Anyone who remembers the 80’s knew what a force of nature Prince was. The music, the lyrics, the clothes, the dancing, and that smoldering look, captured our attention like no one else. You couldn’t turn on MTV (hey, is was the 80s) without seeing music videos featuring his purple highness.

Yet he remained a rather private for a pop icon. In interviews, Prince managed to maintain an air of mystery. One biographer reports that folks who knew him often hesitated to tell stories, wanting to allow Prince to define and redefine himself.

Which is why the video below, of Prince live with an acoustic guitar, is so compelling. In addition to scaled down instrumentality, his playfulness with the audience gives a rare intimate insight into the artist now and forever known as Prince.