"Little Red Corvette" is a song by

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recording artist

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

. The song combines a Linn LM-1 beat and slow synth buildup with a rock chorus, over which Prince, using several automobile metaphors, recalls a one-night stand with a beautiful

promiscuous woman Promiscuity tends to be frowned upon by many societies that expect most members to have committed, long-term relationships. Among women, as well as men, inclination for sex outside committed relationships is correlated with a high libido, but evo ...

. Backing vocals were performed by Lisa Coleman and Dez Dickerson; Dickerson also performs a guitar solo on the song. Released in 1983 as the second single from ''

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'', the song was, at that point, Prince's highest charting and his first to reach the top 10 in the U.S., peaking at number 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It was also his first single to perform better on the pop chart than the R&B chart. Later, it was rereleased as a double A-side with "

", peaking at number two on the

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in January 1985. Following Prince's death in April 2016, "Little Red Corvette" re-charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 29, rising to number 20 the following week. It has sold more than 900,000 copies in the United States. The initial US single was backed with album track "All the Critics Love U in New York", while UK releases featured "Lady Cab Driver" or "Horny Toad". An extended dance remix of "Little Red Corvette," featured on some 12" releases, was later featured on the 2006 compilation ''

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''.

Composition

"Little Red Corvette" is written in the key of D major and moves at a

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of 123 beats per minute in common time. Prince's vocals span from A₂ to D₇ in the song. The lyrics use car imagery as a double entendre for sex, also making use of horse-related imagery for similar purposes. For this reason the song has been rated as "Explicit" (E) on the audio streaming service

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. Jack Hamilton of Slate noted that the song is about "ambivalence, vulnerability, and fear" of casual sex. "It’s not about sex as fun...but rather about the entirety of the act: its physical, emotional, psychological, even spiritual dimensions. And uniquely, 'Little Red Corvette' isn’t really about anything other than sex." With its instrumentation of guitars, synthesizers, and a drum machine, Hamilton identifies "Little Red Corvette" as a

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song "in every respect."

Reception

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'' said that "a

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-like synth bottom provides the smokey mood, while Prince’s vocals traverse from the plaintive to the depraved."

Music video

"Little Red Corvette" (directed by Bryan Greenberg and released in February 1983) was Prince's second music video played on MTV. The first was "

" the previous year before

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

's "

Billie Jean "Billie Jean" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 2, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, '' Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and ...

" and after

Musical Youth Musical Youth are a British-Jamaican reggae band formed in 1979 in Birmingham, England. They are best remembered for their 1982 single "Pass the Dutchie", which was a number 1 in multiple charts around the world. Their other hits include " Y ...

's "

Pass the Dutchie "Pass the Dutchie" is a 1982 song performed by British-Jamaican band Musical Youth, taken from their debut studio album, '' The Youth of Today''. It was produced by Toney Owens from Kingston, Jamaica. The song was a major hit, hitting number one ...

Origins

Prince got the idea for the song when he dozed off in band member Lisa Coleman's 1964 pink Mercury Montclair Marauder after an exhausting all-night recording session. The lyrics came to him in bits and pieces during this and other catnaps. Eventually, he was able to finish it without sleeping.

Awards and accolades

* ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the song #109 on its list of the

500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine '' Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 i ...

(2004). * Dickerson's guitar solo was ranked #64 all time by readers of ''

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''. * On

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the song is ranked the 179th greatest of all time as well as the third best of 1982.

Personnel

– lead and backing vocals, lead guitar, bass guitar, synthesizers, electronic drums, Linn LM-1 * Dez Dickerson – guitar solo and backing vocals * Lisa Coleman – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

* Uptown: ''The Vault – The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince'': Nilsen Publishing 2004, {{authority control 1982 songs 1983 singles Funk songs Prince (musician) songs Song recordings produced by Prince (musician) Songs about cars Songs about casual sex Songs written by Prince (musician) Warner Records singles Chevrolet Corvette