| The Hits / The B-Sides is a 3CD box-set compilation album by Prince. It was released simultaneously with The Hits 1, The Hits 2 (which comprised the first two discs of the set) and The Hits Collection home video in September 1993.
The set 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). The third CD, known as The B-Sides, contained 18 previously-released b-sides (in their edited form where there was one), as well as an unreleased version of a relatively obscure song, 4 The Tears In Your Eyes, and a previously-unreleased track, Power Fantastic.
First steps
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
Pink Cashmere was released as a single two weeks before the album’s release. Peach was released as a single two months after the album’s release (three weeks after the album’s release in the UK), and Nothing Compares 2 U was also available as a promotional release in the USA on the same day.
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 19 on The Billboard 200, and number 6 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums Chart.
The album has sold well since its release, and was certified platinum by the RIAA (1,000,000 copies shipped in the US) in late 1993. It was also certified gold (100,000 copies sold in the UK) by the BPI in 2013.
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Track listing
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MC
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The compact disc version is the original issue.
- When Doves Cry (3:47)
- Pop Life (3:41)
- Soft And Wet (3:02) 1
- I Feel For You (3:24)
- Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? (3:48)
- When You Were Mine (3:43)
- Uptown (4:09)
- Let’s Go Crazy (4:39)
- 1999 (3:36)
- I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (3:38)
- Nothing Compares 2 U (4:57)
- Adore (4:39)
- Pink Cashmere (6:13)
- Alphabet St. (5:38)
- Sign O’ The Times (3:42)
- Thieves In The Temple (3:19)
- Diamonds And Pearls (4:19) 2
- 7 (5:09) 3
- Controversy (3:35)
- Dirty Mind (3:49) 4
- I Wanna Be Your Lover (2:56)
- Head (4:43)
- Do Me, Baby (3:55)
- Delirious (2:38)
- Little Red Corvette (4:55)
- I Would Die 4 U (2:56) 5
- Raspberry Beret (3:31) 5
- If I Was Your Girlfriend (3:46)
- Kiss (3:45)
- Peach (3:48)
- U Got The Look (3:46)
- Sexy M.F. (5:24) 6
- Gett Off (4:29) 2
- Cream (4:12) 2
- Pope (3:28)
- Purple Rain (8:40) 5
- Hello (3:23)
- 200 Balloons (5:05)
- Escape (3:30)
- Gotta Stop (Messin’ About) (2:54)
- Horny Toad (2:12)
- Feel U Up (3:44)
- Girl (3:47)
- I Love U In Me (4:12)
- Erotic City (3:55)
- Shockadelica (3:30)
- Irresistible Bitch (4:11)
- Scarlet Pussy (4:18)
- La, La, La, He, He, Hee (3:21)
- She’s Always In My Hair (3:27)
- 17 Days (3:54)
- How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore (3:50)
- Another Lonely Christmas (4:51)
- God (4:02)
- 4 The Tears In Your Eyes (3:23)
- Power Fantastic (4:45)
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The MC boxset was released at same time as the CD.
- Side One:
- When Doves Cry (3:47)
- Pop Life (3:41)
- Soft And Wet (3:02) 1
- I Feel For You (3:24)
- Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? (3:48)
- When You Were Mine (3:43)
- Uptown (4:09)
- Let’s Go Crazy (4:39)
- 1999 (3:36)
- I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (3:38)
- Side Two:
- Nothing Compares 2 U (4:57)
- Adore (4:39)
- Pink Cashmere (6:13)
- Alphabet St. (5:38)
- Sign O’ The Times (3:42)
- Thieves In The Temple (3:19)
- Diamonds And Pearls (4:19) 2
- 7 (5:09) 3
- Side One:
- Controversy (3:35)
- Dirty Mind (3:49) 4
- I Wanna Be Your Lover (2:56)
- Head (4:43)
- Do Me, Baby (3:55)
- Delirious (2:38)
- Little Red Corvette (4:55)
- I Would Die 4 U (2:56) 5
- Raspberry Beret (3:31) 5
- If I Was Your Girlfriend (3:46)
- Side Two:
- Kiss (3:45)
- Peach (3:48)
- U Got The Look (3:46)
- Sexy M.F. (5:24) 6
- Gett Off (4:29) 2
- Cream (4:12) 2
- Pope (3:28)
- Purple Rain (8:40) 5
- Cassette Three: (The B-Sides)
- Side One:
- Hello (3:23)
- 200 Balloons (5:05)
- Escape (3:30)
- Gotta Stop (Messin’ About) (2:54)
- Horny Toad (2:12)
- Feel U Up (3:44)
- Girl (3:47)
- I Love U In Me (4:12)
- Erotic City (3:55)
- Shockadelica (3:30)
- Side Two:
- Irresistible Bitch (4:11)
- Scarlet Pussy (4:18)
- La, La, La, He, He, Hee (3:21)
- She’s Always In My Hair (3:27)
- 17 Days (3:54)
- How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore (3:50)
- Another Lonely Christmas (4:51)
- God (4:02)
- 4 The Tears In Your Eyes (3:23)
- Power Fantastic (4:45)
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All songs written by Prince, except where noted.
