🔘 Little Red Corvette – Horny Toad - Single : Apr. 1983

GlamSlamEscape
Apr 3, 1983
3 min read

Released: April 4, 1983 (UK)

Catalogue Number: W 9436 (7") / W 9436T (12")

Prince’s breakthrough ballad hits the UK with a uniquely British B‑side — the raw, rockabilly‑funk blast “Horny Toad.”

Released in the UK on 4 April 1983, “Little Red Corvette” marked Prince’s first major UK push following the international success of 1999. While the US single featured “All the Critics Love U in New York,” the UK edition arrived with a unique B‑side, the frenetic, rockabilly‑funk workout “Horny Toad” — unavailable on any album and exclusive to UK commercial formats.

The single appeared in two versions: a 7" featuring the 3:08 edit, and a 12" pairing the full album version with “Horny Toad” and the extended 8:15 version of “D.M.S.R.” The UK release helped cement Prince’s growing profile in Britain, charting modestly but laying the groundwork for the explosive success of Purple Rain the following year.

🔘 Track List

7" Single — W 9436

Side One

• Little Red Corvette (Edit) — 3:08 — Prince

Side Two

• Horny Toad — 2:12 — Prince

12" Single — W 9436T

Side One

• Little Red Corvette — 4:58 — Prince

• Horny Toad — 2:12 — Prince

Side Two

• D.M.S.R. — 8:15 — Prince

Produced by: Prince

Engineers: Don Batts, Peggy McCreary, others (album‑era credits)

🔘 Variants (Discogs‑Verified Only)

🇬🇧 UK – Warner Bros. – W 9436 (1983)

Format: 7" Single

Country: UK

Year: 1983

Notes:

• Unique UK B‑side: “Horny Toad”

• Standard WB paper sleeve

• 3:08 edit on A‑side

🇬🇧 UK – Warner Bros. – W 9436T (1983)

Format: 12" Single

Country: UK

Year: 1983

Notes:

• Includes “D.M.S.R.” (8:15)

• Full album version of “Little Red Corvette”

• “Horny Toad” also included

🔘 Chart Performance

🇬🇧 UK Singles Chart (Gallup)

Peak Position: #54

First Chart Date: April 30, 1983

Weeks on Chart: 6

Top 40: No

Label: Warner Bros.

Catalogue Number: W 9436

Chart Run: Verified via OCC (abbreviated)

🔘 Context & Notes

Personnel

(Prince performs all vocals and instruments on both tracks)

• Prince — vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, Linn LM‑1, production

Recording Notes

• “Little Red Corvette” recorded at Sunset Sound, 1982

• “Horny Toad” recorded during the 1999 sessions

• UK‑exclusive B‑side — not issued on US commercial formats

• 12" includes extended “D.M.S.R.” from the 1999 album

Press Reception

• UK critics praised the single’s sophistication

• “Little Red Corvette” became Prince’s first major UK radio breakthrough

Legacy

• One of Prince’s most important early singles

• “Horny Toad” remains a sought‑after non‑album track

• Helped build UK momentum ahead of Purple Rain

🔘 Visual Archive

A UK Warner Bros. single sleeve featuring the standard WB branding of the era, with catalogue number W 9436.

Prince — “Little Red Corvette” UK 7" (1983). Sleeve design by Warner Bros. UK.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Single: “1999” (1982)

Next Single: “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” (UK: 1983)

Related Artists: The Revolution, Dez Dickerson, Vanity 6

🔘 Discography

• 1999 (1982)

• “Little Red Corvette” (1983)

• Purple Rain (1984)

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

1982: “Little Red Corvette” recorded

Apr. 4, 1983: UK single released

Apr. 30, 1983: Enters UK chart at #54

1984: Prince breaks globally with Purple Rain

🔘 Glam Flashback

A sleek, synth‑lit slice of Minneapolis magic — and a UK‑exclusive B‑side that gave British fans something no other territory received.

🔘 Closing Notes

The UK release of “Little Red Corvette” stands as a pivotal moment in Prince’s early international rise — a single whose unique B‑side and dual‑format rollout make it a cornerstone of 1983 Prince collecting.

🔘 Sources & Copyright

Discogs (W 9436 / W 9436T)

45cat (UK single entry)

Official Charts Company

Prince Vault

All artwork and text remain the property of their respective copyright holders.

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