Little Red Corvette
Encyclopedia
"Little Red Corvette" is a song by the American musician Prince
. Released as a single from the album 1999
in 1983, the song was his biggest hit at the time, and his first to reach top-10 status in the U.S., peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100
singles chart. 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 combines a drum machine
beat and slow synth
buildup for the verses and a full rock chorus. Backing vocals were done by Lisa Coleman
and the classic guitar solo was played by Dez Dickerson
. In the song, Prince narrates a one-night stand with a beautiful but promiscuous woman (the "Little Red Corvette
" of the title); although he enjoys the experience, he urges her to "slow down" and "find a love that's gonna last" before she destroys herself. In addition to the title, he uses several other automobile metaphors, for example comparing their lovemaking to a ride in a limousine.
A 12" dance remix of the song was released to accompany the single, and it continues where the album version fades out. The U.S. 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 released as a double A-side
with "1999
".
The single was released with another 1999 track, "Let's Pretend We're Married
".
On Prince's 2006 compilation album
, Ultimate, the dance remix of "Little Red Corvette" was a featured track.
, after Michael Jackson
's "Billie Jean
".
Confirmed by the video's editor.
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.
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
. Released as a single from the album 1999
1999 (album)
1999 is the fifth studio album by Prince, released on October 27, 1982. It was his first top ten album on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and became the fifth best-selling album of 1983. 1999 was Prince's breakthrough album, but his next album Purple Rain would become his most...
in 1983, the song was his biggest hit at the time, and his first to reach top-10 status in the U.S., peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart. It was also his first single to perform better on the pop chart than the R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, due to the pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
format of the song.
The song combines a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
beat and slow synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
buildup for the verses and a full rock chorus. Backing vocals were done by Lisa Coleman
Lisa Coleman (musician)
Lisa Coleman is an American Emmy® Award winning musician and composer. Coleman plays piano and keyboards. She was a member of Prince's backing band The Revolution from 1980-1986. She is currently one half of the musical duo Wendy & Lisa, formed with Wendy Melvoin in 1986.-Early life:Coleman's...
and the classic guitar solo was played by Dez Dickerson
Dez Dickerson
Dez Dickerson is an American guitarist and singer who was a member of Prince's former band, The Revolution.-Biography:...
. In the song, Prince narrates a one-night stand with a beautiful but promiscuous woman (the "Little Red Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...
" of the title); although he enjoys the experience, he urges her to "slow down" and "find a love that's gonna last" before she destroys herself. In addition to the title, he uses several other automobile metaphors, for example comparing their lovemaking to a ride in a limousine.
A 12" dance remix of the song was released to accompany the single, and it continues where the album version fades out. The U.S. single was originally released with the album track "All the Critics Love U in New York" as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, 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 released as a double A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
with "1999
1999 (song)
"1999" is a song by Prince, the title track from his 1982 album of the same name. The song is one of Prince's best-known, and a defining moment in his rise to superstar status....
".
The single was released with another 1999 track, "Let's Pretend We're Married
Let's Pretend We're Married
"Let's Pretend We're Married" is a song by Prince from his 1982 album 1999. It was also the final US single from the album. The song consists mainly of keyboards and drum machines, along with Prince's vocals. Two verses followed by choruses form the main basis of the song...
".
On Prince's 2006 compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Ultimate, the dance remix of "Little Red Corvette" was a featured track.
Music video
"Little Red Corvette" (directed by Bryan Greenberg and released in February 1983) was one of the first two videos by a black artist played in heavy rotation on MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, after Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Billie Jean
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and...
".
Confirmed by the video's editor.
Origins
Prince got the idea for the song when he dozed off in Lisa Coleman's pink EdselEdsel
The Edsel was an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company during the 1958, 1959, and 1960 model years. The Edsel never gained popularity with contemporary American car buyers and sold poorly. Consequently, the Ford Motor Company lost millions of dollars on the Edsel's development,...
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 StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
ranked the song #108 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. - The guitar solo, played by band member Dez DickersonDez DickersonDez Dickerson is an American guitarist and singer who was a member of Prince's former band, The Revolution.-Biography:...
, was ranked #64 by the readers of Guitar WorldGuitar WorldGuitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
as one of the 100 best guitar solos of all time. - The song is currently ranked as the 87th greatest song of all time, as well as the third best song of 19821982 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music from 1982. 1982 was a big year in music with Madonna making her debut as well as the year that Michael Jackson released Thriller which became the world's best selling album and it still holds that title today....
