"Pale Shelter" was initially released in 1982 as a United Kingdom-only single in both 7" and 12" formats. The 7" features the original recording of the song, while the 12" features an extended version. Both formats featured the B-side "The Prisoner", a noisy, electronic piece inspired by the Peter Gabriel song "Intruder", which showed off the duo's early experiments with synthesizers and sampling. Like "Pale Shelter", this song would also be re-recorded for inclusion on the album "The Hurting". Although the single attracted some club play in the United States, it was ultimately a failure in the UK charts.