Prince/Sapporo, Japan 10.21.2001

Prince's Japan tour was met with rave reviews, surpassing his first visit to Japan, and was even said to be the best show of his life. He was willing to die! It was a truly moving experience for everyone! It was one of the first shows to be announced, and rumors of a secret gig circulated. The show exceeded all expectations, and this high-quality audience recording captures the live performance at the Welfare Pension Hall in Sapporo on November 21, 2002! Eric Leeds was originally scheduled to replace Maceo Parker on horns that day, but Maceo was so impressed by the performance in Japan that he stayed on, and even Eric joined in, creating a truly spectacular collaboration. The Sapporo performance was a major surprise! Prince's incredible drum solo was enough to send the excitement into a frenzy! Eric's incredible saxophone solo on "Money Don't Mater 2nite" was amazing! Oh, Eric, you're here too! And above all, a rare performance of "Power Fantastic"! This performance will truly melt your heart. Prince and his band deliver a mellow, jazzy performance of classic songs that will move you to tears! During "1+1+1=3," Prince takes a James Brown rhythm on guitar, tightening the band even more, and Maceo and the horn section respond. This is truly one of the best moments of their Japan tour! The seemingly endless funky groove suddenly breaks with "Question Of U," and this is truly a moment of masterful performance, truly representative of Prince's greatest band! Then, there's the drum solo by John Blackwell, the greatest drummer in Prince's history. The pauses, bounces, and rhythmic sense of the instrument are simply breathtaking! And immediately after, the Santana Medley, rarely performed on the ONA tour, is performed by this current lineup. It's a jazzy yet rockish medley unlike anything you've ever heard before. This performance alone will surely have satisfied the Sapporo crowd! Then, on "Gotta Broke Heart Again," Maceo delivers his mesmerizing saxophone performance! The band's unified performance of "Everlasting Now" before the encore was a powerful one, as if hammering into the audience what funk is all about! The encore began with Prince's guitar chops on "Alphabet St." The jam that followed had me tingling, jumping, and wanting to stop dancing! Then, as expected, Pass the Peas, led by Maceo's MC, unfolded with a truly heavyweight JB funk featuring Greg and Eric, and a truly horn-driven performance! And finally, "All the Critics Love U In Japan," with Prince's keyboard-driven, cool groove, got the audience moving! It was a dreamlike live performance, absolutely amazing! While there was no after-show during this Japan tour, this Sapporo performance was billed as a secret gig, so perhaps it incorporated the same club-gig elements as the Sendai performance. For those who missed out on the Sapporo performance, this is the perfect item to enjoy! This is our top pick and a must-have item for Japanese Prince fans! ! KOSEI NENNKIN HALL SAPPOLO JAPAN NOV 21, 2001 Disc 1 Prince Drum Solo/The Rainbow Children Pop Life Money Don`t Mater 2nite Purple Rain The Work Pt.1 Power Fantastic 1+1+1=3（Incl. Love Rollercoaster/Turn It Loose/Housequake) Question Of U /Drum Solo Sanatana Medely Disc 2 When You Were Mine Gotta Broken Heart Again The Ride Sign Of The Times Take Me With U Raspberry Beret The Everlasting Now Alphabet St. / Jam Pass The Peas All The Critics Love U In Japan/Love Bizarre