Prince’s eponymous second album turns 40 this month, and in honor of the anniversary, the Prince estate has released a previously unheard, acoustic demo version of “I Feel For You.” The full version of the song was one of the album’s original tracks, and later became a hit single for Chaka Khan and the title track of her 1984 album.
The demo is available now on streaming services, as well as on a limited-run 7″ single CD, with the original album version of “I Feel For You” as its B-side. The single will be on sale at Prince’s website for the next week.
According to a statement from Prince’s estate, the cassette demo was recorded sometime in 1978-1979 as the 20-year-old musician was preparing for his debut solo performance at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis.
When Chaka Khan re-recorded “I Feel For You” in 1984, it became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the singer two Grammys, including Best R&B Song, which recognized Prince for his songwriting contribution.
