Prince's pop life, song by song, in chronological order.
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The Belle of St. Mark
While “Glamorous” sounded tailor-made for Sheila’s particular talents (even if it wasn’t), “Belle” is well-crafted but faceless, embodying the essentialist cynicism of the publishing imprint Prince used for his female side projects: “Girlsongs.”
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Donna
With its double-tracked harmonies and simple acoustic guitar accompaniment, “Donna” points the way toward a few of the songs on Prince’s 1979 sophomore album.
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Baby, Baby, Baby
Charming and catchy, but not exactly a buried classic; just another example of Prince getting some ideas on tape in the months leading up to the sessions for his second album.
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Down a Long Lonely Road
Were it not for the unusual delicacy of Prince’s singing voice, “Down a Long Lonely Road” would sound for all the world like some old Folkways recording of a Black church group.