It's always a pleasure to participate in the #PrinceTwitterThread series & be in this company of @prince heavy hitters deep-diving into songs from the "3121" album. My thanks to both @deejayumb & @EdgarKruize for organizing them.

Today's song is "Fury," which is about a woman – or women as it has been speculated [ https://diffuser.fm/prince-fury  ] – who feels she's been left behind. But that's not the focus of this thread.

Heading into 2006, Prince was firing on all cylinders. He was still basking in the afterglow of the events of 2004: the Grammys opening w/ Beyoncé, his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the top-grossing "Musicology" tour.

During the Musicology tour announcement at L.A.'s El Rey Theater in Feb 2004, Prince said that one of the goals of the tour was “to bring back music and live musicianship.” This motivation was underlined by his oft-repeated, on-stage declaration, "Real music by real musicians."

By this time, Prince was mentoring young artists & his peers on becoming independent & asserting greater control over their work. Now, he was embracing the role of elder statesman. First agenda item: induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Note: Anita Baker is with him.

The RRHOF induction ceremony was held at the Waldorf-Astoria in NYC in March 2004. Here, Prince reminds rock's elite (and the world) of his mastery as lead guitar; the singular role in a band that commands the establishment's respect. Prince needed to do this publicly.

And we all remember that Prince shut down the RRHOF ceremony with his solo during "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".

Okay, so what's all this got to do with "Fury" – a song released two years later? Fast-forward to February 4, 2006.

Recently, @deejayumb outlined 3121's first single "Te Amo Corazón" that previewed the album 3 months prior to its March 2006 release. A *second* preview happened on when Prince performed "Fury" on SNL. https://twitter.com/deejayumb/status/1292399340477087749?s=20

Watch the performance, please. Through my eyes, the SNL debut of "Fury" is Prince as Educator. We'll step through a few visual components of this performance to see what I mean: https://vimeo.com/234010581 

Let's start with the guitar. While there are photos of Prince playing his Honor Madcat, he didn't use it during the televised "Fury". P actually uses a Fender Stratocaster; a model that he'd never played before & is closely associated w/ legendary guitarists.

Side Note A: did anyone think it strange for Prince to have a Strat as the cover design for "Fury's" single release? It is, until you realize that "Fury" is really a vehicle for his guitar playing. The lyrical content is secondary; in fact, there's no chorus – only soloing.

Back to SNL: his Strat is plugged (not his usual wireless) into Orange amps; a historic, alternate brand whose sound is described as "fat & warm" that produced more musical & richer harmonics, & improved guitar sustain. And, yes, they matched his suit. (Hi, @CasciTRitchie)

Another 1st for Prince: his stage plot. On SNL, he's stage right & not at his usual center. In my my book, it's a nod to Jimi Hendrix's preferred staging for the Experience, and Band of Gypsys.

Prince at stage right also serves the purpose of highlighting @theashleytamar and Maya & @NandyMcClean (the Twins). The trio provides an electricity that's a perfect compliment to the energy of "Fury." More on Tamar tomorrow from @PressRewind75

Side Note B: The *other* performance of "Fury" happens 10 days later at the Brit Awards. Reuniting P with @wendyandlisa and @SheilaEdrummer – note the traditional staging & how Tamar & the Twins are integrated.

Side Note C: Prince talks to Guitar Player (July 2004) & he discusses learning your own sound. The first person he recommends? Ike Turner. Honestly, I never saw that coming. (Check the amps in the Ike photo.)

Let's connect Ike Turner to this, because they're actually two keys. First, Ike is oft-credited as creating the 1st rock & roll record, "Rocket 88" – it's foundation being Memphis Blues.

Ike Turner also played a Fender Stratocaster. So much so that Fender produced a Tribute Series model in 2004. And the color? https://www.vintageandrare.com/product/Fender-Stratocaster-Ike-Turner-1959-Custom-Shop-2004-Daphne-Blue-39098

And Tamar & the Twins? Here they are two days after SNL as part of Tamar's Spring 2006 tour. Explosive, right?

Now, let's watch the prototype: Tina Turner & The Ikettes. I would advise strapping in…

I've always believed that Prince, while at times very nuanced, was always deliberate in his presentations. He never gave us easy answers, but it was always an open-book test.

I'll wrap it here. Thanks for reading. Follow the #PrinceTwitterThread for a wealth of insight & information from an illustrious group. And we'll see you soon for a new @TotalMusicSnobs episode.