✦ Little Red Corvette – Single UK: Nov. 1983

Prince’s breakthrough synth‑rock classic returns to the UK charts with a stronger second run

✦ Summary

Little Red Corvette was reissued in the UK on November 4, 1983 as a 7-inch vinyl single on Warner Bros. Records (W 9688), backed with Lady Cab Driver. Originally released earlier that year, the track had briefly entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 95 for one week in April 1983. The November reissue — supported by new EMI and Musitech pressings and a picture sleeve — performed significantly better, climbing to No. 54 and remaining on the chart for seven weeks, before re-entering for an additional three weeks between November 13 and December 3, 1983.

Both tracks were taken from Prince’s landmark double album 1999, with the A-side presented in its 3:06 edit. This reissue stands as a key moment in Prince’s UK breakthrough, cementing Little Red Corvette as one of the defining singles of his early career.

✦ Highlights

• UK reissue released November 4, 1983 on Warner Bros. Records (W 9688)

• Backed with Lady Cab Driver

• Originally charted at No. 95 (April 1983)

• Reissue peaked at No. 54, charting for 7 weeks + 3-week re-entry

• EMI and Musitech pressings, both in picture sleeves

• No cassette or CD formats issued in 1983

• Both tracks sourced from the 1999 album

✦ Track Details

7-inch Vinyl Single (Warner Bros. Records, W 9688)

A-side: Little Red Corvette (Edit) — 3:06

B-side: Lady Cab Driver — 5:05

Format: 7-inch vinyl, 45 RPM

Pressings: EMI pressing (paper labels), Musitech pressing (paper labels)

Label: Warner Bros. Records

Country: UK

Released: November 4, 1983 (reissue)

Album Origin: 1999 (1982)

Recording: Sunset Sound, Los Angeles, 1982

Written, produced, arranged, and performed by Prince

✦ Chart Performance

United Kingdom (Original Release – April 1983): No. 95 (1 week)

United Kingdom (Reissue – Nov. 1983): No. 54 (7 weeks)

United Kingdom (Re-entry – Nov–Dec 1983): No. 66 (3 weeks)

United States: Charted earlier in 1983 (not part of this reissue)

✦ Discography

1999 Era Singles:

1999 — Single: 1982

Little Red Corvette — Single: 1983 / UK Reissue: Nov. 1983

Delirious — Single: 1983

Let’s Pretend We’re Married — Single: 1983

✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

1982 — 1999 album released

Feb. 1983 — Little Red Corvette issued in the US

Apr. 1983 — UK chart entry at No. 95

Nov. 4, 1983 — UK reissue released (W 9688)

Nov–Dec 1983 — Reissue charts for 10 total weeks

1984 — Purple Rain era begins

✦ Glam Flashback

Little Red Corvette’s UK reissue is a perfect example of a song finding its moment. What barely grazed the charts in April roared back later that year as Prince’s profile grew, helped by the rising success of 1999 and his increasingly magnetic presence in the UK. The sleek synths, seductive metaphor, and unforgettable hook made the single a cornerstone of Prince’s ascent — and the 1983 reissue remains a prized collectible for fans of his early ’80s evolution.

✦ Sources

Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History, YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0KpfrJE4zw