✦ Gold – Single: Nov. 1995

A triumphant symbol‑era anthem paired with a fiery Minneapolis rock manifesto

✦ Summary

Gold was released in the United States on November 30, 1995 as a commercial single on Warner Bros./NPG Records, credited to 0(+>. It was the second commercial single from *The Gold Experience*, arriving two months after the album’s release. The B‑side, Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis), was Prince’s direct response to Lenny Kravitz’s 1995 single Rock And Roll Is Dead. Recorded on September 12, 1995 at Paisley Park, the track incorporated audience chants from a live show three days earlier and debuted on Minneapolis radio the next morning. Gold underperformed in the US, peaking at No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 92 on the R&B chart, but became a Top 10 hit in the UK, reaching No. 10 on the Gallup Singles Chart. The single was issued worldwide across 7-inch, CD, promo CD, and 12-inch formats, including a US gold‑vinyl promo.

✦ Highlights

• Released November 30, 1995 in the US on Warner Bros./NPG Records

• Second commercial single from *The Gold Experience*

• B‑side: Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) — Prince’s answer to Lenny Kravitz

• US chart peaks: No. 88 (Hot 100), No. 92 (R&B)

• UK chart peak: No. 10

• 12-inch US promo issued on gold vinyl

• Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive! later featured in the 1996 TV film *Love 4 One Another*

✦ Track Details

7-inch Single (US: 7‑17715)

A: Gold (Edit) — 4:43

B: Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) — 4:34

CD Single (UK: W0325CD / W0325CDX; DE: 9362‑43571‑9; JP: WPCR‑449)

1: Gold (Edit) — 4:43

2: Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) — 4:34

3: Hate U (Extended Remix) — 6:17

12-inch Promo – US Gold Vinyl (PRO‑A‑7941)

A1: Gold (Album Version) — 7:23

A2: Gold (Radio Edit with Guitar Solo) — 4:23

B1: Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) — 4:34

B2: Gold (Alternate Radio Mix with Guitar Solo) — 4:37

CD Promo – US (PRO‑CD‑7941‑R)

1: Gold (Radio Edit with Guitar Solo) — 4:23

2: Gold (Alternate Radio Mix with Guitar Solo) — 4:37

3: Gold (Radio Edit without Guitar Solo) — 4:43

4: Gold (Album Version) — 7:23

5: Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives In Minneapolis) — 4:34

CD Promo – UK (PRCD 99)

1: Gold (Edit) — 4:43

2: Gold (Album Version) — 7:23

CD Promo – Germany (WMSPROM99)

1: Gold — 7:23

2: Dolphin — 4:59

3: The Most Beautiful Girl In The World — 4:26

4: Endorphinmachine — 4:07

Label: Warner Bros. Records / NPG Records

Produced, arranged, composed, and performed by 0(+>

Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive! recorded Sept. 12, 1995 at Paisley Park

Audience chants recorded Sept. 9, 1995

✦ Chart Performance

United States: No. 88 — Billboard Hot 100

United States: No. 92 — Billboard R&B

United Kingdom: No. 10 — Gallup Singles Chart

International: Moderate charting across Europe

✦ Discography Sidebar

The Gold Experience Era Singles:

The Most Beautiful Girl In The World — Single: 1994

Eye Hate U — Single: 1995

Gold — Single: Nov. 1995

I Hate U (The Hate Experience) — US Maxi: 1995

The Gold Experience — Album: 1995

✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

Sept. 1995 — The Gold Experience released

Sept. 12, 1995 — Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive! recorded

Nov. 30, 1995 — Gold single released

1996 — Track appears in Love 4 One Another

✦ Glam Flashback

Gold is the soaring, emotional climax of The Gold Experience — a symbol‑era epic that Prince often described as the true successor to Purple Rain. Paired with the fiery, hometown‑proud Rock ’N’ Roll Is Alive!, the single captures both his grand romanticism and his fierce musical defiance. Though it charted modestly in the US, its UK Top 10 success and the cult status of its B‑side have cemented Gold as one of the era’s most beloved releases.

✦ Sources

Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History, YouTube