Alphabet St. is the twenty-eighth Prince video to have been released for broadcast.
It is a very basic video which has Prince performing the song against a computer generated background of messages and letters floating around. The white Ford Thunderbird mentioned in the song (unlike the lyrics suggest actually a 1968 4-door Ford Thunderbird Landau Sedan, is also featured.
Of note it is the first video to show the white custom Auerswald Model C guitar. Alphabet St. is also famous for its hidden “Don’t buy The Black Album, I’m sorry” message.
The decision to make a video was a spur of the moment thing, after Prince had a change of mind about not wanting do a video for the song. It was a snowy Sunday afternoon, when Prince called Alan Leeds that he wanted to do the video. Leeds searched all day and finally found local video producer Michael Barnard prepared to come and do the shoot. Sheila E. and Cat were also commissioned initially, although Cat was later told she was not needed. The women’s legs seen in the video are those of Sheila E.. Equipment was rented from a local cable-tv company.
The video shoot commenced at 7:00 p.m. and was shot using four cameras with 2/3" tubes, shooting on 3/4" U-matic cassettes.
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