| For You | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 7, 1978 (1978-04-07) | |||
| Recorded | September 1977 – February 1978 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 33:11 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | Prince | |||
| Prince chronology | ||||
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| Singles from For You | ||||
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For You is the debutstudio album by the American singer-songwriterPrince. It was released byWarner Bros. Records on April 7, 1978. All tracks were produced, arranged, composed, and performed by Prince. Prince started recording in September 1977 atSound 80 inMinneapolis, Minnesota, where he had previously made ademo. Friend and producerDavid Rivkin (later known as David Z) provided advice and engineering assistance.
For You reached No. 163 on theBillboard 200 and No. 21 on theBillboard Soul chart. "Soft and Wet", the album'slead single, became a minor hit on theBillboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 92. However, it became a Top 20 hit on theBillboard Hot Soul Singles chart, peaking at No. 12. In 2016, after Prince's death, the album re-charted on theBillboard 200, reaching No. 138.
Prince started recording in September 1977 atSound 80 inMinneapolis, Minnesota, where he had previously made ademo. Friend and producerDavid 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 choseTommy Vicari, known for his work withGino Vannelli. Vicari suggested taking the project to a studio in Los Angeles, but Prince's managerOwen Husney chose theRecord Plant inSausalito, California.[3][4] Shifting the project to California, Prince, Vicari, Husney, and Husney's wife settled into an apartment inMill Valley, California, with a view looking down at Sausalito and out to theSan 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.[3] 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 byOberheim,Moog, andARP; orchestra bells (glockenspiel); drums and percussion. He used the Oberheim to provide the sound of ahorn section, but with guitar lines layered into the mix.[4] 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".[3]
In January 1978, Prince and Vicari moved the project to engineer Armin Steiner's Sound Labs studio inHollywood 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.[3] 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.[5] Prince completed the final mixes on February 28. The total project cost $170,500—US$821,967 in 2024 dollars[6]—three times the original budget.[3] 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.[7]
"Soft and Wet", the album'slead single, became a minor hit on the USBillboard Hot 100, peaking at number 92. However, it became a top 20 hit on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number 12. The second single released from the album, "Just as Long as We're Together", reached number 91 on the R&B charts.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Blender | [8] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B−[1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[9] |
| The Guardian | [10] |
| MusicHound | 2.5/5[11] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [12] |
| Yahoo! Music | (favorable)[13] |
Reviewing inChristgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981),Robert Christgau wrote, "Like most in-studio one-man bands, the nineteen-year-old kid who pieced this disco-rock-pop-funk concoction together has a weakness for the programmatic—lots of chops, not much challenge. But I like 'Baby,' about making one, and 'Soft and Wet,' ditto only he doesn't know it yet. And his falsetto beatsEmitt Rhodes."[1]
On release in 1978,For You reached number 163 on the USBillboard 200[14] chart and number 21 on theBillboard R&B Albums chart.[14] It went on to sell approximately two million copies worldwide. In 2016, after Prince's death, the album re-charted on theBillboard 200, reaching number 138.[14] The album also reached number 200 on theFrench Albums Chart and number 156 on theUK Albums Chart, although it did not originally chart in those countries.
All tracks are written byPrince, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "For You" | 1:06 | |
| 2. | "In Love" | 3:38 | |
| 3. | "Soft and Wet" | Prince, Chris Moon | 3:01 |
| 4. | "Crazy You" | 2:17 | |
| 5. | "Just as Long as We're Together" | 6:24 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Baby" | 3:09 | |
| 7. | "My Love Is Forever" | Prince, Chris Moon (uncredited) | 4:09 |
| 8. | "So Blue" | 4:26 | |
| 9. | "I'm Yours" | 5:01 |
Technical
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USBillboard Top LPs & Tapes[14] | 163 |
| USBillboard Top Black Albums[14] | 21 |
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Albums (SNEP)[15] | 200 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[16] | 156 |
| USBillboard 200[17] | 138 |
