Description
Prince: The Hits / The B-Sides
In 1993, Prince wanted to release Goldnigga, the debut album by his band The New Power Generation but Warner Bros. refused and instead decided to finally release the greatest hits collection they had wanted to release two years earlier when Prince instead got Diamonds and Pearls released.
Discs 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. The separate Hits discs and the full set were all released on the same day. Most of the songs (A-side and B-sides) on The Hits/The B-Sides are represented in their edited single form. Exceptions to this were “Alphabet St.“, “7“, “Little Red Corvette“, “Sexy MF“, “Let’s Go Crazy“, and “Purple Rain“. This compilation marks the first time the single version of “Kiss” was made 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”, “Irresistible Bitch”, “I Love U in Me”, “God”, and “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” which were all original full-length recordings from the original singles.
Track listing
All songs performed by Prince, except where noted.
 Disc one: The Hits 1
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “When Doves Cry” (single edit) | Prince | Purple Rain (1984) | 3:48 |
| 2. | “Pop Life” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | Around the World in a Day (1985) | 3:42 |
| 3. | “Soft and Wet“ |
|
For You (1978) | 3:03 |
| 4. | “I Feel for You“ | Prince | Prince (1979) | 3:25 |
| 5. | “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?“ | Prince | Prince | 3:48 |
| 6. | “When You Were Mine“ | Prince | Dirty Mind (1980) | 3:43 |
| 7. | “Uptown” (single edit) | Prince | Dirty Mind | 4:09 |
| 8. | “Let’s Go Crazy” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | Purple Rain | 4:39 |
| 9. | “1999” (single edit; performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | 1999 (1982) | 3:37 |
| 10. | “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” (single edit) | Prince | Sign o’ the Times (1987) | 3:40 |
| 11. | “Nothing Compares 2 U” (live; performed by Prince and The New Power Generation featuring Rosie Gaines) | Prince | Previously unreleased | 4:58 |
| 12. | “Adore” (edited version) | Prince | Sign o’ the Times | 4:41 |
| 13. | “Pink Cashmere“ | Prince | Previously unreleased | 6:15 |
| 14. | “Alphabet St.“ | Prince | Lovesexy (1988) | 5:39 |
| 15. | “Sign o’ the Times” (single edit) | Prince | Sign o’ the Times | 3:43 |
| 16. | “Thieves in the Temple“ | Prince | Graffiti Bridge (1990) | 3:20 |
| 17. | “Diamonds and Pearls” (single edit; performed by Prince and The New Power Generation) | Prince | Diamonds and Pearls (1991) | 4:20 |
| 18. | “7” (performed by Prince and The New Power Generation) |
|
Love Symbol Album (1992) | 5:09 |
| Total length: | 72:10 | |||
Disc two: The Hits 2
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Controversy” (single edit) | Prince | Controversy (1981) | 3:35 |
| 2. | “Dirty Mind” (single edit) |
|
Dirty Mind | 3:49 |
| 3. | “I Wanna Be Your Lover” (single edit) | Prince | Prince | 2:58 |
| 4. | “Head” | Prince | Dirty Mind | 4:43 |
| 5. | “Do Me, Baby” (single edit) | Prince | Controversy | 3:57 |
| 6. | “Delirious” (single edit; performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | 1999 | 2:39 |
| 7. | “Little Red Corvette” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | 1999 | 4:56 |
| 8. | “I Would Die 4 U” (single version; performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | Purple Rain | 2:56 |
| 9. | “Raspberry Beret” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | Around the World in a Day | 3:32 |
| 10. | “If I Was Your Girlfriend” (single edit) | Prince | Sign o’ the Times | 3:46 |
| 11. | “Kiss” (single version; performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | Parade (1986) | 3:46 |
| 12. | “Peach“ | Prince | Previously unreleased | 3:48 |
| 13. | “U Got the Look” (featuring Sheena Easton) | Prince | Sign o’ the Times | 3:47 |
| 14. | “Sexy M.F.” (performed by Prince and The New Power Generation) |
|
Love Symbol Album | 5:26 |
| 15. | “Gett Off” (performed by Prince and The New Power Generation) | Prince | Diamonds and Pearls | 4:30 |
| 16. | “Cream” (performed by Prince and The New Power Generation) | Prince | Diamonds and Pearls | 4:13 |
| 17. | “Pope” (featuring Mayte) | Prince | Previously unreleased | 3:28 |
| 18. | “Purple Rain” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | Purple Rain | 8:40 |
| Total length: | 69:49 | |||
Disc three: The B-Sides
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | A-side | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Hello” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | “Pop Life” (1985) | 3:24 |
| 2. | “200 Balloons” | Prince | “Batdance” (1989) | 5:06 |
| 3. | “Escape” | Prince | “Glam Slam” (1988) | 3:30 |
| 4. | “Gotta Stop (Messin’ About)“ | Prince | Non-album single (1981), later released as a B-side of “Let’s Work” (1982) | 2:55 |
| 5. | “Horny Toad” | Prince | “Delirious” (1983) | 2:12 |
| 6. | “Feel U Up” | Prince | “Partyman” (1989) | 3:44 |
| 7. | “Girl” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) |
|
“America” (1985) | 3:48 |
| 8. | “I Love U in Me” | Prince | “The Arms of Orion” (1989) | 4:13 |
| 9. | “Erotic City” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | “Let’s Go Crazy” (1984) | 3:55 |
| 10. | “Shockadelica” | Prince | “If I Was Your Girlfriend” (1987) | 3:31 |
| 11. | “Irresistible Bitch” | Prince | “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” (1983) | 4:12 |
| 12. | “Scarlet Pussy” (performed by Camille) | Prince (but credited to his alter ego, Camille) | “I Wish U Heaven” (1988) | 4:18 |
| 13. | “La, La, La, He, He, Hee” |
|
“Sign o’ the Times” (1987) | 3:22 |
| 14. | “She’s Always in My Hair” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) |
|
“Raspberry Beret” (1985) | 3:27 |
| 15. | “17 Days” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) |
|
“When Doves Cry” (1984) | 3:55 |
| 16. | “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?“ | Prince | “1999” (1982) | 3:51 |
| 17. | “Another Lonely Christmas” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) |
|
“I Would Die 4 U” (1984) | 4:52 |
| 18. | “God” (performed by Prince and The Revolution) | Prince | “Purple Rain” (1984) | 4:03 |
| 19. | “4 the Tears in Your Eyes” (live) | Prince | Previously unreleased; studio version released on the USA for Africa album We Are the World (1985) | 3:24 |
| 20. | “Power Fantastic” | Prince | Previously unreleased | 4:45 |
| Total length: | 69:05 | |||
Video: Prince-When Doves Cry (1984)
