Joe Satriani Never Met Prince, But His Influence Runs Deep—Here’s the Proof!

Guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, known for his instrumental mastery and stints with legends like Mick Jagger, Deep Purple, and Chickenfoot, has always been a musical chameleon. In a recent interview with Ultimate Prince, Satriani revealed that despite never having met the legendary Prince, his influence runs deep in Satriani’s own work, particularly on his new album Shapeshifting.

For Satriani, one pivotal moment in his career came in 1987, when he discovered Prince’s Sign O’ the Times. At the time, Satriani was on tour supporting his debut album, Surfing with the Alien. He admits he was “really into Sign O’ the Times” and quickly became captivated by Prince’s groundbreaking approach to music.

Satriani recalls how the album felt like a breath of fresh air: “I was ready for that record when it came out. I was right in the middle of doing recordings where I wanted to break down the status quo of making a professional record. Because they all start to sound the same, formulaic. Then along comes Prince, and he just did everything any way he wanted to. He just kinda broke every rule with every song.”

Indeed, Sign O’ the Times was a masterclass in genre-defying innovation. Prince didn’t just create music; he created an experience, fusing elements of pop, funk, rock, and electronic into a sonic tapestry that was unlike anything the world had ever heard. “That record, of course, is eclectic like crazy. It’s just all over the map stylistically,” Satriani continues. “It really was a representation of his uncontainable talent. You just could not keep that guy in one place, he was too amazing at too many things.”

For Satriani, Sign O’ the Times became more than just an album—it was an inspiration to push boundaries and defy conventions in his own music. Even while on tour with his band, he couldn’t get enough of Prince’s eclectic mix of sounds, which served as the soundtrack on their tour bus. “We would put on Prince, AC/DC, and Peter Gabriel at the time. We liked it all,” he recalls.

Satriani’s admiration for Prince didn’t end with the music. It’s clear that the spirit of creative freedom and genre-defying artistry had a lasting impact on Satriani’s approach to music. This influence is especially evident in Shapeshifting, his new album, which brings together a vast array of sounds and ideas.

Though he never had the chance to meet Prince in person, Satriani’s connection to his legacy lives on in the album. One example is the contribution of Revolution keyboardist Lisa Coleman, who lent her signature piano touch to the tracks “Waiting” and “Yesterday’s Yesterday.” Satriani credits mutual friend Eric Caudieux, a keyboardist on the album, for connecting him with Coleman. “I had my little keyboard part on it, it just didn’t have any finesse on it. He said, ‘You know I do a lot of work with Lisa Coleman. She would be the person to understand how to play this particular song,'” Satriani explains.

Coleman’s influence, having worked with Prince for years, brought the perfect touch to Satriani’s album, lending it the kind of finesse and elegance that Satriani had been seeking.

It’s fascinating to think that, although the two never met, Prince’s influence remains embedded in Satriani’s work. Just as Prince once broke all the rules, Satriani continues to carve his own path in the world of instrumental rock, constantly evolving, experimenting, and seeking new ways to defy expectations.

In Shapeshifting, you can hear traces of Prince’s groundbreaking style, his boldness in mixing genres, and the uncontainable creativity that defined his career. For Satriani, this is proof that even if you never meet a legend, their influence can run deep, shaping the music and the artists who follow in their footsteps.