Mine is When Doves Cry. Couldn't believe what I heard the first time it came on the radio: that guitar intro and then that monstrous Linndrum beat, the keyboards, the great vocals/lyrics, the crazy fast harmonica synthesizer parts, the guitar solo and again, that monstrous Linndrum beat! I was sold on the spot, and that was before I even saw any pictures or videos of Prince and the Revolution...

[Edited 6/19/15 14:15pm]

thedoorkeeper said:

Little Red Corvette. I remember what street I was driving down when I first heard it. Instant love. [Edited 6/19/15 14:14pm]

I only learned about LRC when music video channels started playing the videos regularly after PR became a huge success. And loved it a lot too.

I realised around that time that I also knew and liked the song 1999 before I knew it was by Prince. Same goes for finding out that Vanity 6 was related to Prince, I loved their song Nasty Girl, that one was released well before PR came out and I had enjoyed that one very much...

purplepolitician said:

Adore . Really the whole Girl 6 sndtrk but that 1 especially .

That is a great compilation album! And Adore is a great song obviously.

[Edited 6/19/15 14:33pm]

A 12" single

A Side:

• 1999

B Side:

• How Come U Don't Call me Anymore?

• D.M.S.R.

I bought it for the A side.

The B side persuaded me after one play to explore everything before and after.

rainbowchild said:

When Doves Cry. Heard the song on the radio and saw the music video and I was hooked! Can't believe it's been over 30 years ago! I'm getting old.

Same here!

langebleu said:

A 12" single

A Side:

• 1999

B Side:

• How Come U Don't Call me Anymore?

• D.M.S.R.

I bought it for the A side.

The B side persuaded me after one play to explore everything before and after.

Such a fantastic song: which other artist would hide something that good on a B-side? Only Prince...

Hearing "Let's Go Crazy" in the TV trailers for Purple Rain.

All I can remember is, I was about 10 years old and it was a hot summer night. I was at my brother's house, which was an upper flat on Detroit's west side. And I was on a sleeping bag on the upper porch because it was too damn hot inside the house and I needed some air. I was laying on my back. lookinig up at the stars, listening to Detroit's ONE and ONLY Electrifying MOJO doing his thing and he played THIS:

We've been together for quite some time
I'd think by now you'd know
It would take forever to get you off my mind
If ever you decide to go
I guess I got a little insecurity when it's concerning you
I guess I'm just afraid that if you ever leave
I'd be in a messed-up state of blue
And I'd be so lonely

Without you loving me
I know it's gonna be lonely
Without you giving me everylittlesinglething that I need, lonely

Whatever's in your kiss, it really turns me on
'til I go right out of my mind
And who could ever resist your accent from gay Paree
It gets me every time
I betcha thatcha never knew that in my dreams you are the star
The only bummer is that you always want to leave
Who do you think you are

Don't you know it's gonna be lonely
Without you loving me
I know it's gonna be lonely
Without you giving me everylittlesinglething that I need, lonely

It's gonna be lonely

Without you loving me
Giving me everything that I need
Oh pretty baby, can't you see
It's gonna be lonely

Without you loving me
I know, I know it's gonna be lonely
Oh, whatever's in your kiss
I never could resist
Oh, baby don't go!

We've been together for quite some time
It'd take forever to get you off my mind
Oh, girl!

Without you loving me
I know it's gonna be lonely
Without you by my side
Don't you know that I could die, baby

Without you loving me
Can't you see
It's gonna be lonely

It's gonna be lonely, baby
So lonely, baby

Music videos weren't exactly the shit...yet. But I crystal fucking clearly imagined the video for that song, right then and there. I was a Prince fan from that moment on! Yaaasss!

My lengthy parable about being a Prince fan has been repeated oft times on the org. Basically I had known of Prince since Little Red Corvette in 1983 and kind of liked the Lovesexy and Batman albums, but it was the pop gem known as Cream that made me a fan.

.

In the 4th form (Grade 9 for you Americans), staying over at a friends place, watching some music video show in late 1991 and the video for Cream comes on and I think "Oh thats that Prince guy who did Alphabet Street and Purple Rain" and I think I really like the beat and the melody of the song, really catchy and hellafunky. More importantly I like it, because it is dirty (Being 15 I still think sex is something funny because its forbidden and dirty (SAD), also with a lot fo groups getting banned and complained about because of sexualised lyrics and swearing). I sex the bizarre sex dancing at the end and Prince with that curl thing doing the CREEEEAAAMMMM!!! part as he comes off a girl like he is having sex. I think it is the coolest thing ever.

.

