Controversy

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Controversy

from the album Controversy
single art for Controversy
Controversy (Live In Hawaii)
single art for Controversy (Live In Hawaii)
Song details
Performer: Prince
First Released: 2 September 1981 - Controversy single
Album(s): Controversy

The Hits 2
The Hits / The B-Sides
Ultimate
4Ever
1999 Super Deluxe Edition

Writer(s): Prince
Producer(s): Prince
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
Performed regularly on tour:
Performed occasionally in shows:

Controversy is the first track on Prince’s fourth album Controversy, and, six weeks prior to the album’s release, Controversy was released as the album’s first single.

In 1982, the track was included as the b-side of the West German and Japanese versions of the Sexuality single. It was also included as the third track on the Australian 12" of 1999, the first single from Prince’s fifth album 1999.

In 1993, the track was included as the first track on Prince’s second compilation album The Hits 2 (also included as the second disc of The Hits / The B-Sides), and, three months after the album’s release, Controversy was released as a single.

In 2004, a 2003 live version was released as a download from the NPG Music Club’s Musicology Download Store (this same version was included on the Controversy (Live In Hawaii) single included in the Prince In Hawaii book). In 2006, the full-length studio version was included as the third track on the first disc of the compilation album Ultimate.

While specific recording dates are not known, the track was recorded in late Spring or Summer 1981 at Prince’s Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota (during the same session as Poppa Grooves and Tick, Tick, Bang). The album was completed at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, between 14 and 23 August 1981.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
Late spring/Summer 1981 Kiowa Trail Home Studio,
Chanhassen, MN, USA 		Tracking
14 - 23 August 1981 Sunset Sound,
Hollywood, CA, USA 		Overdubs, mixing
Recording Personnel

Studio version

  • Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted
  • Lisa Coleman - backing vocals
  • Morris Day - drums (uncredited, possible involvement on the album version)


Live In Hawaii version


Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Controversy 7:14 Controversy

Controversy single
Sexuality single
1999 single
Ultimate

Studio
Controversy (Edit) 3:35 Controversy single

Sexuality single
Strange Tales From The Rain promotional album
The Hits 2
The Hits / The B-Sides
Controversy single (1993 reissue)
4Ever

Edit
Controversy (Edit) 3:35 Controversy promo Edit, mono version
Controversy 3:45 Controversy Italian Jukebox single, b/w/ Foreigner: Waiting On A Girl Edit, different fade out
Controversy 1:22 NPG Ahdio Show # 4 mp3 (not available as a separate track) Live 31 August 1986, Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, West Germany; in medley with A Love Bizarre
Controversy (Live In Hawaii) 6:06 Musicology Download Store .wma

Controversy (Live In Hawaii) single

Live 16 December 2003, Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, HI, USA
Controversy 5:41 1999 Super Deluxe Edition Live 1 December 1982 (a.m.): Masonic Temple Auditorium, Detroit, MI, USA
Video Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Controversy (Edit) 3:35 The Hits Collection VHS/DVD Promo video See Controversy video for more details
Controversy 0:32 Lovesexy Live 2 VHS Live 9 September 1988, Westfallenhalle, Dortmund, West Germany
Controversy / Mutiny 4:05 NPG Music Club Edition # 2 .mov download Live 8 December 2000, SJSU Event Center Arena, San Jose, CA, USA
Controversy 4:54 1999 Super Deluxe Edition DVD Live 29 December 1982: The Summit, Houston, TX, USA
Controversy ?:?? Welcome 2 America Deluxe edition Live 28 April 2011, The Forum, Inglewood, CA, USA
Broadcasts/streaming (only)
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Controversy T.B.C. Live TV concert broadcast Live 1 July 1986, Holiday Inn Sheridan-Convention Center, Sheridan, WY, USA; Under The Cherry Moon premiere party broadcast on MTV
Controversy T.B.C. Live concert TV broadcast Live 7 June 1986, Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI, USA
Controversy T.B.C. Live concert radio broadcast Live 22 July 1990, Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
Controversy T.B.C. Delayed concert TV broadcast Live 29 July 1990, Estadio Santa María del Mar, La Coruña, Spain
Controversy T.B.C. Live concert TV broadcast Live 21 September 2007, The O2 Arena, London, England
I Feel For You (intro) - Controversy T.B.C. Live performance TV broadcast Live 14 October 2009, Le Grand Journal, Studios Rive Gauche, Paris, France; includes All Day, All Night chants
Controversy T.B.C. Live concert online stream Live 10 May 2015, Baltimore, MN, USA, Royal Farms Arena
Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Let’s Work (Dance Remix) 8:02 Let’s Work single

Ultimate

Extended version a.k.a. "Let’s Work (Xtended)"; see Let’s Work for more details
My Name Is Prince 6:37 album Studio Includes samples of I Wanna Be Your Lover and Controversy in opening
My Name Is Prince 6:37 album (clean version) Alternate Clean version
My Name Is Prince (Edit) 4:05 My Name Is Prince single Edit Alternate opening to album version (not a straightforward edit)
My Name Is Prince (Original Mix Edit) 8:06 My Name Is Prince single Remix Perhaps an original version edited for album release
 
Additional Information
See also Trivia
  • The Live In Hawaii version is the only recording from the World Tour 2003 to be released.
  • In his autobiography On Time: A Princely Life in Funk, Morris Day states that he played drums on Controversy and on Let’s Work, without mentioning that it was on the extended version of the latter. Since different recordings were made for Controversy, it is not known if Morris plays on the album version or on an unreleased version.
  • Controversy became the name of a UK-based Prince fanclub which ran in the 1980s and early 1990s.
References
The Continental   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   Conversation Piece
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