Let’s Work was the third single (second in the US and the UK) from Prince’s fourth album Controversy. It was released three months after the album, and received release in North America and Europe. The b-side, Ronnie, Talk To Russia, was also taken from Controversy.
The North American 12" versions instead included Gotta Stop (Messin’ About), which had previously been released as a stand-alone single in European territories.
The single reached only number 104 on the US Billboard Pop Chart, but reached number 9 on the Billboard Soul Chart. Pairing with Controversy, Let’s Work also reached number 1 for 6 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Disco Top 80 in late 1981.
Prince had initially planned to release a single in 1979 with the title track Let’s Rock (named after a dance Prince had seen in clubs during that summer) and wanted to release it immediately after recording. Warner Bros. declined, and while Prince liked the track, he felt it needed to be renamed when released a few years later to avoid it seeming dated. The track, and the resulting single, were renamed Let’s Work.
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