Album: Lovesexy

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Lovesexy

Lovesexy.jpg

Album details


Released: 6 May 1988 (France)

9 May 1988 (UK)
10 May 1988 (USA)

Length: 45:07
Label(s): Paisley Park Records / Warner Bros.
Studio(s): Paisley Park, Chanhassen, MN, USA

Charts, Certifications & Awards


Charts
America
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
USA: Billboard Top Pop Albums 25 May 1988 11 20
USA: Billboard Top Black Albums 25 May 1988 5 17
 
Europe
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Austria: Alben Top 75 1 Jun. 1988 3(?) 28
Germany: Musikmarkt Top 75 Albums 23 May 1988 4 24
The Netherlands: Nationale Top 75 21 May 1988 1(3) 19
Norway: VG-Lista Top 40 Albums Week 19/1988 2(?) 18
Sweden: Top 60 Albums 25 May 1988 1(2) 8
Switzerland: Schweizer Hitparade 25 May 1988 1(2) 12
U.K.: UK Albums Chart 21 May 1988 1(1) 32
 
Pacific
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Australia: ARIA Top 50 Album 26 Jun. 1988 13 6
New Zealand: Top 40 Album 12 Jun. 1988 1(2) 18
Certifications
Institution, Country Date Certification
RIAA, USA 5 Dec. 1988 Gold (500,000)
BPI, UK 10 May. 1988 Silver, Gold (100,000)
BPI, UK 23 Aug. 1988 Platinum (300,000)
SNEP, France 1988 Gold (100,000)
SNEP, France 18 Oct. 2001 Gold x2 (200,000)
BVMI, Germany 1989 Gold (250,000)
Awards
Institution, Country Date Award
9th Minnesota Music Awards, USA 11 May 1989 Best Album

Singles released


Alphabet St.
b/w Alphabet St. part II
Alphabetst single.jpg
Glam Slam
b/w Escape
Glamslam single.jpg
I Wish U Heaven
b/w Scarlet Pussy
Iwishuheaven single.jpg

See also


Lovesexy
(Sheet Music)
Lovesexy Tour
border 1988 Lovesexy staff all access.jpeg

Alternate Album Configuration



26/27 January 1988 configuration

  • Side 1:
  1. Eye No
  2. Alphabet Street
  3. Glam Slam
  4. Anna Stesia
  • Side 2:
  1. Dance On
  2. When 2 R In Love
  3. Luv Sexy
  4. Positivity (with 'Music Is The Key' rap)


  • February 1988 configuration
  1. Eye88.png No
  2. Alphabet St.
  3. Glam Slam
  4. Anna Stesia
  5. Dance On
  6. Lovesexy
  7. When 2 R In Love
  8. I Wish U Heaven (different guitar solo)
  9. Positivity (with 'Music Is The Key' rap)
Lovesexy is the tenth full-length studio album by Prince. It was released worldwide in May 1988, 13 months after his previous album Sign O’ The Times.

As an artistic statement, the initial CD release of the album was not split into tracks, but was instead tracked as one single 45:07 track, designed to be listened to as a whole (track titles were included, however). Later releases of the CD split the album into the nine named tracks, however.


Sessions and compiling

The album was written and recorded hastily in response to Prince’s decision in early December 1987, to cancel “The Black Album”, which Prince deemed too dark. One of the tracks from that album, When 2 R In Love, recorded in October 1987, was kept for inclusion on Lovesexy, and the remaining eight tracks were recorded in the following two months. Eye88.png No, Anna Stesia, Dance On and Positivity were recorded in mid-December 1987.

Also recorded in mid December was Luv Sexy, an early version of Lovesexy with the same hook-line but faster in pace, in a different key and with mostly different lyrics. It was not used for the album but Prince borrowed parts from it for Lovesexy that was done in late January 1988.

Alphabet St. and Glam Slam were also recorded at some point in December 1987, but specific dates for these tracks are unknown. I Wish U Heaven was recorded in late January 1988, as the final track recorded for the album.

While Sheila E. appears on drums for many of the album’s tracks, the album was largely recorded solely by Prince. His full live band appeared on Eye88.png No, and some band members appeared in minor roles on Alphabet St., Anna Stesia, Lovesexy and Positivity. The album marks Cat and Boni Boyer’s first appearances on a Prince album.

