Prince (May 12, 1978) “For You.” (Warner Brothers 3150) – The Minneapolis Star US

A very early May 12, 1978 album review in The Minneapolis Star of Prince’s debut album For You, praising the 19-year-old Minneapolis musician’s extraordinary talent as a one-man band and expressing high hopes for his future.

Publication: The Minneapolis Star Date: May 12, 1978

Country: United States

Section / Pages: Music Review

Title: “For You.” (Warner Brothers 3150)

THE STORY

The review highlights that Prince, at just 18 years old, wrote, produced, and played every instrument on the album. The writer notes the high quality of the record, particularly the songs “For You” and “In Love,” and gives it a strong three-star rating while rooting for the local artist’s success.

CONTEXT AND NOTES

This is one of the earliest known published reviews of Prince’s debut album For You, released in April 1978. It shows strong local pride and recognition of his exceptional talent right at the beginning of his career, long before global fame arrived.

For You is the debut studio album by Prince, released when he was only 19 years old. A remarkable one-man-band effort, Prince wrote, produced, arranged, and performed every instrument and vocal on the album (with the exception of one co-writing credit). The record blends funk, soul, pop, and rock with romantic, playful, and sometimes sensual themes, showcasing his extraordinary talent and ambition right from the start.

RELEASE DETAILS

Artist: Prince

Label: Warner Bros. Records

Date: April 7, 1978

Catalogue: BSK 3150

Format: LP

Country: United States

(international releases followed)

THE STORY

For You is a romantic, playful, and ambitious debut that blends funk, soul, pop, and rock. Prince handled virtually everything on the album himself, showcasing his extraordinary multi-instrumental abilities and distinctive vocal style. Many tracks were reworked from earlier home demos recorded in 1976–1977. The sessions took place at Record Plant in Sausalito and Sound Labs in Los Angeles, with the project nearly exhausting the entire budget Warner Bros. had allocated for his first three albums.

CONTEXT & NOTES

Released when Prince was still a teenager, For You proved to the industry that he was a genuine prodigy worthy of full creative control. Although it achieved only modest commercial success, it laid the foundation for everything that followed. The album produced two singles and helped Prince assemble his first touring band in early 1979.

TRACK LIST

Side One

For You (1:06)

In Love (3:38)

Soft and Wet (3:01)

Crazy You (2:17)

Just as Long as We’re Together (6:24)

Side Two

Baby (3:09)

My Love Is Forever (4:09)

So Blue (4:26)

I’m Yours (5:01)

PERSONNEL

Musicians

• Prince — all vocals and instruments

Production

• Prince — producer, arranger, engineer, dust cover design

• Tommy Vicari — executive producer, engineer, remixer

• David Rivkin — vocal recording engineer (uncredited)

• Patrice Rushen — synth programming (uncredited)

• Charles Veal — string arrangement on “Baby” (uncredited)

• Steve Fontano — assistant engineer

• Dave Roeder — assistant engineer

• Mike Reese — mastering

• Bernie Grundman — mastering (1984 reissue)

• Jeff Farmakes — art direction (The Ad Company)

• Joe Giannetti — photography

• 
  

Special Thanks "To God, Owen, Britt, Bernadette, My Father and Mother, Russ Thyret, Gary, David Rivkin / Sound 80 Studios, C. Moon, Eddie, Sharon and Eleanor, L. Phillips, Bobby "Z" Rivkin, Tom Coster, Graham Lear, Joe Giannetti, Patrice Rushen, Charles Veal, Jr., Shirley Walker, Knut Koupee Music, Chuck Orr, Lisa H., and You!"

CHARTS 

America Country: Chart | Entry Date | Peak Position | Weeks in Chart

USA: Billboard Top LP’s & Tapes | 28 Oct. 1978 | 163 | 5

USA: Billboard Soul LP’s Chart | 22 Jul. 1978 | 21 | 23

USA: The Billboard 200 | 14 May 2016 | 138 (R) | -

SINGLES RELEASED

• “Soft and Wet” (b/w “So Blue”)

• “Just as Long as We’re Together” (b/w “In Love”)

Prince started recording in September 1977 at Sound 80 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he had previously made a demo. Friend and producer David Rivkin (later known as David Z) provided advice and engineering assistance. Rivkin was being considered for the role of executive producer, but Warner Bros. instead chose Tommy Vicari, known for his work with Gino Vannelli. Vicari suggested taking the project to a studio in Los Angeles, but Prince's manager Owen Husney chose the Record Plant in Sausalito, California. Shifting the project to California, Prince, Vicari, Husney, and Husney's wife settled into an apartment in Mill Valley, California, with a view looking down at Sausalito and out to the San Francisco Bay.

Starting in October, the basic tracks were recorded over three months at the Record Plant. Vicari tried to exert his influence as producer but Prince shrugged off any advice that was contrary to his wishes. Prince worked obsessively on the project, singing all vocals and playing all instruments, including acoustic, electric, and bass guitar; acoustic and Fender Rhodes piano; synth bass; various keyboard synths by Oberheim, Moog, and ARP; orchestra bells (glockenspiel); drums and percussion. He used the Oberheim to provide the sound of a horn section, but with guitar lines layered into the mix. The basic tracks were finished in late December 1977. Husney later observed that Prince had drained Vicari during the recording process, such that Vicari was "heartbroken" because he had just been "treated like shit".

In January 1978, Prince and Vicari moved the project to engineer Armin Steiner's Sound Labs studio in Hollywood to begin overdubs and final mixing. Prince distanced himself further from Vicari, concentrating on laying down multiple vocal lines to create a polished commercial sound. Warner Bros. selected an art director to design the album cover but Prince booked his own photography session with Joe Gianetti, resulting in a head shot taken in a dark room with Prince's face lit by candlelight. Prince completed the final mixes on February 28. The total project cost $170,500—US$841,626 in 2025 dollars—three times the original budget. With all the work, including 46 vocal lines layered into the first track, Prince was exhausted. He later said that he was a "physical wreck" when he finished.

SOURCES Prince Vault, The Beautiful Ones (2019), Discogs, Warner Bros. archives, Wikipedia.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

 All album artwork, photographs, logos, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.