https://www.thisisdig.com/feature/alphabet-st-prince-song-story/

Part 1 - Great.

Part 2 - Unnecesaary. "Cat, we need you to Rap" - Come on, he's better than that.

One of the rare instances where I prefer the single version to the album version

Have to agree.. I like this one short & sweet... although I do love the alphabet part at the very end

But this says he topped the US Chart... uhhhh, that didn't happen

I think it was lucky to get into the top 10 and then went away quickly

Don't get me started on how terribly the Lovesexy era did .. it still breaks my heart that the album made #11!

We can't count it as a top 10!

(I know it doesn't matter, but I am a chart geeK)

DotsofU said:

SoulAlive said:

SoulAlive said:

DotsofU said:

Have to agree.. I like this one short & sweet... although I do love the alphabet part at the very end

But this says he topped the US Chart... uhhhh, that didn't happen

I think it was lucky to get into the top 10 and then went away quickly

Don't get me started on how terribly the Lovesexy era did .. it still breaks my heart that the album made #11!

We can't count it as a top 10!

(I know it doesn't matter, but I am a chart geeK)

I think there are two things that ruined the chart success of this album. The nude album cover Questionable single choices (the title track shoukd have been the second single instead of “Glam Slam”).

Three things. It was originally released as a single track, so you couldn't skip to songs. The casual listener hated that.

One more, One more!

Besides the fact the SOTT maybe should have still been busting out singles in the spring of 88

(Please don't call me a Lovesexy hater - I love it beyond belief and the tour was one of the best nights of my life!)

But SOTT had legs and it could have gotten to 2,000,000 sales

And who knows - Maybe if WB got a double-platinum double-album from him, the heat would have been off of him a little..... Maybe he didn't want to prove them right after all the back & forth and chopping of CB ... we know he was a little devil that way!

ANYWAY, then he should have just taken a BREAK.

EVERYTHING began to change in 88.

Hairbands, Alternative/College,Rap and a little of that Mariah/Michael Bolton/Kenny G adult contemporary conquered and made the 80's icons obsolete

Duran Duran, Prince, Eurythmics (late 87), Bruce Springsteen (late 87) all underperfomed in 88

The only ones that survived were the ones who TOOK A BREAK and waited until the dust setlled:

Madonna and Janet - SMART MOVE

He should have waited it out, gathered new ideas and come back guns-a-blazing

This is just my very humble opinion, I am not an expert - I just like to follow the Billboard charts (well, used to)

And I am sure that I have gotten some things wrong, please forgive if I did

[Edited 4/19/23 20:29pm]

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

you couldn't have released lovesexy as a single Not sure radio would have gone with that title in 88?

I think it would done exteremely well as a single.Obviously,they would have had to use a single edit.Some of the spoken parts near the end would have to be taken out

DotsofU said:

One more, One more!

Besides the fact the SOTT maybe should have still been busting out singles in the spring of 88

(Please don't call me a Lovesexy hater - I love it beyond belief and the tour was one of the best nights of my life!)

But SOTT had legs and it could have gotten to 2,000,000 sales

And who knows - Maybe if WB got a double-platinum double-album from him, the heat would have been off of him a little..... Maybe he didn't want to prove them right after all the back & forth and chopping of CB ... we know he was a little devil that way!

ANYWAY, then he should have just taken a BREAK.

EVERYTHING began to change in 88.

Hairbands, Alternative/College,Rap and a little of that Mariah/Michael Bolton/Kenny G adult contemporary conquered and made the 80's icons obsolete

Duran Duran, Prince, Eurythmics (late 87), Bruce Springsteen (late 87) all underperfomed in 88

The only ones that survived were the ones who TOOK A BREAK and waited until the dust setlled:

Madonna and Janet - SMART MOVE

He should have waited it out, gathered new ideas and come back guns-a-blazing

This is just my very humble opinion, I am not an expert - I just like to follow the Billboard charts (well, used to)

And I am sure that I have gotten some things wrong, please forgive if I did

I recall one of the Warner execs said that they wish they had more time with SOTT....more time to release and promote more singles throughout 1988.But by the end of '87,Prince was ready to move on.I think the album had several more potential singles ("It","Adore","Strange Relationship",etc).

