Prince (May 8 1988) Alphabet St. – Single Chart Peak

GlamSlamEscape
May 8, 1988
6 min read

Alphabet St. — UK Chart Overview

Prince’s Alphabet St. entered the Official UK Singles Chart in early May 1988 and reached its peak during the chart week 8 May – 14 May 1988, climbing to No. 9. Released on Paisley Park (W7900), the single became the lead UK hit from the Lovesexy era and marked Prince’s return to the UK Top 10 following the Sign “O” The Times campaign.

The single debuted on 07/05/1988 and went on to complete a 6‑week chart run, remaining in the Top 40 for four of those weeks. Its peak at No. 9 reflected strong radio rotation and the momentum of Prince’s late‑80s creative resurgence.

Label: Paisley Park Catalogue Number: W7900 First Chart Date: 07/05/1988 Peak Position: 9 Weeks on Chart: 6

Chart Run (Full Sequence)

6 weeks — 07/05/1988 to 11/06/1988

07/05/1988 — 18 14/05/1988 — 9 (peak) 21/05/1988 — 11 28/05/1988 — 29 04/06/1988 — 20 11/06/1988 — 66

Alphabet St. entered the chart just outside the Top 20, surged into the Top 10 in its second week, and held a strong mid‑chart presence before exiting the Top 75 in mid‑June.

Context & Notes

• Lead UK single from Lovesexy • First Prince UK Top 10 hit of 1988 • Released in multiple formats including 7", 12", CD single • Known for its stripped‑down funk production and extended jam‑based 12" mix • Video directed by Patrick R. Epstein, featuring Prince in a typographic visual environment

“Alphabet St. showed Prince at his most stripped‑back and playful, turning minimal funk into a Top 10 moment.”

A stripped‑back Lovesexy groove, Alphabet St. launched as the lead single from Prince’s tenth album Lovesexy, debuting four weeks ahead of the album in the UK on 15 April 1988. Released globally in April 1988, the single arrived in a clear sleeve with a stylized sticker — a design approach also used for the follow‑up single Glam Slam. Historically, it stands as the first Prince‑related single ever issued on CD at the time of release, marking the beginning of Prince’s CD‑era singles. The B‑side was not a separate track but a continuation of the A‑side, completing the full song across both sides.

🟣 The Story

Released in the UK on 15 April 1988, Alphabet St. opened the Lovesexy era with a minimalist visual presentation: all formats were issued in clear sleeves or cases with a sticker. The UK 7", 12", cassette, and CD mini‑single all followed this stripped‑back design. The 12", cassette, and CD formats included the extended mix This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip.

The single entered the UK Official Singles Chart on 7 May 1988, peaking at No. 9 and spending 6 weeks on the chart.

🟣 Format: 7" Single (UK)

Label:

Paisley Park – W 7900 / W7900 / 927900‑7

Catalogue Number:

W 7900

Released:

15 April 1988 — UK

Chart Position:

UK: #9

Track List — 7" Single

Side A

• Alphabet St. (Edit) — 2:25

Side B

• Alphabet St. — 3:14

Writing Credits

• Prince — all tracks

Production Credits

• Produced by: Prince

℗ WEA International Inc.

Published By – Warner Bros. Music Ltd.

Distributed By – WEA Records Ltd.

Record Company – Warner Communications

Stickered clear PVC sleeve

Original version available on the Paisley Park LP Lovesexy WX164

“In a year of big productions, Prince proved that a groove this lean could still hit hard on the UK charts.”

🟣 Format: 12" Single (UK)

Label:

Paisley Park – W 7900 (T) / W 7900 T

Catalogue Number:

W 7900 T

Track List — 12" Single

Side A

• Alphabet St. (Album Version)

Side B

• Alphabet St. (This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip)

Writing Credits

• Prince — all tracks

Production Credits

• Produced by: Prince

Distributed By – WEA Records Ltd.

℗ WEA International Inc.

Published By – Warner Bros. Music Ltd.

