Kiss (3:45)

“Kiss” is a 1986 song by Prince and the Revolution, from the album Parade. “Kiss” started as a short acoustic demo, about a minute in length, with one verse and the chorus. Prince gave the song to the funk band Mazarati for their debut album. Mazarati and producer David Z. drastically reworked the song, giving it its unique raw funk and oddly effective stripped-down minimalist sound. When Mazarati delivered the song to Prince, he was amazed at their work and decided to take back the song for himself. He replaced their lead vocal, added the guitar break in the chorus and edited the song to its present form.

Mazarati were credited for their backing vocals, which Prince left intact. He added the song at the last minute to Parade. Despite Warner Bros. not wanting to release it as a single, “Kiss” became Prince’s third number-one U.S. hit following 1984’s highly successful “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy”. It was also a big hit across the Atlantic, reaching #6 on the UK Singles Chart. The song won Prince another Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, and was nominated for Best R&B Song. The song has become a staple at Prince’s concerts and is usually sung partially by the audience.
The 12” single of the song is an extension of the album track. The extended section is based on the funky guitar line and contains much fuller instrumentation than the main track, including bass, keys and horns. New lyrics are present from Prince with Jill Jones that end with a humorous dialogue between a wife and her husband watching Prince on television. The B-side of “Kiss” was the funky “♥ or $” (“Love or Money”), sung in a processed, higher-pitched vocal, which Prince would later use for his Camille material.