Prince (November 1981) Controversy / When You Were Mine – Single 7" FR
- GlamSlamEscape
- Nov 4, 1981
- 2 min read
Prince released “Controversy” as a single in France in November 1981, backed with “When You Were Mine”. It was issued in a picture sleeve 7" commercial version and a 12" promotional single with the same track on both sides.
RELEASE DETAILS
Artist: Prince
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Format: 7" / 12" Vinyl Single Country: France
Released: November 1981
Genre: Funk, Rock, Minneapolis Sound
A-Side: “Controversy”
Written by: Prince Produced by: Prince
B-Side: “When You Were Mine”
Written by: Prince Produced by: Prince
TRACK LIST
France 7" Commercial Single (17 866)
A. Controversy – 3:39
B. When You Were Mine – 3:44
France 12" Promotional Single (PRO 530) A. Controversy – 3:39
B. Controversy – 3:39
CHART PERFORMANCE United States Billboard Hot 100: Peak #70
United States Billboard Hot Soul Singles: Peak #3
United States Billboard Disco Top 80: Peak #1 (6 weeks, with “Let’s Work”)
INTERNATIONAL RELEASES
USA – Warner Bros. – WBS 49808 (September 2, 1981)
Netherlands – Warner Bros. – WB 17.866 / WB 26195 (November 4, 1981)
Bolivia – WEA – 1981
Brazil – Warner Bros. – 1981
Canada – Warner Bros. – 1981
Guatemala – Warner Bros. – 1981
Philippines – Warner Bros. – 1981
Australia – Warner Bros. – 1982
All international variants were released with the same two tracks, though release dates may vary from country to country.
PERSONNEL
Prince – lead and backing vocals, Oberheim OB-X, Oberheim OB-SX, electric guitars, bass guitar, Pearl SY-1 Syncussion, handclaps
Lisa Coleman – backing vocals
Morris Day – possible drums
Production
Produced by Prince
THE STORY
“Controversy” features Prince reciting the Lord’s Prayer and provocative lyrics addressing race, rules, and nudity. It was the title track and lead single from the Controversy album.
CONTEXT & NOTES
The song generated some controversy for its religious and sexual content but achieved strong success on the dance charts. It was later included on The Hits/The B-Sides. A live version from Hawaii was released digitally in 2004.
SOURCES
Prince Vault
Discogs
45cat
Wikipedia
Sleevographia2
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
All single artwork, photographs, logos, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.
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