A first sequence of the album was done on 21 January 1988. The exact sequence of this version is unknown, but likely had the first four songs (Side A of the album) as it was later released, although some versions (including Glam Slam and Anna Stesia were possibly edited or mixed differently at this point. The other songs on there were Dance On, When 2 R In Love, Luv Sexy, The Line and Positivity, most likely in that order. Positivity at this stage included Cat rapping J.M. Silk’s "Music Is The Key", previously incorporated into Cindy C. which was removed from the version as it was released. Prince likely worked on mixing the tracks over the next week.

A version of the album was compiled and printed as an acetate on 26 / 27 January 1988. Possibly with its 'predecessor', the ill-fated untitled “The Black Album” in mind it was made without an artist or title presented. The album now had eight songs, omitting The Line from its earlier configuration. All four tracks on side A, as well as Dance On and When 2 R In Love were now edited as on the released version, although the mix was possibly slightly different still on some. Luv Sexy was the penultimate track on the album, with Positivity still with the "Music Is The Key" rap included. I Wish U Heaven was yet to be recorded and therefore not on this configuration.

On 29 January 1988, two days after the acetate was made, Prince cut Lovesexy from scratch, using the lyrics he wrote as The Most Vital (but did not put to music as such) and taking various elements from Luv Sexy, including the hook-line and the varispeed dialogue at the end. I Wish U Heaven was recorded two days after Lovesexy on 31 January 1988. In early February 1988 a new test pressing of the album is made, now including both the newly recorded Lovesexy and I Wish U Heaven. Before its final release I Wish U Heaven was remixed once more and replaced a guitar part with a keyboard part, while Cat’s "Music Is The Key" rap was omitted from Positivity.

Promotion

The album produced three commercially-released singles, Alphabet St. (which preceded the album), Glam Slam and I Wish U Heaven.

Prince supported the album with a major European, North American and Japanese tour, the Lovesexy Tour, which focused largely on the album (while including many songs from Prince’s back catalog).


Charts

The album reached number 11 on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums Chart, and number 5 on the Billboard Top Black Albums Chart. It fared much better in Europe, reaching number 1 in the UK, Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden. The album also did well in New Zealand, where it also reached number 1.


Certifications

The album was certified gold by RIAA seven months after release, on 5 December 1988. Lovesexy was Prince’ lowest and weakest selling album in the United States since Controversy. Prince was so disappointed in the less-than-stellar impact of the album in the U.S. that he decided to postpone the American tour that was planned. Instead, he opted to go to Europe before taking the show to the US, hoping that the momentum and anticipation would build.



Track listing
CD LP

The compact disc version is a reissue from the LP.

  1. Eye88.png No (5:46)
  2. Alphabet St. (5:38)
  3. Glam Slam (5:04)
  4. Anna Stesia (4:57)
  5. Dance On (3:43)
  6. Lovesexy (5:49)
  7. When 2 R In Love (4:02)
  8. I Wish U Heaven (2:43)
  9. Positivity (7:16)

Vinyl and Cassette have the same tracks sequence

  • Side 1:
  1. Eye No No (5:46)
  2. Alphabet St. (5:38)
  3. Glam Slam (5:04)
  4. Anna Stesia (4:57)
  • Side 2:
  1. Dance On (3:43)
  2. Lovesexy (5:49)
  3. When 2 R In Love (4:02)
  4. I Wish U Heaven (2:43)
  5. Positivity (7:16)

All songs written by Prince.



Personnel
Musicians


Production
  • Prince - producer, arranger and engineer
  • Joe Blaney - engineer
  • Eddie Miller - engineer and mix
  • Bernie Grundman - mastering
  • Jean Baptiste Mondino - cover photo


Thanks



Releases
LP, CD, Cassettes and Other versions
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2

