Little Red Corvette

"Little Red Corvette"
Single by Prince
From the album 1999
Single Released	1983
Single Format	7" Single 12" Single CD single (re-releases)
Recorded	1982
Song Length	7" edit: 3:08 12" Dance Mix: 8:30
Genre	Pop, Rock
Record label	Warner Bros. Records
Writer	Prince
Producer	Prince
Lyrics	External Link
Chart positions	#6 US #45 UK
Prince US single chronology
"1999" 1982	"Little Red Corvette" 1983	"Delirious" 1983
Prince UK single chronology
"1999" 1982	"Little Red Corvette" 1983	"When Doves Cry" 1984

"Little Red Corvette" is one of Prince's most well-known songs and a defining point in his rise to superstar status. The song was his biggest hit at the time, and his first to reach top-10 status in the U.S.A. It was also his first single to perform better on the pop chart than the R&B chart, due to the pop/rock format of the song. The song officially introduced Prince to the white listening audience, and the racial makeup of his audiences changed drastically after the release of this single.

The song combines an infectious drum machine beat and slow synth buildup for the verses and a full rock-chorus. Dez Dickerson provides the trademark guitar solo, as well as backing vocals with Lisa Colman. The song's title is a metaphor for woman's vagina, but disguised enough so as not to offend the mainstream audience.

A 12" Dance Version of the song was released to accompany the single and it continues where the album version fades out. The US single was originally released with the album track "All The Critics Love U In New York" as the B-side, while in the UK two separate single releases had it backed with "Lady Cab Driver" or "Horny Toad". Separate UK 12 releases had the song paired with "Automatic" and "International Lover" or "Horny Toad" and "D.M.S.R.". Later, it was a double A-side with "1999".

In 2001, Chevrolet put up billboards with a picture of a red 1963 Corvette Sting Ray that stated, "They don't write songs about Volvos." In 2003, Chevrolet used this in a commercial that aired for the first time during the Grammys. The ad showed old footage of The Beach Boys performing "My 409" followed by Don McLean singing "American Pie" ("drove my Chevy to the levee"), and then Prince performing "Little Red Corvette".

Trivia

• Prince got the idea for this when he dozed off in Lisa Coleman's pink Edsel 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.
• Stevie Nicks got the idea for "Stand Back" from "Little Red Corvette". She heard it in her car, drove to recording studio, and put down some tracks. Prince came in later and added the keyboard bit.
• This was one of the first videos by a black artist to get regular airplay on MTV. Michael Jackson was the first to break the color barrier on MTV with "Billie Jean," and this came soon after.