“Kiss” is the lead single from Prince’s eighth album Parade (which served as the soundtrack to Prince’s second film, Under the Cherry Moon).

The song was not prominently featured in Under The Cherry Moon, but quickly became not only a huge hit for Prince, but also one of his most iconic songs. It’s success ensured Parade would succeed as an album commercially and critically, even though Under The Cherry Moon quickly flopped and none of the subsequent singles managed to make much of an impact, in the wake of the film’s failure.

In spite of being one of Prince’s signature songs, “Kiss” almost didn’t see release as a single, let along as a Prince single. The song was originally conceived as blues song for the funk-rock band Mazarati, with whom Prince was working at the time. They transformed the song into the stuttering, slinky funk number you hear now; Prince reclaimed the track, removing a bassline, singing it an octave higher, and adding the song’s signature guitar riff/solo.