America
Canada LP 92 57201 center center center center
Canada CD CD 25720 Songs in continuous sequence center center center center
Canada MC 92 57204 C center center center center
USA LP 1-25720-DJ Promo DJ Gold Stamp center center center center
USA LP 1-25720-DJ Promo DJ virgin vinyl center center center center
USA LP 1-25720 center center center center
► See more  ► See more 
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
USA LP R 154087 RCA Music Service pressing center center center center
USA CD 2-25720 Long Box: songs in continuous sequence center center center center
USA MC 4-25720 1st edition: paper labels center center center center
USA MC 4-25720 2nd edition center center center center
Mexico LP LWB-6728 center center center center
Venezuela LP 3231 center center center center
Brazil LP 670.4155 Promo with facts sheet center center center center
Brazil LP 670.4155 center center center center
Argentina LP 25 720 promo center center center center
Argentina LP 80746 center center center center
Argentina MC 90746 center center center center
Europe
UK LP WX164 Promo with Sticker center center center center
UK LP WX164 center center center center
Germany LP 925 720-1 center center center center
Germany LP 925 720-1 Virgin vinyl center center center center
Germany CD 925 720-2 First Release: songs in continuous sequence center center center center
Germany MC 925 720-4 center center center center
Spain LP 925720-1 center center center center
Spain MC 925720-4 center center center center
Portugal LP 9257201 center center center center
Italy LP 92 5720-1 center center center center
Italy MC 92 5720-4 center center center center
Yugoslavia LP LSWB 73240 center center center center
Yugoslavia MC CAWB 9336 center center center center
Greece LP 925720-1 center center center center
Greece MC 925720-4 center center center center
Turkey MC 25720-4 center center center center
Africa
Zimbabwe LP WBC 1645 center center center center
South Africa LP WBC 1645 Promo with Black Stamp center center center center
South Africa LP WBC 1645 center center center center
Middle-East
Israel LP BAN 925720-1 center center center center
Israel CD 9 25720-2 Songs in continuous sequence center center center center
Israel MC MCB 925720-4 center center center center
Asia
Japan LP P-13652 Promo With OBI strip + Sticker center center center center
Japan LP P-13652 With OBI strip center center center center
Japan CD 32XD-984 With OBI strip: Songs in continuous sequence center center center center
Japan CD WPCP-3650 With OBI strip: Songs in continuous sequence center center center center
Japan CD WPCP-360 With OBI strip: Songs in continuous sequence center center center center
Taiwan MC WU1350 center center center center
Thailand MC 25720-4 center center center center
Indonesia MC 925720-4 center center center center
Philipines LP 25720-1 center center center center
Philipines MC 25720-4 center center center center
Pacific
Australia LP 1-25720 Promo wrapped with black lace panties center center center center
Australia LP MX300955/56 center center center center
Australia MC 25720-4 center center center center

Variants, Special Editions and Reissues
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2

Europe
Germany CD 7599-25720-2 Reissue: Tracked Version center center center center
Asia
Japan CD WPCR-75023 Reissue 2005: Forever Young Series, songs in continuous sequence center center center center
Japan CD WPCR-13540 Reissue 2009: SHMCD "Mini LP" center center center center

 

 

 
Additional Information

Promotion (at time of release) Trivia

  • US press adverts published in Billboard and in Rolling Stones in spring 1988:

US press advert published in Billboard (Vol. 100 No.20) on 14 May 1988   US press advert published in Rolling Stone (info needed) in 1988

  • Warner Bros. records shipped 750,000 units in advance of its street release, and logged in 30,000 reorders by 11 May 1988.
  • Department store giant Wal-Mart refused to carry the album or decided to stock it discreetly in their 1,100 stores across the USA because of the "provocative pose" of Prince on the cover that they thought was "too hot to handle". Interviewed by Billboard, a representative from the chain declared that their refusal of stocking the album was due to "the album cover itself", something that was "offensive" and that they didn’t want to carry anything in their stores containing "graphics of this nature". In a similar way, a Minneapolis based company, Musicland Group, advised the managers of their 616 stores to keep the LP behind the counter, while cassettes and CDs were being displayed routinely. Asked about the controversy, Warner VP Dennis said that the label had no intent in redesigning the cover as they "didn’t see anything wrong with it", pointing that Time Magazine printed the cover on the second week of may 1988.
  • On 28 July 2023, The Prince Estate re-released the album with Sony’s Legacy Recordings (Come was also re-released on the same day).

References
Sott.jpg 1987
Sign O’ The Times
All Albums All Related Artists Albums 1989
Batman
Batman.jpg