The Hits 2 is the second compilation album by Prince. It was released simultaneously with The Hits 1, The Hits / The B-Sides and The Hits Video Collection home video in September 1993, and the disc itself was also included as the second disc of The Hits / The B-Sides.
Content
In conjunction with The Hits 1, the album contains most of Prince's most well-known songs from 13 studio albums, released originally between 1978 and 1993 (Batman being the only album not represented). With the exception of Soft And Wet, the more explicit material was saved for The Hits 2 to avoid a "Parental Advisory" label on The Hits 1.
The album also contained two previously-unreleased songs; Peach and Pope. Compared to the two previously-unreleased tracks included on The Hits 1, these two new tracks were relatively contemporary. Peach was recorded in June 1992, and Pope was recorded in May 1993.
Early project
Warner Bros. had initially considered releasing a larger 4-5 disc box set, but this was quickly rejected as the retail price was considered to be prohibitive.
Prince contributed six previously-unreleased songs to the whole set, and at one point wanted to be more involved in the release, but Warner Bros. were already behind schedule on the set, and in the end paid Prince not to be involved.
Promotion
Peach was released as a single two months after the album's release (three weeks after the album's release in the UK), and some territories also received a re-release of Controversy as a single the following month (with an entirely different tracklist and appearance than the 1981 release).
Pope was also available as a promotional-release only in the UK (with no commercial release).
The album reached number 54 on The Billboard 200 Chart, and number 23 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums Chart. The album has sold well since its release, and was certified platinum (1,000,000 copies shipped) in 1995.
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Personnel
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Musicians
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- Prince – all vocals and instruments, except where noted.
(credited as Camille for lead vocals on If I Was Your Girlfriend, U Got The Look)
- Wendy Melvoin – guitar and voice on I Would Die 4 U, Raspberry Beret, Kiss and Purple Rain
- Lisa Coleman – keyboards and voice on I Would Die 4 U, Raspberry Beret, Kiss and Purple Rain, backing vocals on Controversy, Head, Delirious and Little Red Corvette
- Brown Mark – bass and voice on I Would Die 4 U, Raspberry Beret, Kiss and Purple Rain
- Dr. Fink – keyboards on Dirty Mind, Head, I Would Die 4 U, Raspberry Beret, Kiss and Purple Rain
- Bobby Z. – percussion on I Would Die 4 U, Raspberry Beret, Kiss and Purple Rain
- Levi Seacer, Jr. – guitar and vocals on Sexy M.F., Gett Off and Cream
- Rosie Gaines – keyboards and vocals on Gett Off and Cream
- Tony M. – Rap on Sexy M.F., backing vocals on Gett Off and Cream
- Tommy Barbarella – keyboards on Sexy M.F., Gett Off and Cream
- Damon Dickson – backing vocals and percussion on Sexy M.F., Gett Off and Cream
- Sonny T. – bass and backing vocals on Sexy M.F., Gett Off and Cream
- Michael B. – drums, backing vocals and percussion on Sexy M.F., Gett Off and Cream
- Dez Dickerson – guitar and vocals on Little Red Corvette
- Sheila E. – drums and percussion on U Got The Look
- Mayte – co-lead vocals on Pope
- Eric Leeds – flute on Gett Off
- Sheena Easton – vocals on U Got The Look
- Tony Christian - background vocals on Kiss (as Mazarati), rhythm guitar on Kiss (uncredited)
- Craig "Screamer" Powell - background vocals on Kiss (as Mazarati), lead guitar on Kiss (uncredited)
- Jerome "Romeo" Cox - background vocals on Kiss (as Mazarati)
- Marr Starr - background vocals on Kiss (as Mazarati), keyboards on Kiss (uncredited)
- Aaron Paul "Ace" Keith - background vocals on Kiss (as Mazarati), keyboards on Kiss (uncredited)
- Kevin "Blondie" Patricks - drums on Kiss (uncredited)
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Production
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- Prince – all production and arrangement, except where noted.
; engineer on Dirty Mind and Head (as Jamie Starr)
- David Z. – arranger and engineer on Kiss, engineer on I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain
- Bob Mockler – remixer on Dirty Mind, I Wanna Be Your Lover and Head, engineer on Controversy and Do Me, Baby
- Mic Guzauski – remixer on Dirty Mind and Head, engineer on Controversy, Do Me, Baby
- Keith "K.C." Cohen – mixer on Peach, Sexy M.F. and Cream
- Bob Rosa – mixer on Sexy M.F.
- Steve Beltran – mixer on Sexy M.F.
- Ron Garrett – assistant remixer on Dirty Mind and Head
- Peggy McCreary – engineer on Delirious, Little Red Corvette and Kiss (as "Peggy Mac")
- Susan Rogers – engineer on Raspberry Beret, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Kiss and U Got The Look
- David Leonard – engineer on I Would Die 4 U, Raspberry Beret, Kiss and Purple Rain
- David Tickle – engineer on Raspberry Beret and Kiss
- Gary Brandt – engineer on I Wanna Be Your Lover
- Coke Johnson – engineer on If I Was Your Girlfriend, Kiss and U Got The Look
- Michael Koppelman – engineer on Gett Off and Cream, engineer and mixer on Sexy M.F.
- Dave Friedlander – mixer on Pope and engineer on Sexy M.F.
- Tom Garneau – mixer on Sexy M.F.
- Ray Hahnfeldt – engineer and mixer on Pope, engineer on Sexy M.F., assistant engineer on Gett Off
- Steve Noonan – engineer on Peach, Sexy M.F. and assistant engineer on Gett Off
- Brian Poer – engineer on Sexy M.F.
- Ross Pallone – engineer on Controversy and Do Me, Baby
- Mark Forrester – engineer on Peach
- Airiq Anest – engineer on Peach
- Rolly Ladd – engineer on Peach
- Mark Ettel – assistant engineer on I Wanna Be Your Lover
- Don Batts – assistant engineer on Delirious and Little Red Corvette
- Tim Penn – assistant engineer on Cream
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Thanks
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