In the early 80s, Prince began using the B-side of his vinyl singles for tracks left off their respective albums. Some of these B-sides became deeply-loved fan favorites like "Erotic City", "Hello", "Scarlet Pussy", etc. Around the time of the NPG Era (1990-), Prince seemed to eschew the B-side "thing" except in rare cases ("Rock N Roll Is Alive!", "2 Whom It May Concern").

However, (though no singles from the album have been released for obvious reasons) "Hot Summer" seems to be as close to a B-side movement revival as there ever was.

Examining his release history, we see "Hot Summer" and "Cause & Effect" as the closest approximation of B-sides around. Notably, I'm defining "B-side" as a track recorded during the pertinent album's sessions, but left off the album in favor of its respective tracklisting yet released to the public. Had "What Do U Want Me 2 Do?" been left off of Musicology, it would've been a b-side as well given it was released far in advance of Musicology and was entirely unknown to be associated to an album at all upon its release. In hindsight, though, we can see that it was a teaser for the new album despite it not being labeled as such. Thus, not a b-side. Obviously you aren't going to see "Hot Summer" on a 12" any time soon, so allow for modernization of B-side dispersement.

In any event, I'm still left wondering is there such a thing as a B-side anymore? Honestly, if "Hot Summer" and "Cause & Effect" are intended to be kin with "She's Always In My Hair" and "La, La, La, He, He, Hee" then I am afraid his output, upon further examination, is found wanting.

I like Prince. I love Prince, actually. Even his worst music still plucks my heart strings because I've been a devout fan since I was a kid (in the 80s). I even like the Prince of 2010. The Prince of 2010, he of many fables who tells us to stop looking to the past yet turns out "20TEN" - an album of Prince doing 80s Prince better than 80s Prince did it (tongue in cheek - technology is a hell of a drug). So don't accuse me of hating.

I'm just wondering where the fuck the b-sides are. For someone who shits a jingle, burps a melody, and farts slap-bass funk, I can't be bothered to remember the parts of "Cause & Effect" that didn't offend my senses. I can't be bothered to explain to my friends why "Hot Summer" came from the same guy who did "17 Days".

U cant play 2 sides of a CD.

(well U can in certain cases)

The shift in media format has caused B-sides and extended remixes to go extinct for the most part.

I dig what you're saying. Basically b-sides were of a time, there are still non-album tracks released, and since "the single" is such a non-entity these days, it doesn't really matter if you call it a b-side or what - the intention is often the same.

I'm not saying it's a good thing - getting tracks in shitty web radio-rip is not much fun at all, but what are you gonna do?...

NouveauDance said:

I dig what you're saying. Basically b-sides were of a time, there are still non-album tracks released, and since "the single" is such a non-entity these days, it doesn't really matter if you call it a b-side or what - the intention is often the same.

I'm not saying it's a good thing - getting tracks in shitty web radio-rip is not much fun at all, but what are you gonna do?...

I dunno, I mean - I see some artists still release "non-album track(s)" on their digi-singles. (Did I really just type "digi-single"....). Were Prince to begin doing this sort of thing (I honestly have no idea WTF he is doing with his career - don't care, either), I think it'd be great. At the very least, we would see that he genuinely wants people to actually hear the music he is making.

"20TEN" isn't a concept album in the same vein as "Around The World In A Day" or "LoveSexy", but I bet it had some pretty interesting B-sides other than "Hot Summer" and "Cause & Effect".

And, truthfully, I would've loved to have heard some TRC B-sides or some Musicology B-sides. Those albums were phenomenal! Surely "The Marrying Kind" and "If I Was The Man In Your Life" weren't the only 2 songs that came up in that obviously live studio jam.

Not that long ago he was releasing "virtual b-sides"* online : Glass Cutter, Magnificent...

Mind that's when the Internet was still alive

* his words, not mine

PANDURITO said:

Not that long ago he was releasing "virtual b-sides"* online : Glass Cutter, Magnificent...

Mind that's when the Internet was still alive

* his words, not mine

You make a good point. I was going to delve more into the NPGMC Era (with tracks like "Glasscutter", "Magnificent", etc), but I felt it would drag my post out too long and people wouldn't read.

Though I don't care for "Glasscutter" and I think "Magnificent" is just okay, I still love the act of putting out tight tracks that fit the material he's working with right now, but just not in the context of an album. Sure, virtual b-sides/digi-b-sides/whatthehellever might offer little to no promotional value in today's market (whereas "Erotic City" was a bankable radio track that would push Purple Rain sales regardless of it not being on the album), but it's a nod to the fans.

"Glasscutter" wasn't a virtual b-side.

