Prince was always destined for stardom. Even in his earliest days of making music, the Purple One was full of raw talent and uncompromising integrity. Through 40 years of musical activity, Prince never ceased to amaze with his powerful performances and songwriting abilities.

While Prince’s 1999 album was the major breakthrough that put him on the national radar, there’s no denying that Prince’s early music could foretell his funky fate. Even this concert, filmed nine months before the release of 1999, shows a young Prince powering through some prime funky classics.

Related: Remembering Larry King Through His 1999 Prince Interview [Full Video] 

Without the power of hits like “Little Red Corvette” and “Delirious” from the 1999 album, which came out in October of 1982, this performance from 1/30/82 at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ is just perfect. It’s prime funk, soul, R&B… in a word, it’s Prince.

Enjoy:

Prince – The Capitol Theatre – Passaic, NJ – 1/30/82 – Full-Show Video

[Video: Ernand van der Kuyp]

Setlist: Prince | The Capitol Theatre | Passaic, NJ | 1/30/1982

0:00:00 – The Second Coming
0:02:00 – Uptown
0:04:50 – Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?
0:12:24 – I Wanna Be Your Lover
0:29:14 – Dirty Mind
0:35:42 – Do Me, Baby
0:45:45 – Controversy
0:53:01 – Let’s Work
1:00:55 – Encore Applause
1:02:55 – Jack U Off
1:07:42 – Applause

[Originally published on 4/21/16]

Live For Live Music will host another edition of Purple Party: A Tribute To Prince in New Orleans during this year’s Jazz Fest on Sunday, May 5th at 11 p.m. The event will feature members of Magic Beans, Cool Cool Cool, The Nth Power, and more paying tribute to Prince. View the full all-star lineup and event details below, and to purchase tickets, click here.