In the shift from physical to digital music, the B-side has suffered an ignoble decline, approaching near total extinction. Few current artists — a hedge, as really only Pet Shop Boys immediately spring to mind — continue to pair their current singles with an non-album song or two (though each is now priced as a separate single purchase). Most artists instead bundle bonus tracks with album releases, often spreading such extras across various retailer iterations.

Back when 45 rpm singles ruled the day, B-sides were something of a gift to the purchaser. For the price of the song you were after, you got two. The flip side might be another track from the artist’s current or previous album, an instrumental or dub mix of the single, or — the real treasure — a previously unreleased, previously unknown song.

Besides Pet Shop Boys, whose B-side oeuvre is absolutely unparalleled in that camp, I can think of only one other artist who once operated similarly with such regularity: Prince.

Near the top of Prince’s best-ever B-sides is “17 Days (the rain will come down, then U will have 2 choose. If U believe, look 2 the dawn and U shall never lose.),” the lengthily titled flip to “When Doves Cry.” Released in May 1984, the first single from Purple Rain preceded the release of both the album and movie, so for several weeks “When Doves Cry” and “17 Days” were all the new Prince the public had. Originally written with Vanity 6 in mind before he kept it for himself, “17 Days” was strong enough to have been its own single. It certainly received play equalling that of “When Doves Cry” on my turntable.

Now 28 years after I was first enraptured by “17 Days,” ’80s funk aficionado DāM-FunK has covered Prince’s B-side as the B-side to his “I Don’t Wanna Be A Star” 12-inch maxi single. Let the rain come down (down) all over again.

Purchase DāM-FunK – “17 Days” (Prince cover) via Stones Throw Records.