The Hits/The B-Sides

Infobox Album | Name = The Hits/The B-Sides
Type = Compilation album
Artist = Prince


Released = September 14, 1993
Recorded = 1977–January 27, 1993
Genre = Pop, Rock, Funk
Length = 225:53 (All 3 Discs) 75:39 (The Hits 1) 74:37 (The Hits 2) 76:27 (The B-Sides)
Label = Paisley Park
Warner Bros.
Producer = Prince
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gz420r1ar48z~T1 link]
*Robert Christgau (B+) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=prince link]
* [http://www.warr.org/ Warr.org] Rating|5|5 [http://www.warr.org/prince.html#THTBS link] | Last album = "Love Symbol"
(1992)
This album = "The Hits/The B-Sides" / "The Hits 1" / "The Hits 2"
(1993)
Next album = "Come"
(1994)

"The Hits/The B-Sides" is the first greatest hits compilation album by Prince, released in 1993. It is a comprehensive 3-disc set, with a great many of his hit singles and fan favorites. Four new tracks — "Pink Cashmere," "Peach," "Pope," and "Power Fantastic" — are also included.

Disc one and two were released separately, under the titles "The Hits 1" and "The Hits 2" respectively, but the B-Sides disc could only be obtained by purchasing the full set. Most of the songs (A-sides and B-sides) on "The Hits/The B-Sides" are represented in their single (edited) form, but this was necessary due to time constraints, and the nature of a greatest-hits collection. Exceptions to this were "Alphabet St.," "Little Red Corvette,"and "Purple Rain." This was also the first time the single version of "Kiss" was available on CD. The third disc of B-sides also featured the 7" edits, with the exceptions of "200 Balloons," "17 Days," "Gotta Stop (Messin' About)," "Horny Toad," "Feel U Up," "I Love U In Me," "God," and "How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore?," which were all original full-length recordings from the original singles.

Among the previously unreleased material was the rare, live version of "4 the Tears In Your Eyes," only previously released in a 1985 TV broadcast for the Live Aid concerts. Also included was a live version of "Nothing Compares 2 U," recorded live January 27, 1992 at Paisley Park with the New Power Generation. The other four new tracks were outtakes. The oldest track was "Power Fantastic," a moody ballad once considered for the "Dream Factory" project of 1986. Another ballad, "Pink Cashmere," was broadcast before some of the Lovesexy Tours, dating it back to 1988. "Peach" and "Pope" were more recent, and both were played live during some 1993 after shows. "Pope" was actually in the short-lived musical ballet, "Glam Slam Ulysses", which also spawned several songs later released on "Come" and "The Gold Experience". Live jams of "Peach" often extended into the title track for "Chaos and Disorder".

Track listing

Disc 1 (The Hits 1)

Infobox Album | Name = The Hits 1
Type = Compilation album
Artist = Prince


Length = 75:39
Reviews =
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:blug6ja771t0~T1 Allmusic.com] Rating|5|5
*"Rolling Stone" (favorable) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/prince/albums/album/94670/review/5940887/the_hits_1 link] |
# "When Doves Cry" – 3:48 ("single edit")
# "Pop Life" – 3:42
# "Soft and Wet" – 3:03
# "I Feel for You" – 3:25
# "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" – 3:48
# "When You Were Mine" – 3:43
# "Uptown" – 4:09 ("single edit")
# "Let's Go Crazy" – 4:39
# "1999" – 3:37 ("single edit")
# "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" – 3:40 ("single edit")
# "Nothing Compares 2 U" – 4:58 ("previously unreleased")
# "Adore" – 4:41 ("edit")
# "Pink Cashmere" – 6:15 ("previously unreleased")
# "Alphabet St." – 5:39
# "Sign "☮" the Times" – 3:43 ("single edit")
# "Thieves in the Temple" – 3:20
# "Diamonds and Pearls" – 4:20 ("single edit")
# "7" – 5:09

Disc 2 (The Hits 2)

Infobox Album | Name = The Hits 2
Type = Compilation album
Artist = Prince


Length = 74:37
Reviews =
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7267mped9f1o~T1 Allmusic.com] Rating|5|5
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/prince/albums/album/231839/review/5945726/the_hits_2 link]

# "Controversy" – 3:35 "(single edit)"
# "Dirty Mind" – 3:49
# "I Wanna Be Your Lover" – 2:58 "(single edit)"
# "Head" – 4:43
# "Do Me, Baby" – 3:57 "(single edit)"
# "Delirious" – 2:39 "(single edit)"
# "Little Red Corvette" – 4:56
# "I Would Die 4 U" – 2:57 ("single edit")
# "Raspberry Beret" – 3:32
# "If I Was Your Girlfriend" – 3:46 "(single edit)"
# "Kiss" – 3:46 "(single edit)"
# "Peach" – 3:48 "(previously unreleased)"
# "U Got the Look" – 3:47
# "Sexy M.F." – 5:26
# "Gett Off" – 4:30
# "Cream" – 4:13
# "Pope" – 3:28 "(previously unreleased)"
# "Purple Rain" – 8:40

Disc 3 (The B-Sides)

