✦ For You – Album US: Apr. 1978

U.S. front cover with hype sticker.

The beginning of the purple journey — a teenage prodigy builds a universe alone in the studio.

✦ Summary

Released April 7, 1978 in the United States, For You marked Prince’s first full‑length studio album and the first official Prince‑related release of any kind. At only 19, he delivered a project that stunned Warner Bros.: he wrote, arranged, produced, and performed every instrument and vocal, establishing the creative autonomy that would define his career.

Recording sessions took place at Record Plant, Sausalito from October to December 1977, with overdubs and mixing completed at Sound Labs, Los Angeles in January 1978. Warner Bros. had allocated $180,000 for his first three albums, but Prince spent $170,000 on this one alone, determined to perfect every detail.

Many tracks originated as 1976–77 home demos, later re‑recorded for the album. Posthumous revelations in The Beautiful Ones (2019) uncovered early configurations featuring unreleased songs such as “Bodyfreeze,” “Let Me Touch You,” and a cover of “Send in the Clowns,” showing how fluid the project was before its final form.

The album produced two singles — “Soft and Wet” and “Just As Long As We’re Together” — and although Prince did not tour to promote it, he assembled his first band shortly afterward, debuting live at the Capri Theatre in January 1979.

✦ Highlights

• Prince’s debut album at age 19

• He performed all vocals and instruments

• Recorded at Record Plant (Sausalito) and Sound Labs (LA)

• Early configurations revealed in The Beautiful Ones

• Budget nearly exhausted on this album alone

• Produced two singles: “Soft and Wet” and “Just As Long As We’re Together”

✦ Track Details

LP / CD – Warner Bros. – US – 1978

For You — 1:06

In Love — 3:38

Soft and Wet — 3:01

Crazy You — 2:17

Just As Long As We’re Together — 6:24

Baby — 3:09

My Love Is Forever — 4:09

So Blue — 4:26

I’m Yours — 5:01

Total length: 33:11

✦ Reissues & Global Variants

(Verified via Prince Vault, Discogs, and Warner Bros. catalog data)

1978 Original US Releases

• LP — Warner Bros. BSK 3150 — US

• Cassette — Warner Bros. M5 3150 — US

• 8‑Track — Warner Bros. M8 3150 — US

1984 European Release (post‑Purple Rain breakthrough)

• LP — Warner Bros. WB 56 785 — Europe

• Cassette — Warner Bros. WB 456 785 — Europe

CD Releases

• CD — Warner Bros. 256 785 — Europe (mid‑1980s)

• CD — Warner Bros. 7599‑25678‑2 — US/Europe (late 1980s/early 1990s)

• CD — Warner Bros. WPCR‑13132 — Japan (2007 reissue)

Digital Reissues

• Warner Bros. / NPG — Worldwide (2014–2015 catalogue restoration)

• Available on streaming platforms following estate negotiations

Notable Notes

• No vinyl reissue until the 2010s; original LPs remain collectible

• 8‑track is one of the rarest early Prince formats

✦ Production and Context

• Produced, arranged, composed, and performed by Prince

• Executive producer: Tommy Vicari

• Engineers: Tommy Vicari, David Rivkin (vocals), Steve Fontano, Dave Roeder

• Mastering: Mike Reese (1978), Bernie Grundman (1984 reissue)

• Uncredited contributions: Patrice Rushen (synth programming), Charles Veal (string arrangement on “Baby”)

• Early demos from 1976–77 reworked for the album

• Prince’s handwritten notes reveal multiple early tracklists with unreleased songs

✦ Singles Released

Soft and Wet — June 1978

Just As Long As We’re Together — November 1978

✦ Chart Performance

• US Billboard Top LPs & Tapes — #163 (5 weeks)

• US Billboard Soul LPs — #21 (23 weeks)

• US Billboard 200 (2016 re‑entry) — #138

✦ ALT TEXT (SEO)

Prince’s 1978 debut album cover featuring a close‑up portrait with soft lighting and the title For You above his name.

✦ Discography Sidebar

For You — 1978

Prince — 1979

Dirty Mind — 1980

✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

Oct–Dec 1977 — Recording at Record Plant

Apr 1978 — For You released

1978–79 — First band assembled; Capri Theatre showcases

✦ Glam Flashback

For You is the sound of a young genius insisting on total control — a teenager layering dozens of vocal tracks, playing every instrument, and crafting a debut that announced a new kind of artist. It’s tender, funky, experimental, and unmistakably Prince, even before the world knew his name.

✦ Image & Artwork Copyright Notice

All images, photographs, and artwork referenced or displayed in this post remain the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included strictly for historical, educational, and archival purposes under fair‑use principles.

✦ Sources

Prince Vault

Discogs

Warner Bros. Records documentation

The Beautiful Ones (2019)