, by Acclaimed Music.
Cover versions
- Sandra BernhardSandra BernhardSandra Bernhard is an American comedian, singer, actress and author. She first gained attention in the late 1970s with her stand-up comedy in which she often bitterly critiques celebrity culture and political figures. Bernhard is number 97 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of...
sang a slow arrangement of the song in her one-woman show Without You I'm Nothing, which was released as a double-album in 1987 and later adapted into a motion picture. - Canadian a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group The NylonsThe NylonsThe Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Best known for their covers of The Turtles' "Happy Together", Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and The Tokens' version of the traditional "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"....
covered the song on their 1992 album Live to Love. - A cover of the song appears on the 1992 album Can't Have Nothing Nice by Minnesotan indie band Gear DaddiesGear DaddiesThe Gear Daddies are a band from Austin, Minnesota that enjoyed moderate success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its members were Randy Broughten , Nick Ciola , Billy Dankert , and Martin Zellar...
. - Swedish singer Jerry WilliamsJerry Williams (singer)Jerry Williams, real name Sven Erik Fernström, is a Swedish rock and roll singer and actor.In 1963, Jerry Williams toured with the Beatles through Sweden. He has been lead singer in many Swedish rock and roll bands, but is mostly known as a solo artist...
included a cover of the song on his 2002 album Sweet Sixty. - In 2001, Australian singer-songwriter Paul KellyPaul Kelly (musician)Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
performed the song live on air as part of the Andrew DentonAndrew DentonAndrew Christopher Denton is an Australian television producer, comedian, Gold Logie-nominated television presenter and former radio host, and was the host of the ABC's weekly television interview program Enough Rope. He is known for his comedy and interviewing technique...
Breakfast Show Musical Challenge. It later appeared on the Musical Challenge Volume 2: Even More Challenged compilation CD.
Sampling
- Southern rapSouthern rapSouthern hip hop, also called Southern rap, is a genre of American music influenced by hip hop that emerged from a late-1980s club-oriented vibe in southern U.S...
artist Lil' TroyLil' TroyTroy Birklett, better known by his stage name Lil' Troy is an American rapper from Houston, Texas.-Life and career:Before his rapping career, Birklett was a successful drug dealer, who funded his music business with the money he earned from selling drugs...
samples the song on the track "Wanna Be a Baller" from his 1998 album Sittin' Fat Down SouthSittin' Fat Down SouthSittin' Fat Down South is the first album by southern rapper Lil' Troy. The album was produced by Bruce "Grim" Rhodes and certified platinum on October 12, 1999 by the RIAA with over 1.9 million copies sold in the United States.-Tracks:...
. - Hip hopHip hopHip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group Bone Thugs-n-HarmonyBone Thugs-n-HarmonyBone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
samples the song in their 2000 single, "Change the World".
Influences on other songs
- Stevie NicksStevie NicksStephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
got the idea for her 1983 song "Stand BackStand BackStand Back is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band April Wine, released in 1975 . It became the first album to ever achieve platinum sales in Canada.-Track listing:All tracks written by Myles Goodwyn unless otherwise noted....
" from "Little Red Corvette." She heard Prince's song in her car, wrote "Stand Back" that night, and called Prince, who came into the studio and played keyboards. - Alter Ring's song "Infinitely Gentle Blows", which is featured at the end of the 2000 SundanceSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
winning film, GrooveGroove (film)Groove is a movie released in the year 2000; it portrays one night in the San Francisco underground rave scene. Through a single email, the word spreads that a huge rave is going to take place in an abandoned warehouse...
, borrows liberally from "Little Red Corvette". - The line "little red love machine" can be heard in the title track of SalivaSaliva (band)Saliva is an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in September 1996 and currently under Island Records. Saliva released their self-titled debut album on August 26, 1997, under Rocking Chair Records....
's Survival of the Sickest album from 2004. - The chorus is the basis for Chad in Portland's song "Mike in Wichitard" on The Jim Rome ShowThe Jim Rome ShowThe Jim Rome Show is a sports radio talk show hosted by Jim Rome. It airs live for three hours each weekday from 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. The show is produced in Los Angeles, California, syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, and can be heard on more than 200 affiliate radio stations in the U.S...
.