..

[Edited 4/19/23 23:21pm]

We loved the CAPTCHA style video and single version presented there. REALLY funky.

wtf is up with all that 'it didn't need part 2' ?

listen to the music and the interplay between the different instruments in that second part.

it's way way way to overlooked for how freaking brilliant he arranged that.

LILpoundCAKE said:

wtf is up with all that 'it didn't need part 2' ?

listen to the music and the interplay between the different instruments in that second part.

it's way way way to overlooked for how freaking brilliant he arranged that.

Exactly.

You would be missing the best parts - kind of like saying I wish Purple Rain was just the singing bits.

lurker316 said:

SoulAlive said:

DotsofU said: I think there are two things that ruined the chart success of this album. The nude album cover Questionable single choices (the title track shoukd have been the second single instead of “Glam Slam”).

Three things. It was originally released as a single track, so you couldn't skip to songs. The casual listener hated that.

I have an Import Versiion that is Tracked!!

A great song and album.

But it was a miserably sad time for US Prince fans as mentioned above. Casual fans thought he went bonkers with that cover.

#1 - Lovesexy is my favorite album of all time and Alphabet St. is a masterpiece through and through.

#2 - Cat's rapping fits the album perfectly and she is amazing and every second of Alphabet St. is part of the song so don't discount the rap.

woogiebear said:

lurker316 said:

Three things. It was originally released as a single track, so you couldn't skip to songs. The casual listener hated that.

I have an Import Versiion that is Tracked!!

Yes, so do I. Those tracked versions came later.

I was commenting on what hurt its commercial success at the time it was released.

lustmealways said:

#1 - Lovesexy is my favorite album of all time and Alphabet St. is a masterpiece through and through.

#2 - Cat's rapping fits the album perfectly and she is amazing and every second of Alphabet St. is part of the song so don't discount the rap.

Co-sign.

LILpoundCAKE said:

wtf is up with all that 'it didn't need part 2' ?

listen to the music and the interplay between the different instruments in that second part.

it's way way way to overlooked for how freaking brilliant he arranged that.

Agree.

Was listening yesertady to these Lovesexy tour tape given out to his band mates to learn to play the songs,

the Alphabet St. part has even more fillings and weird freaking brilliant shit over the unstoppable beat. 7plus minutes of probably live improvisational fun..

I'm gonna mix parts of this shit into the known song.

Can't wati to do it.

SquirrelMeat76 said:

Part 1 - Great.

Part 2 - Unnecesaary. "Cat, we need you to Rap" - Come on, he's better than that.

Well I don't agree personally, it fits perfect.

That damn Cat rap is really cool for me.

His screaming over it in the background when it kicks in (and all over it), really nice and damn cool.

Always waithing for this bit to hit it...

This whole song rays so much joy and fun.

There was nothing like this on SOTT, not even Play In The Sunshine, or U Got The Look.

And the combination of both songs to open the Lovesexy album is just really is stunning, and unique.

He did not do it before, and did not do it after that.

You can say that the opener of 1999 is similar in a way, but it does not build up with Litte Red Corvette in the way as it is on the Lovesexy album.

Maybe the two openers of The Black Album can compete...

at least to me.

Just crazy about that optimistic period, late '87 and full '88.

(His first full recordings in PP if recall correct... too)

SoulAlive said:

DotsofU said:

Have to agree.. I like this one short & sweet... although I do love the alphabet part at the very end

But this says he topped the US Chart... uhhhh, that didn't happen

I think it was lucky to get into the top 10 and then went away quickly

Don't get me started on how terribly the Lovesexy era did .. it still breaks my heart that the album made #11!

