In many aspects, Prince's first LP is one of the most evident signs of what was so special about this artist. Years before getting superstar status around the world, Prince developed his own unique blend of funk, pop, soul, rock music, and creative freedom. Though Prince's first record, For You, did not transform him into a finished legend, it gave the audience a chance to see how the young musician wanted to create music according to his needs and desires.

To learn about Prince's first record and its significance, it is necessary to consider the context of the musician's early years and the path he followed to get into a recording deal with the major label.

Early years in Minneapolis

Prince was born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The musician had a certain family background in music because Prince's father, John Lewis Nelson, was a pianist and composer; besides, Prince's mother, Mattie Della Shaw, was a vocalist. Though that was not enough to make him famous and successful from birth, it created the atmosphere of artistry and creativity in Prince's childhood.

In his teens, Prince fell in love with playing the keyboards, drums, and guitar; thus, he mastered those skills while pursuing the music he liked. But the role of Minneapolis in Prince's career was not only in the fact that it offered musical instruments and skills for the future musician. The nightclub and school music scenes of the city as well as the local bands offered Prince an audience where he explored his abilities.

Prince was a teenager who did not want to limit his talents to something like playing one part in the band or giving one type of performance. Prince wanted to be able to sing, play various musical instruments, compose music and even manage it. Prince's friends from the local music scenes remember him as extremely passionate about music and even attentive to details of performance, starting from the rhythm and ending with clothes and performance on stage. Even before becoming a superstar, Prince considered himself to be a complete artist, not just a talented singer who could fit on any musical scene.

Creating For You

When Prince signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1977, this step was considered rather unusual. This record label offered Prince great freedom of creative work. Prince did not want to become a performer with a limited repertoire of other people's songs; thus, he needed creative freedom to create music according to his own inner vision. Thus, there was For You, Prince's first record, which appeared in 1978.

What was special about For You? First, this record combined precise control over the sound and a highly personal touch. Unlike other musicians, Prince paid attention not to the live sound of the band but to the smooth, polished and complex production and to perfect vocal performance. Thus, Prince gave the listeners the first insight into his creative imagination. However, this album also hinted at Prince's future creativity and passion for experimentation.

This album is also known for including a famous single, "Soft and Wet," that gave the world the first taste of Prince's unique style. This album was characterized by three important features:

  • creation of songs with both personal and performative features;
  • the combination of funk music and polished sound with pop melodies;
  • creation of a complete artistic statement, not the album full of extra materials.

This feature is quite important as despite being his debut record, For You is not just a debut record. Prince wanted to be involved in every process connected with creating his music. Though Prince did not have much experience in that, this record shows that Prince did not want to rely on other writers for his songs or on images created by others. Even as a beginner in his musical career, Prince showed great discipline and creative ambitions.

The way forward

Prince took the next step in his career with Prince in 1979, his self-titled second LP. This album includes such a famous hit as "I Wanna Be Your Lover," showing how effortlessly Prince could combine sensual melodies with perfect performance of tight funk arrangements. While For You just introduced his techniques and methods of creating music, Prince showed how powerful these techniques and ideas were with the right songs.

With Dirty Mind (1980), Prince created another record that played an extremely important role in shaping his image of superstar. With this album, it became clear that Prince did not want to repeat safe sounds from his first LP; instead, the musician wanted to develop his own style. Prince continued the development of his image and style with Controversy in 1981, making the mixture of funk, rock music and provocative topics even deeper. Now it became obvious that the development from Prince's first album had become evident; For You just gave the musician an opportunity to move forward and create new masterpieces.

Conclusion

Prince's first record is quite important for getting to know about the career of the great musician. It shows how the young and very disciplined musician developed his own style. Though the songs on For You were presented rather modestly, this album includes all the features that made Prince's music special: control, creativity, style and a unique ability to make pop music personal.