Prince: 1999 Album US (1982)

A Funky Apocalypse Dance Party

Prince’s 1999 double LP, released in the US on October 27, 1982, on Warner Bros. Records (catalogue: 9 23720-1 F / 9 23720-1 / 23720-1 / 1-23720), was his fifth studio album and a breakthrough from cult status to mainstream icon. Recorded at Kiowa Trail Home Studio and Sunset Sound, this 11-track fusion of funk, rock, new wave, and R&B showcased Prince as a multi-instrumental genius, playing most parts himself with band support from Brown Mark, Dez Dickerson, Bobby Z., Dr. Fink and Lisa Coleman, plus Jill Jones on backing vocals. The title track’s apocalyptic party vibe amid Cold War fears, Little Red Corvette’s pop-rock romance, and Delirious’s playful energy propelled it to No. 9 on the Billboard 200, No. 1 on R&B charts, with over 4 million US sales (4x Platinum by 1999). Issued in limited initial pressing, it set the stage for Purple Rain dominance.

Five singles were released from the album

"1999"

Released: September 24, 1982

"Little Red Corvette"

Released: February 9, 1983

"Delirious"

Released: August 17, 1983

"Automatic"

Released: August 1983 (AU)

"Let's Pretend We're Married"

Released: November 23, 1983

Album Overview

Release Details:

Label: Warner Bros. Records (US).

Formats: Vinyl Album 2 x LP , Tape Cassette Album and 8-Track Cartridge all with variants

1982 Warner Bros. Records. Produced/Engineered by Prince/Peggy McCreary.

US Release Formats and Track Listings

2 x Vinyl LP

Label: Warner Bros. Records – 9 23720-1 F, Warner Bros. Records – 9 23720-1, Warner Bros. Records – 23720-1, Warner Bros. Records – 1-23720

Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Jacksonville Pressing

Side 1:

1999

Lead Vocals [Co-Lead Vocal] – Dez*, J.J.*, Lisa*

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

6:22

Little Red Corvette

Lead Vocals [Co-Lead Vocal] – Dez*, Lisa*

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

Soloist [Guitar Solos] – Dez*

4:58

Delirious

Backing Vocals [Background Vocal] – Lisa*

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

3:56

Side 2:

Let's Pretend We're Married

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

7:20

D.M.S.R.

Backing Vocals [Backgroundsinging], Handclaps – Mark Brown*, Carol*, Jamie*, Lisa*, Peggy*, Poochie, The Count (7)

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

8:05

Side 3:

Automatic

Backing Vocals [Background Vocals] – J.J.*, Lisa*

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

9:24

Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

4:00

Free

Backing Vocals [Background Voices] – J.J.*, Lisa*, Vanity, Wendy*

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

5:00

Side 4:

Lady Cab Driver

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

Voice Actor [Lady Cab Driver] – J.J.*

8:25

All The Critics Love U In New York

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

5:55

International Lover

Musician [All Music], Voice [All Voices] – Prince

6:35

Record Company – Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Record Company – Warner Communications

Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Phonographic Copyright ℗ – WEA International Inc.

Copyright © – Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Copyright © – WEA International Inc.

Copyright © – Controversy Music

Published By – Controversy Music

Recorded At – Uptown (4)

Recorded At – Sunset Sound

Mixed At – Uptown (4)

Mixed At – Sunset Sound

Mastered At – A&M Mastering Studios

Pressed By – Capitol Records Pressing Plant, Jacksonville

Engineer – Don Batts

Management – Cavallo, Ruffalo & Fargnoli

Mastered By – Bernie Grundman

Producer, Arranged By, Composed By, Performer – Prince

Recorded By, Mixed By – Peggy McCreary

© 1982 Warner Bros Records Inc. ℗ 1982 Warner Bros Records Inc.

Side B label is misprinted with "Made in S A" on top-left printing instead of "Made in U S A" correctly as on the lower printing.

This is a Jacksonville pressing plant variation and is identified by the "0" stamped in the etched runouts.

Not to be confused with:

• Winchester pressing

• Specialty Records Corp. (SRC) pressing

• Allied Record Co. pressing

Catalog numbers appear as follows:

9 23720-1 F (spine)

9 23720-1 (inner sleeve, 'record one')

23720-1 (inner sleeve, 'record two')

1-23720 (labels)

Song lyrics are printed on inner sleeves

Inner sleeves:

All songs © 1982

Controversy Music ASCAP

All Rights Reserved.

