely death” really doesn’t do justice to how massive a loss his passing was — a video from over a decade earlier began making the rounds. It featured an all-star band performing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” The occasion of this performance? George Harrison’s posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The primary reason why the clip went virtual was the finale of the song, in which Prince played an utterly transcendental solo. In the years since then, the clip had become even more bittersweet, owing to the presence of another gone-before-his-time legend, Tom Petty, in the band.
Now, the director of the original segment has re-edited it, making for what he argues is a more compelling sequence. Joel Gallen uploaded the new clip to YouTube, with a short explanation of the changes he made 17 years after it first aired.
“I finally had the chance to go in and re-edit it slightly — since there were several shots that were bothering me,” Gallen explained on YouTube. “I got rid of all the dissolves and made them all cuts, and added lots more close ups of Prince during his solo. I think it’s better now.”
For an even deeper look at how a stunningly good solo came together, this new cut delivers. Although, spoiler: there is still absolutely zero insight into the fact that Prince’s guitar appears to vanish into thin air just before he exits stage right.
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