Why is "Pope" the penultimate track on THE HITS album (CD #1) ?

It is such an obscure track and doesn't deserve a place on THE HITS amongst all the great ones. Such an odd choice. Where's 'Mountains'? etc

I agree. Mountains was definately missed on the hits. I think Pope was included cause it had been written around the time of the hits release, like a 'look what Im doing now' song.

DaveDare79 said:

The Pope was a new song they made for the album. Mountains will be on "The Hits v2" coming out in 20??.

Roll on 20??, I can't wait

lexstarr said:

Yeah, more like a "Look how far I've fallen" song.

I for one want something new in a greatest hits album.
If I have all the songs, what's the point?

PANDURITO said:

PEACH. POPE. They were new songs included on the hits....and I like both songs.

thepope2the9s said:

That's what I meant
I like them too

I like "Pope". I think it was included on the Hits package as like a pre-lude to the persona. If you look at a lot of the songs written during that time, he was into one word song titles. "Peach" and "Pope" were apart of that.

As for "Mountains" not being included, I don't think "Mountains" was as big of a hit as u guys think. According to Wiki, it only reached 23 on the US singles pop chart, 15 on r&b charts. A flop, compared to its predecesor (Kiss). Mountains was released on the cd-single for Peach. That single was released in 2 parts and contained more "hits" that didn't make the package (Partyman, I Wish U Heaven, Girls & Boys, Money Don't Matter 2night, and My Name is Prince).

DaveDare79 said:

beats me too!

The extended verion of Pope is excellent...and rare!

'Pope' was recently recorded and used as part of the Glam Slam Uylsses performances.

I'll take a stab in the dark and guess that 'Pope' particularly was chosen as it was pretty catchy and the lyrics may have vaguely served as a message ("You can be the president, I'd rather be the pope") -- with regards to Prince's attitude towards Warners at that point.

It's pretty standard for a couple of new tracks to be thrown on a hits collection, so that it can promote the package as a single or video.

The better question might be why was 'Pink Cashmere' chosen, since it was dug out of the vaults, having been recorded in 1988. I'm glad it was though, since it's a brilliant track and was great to have it in perfect quality at last!

Pope and Peach both blow. Cheap, commercial dreck which sounds dreadfully dated and laughable amongst cuts like If I Was Ur Girlfriend, Head and Purple Rain.

Mayte sounds hot on the pope! hmm..ha

Pope was a funky lil ditty from a funky man. I guess it wasn't "rock" enough for some of ya'll but hey, even when he gives you that you complain so whatever.

If he hadnt released it my screenname wouldnt exist. we all now that 'my cars got mags that be dippy dippy dope!!!'

you can be the president. Id rather be the pope!

long live the pope

popal rain!

NouveauDance said:

That and the fact that Come,Pope,Peach,Papa, and Endorphinmachine were all supposed to be on an EP that was to be released in late Spring 2003.Another EP with the rest of the eventual Come and Gold albums were to follow in the Summer and Fall of 1993. Those projects were scrapped by WB with the compromise to have some of the songs to be on the "Hits" set.

Most hits packages contain new stuff to woo the fans into buying it. In the case of the Hits/the b sides release we got 6 new tracks! Pretty good I'd say:

Peach
Nothing Compares 2 U
Pope
Pink Cashmere
Power Fantastic
4 The tears in your eyes (live aid version)

I guess Prince wanted to put some new stuff on it as well. Alot of greatest hits albums will include a new song/ unreleased song/live track/ or B-side. I'm glad he did put it on there as well as peach/pink cashmere/ nothing compares 2 U/power fantastic/ 4 the tears in your eyes. He could have made it a 4 cd collection and included mountains and stuff from the batman cd. Also put on more missing b-sides such as love or money/ gett off-love left love right/ sex.

jimmyrogertodd said:

What on Earth are you babbling about? Who mentioned anything about "rock"?

SquirrelMeat said:

Yep ... and the accompanying CD single releases included other hits / B-sides which had failed to make the album package(s):

'Pink Cashmere', in its different formats and releases was coupled variously with 'Soft and Wet', 'Paisley Park', 'Glam Slam', and 'The Future (Remix)';

'Peach' with 'Nothing Compares 2 U', 'My Name Is Prince', 'Partyman', 'Money Don't Matter 2 Night', 'I Wish U Heaven', 'Girls and Boys' and 'Mountains';

and 'Controversy' with 'The Future (Remix)', 'Glam Slam', 'D.M.S.R.', 'Anotherloverholenyohead', 'Paisley Park', and 'New Power Generation (Part II)'
.