We can't count it as a top 10!

(I know it doesn't matter, but I am a chart geeK)

I think there are two things that ruined the chart success of this album. The nude album cover Questionable single choices (the title track shoukd have been the second single instead of “Glam Slam”).

Is that nude?

I thought it was a fantastic move.

He just doesn't wear any clothes; so the nudeness is imho wrongly reffered to as sexual or inapropriate...

I mean, as a European, I don't considder that nude...

Wasn't it all about the prudish attitude in the US that couldn't have it?

He's just sitting on a goddamn flower, and covers about everything!

Compare that with the John & Yoko album cover.

Or the giant penis on a Pet Shop Boys maxi single...

Poplife88 said:

A great song and album.

But it was a miserably sad time for US Prince fans as mentioned above. Casual fans thought he went bonkers with that cover.

I wish I had grown up in circumstances where prince being semi nude on the cover of his latest LP
would have been cause to have a miserably sad time. I wish I had had that luxury in life

Vannormal said:

SoulAlive said:

DotsofU said: I think there are two things that ruined the chart success of this album. The nude album cover Questionable single choices (the title track shoukd have been the second single instead of “Glam Slam”).

Is that nude?

I thought it was a fantastic move.

He just doesn't wear any clothes; so the nudeness is imho wrongly reffered to as sexual or inapropriate...

I mean, as a European, I don't considder that nude...

Wasn't it all about the prudish attitude in the US that couldn't have it?

He's just sitting on a goddamn flower, and covers about everything!

Compare that with the John & Yoko album cover.

Or the giant penis on a Pet Shop Boys maxi single...

Well, we just lived thru 2 terms of Reagan

Then Bush got elected

AIDS had America FREAKED OUT

EVERYTHING turned very conservative - gender bending was OUT

And Prince Naked on a flower with a giant dickhead in back of him was not gonna fly

What sucks is that we are moving back in that direction... SOS.

DotsofU said:

Vannormal said:

Is that nude?

I thought it was a fantastic move.

He just doesn't wear any clothes; so the nudeness is imho wrongly reffered to as sexual or inapropriate...

I mean, as a European, I don't considder that nude...

Wasn't it all about the prudish attitude in the US that couldn't have it?

He's just sitting on a goddamn flower, and covers about everything!

Compare that with the John & Yoko album cover.

Or the giant penis on a Pet Shop Boys maxi single...

Well, we just lived thru 2 terms of Reagan

Then Bush got elected

AIDS had America FREAKED OUT

EVERYTHING turned very conservative - gender bending was OUT

And Prince Naked on a flower with a giant dickhead in back of him was not gonna fly

What sucks is that we are moving back in that direction... SOS.

Exactly.

-

Just read an article about the influence of the Internet on all of us, after all these crissises you mention there. Very interesting view.

In short:

The internet is extremely young, and has made us lose ourselves as utter madmen with initially new possibilities and freedoms.

Everyone had the freedom to shine as someone they're not.

A new not-so-innocent way to perfectionise ourselves.

Multiply that with the new age of adjustable imagery, hiding defaults.

Commercials jumped on that.

On top of that all sorts of unasked 'Likes, opinions' and the constant sell of having to feel good.

Beauty isn't beauty anymore. It's dry fakeness mashed up with plastic bling-bling, more make up then clothes, more accessories then personality.

Poor (minded) were able to show richness while stying poor (minded).

Teeth need to be paper white and not ivory like nature made them.

Worst of all, the crazy found eacother by 'connecting' by mutual accepted lies turned into facts, forming groups, growing bigger because not feeling understood by those who thought were dong the right thing. etc...

Prince sometimes even mentioned it in his lyrics.

He was keen sometimes, but had his own (religeous) ways to interpret it.

Shame he didn't went further on his Art Official Age theme...which is exactly what this is all about. He coud've been taken more seriously i believe...

Sorry, I'm being carried away from the subject......