Prince The B-Sides collection released along with The Hits

The B-Sides Prince

Released: September 13, 1993 Recorded: 1981-1989 Peak: 4 US, 6 UK, 67 CN, 4 AU, 12 DF Sales (in millions): 1.0 US, 0.4 UK, 2.5 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/R&B/funk Album only available as part of the box set The Hits/The B-sides

Tracks: Song Title (recording/release dates) Click for codes to charts. Hello (released 7/10/85, B-side of “Pop Life”) 200 Balloons (6/8/89, B-side of “Batdance”) Escape (7/11/88, B-side of “Glam Slam”) Gotta Step Messin’ About (5/29/81 single-only release) Horny Toad (released 8/17/83, B-side of “Delirious”) Feel U Up (9/15/89, B-side of “Partyman”) Girl (released 10/2/85, B-side of “America”) I Love U in Me (10/16/89, B-side of “The Arms of Orion”) Erotic City (recorded 3/25/1984 and 4/4/1984, released 7/18/84 as B-side of “Let’s Go Crazy”) Shockadelica (recorded 9/16/85, released 5/6/1987 as the B-side of “If I Was Your Girlfriend”) Irresistible Bitch (released 11/23/83, B-side of “Let’s Pretend We’re Married”) Scarlet Pussy (9/20/88, B-side of “I Wish U Heaven”) La La La He He Hee (recorded 1/87, 2/18/1987 as the B-side of “Sign ‘O’ the Times”) She’s Always in My Hair (released 5/15/85, B-side of “Raspberry Beret”) 17 Days (recorded 1/8/1984 and 3/18/1984, released 5/16/84 as B-side of “When Doves Cry”) How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore? (released 9/24/82, B-side of “1999”) Another Lonely Christmas (recorded 2/18/1984 and 2/19/1984, released 11/28/84 as B-side of “I Would Die 4 U”) God (recorded 8/19/1984 and 8/20/1984, released 9/26/84 as B-side of “Purple Rain”) 4 the Tears in Your Eyes (live, studio version released on We Are the World, 1985) Power Fantastic (recorded 3/19/86)

Rating: 4.512 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: In 1993, Prince released two compilations known as The Hits 1 and The Hits 2. They could be purchased separately or as part of the box set The Hits/The B-Sides. The box set was the only way to purchase The B-Sides, a collection of (mostly) B-sides of singles released from 1981 to 1989. The Songs Here are insights into some of the individual tracks. They are presented in order of when they were released instead of the album’s track listing. The songs “Feel U Up “ and Power Fantastic” are not featured on this page but on the page for the aborted albums Dream Factory, Camille, and Crystal Ball.

Gotta Stop Messin’ About Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: May to June 1980 at North Arm Drive Home Studio in Orono, MN; January 1981 at Hollywood Sound Recorders in Los Angeles Released: 5/29/1981 as a single, The B-Sides (1993), 4Ever (2016) B-Side: “Uptown” Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 0.04 video, 0.5 streaming About the Song: This was a non-album single that was released in between Prince’s 1980 Dirty Mind album and Controversy album in 1981.

How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore? Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 4/28/1982 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles Released: /24/1982 as the B-side of “1999,” also on the Girl 6 soundtrack, The B-Sides (1993) Covered by: Alicia Keys on Songs in A Minor (2001), first charted 3/23/2002, released as a single 6/4/2002, (59 BB, 30 RR, 30 RB, 26 UK) About the Song: While Prince’s original recording didn’t chart, Alicia Keys had success with a cover of the song in 2002. It was released as the third single from her 2001 album Songs in A Minor, which reached #1 in the United States and sold 12 million copies worldwide. She won five Grammys at the awards ceremony in 2002, including Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, Song of the Year, Best R&B Song, and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The latter three awards were for “Fallin’,” the album’s first single.

Horny Toad Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 6/5/1982 at Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen, MN Released: 8/17/1983 as the B-side of “Delirious,” The B-Sides (1993)

Irresistible Bitch Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 9/7/1982 at Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen, MN and September 15-18, 1983 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles Released: 11/23/1983 as the B-side of “Let’s Pretend We’re Married,” The B-Sides (1993)

17 Days Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 1/8/1984 and 3/18/1984 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles Released: 5/16/1984 as the B-side of “When Doves Cry,” also on the Girl 6 soundtrack, The B-Sides (1993)

Erotic City Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 3/25/1984 and 4/4/1984 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles Released: 7/18/1984 as the B-side of “Let’s Go Crazy,” The B-Sides (1993)

God Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: August 19-20, 1984 at Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse in Eden Prairie, MN Released: 9/26/1984 as the B-side of “Purple Rain,” The B-Sides (1993)

Another Lonely Christmas Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: February 18-19, 1984 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles Released: 11/28/1984 as the B-side of “I Would Die 4 U,” The B-Sides (1993)

4 the Tears in Your Eyes Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: February 1-2, 1985 at Louisiana Superdome (Le Mobile Studios) in New Orleans Released: 4/12/1985 on the We Are the World various artists compilation, The B-Sides (1993) About the Song: Prince was one of the most noted artists to not participate in the recording of the 1985 charity single “We Are the World,” which raised money for African hunger relief. He did, however, contribute this song to the subsequent compilation, which reached #1 and sold three million copies in the United States.

She’s Always in My Hair Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 12/29/1983 and 1/8/1984 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles; August 1984 at Fling Cloud Drive Warehouse in Eden Prairie, MN Released: 5/15/1985 as the B-side of “Raspberry Beret,” 7/10/1985 as the B-side of “Pop Life,” The B-Sides (1993), Ultimate (2006)

Hello Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: May 24-25, 1985 at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles Released: B-side of “Pop Life,” The B-Sides (1993)

Girl Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 1982-1984 at Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen, MN and July 1985 at Washington Avenue Warehouse in Edina, MN Released: 10/2/1985 as the B-side of “America,” The B-Sides (1993)

La La La He He Hee Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: January 1987 at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, MN Released: 2/18/1987 as the B-side of “Sign ‘O’ the Times,” The B-Sides (1993)

Shockadelica Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 9/16/1986 at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, MN Released: 5/6/1987 as the B-side of “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” The B-Sides (1993) About the Song: This song was originally slated to be the lead single from Camille, an album originally set for a January 1987 album release before it was abandoned. The songs from that project and two other aborted album releases would later surface on 1987’s Sign ‘O’ the Times double album and the 1998 box set Crystal Ball. “Shockadelica” was on the 2020 deluxe edition reissue of Sign ‘O’ the Times.

Escape Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 5/5/1988 at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, MN Released: 7/11/1988 as the B-side of “Glam Slam,” The B-Sides (1993)

Scarlet Pussy Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: December 1987 at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, MN Released: 9/20/1988 as the B-side of “I Wish U Heaven,” The B-Sides (1993)

200 Balloons Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: February 1989 at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, MN Released: 6/6/1989 as the B-side of “Batdance,” The B-Sides (1993)

I Love U in Me Prince

Writer(s): Prince Recorded: 1989 at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, MN Released: 10/18/1989 as the B-side of “The Arms of Orion,” The B-Sides (1993)

Notes: Information on this page about album sales and chart peaks are for the box set The Hits/The B-Sides. While the two Hits packages were also released as separate albums, The B-Sides was only available as part of the box set. Resources/References: BC Benoit Clerc (2022). Prince: All the Songs – The Story Behind Every Track. Octopus Publishing Group Ltd.: Great Britain PV PrinceVault.com: Originals WK Wikipedia Related DMDB Links: First posted 7/26/2025; last updated 7/28/2025.