416: We Can Work it Out

Unreleased (1977)
One of his better early outtakes and the oldest song on this list that never saw a release in any form. It has all the hallmarks of For You era Prince. Falsetto vox. Polished sheen. A guitar solo calling card. The lyrics are directed towards the record company he just signed for and unlike the barbs found in the darker recesses of Chaos and Disorder it’s a message of hope and excitement. “Makin’ music naturally, me and WB.” You can feel the eagerness to please like it’s his first day in the office. And in a way it was. The explosion it ends with was possibly added to show how Prince is about to blow up big, but could be now interpreted as the contractual tumult to follow. To paraphrase John Lennon in the Beatles song of the same name; there’s still time for fussing and fighting, my friend.