# "Hello" – 3:24 ("edit") "(B-side of "Pop Life")"
# "200 Balloons" – 5:06 "(B-side of "Batdance")"
# "Escape (Free yo mind from this rat race)" – 3:30 ("edit") "(B-side of "Glam Slam")"
# "Gotta Stop (Messin' About)" – 2:55 "(B-side of "Let's Work" 12 inch single)"
# "Horny Toad" – 2:12 "(B-side of "Delirious")"
# "Feel U Up (Short Stroke)" – 3:44 ("edit") "(B-side of "Partyman")"
# "Girl" – 3:48 ("edit") "(B-side of "America")"
# "I Love U In Me" – 4:13 "(B-side of "The Arms of Orion" and "Insatiable")"
# "Erotic City" – 3:55 ("edit") "(B-side of "Let's Go Crazy")"
# "Shockadelica" – 3:31 ("edit") "(B-side of "If I Was Your Girlfriend")"
# "Irresistible Bitch" – 4:12 "(B-side of "Let's Pretend We're Married")"
# "Scarlett Pussy" – 4:18 ("edit") "(B-side of "I Wish U Heaven")"
# "La, La, La, He, He, Hee" – 3:22 ("edit") "(B-side of "Sign "☮" the Times")"
# "She's Always In My Hair" – 3:27 ("edit") "(B-side of "Raspberry Beret")"
# "17 Days (the rain will come down, then U will have 2 choose. If U believe, look 2 the dawn and U shall never lose.)" – 3:55 "(B-side of "When Doves Cry")"
# "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" – 3:51 "(B-side of "1999")"
# "Another Lonely Christmas" – 4:52 ("edit") "(B-side of "I Would Die 4 U")"
# "God (Vocal Version)" – 4:03 "(B-side of "Purple Rain")"
# "4 the Tears In Your Eyes" – 3:24 "(video version)"
# "Power Fantastic" – 4:45 "(previously unreleased outtake)"

Exclusions

Notable (at that time) A- and B-sides not included in this collection:

A-sides

* "Let's Work"
* "Let's Pretend We're Married"
* "Take Me With U"
* "Paisley Park"
* "America"
* "Mountains"
* "Girls & Boys"
* "Anotherloverholenyohead"
* "Glam Slam"
* "I Wish U Heaven"
* "Batdance"
* "Partyman"
* "The Arms of Orion"
* "New Power Generation"
* "Insatiable"
* "Money Don't Matter 2 Night"
* "My Name Is Prince"
* "The Morning Papers"
* "Just as Long as We're Together"

B-sides

* "♥ or $" "(B-side of "Kiss")"
* "Alexa de Paris" "(B-side of "Mountains")"
* "Horny Pony" "(B-side of "Gett Off" and "Cream")"
* "Call the Law" "(B-side of "Money Don't Matter 2 Night")"
* "Sexy Mutha" "(B-side of "My Name Is Prince")"
* "Sex ("the 80's are over and the time has come 4 monogamy and trust")" "(B-side of "Scandalous")"
* "Loveleft, Loveright" "(B-side of "New Power Generation")"
* "Violet the Organ Grinder" "(B-side of "Gett Off")"
* "Housequake" "(B-side of "U Got the Look")"
* "Hot Thing" "(B-side of "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man")"
* "Crazy You" "(B-side of "Soft and Wet")"
* "In Love" "(B-side of "Just as Long as We're Together")"

Miscellanea

* It was rumored that "She's Always In My Hair" was in reference to Apollonia or former girlfriend (and Vanity 6/Apollonia 6 group member) Susan Moonsie, as the song contains the keyboard riff from Apollonia 6's hit "Sex Shooter," however, the song was written about Jill Jones, who toured with Prince during the Dirty Mind, Controversy, 1999, Purple Rain & Parade tours. She was featured as the "Lady Cab Driver" on the song of the same name, as well as backup singing on various songs on the 1999 album and onward.

* Rather than participate in the USA for Africa "We Are the World" charity single, Prince preferred to contribute the track "4 the Tears In Your Eyes" to the "We Are the World" album.
* "Hello" was written as a response to those who criticized Prince for not participating in USA for Africa.
* Two of Prince's B-sides charted on the Hot 100 due to significant airplay on their own: "Irresistible Bitch" (#52) and "Hot Thing" (#63).
* Bernie Mac appears on "Pope" on "The Hits 2".
* Due to the complex ownership of the "Batman" franchise, no hit singles from the Batman soundtrack were allowed on "The Hits/The B-Sides", or any of Prince's hits collections. However, "Partyman" was released on a 2-CD set for the single "Peach". Each CD was sold separately. The buyer had to buy both CDs to complete the set. One CD was housed in a digipak type fold out case, made to hold both CDs. The other CD was sold in a slim line package. Other hits included on this single but not The Hits/The B-sides were "I Wish U Heaven", "Mountains", "Money Don't Matter 2 Nite", "Girls & Boys", and "My Name Is Prince". Fact|date: May 2008|date=May 2008

External links

*"The B-Sides" [http://www.dtt-lyrics.com/albums/theB-Sides.html lyrics]