Controversy (song)

"Controversy" is a song by Prince, the lead single and title track to his 1981 album.^[1] One of his most respected classic funk songs, "Controversy" addresses certain speculation about Prince at the time such as his sexuality, gender, religion, and racial background, and how he could not understand the curiosity surrounding him.

The song has two main verses, a few choruses, with the title repeated throughout the track. Towards the middle he recites the Lord's Prayer in full, which fueled the fire for some to say the song was blasphemous. Toward the end is a repeating chant of "People call me rude / I wish we all were nude / I wish there was no black and white / I wish there were no rules." The song is straight funk with a steady 4/4 drumbeat, synthesized bass, guitar, and keyboards. The song was backed with "When You Were Mine", from his previous album, Dirty Mind.

In 1993, in support of The Hits/The B-Sides, "Controversy" was once again released in the UK as a single, this time as a two-disc EP containing several hits not on the collection. CD1 includes the edit of "Controversy", the William Orbit remix of "The Future", "Glam Slam", and "D.M.S.R.". CD2 includes the edit of "Controversy", "Anotherloverholenyohead", "Paisley Park", and "New Power Generation (Part II)". Like the "Peach" single, CD1 was a special foldout package with a place holder for CD2, which was sold separately. "Controversy" was also released on a 7" picture disc.

"Controversy" is considered Prince's breakthrough hit in Australia, where it peaked at number 15.

Official Versions

"Controversy" (7 inch Edit) / (Single Version) - 3:39
"Controversy" (Album Version) - 7:14
"Controversy" (2004 Release) - 6:06

Live in Hawaii

"Controversy (Live in Hawaii)" is a digital single made available for sale on Prince's website on March 29, 2004. The single consists of a live performance of the song: "Controversy", recorded on tour in Hawaii in 2003. The track also saw a limited release as a CD single, only available as part of a Prince in Hawaii Gift Box, available from Prince's retail outlet.

Samples

Prince included a sample of this song in the opening of his 1992 song "My Name Is Prince".
The Jungle Brothers track "Black is Black", from their 1988 album Straight out the Jungle, features a sample of "Controversy".

References

↑ http://www.discogs.com/Prince-Controversy/master/102385

Preceded by "Menergy" / "I Wanna Take You Home" by Patrick Cowley	Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single (with "Let's Work") November 14, 1981	Succeeded by "You Can" / "Fire in My Heart" by Madleen Kane

v t e Prince singles

1970s	"Soft and Wet" "Just as Long as We're Together" "I Wanna Be Your Lover"

1980s	"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" "Still Waiting" "Sexy Dancer" "Bambi" "Uptown" "Dirty Mind" "Do It All Night" "Controversy" "Let's Work" "Do Me, Baby" "Sexuality" "1999" "Little Red Corvette" "D.M.S.R." "Delirious" "Automatic" "Let's Pretend We're Married" "When Doves Cry" "Let's Go Crazy" "Purple Rain" "I Would Die 4 U" "Take Me with U" "Paisley Park" "Raspberry Beret" "Pop Life" "America" "Kiss" "Mountains" "Anotherloverholenyohead" "Girls & Boys" "Sign "O" the Times" "If I Was Your Girlfriend" "U Got the Look" "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" "Alphabet St." "Glam Slam" "I Wish U Heaven" "Batdance" "Partyman" "The Arms of Orion" "Scandalous!"

1990s	"The Future" "Thieves in the Temple" "New Power Generation" "Gett Off" "Cream" "Diamonds and Pearls" "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" "Insatiable" "Thunder" "Sexy MF" "My Name Is Prince" "7" "Damn U" "The Morning Papers" "Pink Cashmere" "Nothing Compares 2 U" "Peach" "Pope" (remix) "Come" "Letitgo" "Space" "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" "P Control" "Dolphin" "Endorphinmachine" "I Hate U" "Gold" "Dinner with Delores" "Betcha by Golly Wow!" "The Holy River" "Somebody's Somebody" "Face Down" "The Truth" "Extraordinary" "The Rest of My Life" "5 Women" "It's About That Walk" "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold"

2000s	"Man'O'War" "Baby Knows" "The Work, pt. 1" "She Loves Me 4 Me" "Last December" "Musicology" "Call My Name" "Cinnamon Girl" "Te Amo Corazón" "Black Sweat" "Fury" "Guitar" "Chelsea Rodgers" "The One U Wanna C" "Dance 4 Me" "Crimson and Clover"

2010s	"Extraloveable" "Dance 4 Me" (remixes) "Rock and Roll Love Affair"

Promotional singles	"Gotta Stop (Messin' About)" "Erotic City" "Love Sign" "Purple Medley" "NYC" "U Make My Sun Shine" "Supercute" "Days of Wild" "S.S.T." "The Song of the Heart" "One Song" "Cybersingle" "Bataclan" "Controversy (Live in Hawaii)" "Live from Paisley Park" "Strange Relationship (Live)" "Glass Cutter" "F.U.N.K."

Other songs	"I Feel for You" "When You Were Mine" "Head" "Private Joy" "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" "17 Days" "The Beautiful Ones" "Computer Blue" "Darling Nikki" "Baby I'm a Star" "4 the Tears in Your Eyes" "Adore" "Don't Talk 2 Strangers" "I Can't Make U Love Me" "La, La, La Means I Love U" "One of Us" "Everyday Is a Winding Road" "A Case of U"

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.