✦ Lovesexy – Album: May. 1988

A spiritual, ecstatic rebirth — Prince’s radiant answer to the darkness of The Black Album.

✦ — SUMMARY

Released May 10, 1988 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records, Lovesexy emerged just months after Prince cancelled the infamous Black Album. Recorded in only seven weeks at the newly completed Paisley Park Studios, the album channels themes of positivity, rebirth, spirituality, and divine love.

Despite strong critical acclaim, Lovesexy became Prince’s first album since Controversy (1981) to miss the US Top 10, peaking at #11 on the Billboard 200. Internationally, however, it was a major success, reaching #1 in the UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and New Zealand.

The album produced three singles — “Alphabet St.”, “Glam Slam”, and “I Wish U Heaven” — and was supported by the ambitious Lovesexy Tour, including the iconic Dortmund concert broadcast across Europe.

✦ — HIGHLIGHTS

• Released May 10, 1988 (Worldwide)

• Recorded in seven weeks at Paisley Park Studios

• Themes: spirituality, positivity, rebirth, divine love

• US Billboard 200 peak: #11

• #1 in UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand

• Three singles: “Alphabet St.”, “Glam Slam”, “I Wish U Heaven”

• Original CD issued as one continuous track

• Followed by the elaborate Lovesexy Tour

✦ — TRACK DETAILS

Vinyl LP – Paisley Park / Warner Bros. – 1988

Side A

Eye No

Alphabet St.

Glam Slam

Anna Stesia

Side B

Dance On

Lovesexy (often mislabeled as “Positivity” in some early sources)

When 2 R In Love

I Wish U Heaven

Positivity

Total length: ~45 minutes

Original CD Version (1988)

Presented as one continuous 45:03 track with no index breaks.

Songs flow seamlessly in this order:

Eye No → Alphabet St. → Glam Slam → Anna Stesia → Dance On → Lovesexy → When 2 R In Love → I Wish U Heaven → Positivity

Index points (unlisted on disc):

00:00 — Eye No

05:45 — Alphabet St.

11:25 — Glam Slam

16:30 — Anna Stesia

21:30 — Dance On

25:14 — Lovesexy

31:04 — When 2 R In Love

35:03 — I Wish U Heaven

37:46 — Positivity

Most later CD issues retain the “continuous sequence” note but include individual track indexing.

✦ — REISSUES & GLOBAL VARIANTS

(Verified via Prince Vault, Discogs, Warner Records)

1988 Original Releases

• LP — Paisley Park / Warner Bros. — Worldwide

• Cassette — Worldwide

• CD — Single continuous track (US/Europe/Japan)

Later Reissues

• Standard CD reissues with indexed tracks

• Digital releases on all major platforms

• Vinyl represses in select markets

✦ — PRODUCTION AND CONTEXT

• Written, produced, arranged, and performed by Prince

• Recorded December 1987 – January 1988 at Paisley Park

• Created immediately after cancelling The Black Album

• Strong spiritual and redemptive themes

• Lovesexy Tour featured elaborate staging and choreography

• Dortmund 1988 show released on VHS/LaserDisc and broadcast in Europe

✦ — SINGLES RELEASED

Alphabet St. — April 1988

Glam Slam — July 11, 1988

I Wish U Heaven — September 20, 1988

✦ — CHART PERFORMANCE

United States

• Billboard 200 — #11

• RIAA — Gold (Dec 1988)

International

• UK Albums Chart — #1

• Netherlands — #1

• Sweden — #1

• Switzerland — #1

• New Zealand — #1

✦ — DISCOGRAPHY SIDEBAR

The Black Album — 1987 (withdrawn)

Lovesexy — 1988

Batman — 1989

✦ — PRINCE ERA MINI‑TIMELINE

Dec 1987 — The Black Album cancelled

Jan 1988 — Lovesexy completed

May 1988 — Lovesexy released

Sept 1988 — Dortmund concert broadcast

1989 — Batman soundtrack

✦ — GLAM FLASHBACK

Lovesexy is Prince’s radiant spiritual manifesto — a technicolor burst of joy, faith, and liberation. Born from crisis and completed at lightning speed, it remains one of his most uplifting and musically adventurous statements.

✦ — COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All images, artwork, logos, and related materials referenced or displayed in this entry 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 catalogue data

RIAA certifications

UK Official Charts Company

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Did you have Lovesexy on vinyl in your collection? Were you ready for Prince's spiritual funk trip? Share in the comments!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-qK5MNSwoE

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia and BBC Official Charts Company