Then I buy the cream single that day (Not the maxisingle, just the budget one with Horny Pony as a Bside) and really like it and decide I want to hear more of this Prince guy. Just the next few weeks I realise he is more than a one trick pony and as I mature, realise he is more than one smutty pop song. Then I respect him and within 3 months I have Diamonds and Pearls, the 3 singles so far (A fewmonths later I found a copy of insatiable and this before Money don't matter was released). Then thats mid1992 and starting with the single release of Sexy Motherfxxker, I buy the vinyl, tape and video singles of that. Not CD single though as I did not get a CD player until 1993 (Poor hey).

.

Then I am pretty much a Prince fanatic and its pretty much Prince at the preclusion of everything else through the later part of High School and all of my University years.

funkaholic1972 said:

funkaholic1972 said:

rainbowchild said:

When Doves Cry. Heard the song on the radio and saw the music video and I was hooked! Can't believe it's been over 30 years ago! I'm getting old.

Same here!

Same here! I liked Little Red Corvette and 1999, but wasn't a full blown fan until WDC.

I Wanna Be Your Lover (the album version). The funky guitar lick throughout, but what really did it for me was the synth solo during the second half. DAMN!

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

All I can remember is, I was about 10 years old and it was a hot summer night. I was at my brother's house, which was an upper flat on Detroit's west side. And I was on a sleeping bag on the upper porch because it was too damn hot inside the house and I needed some air. I was laying on my back. lookinig up at the stars, listening to Detroit's ONE and ONLY Electrifying MOJO doing his thing and he played THIS:

We've been together for quite some time
I'd think by now you'd know
It would take forever to get you off my mind
If ever you decide to go
I guess I got a little insecurity when it's concerning you
I guess I'm just afraid that if you ever leave
I'd be in a messed-up state of blue
And I'd be so lonely

Without you loving me
I know it's gonna be lonely
Without you giving me everylittlesinglething that I need, lonely

Whatever's in your kiss, it really turns me on
'til I go right out of my mind
And who could ever resist your accent from gay Paree
It gets me every time
I betcha thatcha never knew that in my dreams you are the star
The only bummer is that you always want to leave
Who do you think you are

Don't you know it's gonna be lonely
Without you loving me
I know it's gonna be lonely
Without you giving me everylittlesinglething that I need, lonely

It's gonna be lonely

Without you loving me
Giving me everything that I need
Oh pretty baby, can't you see
It's gonna be lonely

Without you loving me
I know, I know it's gonna be lonely
Oh, whatever's in your kiss
I never could resist
Oh, baby don't go!

We've been together for quite some time
It'd take forever to get you off my mind
Oh, girl!

Without you loving me
I know it's gonna be lonely
Without you by my side
Don't you know that I could die, baby

Without you loving me
Can't you see
It's gonna be lonely

It's gonna be lonely, baby
So lonely, baby

Music videos weren't exactly the shit...yet. But I crystal fucking clearly imagined the video for that song, right then and there. I was a Prince fan from that moment on! Yaaasss!

definitely one of Prince most underrated songs....

RJOrion said:

I was casually aware of -- and liked -- Dirty Mind, Controversy and 1999, but Let's Go Crazy is the song that reeled me in.

sexton said:

Hearing "Let's Go Crazy" in the TV trailers for Purple Rain.

trc1 said:

Controversy.... Rude Boy for life

Let's Work

my 1st job when in high school was at a wrecka stow and one of the guys there kept playing the 12 inch which was out at the time - has been a life long journey

Little Red Corvette / 1999

aaroncanderson said:

When Doves Cry

dodger said:

aaroncanderson said:

I was 12 when Gett Off came out. I saw that video...the beat, the women, the confusion of seeing a Black man in a blouse play a guitar. I was intrigued. Next thing I know the song 7 came out. 7 hooked me, now I'm obsessed. Possessed!

Quite similar to me. I was 15 and saw the Gett Off video. Loved it; the women, him ripping off Diamond/Pearls dress, the lyrics. I spoke to a girl in school about it and she copied D&P on cassette for me and I haven't looked back since.

Amazed how that did not rope me in like Cream did. Gett Off is awesome and I love that video, and the video collection where Diamond and Pearl have to "audition" for the New Power Generation.

.

I guess it is because Cream was a bigger hit here (#5, 11 weeks) compared to #21 and 3 weeks for Gett Off. But Gett Off was the second song I bought, I loved it, but was put off that Horny Pony was also the Bside and then Q in Doubt was B side on Diamonds and Pearls. I thought straight away, this was one dude who made awesome singles and albums but could not give a toss about Bsides, as a lot of 90s tracks had album tracks, instrumentals, rap mixes and shit like Q in Doubt and 2whom it may concern. Little did I know about the rich bside legacy of the 80s!