Record Company – Warner Communications

Clear PVC sleeve with oval sticker: Prince – Alphabet St. – W 7900 T

Barcode on labels; round sticker sealing flap

Side A: From the Paisley Park LP Lovesexy WX164

Side B: Original version available on the Paisley Park LP Lovesexy WX164

🟣 Format: 12" White Label (UK)

Label:

Paisley Park – W 7900 T

Catalogue Number:

W 7900 T

Track List — 12" White Label

Side A

• Alphabet St. (Album Version)

Side B

• Alphabet St. (This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip)

🟣 Format: Cassette Single (UK)

Label:

Paisley Park – W 7900 C

Catalogue Number:

W 7900 C

Track List — Cassette Single

Side A

• Alphabet St. (Album Version) — 5:40

• Alphabet St. (This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip) — 7:48

Side B

• Alphabet St. (Album Version) — 5:40

• Alphabet St. (This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip) — 7:48

Title sticker on clear plastic case.

℗ Warner Bros. Records Inc.

Manufactured By – Record Service GmbH

Clear 5" j‑card case without artwork

White title sticker: Prince – Alphabet St. – 920 930‑2 – W 7900 CD – 3 Inch compact disc single

Disc: Manufactured in Germany by Record Service GmbH Alsdorf

🟣 Format: CD Mini Single (UK & Europe)

Label:

Paisley Park – 920 930‑2 / W 7900 CD

Catalogue Number:

920 930‑2 / W 7900 CD

Released:

April 1988 — UK & Europe

Format:

CD, Mini, Single (3")

Track List — CD Mini Single

Alphabet St. (Album Version) — 5:40

Alphabet St. (This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip) — 7:48

🟣 Key Highlights

• UK release date: 15 April 1988

• Lead single from Lovesexy

• First Prince single ever released on CD at the time of issue

• B‑side is a continuation of the A‑side

• All UK formats issued in clear sleeves with sticker

• UK chart peak: #9

• Includes extended mix This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip on 12", cassette, and CD formats

• Prince singles chronology:

“I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” (1987) → “Alphabet St.” (1988) → “Glam Slam” (1988)

🟣 Personnel

Prince — lead & backing vocals, electric guitar, Roland D‑50, synthesizers, bass guitar, Linn LM‑1, Dynacord ADD‑One, cuíca, handclaps

Sheila E. — drums, handclaps

Eric Leeds — saxophone

Atlanta Bliss — trumpet

Cat Glover — rap, backing vocals

Boni Boyer — backing vocals

Ingrid Chavez — spoken voice

🟣 Variants

• 7" Single — Paisley Park – W 7900 — UK — 1988

• 12" Single — Paisley Park – W 7900 T — UK — 1988

• 12" White Label — Paisley Park – W 7900 T — UK — 1988

• Cassette Single — Paisley Park – W 7900 C — UK — 1988

• CD Mini Single — Paisley Park – 920 930‑2 / W 7900 CD — UK & Europe — 1988

🟣 Chart Performance

UK — Official Singles Chart

Peak Position: 9

Total Weeks: 6

First Chart Date: 07/05/1988

Chart Run:

18 → 9 → 11 → 29 → 52 → 66

🟣 Context & Notes

• Single era: Lovesexy

• Production: Prince

• Sleeve notes: Stickered clear PVC sleeve

• Historical placement: First Prince single issued on CD at release

• Reissues / remasters: [Not supplied]

🟣 Video

Title: Alphabet St.

Director: Patrick R. Epstein

Production Date: 20 March 1988

Producer: Michael R. Barnard

Concept: Prince walking and driving a late‑60s Ford Thunderbird through an environment constructed from letters.

Hidden Messages (as supplied)

“Don’t buy The Black Album, I’m sorry.”
B “heaven is so beautiful”
D “dance 4 the light ”
G “funk guitar”
H “(heroin) is 4 punks”
E “if U don’t mind”
G “GOD I LOVE U ♡”

🟣 Mini‑Timeline

15 Apr 1988 — UK release
07 May 1988 — UK chart debut (#18)
14 May 1988 — UK peak (#9)

🟣 Glam Flashback

A clear‑sleeved burst of Lovesexy funk — minimal packaging, maximal impact.

🟣 Sources

Primary reference sources: Warner Bros., Paisley Park, Discogs, Official Charts Company, Prince Vault, archival documentation.

🟣 Copyright Notice

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.