"Magnificent" was the virtual b-side to "Musicology"

"United States Of Division" was the virtual b-side to "Cinnamon Girl" (and later the physical b-side)

"Silver Tongue" was the virtual b-side to "Call My Name"

I was hoping this trend would continue, but then "Te Amo Corazon" came out as a 1 track CD single

So few people buy 'hard' formats anymore. so they are a thing of the past I fear.

Spinlight said:

I'm just wondering where the fuck the b-sides are. For someone who shits a jingle, burps a melody, and farts slap-bass funk, I can't be bothered to remember the parts of "Cause & Effect" that didn't offend my senses. I can't be bothered to explain to my friends why "Hot Summer" came from the same guy who did "17 Days".

It's frustrating because it would be easy as hell to just throw up "b-side" (i-side?) songs on his own site (or iTunes) and sell them for $0.77.

minneapolisFunq said:

U cant play 2 sides of a CD.

(well U can in certain cases)

The shift in media format has caused B-sides and extended remixes to go extinct for the most part.

I don't really buy that. A b-side, in effect these days, is an extra track put on a single. It's the same thing it was then (opposed to the same song, or an instrumental, or another album track) on 45's. People are paying too much attention to the physicality of the CD, and it not having two-sides (which is a missed opportunity since DVDs have two sides, why not make a novelty CD single and put a song on both sides?), and forgetting that any extra track on a CD single could be considered a b-side. "B-side" is the generic term, like "Kleenex" is for tissue, or "Xerox" is for copy.

Let's also remember the CD single fully allowed a plethora of space to be filled with unreleased cuts, and extended cuts (a la maxi singles). Vinyl was well on its way out, and yet Janet Jackson was still released an effectual "B-side" on singles like "If" ("One More Chance") and "You Want This" ("70's Love Groove"). Hell, even Prince released "Brand New Orleans" which, although an extended portion of "S.S.T.", was still very much a b-side for the single.

The real shift in media that you're perhaps referring to is that everything is digital, and cherry picked to death. However, you can still buy a single in a store, and get those (that) extra song(s), if there's any to be had.

But why hasn't Prince put out more B-sides in the past 15 years? Because he is too worried about being bootlegged. The last time, that I remember. Prince even releasing remixes was probably "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold", yes? There were promised remixes for "Hot Wit U", but the closest we got was the horrible "Nasty Girl" remix on Rave In2. B-side? "Beautiful Strange".

I also think it's a money issue. Prince either doesn't have the cash flow, or doesn't want to pay, for remixers and DJs to do a batch of remixes for any particular song. The "Dance 4 Me" remix from David Alexander (that was his name, no?) was the ONLY one in recent years.

So yeah - money and control: Prince's biggest frenemy. That's why B-sides have disappeared from his release history.

Belgian band Das Pop did just that, they released a dvd-single for Love is fair and when you reverse the dvd there is a cdlayer with a b-side. I like the idea, but my computer won't let me rip the b-side to i-tunes.

Freekclaassen said:

I like the idea, but my computer won't let me rip the b-side to i-tunes.

I guess Brand New Orleans was Prince's last true commercial b-side (non-remix, non-live version). But that's debatable, since it's basically riffing off SSTs outro.

I meant CD's and MP3's

I guess the songs would be considered "B-sides" on a CD, but wouldnt that be a maxi single?

It makes less sense in the digital world 2 call a song a B-side when U can just download everything individually, The songs arent paired up so there isnt really a side. (U said its just a generic term but it doesnt feel right 2 me)

squirrelgrease said:

I guess Brand New Orleans was Prince's last true commercial b-side (non-remix, non-live version). But that's debatable, since it's basically riffing off SSTs outro.

But isn't "Escape" a riff of "Glam Slam", too? Either way, it's still a b-side to me.

Glaaaaaaam Slaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam

Free your mind from this rat race

ESCAPE

I'm going to give a literal answer here. Vinyl sales have been rising consistantly for the last several years. Both indie rock and electronic artists regularly release tracks that are only available on the b-side of their 7 and 12 inch singles. So yes, the b-side still exists.

Oh... I'm sorry... did you mean this to only be about Prince? My bad.

As far as Prince is concerned, I consider any track released between albums to be a sorta "B-Side" -- either left over from the previous album or pointing to the next one . . .

Luckily, Cause & Effect and Hot Summer did not relate to the album before/after them. I don't consider Purple & Gold in the same realm, as that was not a "pop song" per se.

I wish I would've downloaded Disco Jellyfish when it was up, but I guess I was hopeful that it would be released. That would've been a nice release.

Se7en said:

As far as Prince is concerned, I consider any track released between albums to be a sorta "B-Side"

Yeah, i don't care if they go with a single or not. Prince's albums tend to have less and less proper "singles" anyway. What matters is that we still get non-album tracks