Prince: "Controversy" Single (1993)

Escape
Dec 6, 1993
2 min read

Updated: Sep 23

Prince’s "Controversy" was re-released as a single in the UK by Warner Bros. Records (catalog number W0215CD) on December 6, 1993, to promote the albums The Hits 1, The Hits 2, and The Hits / The B-Sides.

The single reached number 5 on the UK Gallup Singles Chart and was released exclusively in the UK three months after the album, without being made available in other regions. This release followed the approach of the UK version of the "Peach" single, featuring B-sides that were single versions of lesser-known hits not included on "The Hits 1" or "The Hits 2," effectively acting as an extension of these albums.

Notably, "New Power Generation Pt. II" is included in this release and is uniquely presented without its counterpart "Pt. I" (which appears on both "Graffiti Bridge" and the "New Power Generation" single).

This single differs from the 1981 "Controversy" single in artwork and track list, apart from the title track, which earns it its own entry. The cover art and some B-sides resemble the "Pink Cashmere" single, which, although not released in the UK, was available in other parts of Europe at the same time.