Reprinted by Permission.

© 1982 Warner Bros. Records Inc. Made in U.S.A

Variants:

1999 2xLP, Album, Jacksonville Pressing

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-1 F,

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-1, Warner Bros. Records - 1-23720

Warner Bros. Records - 23720-1,

1999 2xLP, Album, Club Edition, Stereo, Carrollton CRC Pressing

Warner Bros. Records - 1-23720, Warner Bros. Records - 9 W1-23720

1999 2xLP, Album, Club Edition, Stereo, RCA

Warner Bros. Records - 923720-1, Warner Bros. Records - 1-23720

1999 2xLP, Album, Winchester pressing

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-1 F,

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-1,

Warner Bros. Records - 1-23720

1999 2xLP, Album, Specialty Records Corporation Pressing

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-1 F,

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-1,

Warner Bros. Records - 1-23720

1999 2xLP, Album, Allied Record Company Pressing

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-1 F1297

1999 2xLP, Album

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-1 F,

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-1,

Warner Bros. Records - 1-23720 1297

1999 2xLP, Album, Club Edition, Pitman

Warner Bros. Records - 1-23720, Warner Bros. Records - 9 W1-23720

---

Tape Cassette Album

SPECIALLY-PRICED TWO RECORD SET ON ONE CASSETTE

Label: Warner Bros. Records – 9 23720-4F, Warner Bros. Records – 4-23720

A1 1999

A2 Little Red Corvette

A3 Delirious

A4 Let's Pretend We're Married

A5 D.M.S.R.

A6 Free

B1 Automatic

B2 Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)

B3 Lady Cab Driver

B4 All The Critics Love U In New York

B5 International Lover

Recorded At – Uptown (4)

Recorded At – Sunset Sound

Mixed At – Uptown (4)

Mixed At – Sunset Sound

Mastered At – A&M Records

Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Copyright © – Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Engineer [2nd] – Don Batts

Management – Cavallo, Ruffalo & Fargnoli

Mastered By – Bernie Grundman

Music By [All], Vocals – Prince

Producer, Arranged By, Composed By, Performer – Prince

Recorded By, Mixed By – Peggy McCreary

J-card, front panel:

SPECIALLY-PRICED TWO RECORD SET ON ONE CASSETTE

J-card, inner panel:

Warner Bros. Records Inc., a subsidiary and licensee of Warner Bros. Inc. 3300 Warner Blvd., Burbank, Calif. 91510 Made in U.S.A.

A Warner Communications Company (Warner “W” logo)

J-card flap:

© 1982 Warner Bros. Records Inc ℗ 1982 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the U.S. & WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the U.S.

No Barcode

Spine:

WB 9 23720-4F [Warner Bros. "WB Shield" logo]

$10.98

White tape shell, both sides:

circled △ injection print appear in top left edge

[Warner Bros. "WB Shield" logo]

4-23720 time scale window reads 0 50 0 with eleven hatchmarks

Tape shell, side 1:

A Warner Communications Company (Warner “W” logo)

Warner Bros. Records Inc., a subsidiary and licensee of Warner Bros. Inc., 3300 Warner Blvd., Burbank, Calif. 91510 Made in U.S.A.

Tape shell, side 2:

"MADE IN U.S.A." injection print appear in top right edge ©

Variants: 44 in total

link at bottom

Club Edition, CH, Dolby System, B NR

Warner Bros. Records - W4-23720, Warner Bros. Records - 4-23720

SR, Dolby, B NR, White

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-4,

Warner Bros. Records - 4-23720

AR

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-4,

Warner Bros. Records - 4-23720

AR, White Shell

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-4F,

Warner Bros. Records - 4-23720

SR, Dolby, B NR, White

Warner Bros. Records - 9 23720-4,

Warner Bros. Records - 4-23720

Club Edition

Warner Bros. Records - W4-23720,

Warner Bros. Records - 4-23720

HERE

---

8-Track Cartridge US 1982

Label: Warner Bros. Records – 23720-8F

Format: 8-Track Cartridge, Album, Club Edition, Stereo

Country: US

Tracklist:

