I Got a Sugarcane

Prince : Soft and Wet

[Purchase]

On April 7, 1978 Prince released For You, his debut album featuring songs composed, arranged, produced and performed by Prince. Much of it at the Record Plant in Sausalito where Fleetwood Mac had recorded Rumours. 

Even as a 19 year old, Prince wouldn't take direction. He plays acoustic and electric guitars, acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes piano, synth bass, various keyboard synths by Oberheim, Moog and Arp, orchestra bells, drums, percussion and bass guitar. When it came to shooting his album cover, Prince passed on the studio's choice and booked his own photographer.

I actually like these unreleased demos better than the album which were overworked. The vocals on the title cut featured more than 40 tracks.

Early reviews were lukewarm. Robert Chrisgtau scoring For You a B- , writing:

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 beats Stevie Wonder's, not to mention Emitt Rhodes's