1 Music by Prince, Lyrics by Prince and C. Moon
2 Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the New Power Generation)
3 Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the New Power Generation). Contains sample of "Tramp" as performed by McCrackin and Fulsom
4 Written by Prince and Dr. Fink
5 Written by Prince (credited to Prince and the Revolution
6 Written by Prince, Tony M. and Levi Seacer, Jr.
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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, Feel U Up, Shockadelica and Scarlet Pussy)
- Wendy Melvoin - guitars and background vocals on Pop Life, Let’s Go Crazy, I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain and 4 The Tears In Your Eyes, background vocals on Raspberry Beret, Irresistible Bitch and 17 Days, guitar on Power Fantastic
- Lisa Coleman - keyboards and background vocals on Pop Life, Let’s Go Crazy, I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain and 4 The Tears In Your Eyes, co-lead vocals on 1999, background vocals on Controversy, Head, Little Red Corvette, Raspberry Beret, Irresistible Bitch and 17 Days, keyboards on Power Fantastic
- Brown Mark - bass guitar and background vocals on Pop Life, Let’s Go Crazy, I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain
- Dr. Fink - keyboards on Pop Life, Let’s Go Crazy, Dirty Mind, Head, I Would Die 4 U and Purple Rain
- Sheila E. - drums on Pop Life, Alphabet St. and U Got The Look, synth drum fills on Diamonds And Pearls (uncredited), vocals on Escape, co-lead vocals on Erotic City and Scarlet Pussy, vocal and percussion on La, La, La, He, He, Hee
- Jonathan Melvoin - tamborine on Pop Life
- André Cymone - vocal harmony on Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad? (uncredited)
- Bobby Z. - drums and percussion on Let’s Go Crazy, I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain and Power Fantastic
- Jill Jones - co-lead vocals on 1999, uncredited background vocals on Hello, Shockadelica and 17 Days
- Dez Dickerson - co-lead vocals on 1999, guitar and vocals on Little Red Corvette
- Jesse Johnson - background vocals on 1999 (uncredited)
- Rosie Gaines - co-lead vocals and keyboards on Nothing Compares 2 U, Gett Off and Cream, co-lead vocals on Diamonds And Pearls
- Michael B. - drums on Nothing Compares 2 U, Diamonds And Pearls, Peach, Sexy M.F., Gett Off and Cream
- Sonny T. - bass guitar on Nothing Compares 2 U, Diamonds And Pearls, Peach, Sexy M.F., Gett Off and Cream
- Levi Seacer, Jr. - guitar on Nothing Compares 2 U and Diamonds And Pearls, Sexy M.F., Gett Off and Cream, bass on La, La, La, He, He, Hee (uncertain involvement)
- Tommy Barbarella - keyboards on Nothing Compares 2 U, Diamonds And Pearls, Sexy M.F., Gett Off and Cream
- Michael Nelson - trombone on Nothing Compares 2 U and Sexy M.F.
- Brian Gallagher - tenor saxophone on Nothing Compares 2 U and Sexy M.F.
- Kathy Jensen - baritone saxophone on Nothing Compares 2 U and Sexy M.F.
- Dave Jensen - trumpet on Nothing Compares 2 U and Sexy M.F.
- Steve Strand - trumpet on Nothing Compares 2 U and Sexy M.F.
- Eric Leeds - saxophone on Adore, Alphabet St., Escape, Feel U Up, Scarlet Pussy and La, La, La, He, He, Hee, flute on Gett Off and Power Fantastic
- Atlanta Bliss - trumpet on Adore, Alphabet St., Escape, Feel U Up, La, La, La, He, He, Hee and Power Fantastic
- Clare Fischer - string orchestration on Pink Cashmere
- Cat - vocals on Alphabet St.
- Boni Boyer - vocals on Alphabet St. and Escape
- Ingrid Chavez - vocals on Alphabet St.
