The Hits/The B-Sides

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The Hits/The B-Sides
Compilation album by Prince
Released	September 14, 1993
Recorded	1977–January 27, 1993
Genre	Pop, R&B, Rock, Funk
Length	3:45:53
Label	Paisley Park Warner Bros.
Producer	Prince
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (B+) link
Prince chronology
O(+> (1992) The Hits/The B-Sides / The Hits 1 / The Hits 2 (1993) 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 previously unreleased tracks — "Pink Cashmere", "Peach", "Pope", and "Power Fantastic" — are also included.

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 it had wanted to release two years earlier when Prince instead got Diamonds and Pearls released.

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", "Sexy M.F.", 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 U 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 originally for his abandoned Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic project. "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.

While Prince had very little interest in the project, he insisted that his longtime manager Alan Leeds write the liner notes over Rolling Stone journalist Neal Karlen. According to Prince biographer Per Nilsen, the record company actually had paid Prince to not get involved with the making of this compilation.

Track listing

Disc 1 (The Hits 1)

The Hits 1
Compilation album by Prince
Length	75:39
Singles from The Hits 1
"Pink Cashmere" Released: August 31, 1993 "Nothing Compares 2 U (with Rosie Gaines) (Promo)" Released: November 18, 1993

1. "When Doves Cry" – 3:48 (single edit)
2. "Pop Life" – 3:42
3. "Soft and Wet" – 3:03
4. "I Feel for You" – 3:25
5. "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" – 3:48
6. "When You Were Mine" – 3:43
7. "Uptown" – 4:09 (single edit)
8. "Let's Go Crazy" – 4:39
9. "1999" – 3:37 (single edit)
10. "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" – 3:40 (single edit)
11. "Nothing Compares 2 U" – 4:58 (live) (previously unreleased)
12. "Adore" – 4:41 (live)
13. "Pink Cashmere" – 6:15 (previously unreleased)
14. "Alphabet St." – 5:39
15. "Sign "☮" the Times" – 3:43 (single edit)
16. "Thieves in the Temple" – 3:20
17. "Diamonds and Pearls" – 4:20 (single edit)
18. "7" – 5:09

Disc 2 (The Hits 2)

The Hits 2
Compilation album by Prince
Length	74:37
Singles from The Hits 2
"Peach" Released: November 18, 1993 "Controversy (re-issue)" Released: December 6, 1993 "Pope (Remix) (promo)" Released: 1994

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

Disc 3 (The B-Sides)

1. "Hello" – 3:24 (edit) (B-side of "Pop Life")
2. "200 Balloons" – 5:06 (B-side of "Batdance")
3. "Escape (Free yo mind from this rat race)" – 3:30 (edit) (B-side of "Glam Slam")
4. "Gotta Stop (Messin' About)" – 2:55 (B-side of "Let's Work" 12-inch single)
5. "Horny Toad" – 2:12 (B-side of "Delirious")
6. "Feel U Up (Short Stroke)" – 3:44 (edit) (B-side of "Partyman")
7. "Girl" – 3:48 (edit) (B-side of "America")
8. "I Love U In Me" – 4:13 (B-side of "The Arms of Orion" and "Insatiable")
9. "Erotic City ("make love not war Erotic City come alive")" – 3:55 (edit) (B-side of "Let's Go Crazy")
10. "Shockadelica" – 3:31 (edit) (B-side of "If I Was Your Girlfriend")
11. "Irresistible Bitch" – 4:12 (B-side of "Let's Pretend We're Married")
12. "Scarlet Pussy" – 4:18 (edit) (B-side of "I Wish U Heaven")
13. "La, La, La, He, He, Hee" – 3:22 (edit) (B-side of "Sign "☮" the Times")
14. "She's Always In My Hair" – 3:27 (edit) (B-side of "Raspberry Beret")
15. "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")
16. "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" – 3:51 (B-side of "1999")
17. "Another Lonely Christmas" – 4:52 (edit) (B-side of "I Would Die 4 U")
18. "God (vocal version)" – 4:03 (B-side of "Purple Rain")
19. "4 the Tears In Your Eyes" – 3:24 (video version)
20. "Power Fantastic" – 4:45 (previously unreleased outtake)