✦ If I Was Your Girlfriend — Single US: May.1987

GlamSlamEscape
May 5, 1987
2 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

Prince’s most intimate Camille confession wrapped in Sign O’ The Times minimalism

— SUMMARY

“If I Was Your Girlfriend” was released as the second single from Sign O’ The Times, arriving five weeks after the album. Issued worldwide, the single was backed with “Shockadelica,” a previously unreleased track originally intended for the abandoned Camille project.

The release is historically notable as the first Prince‑related single ever issued on CD, via a US promotional disc — a milestone that pre‑dates the first commercial CD single (“Alphabet St.”) by a year.

Chart performance varied: the single peaked at No. 67 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but performed strongly on the R&B chart, reaching No. 12. In the UK, it fared better on the pop chart, reaching No. 20. It was later reissued in 2020 as part of the Sign O’ The Times Singles Collection.

The track is one of Prince’s most emotionally complex recordings, delivered in his Camille voice and exploring themes of intimacy, vulnerability, and emotional closeness.

— HIGHLIGHTS

Second single from Sign O’ The Times
Released May 6, 1987 (US 7"), May 13, 1987 (US 12"), June 1, 1987 (UK)
First Prince‑related single ever issued on CD (US promo)
B‑side “Shockadelica” originally intended for the Camille album
Peaked at No. 12 on the US Billboard Black Chart
UK peak: No. 20
Reissued in 2020 as part of the Sign O’ The Times Singles Collection
Multiple formats: 7", 12", poster bag, collector’s pack, picture disc, cassette, CD promo
Remained 9 weeks on the Billboard Black Singles chart
Remained 5 weeks on the UK Gallup Singles Chart