A1 1999

A2 Delirious

B1 D.M.S.R

B2 Automatic

B3 Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)

C1 Free

C2 Lady Cab Driver

D1 Little Red Corvette

D2 All The Critics Love U In New York

D3 International Lover

Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Copyright © – Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Record Company – Warner Communications

Manufactured By – RCA Music Service – S252483

Producer – Prince

Specially priced two record set on one tape

© ℗ 1982 Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Variants:

Club Edition, Stereo

Warner Bros. Records - 23720-8F

Club Edition

Warner Bros. Records - W8-23720

Club Edition, Stereo, White 3 Pin Tape Shell

Warner Bros. Records - W8-23720

Album

Warner Bros. Records - WB 23720-8F

---

CD Album

1985

The first CD edition omitted "D.M.S.R." due to a 64-minute length limit imposed by the major CD manufacturers at the time. The track was included beginning in 1991. Meanwhile, all cassette copies moved "Free" to appear after "D.M.S.R" to close the first side. A single-LP version omitting four songs was issued in various countries across South America, Europe and Asia in 1983, and was reissued worldwide as part of Record Store Day 2018. Its cassette variant, which added "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore" and "D.M.S.R.," has, as of 2019, not been reissued.(10 Tracks)

Label: Warner Bros. Records – 9 23720-2

Format: CD, Album

Country: US

Released: 1985

Track Listing:

1 1999

2 Little Red Corvette

3 Delirious

4 Let's Pretend We're Married

5 Automatic

6 Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)

7 Free

8 Lady Cab Driver

9 All The Critics Love U In New York

10 International Lover

To enable the release of 1999 as a single Compact Disc, the song "D.M.S.R." had been omitted from the original LP edition

---

CD Album EU 1997 (11 Tracks)

Label: Warner Bros. Records – 7599-23720-2

Format: CD, Album, Reissue

Country: Europe

Released: 1997

Track Listing:

1 1999

2 Little Red Corvette

3 Delirious

4 Let's Pretend We're Married

5 D.M.S.R.

6 Automatic

7 Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)

8 Free

9 Lady Cab Driver

10 All The Critics Love U In New York

11 International Lover

Prince: "1999" Album Worldwide Chart Placements (1982 Initial Release)

Global Performance Upon Launch

Prince's 1999 album, released on October 27, 1982, achieved moderate initial success, peaking in the Top 10 in the US and a few other markets, but it gained greater traction internationally over time through singles like "Little Red Corvette" and the title track. Below is a summary of its worldwide chart placements based on the 1982 release period, drawn from historical data. Note that many international charts were less comprehensive then, and peaks reflect first-year performance (1982–1983). The album's full global impact grew with reissues and posthumous boosts (e.g., #7 US in 2016).

Country/Region	Chart Name	Peak Position	Weeks in Chart	Notes
United States	Billboard 200	9	26	Debuted #44; rose with singles; #1 R&B Albums.
United States	Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	1	32	Strong initial R&B support.
United Kingdom	UK Albums Chart	12	12	Released November 1982; later re-peaked at #28 (2016).
Canada	RPM Top 100 Albums	17	15	Solid North American crossover.
Australia	Kent Music Report	30	8	Modest debut; singles drove later interest.
New Zealand	NZ Top 40 Albums	6	10	Strong early Oceania performance.
Netherlands	Dutch Album Top 100	4	18	Top 5 European entry; funk appeal resonated.
Norway	VG-lista Topp 40 Albums	4	12	Nordic success amid new wave trends.
Sweden	Swedish Albums Chart	5	10	Early European breakthrough.
Switzerland	Swiss Music Charts	7	8	Solid continental placement.
Germany	Media Control Charts	15	6	Moderate; grew with 1983 reissues.
France	SNEP French Albums Chart	10	5	Initial entry; later certified Gold.
Japan	Oricon Albums Chart	12	4	Asian debut; cult following built over time.

Cultural and Musical Significance

"1999" fused funk basslines with new wave synths and rock guitars, influencing artists like The Time and Janet Jackson. Its double-album ambition mirrored Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, with "Little Red Corvette" pioneering music video storytelling.

The album elevated Prince from niche to mainstream, with "1999" and "Little Red Corvette" cementing MTV rotation. It set a template for Purple Rain (1984), boosting his 1980s reign.