- Lester Chambers - harmonica on Thieves In The Temple (sampled from I Can’t Stand It by The Chambers Brothers, uncredited)
- Michael Koppelman - guitar on Diamonds And Pearls (uncredited)
- Chuck Thomas - drums (uncredited, sampled loop from Tramp by Lowell Fulson) on 7
- Morris Day - drums on Controversy (uncredited, possible involvement on the album version)
- Susannah Melvoin - background vocals on Raspberry Beret
- Novi Novog - violin on Raspberry Beret and Purple Rain
- Suzie Katayama - cello on Raspberry Beret and Purple Rain
- David Coleman - cello on Raspberry Beret and Purple Rain
- Tony Christian - background vocals (as Mazarati) on Kiss
- Craig "Screamer" Powell - background vocals (as Mazarati) on Kiss
- Jerome "Romeo" Cox - background vocals (as Mazarati) on Kiss
- Marr Starr - background vocals (as Mazarati) and keyboards (uncredited) on Kiss
- Aaron Paul "Ace" Keith - background vocals (as Mazarati) and keyboards (uncredited) on Kiss
- Kevin "Blondie" Patricks - drums (uncredited) on Kiss
- Mayte - background vocals on Peach, co-lead vocals on Pope
- Kim Basinger - sampled moan (uncredited) on Peach
- Sheena Easton - co-lead vocals on U Got The Look
- Tony M. - rap on Sexy M.F., vocals on Gett Off
- Kirk Johnson - percussion and background shouts/vocals (as "Kirky J.") on Sexy M.F., Gett Off and Cream
- Damon Dickson - percussion and background shouts/vocals on Sexy M.F. and Gett Off
- D.J. Graves - scratching on Sexy M.F.
- Bonnie Raitt - sampled slide guitar (uncredited) on Cream
- Bernie Mac - spoken samples (from Def Comedy Jam) on Pope
- Ted Carpenter - spoken samples (uncredited - from Def Comedy Jam) on Pope
- Laura Hayes - spoken samples (uncredited - from Def Comedy Jam) on Pope
- Vanity - background vocals (played in reverse) on Girl (uncredited)
- Brenda Bennett - background vocals on 17 Days (uncredited)
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| Production
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- Prince – all production and arrangement, except where noted
- Tommy Vicari – executive producer, engineer and remixer on Soft And Wet
- Clare Fischer – string orchestrator on Pink Cashmere
- David Z. – arranger and engineer on Kiss, engineer on I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain
- Bob Mockler – remixer on I Feel For You, When You Were Mine, Uptown, Dirty Mind, I Wanna Be Your Lover, Head, engineer on Controversy, Do Me, Baby
- Mic Guzauski – remixer on When You Were Mine, Uptown, Dirty Mind, Head, engineer on Controversy, Do Me, Baby
- Keith "K.C." Cohen – mixer on 7, Peach, Sexy M.F., Cream
- Bob Rosa – mixer on 7, Sexy M.F.
- Steve Beltran – mixer on 7, Sexy M.F.
- Ron Garrett – assistant remixer on When You Were Mine, Uptown, Dirty Mind, Head
- Peggy Mac – engineer on When Doves Cry, Pop Life, 1999, Delirious, Little Red Corvette, Kiss
- Susan Rogers – engineer on Pop Life, Let’s Go Crazy, I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man, Adore, Sign O’ The Times, Raspberry Beret, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Kiss, U Got The Look
- David Leonard – engineer on When Doves Cry, Pop Life, Let’s Go Crazy, I Would Die 4 U, Raspberry Beret, Kiss, Purple Rain
- David Tickle – engineer on Pop Life, Raspberry Beret, Kiss
- Gary Brandt – engineer on I Feel For You, Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?, I Wanna Be Your Lover
- Coke Johnson – engineer on I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man, Adore, Sign O’ The Times, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Kiss, U Got The Look
- Michael Koppelman – engineer on Thieves In The Temple, Gett Off, Cream, engineer and mixer on Diamonds And Pearls, 7, Sexy M.F.
- Steve Noonan – engineer and mixer on 7, engineer on Peach, Sexy M.F., assistant engineer on Gett Off
- Dave Friedlander – mixer on Pope, engineer on 7, Sexy M.F.
- Ray Hahnfeldt – engineer and mixer on Pope, engineer on 7, Sexy M.F., assistant engineer on Gett Off,
- Brian Poer – engineer on 7, Sexy M.F.
- Ross Pallone – engineer on Controversy, Do Me, Baby
- Tom Garneau – engineer on Pink Cashmere, Thieves In The Temple and mixer on 7, Sexy M.F.
- Eddie Miller – engineer on Pink Cashmere, Alphabet St.
- Joe Blaney – engineer on Alphabet St.
- Mark Forrester – engineer on Peach
- Airiq Anest – engineer on Peach
- Rolly Ladd – engineer on Peach
- Jamie Starr – engineer on When You Were Mine, Uptown, Dirty Mind, Head
- Steve Fontano – assistant engineer on Soft And Wet
- Dave Roeder – assistant engineer on Soft And Wet
- Mark Ettel – assistant engineer on I Feel For You, Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?, I Wanna Be Your Lover
- Don Batts – assistant engineer on 1999, Delirious, Little Red Corvette
- Tim Penn– assistant engineer on Diamonds And Pearls, Cream
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| Thanks
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1993: The Hits 2 ◄
