My Name Is Prince

Last updated

"My Name Is Prince"
Prince MyName.jpg
UK 7-inch single
Single by Prince and the New Power Generation
from the album Love Symbol Album
B-side "Sexy Mutha"
ReleasedSeptember 28, 1992 (1992-09-28) [1]
RecordedSeptember 18, 1991 (1991-09-18) [2]
Studio Paisley Park (Chanhassen, Minnesota)
Genre
Length
  • 6:37 (album version)
  • 4:05 (7-inch edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Prince
Prince and the New Power Generation singles chronology
"Sexy MF"
(1992)		"My Name Is Prince"
(1992)		"7"
(1992)
Music video
"My Name Is Prince" on YouTube

"My Name Is Prince" is a song by American musician Prince and his backing band the New Power Generation, released in September 1992 by Paisley Park and Warner Bros. as the second single from their 1992 Love Symbol album. The song is about Prince himself and his musical prowess. The rap sequence is performed by NPG member Tony M. The intro to the song features vocal samples from Prince's earlier songs "I Wanna Be Your Lover", "Partyup", and "Controversy". Its music video was directed by Parris Patton and featured Kirstie Alley and Lauren Green.

Contents

The B-sides to the single are "Sexy Mutha", a clean remix of "Sexy MF", and "2 Whom It May Concern", a preview of songs from the then-upcoming Love Symbol album.

Chart performance

"My Name Is Prince" returned Prince and the NPG to radio and the Top 40 in the US after their previous single, the provocative "Sexy MF" failed to chart on any airplay charts. "My Name Is Prince" received modest airplay on Mainstream Urban and Rhythmic radio stations, earning respectable positions of number 25 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, number 20 on the Rhythmic Top 40, and number 36 on the Hot 100. In the UK, "My Name Is Prince" was another Top 10 hit for Prince and the NPG, peaking at number seven.

The remixes single also charted, hitting number 51 in the UK.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "The prolific Paisley One introduces his new album with a percussive ditty that earns high marks for its appealing live sound and ferocious, scratch-happy funk beat. Because the tune is taken out of the conceptualized context of the album, the lyrics seem a bit curious at times." [3] A reviewer from Bray People described "My Name Is Prince" as a "self-mocking explosion of throbbing funk." [4] Randy Clark from Cashbox commented, "Well, all hail his funky high-ness. Sure, he's got $100,000,000.00 and now he can blow his own horn louder than anyone. This song can be interpreted a few ways. 1) a slammin' funky, but meaningless dance track; 2) his self-obsession is blocking his ability to write anything poignant; 3) the man is a full-blown, Napoleonistic, megalomaniac who has now launched himself into the same self-glorifying world as Michael Jackson and Madonna. Naturally, he produces himself." [5]

Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report said, "Clever as ever and fuuunnky to the max, this track once again displays how versatile, creative and unpredictable Prince truly is, and why he must be considered musical royalty." [6] Dave Bennun from Melody Maker wrote, "Here we find Prince in hard and funky work-out mode, no great shakes compared to the likes of "Erotic City", "Gett Off" and "Sexy Muthaf***a", but a moderate-to-acceptable taster for his new concept album". [7] Parry Gettelman from Orlando Sentinel felt it's "one of the weaker numbers" of the album, adding, "It's a killer parody of Hammer-style hip-hop. The beat is funkier than anything Hammer ever came up with, and the braggadocio is hilarious. However, the repetitive chorus and Prince's uncharacteristically harsh vocals don't wear well." [8]

Retrospective response

In a 2020 retrospective review, Andy Healy from Albumism remarked that the song is "ironically titled”. [9] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called it a "dance smash", stating that the album "has Prince's best dance tracks since The Black Album ." [10] In 2019, Alexis Petridis from The Guardian ranked "My Name Is Prince" number 27 in his list of "Prince's 50 Greatest Singles", stating that it reasserted the musician's authority "in style." He added, "Its intro listed his hits, its lyric switched between proclaiming himself divinely chosen and fretting about judgment day, and its music dealt in heavy breakbeats and noise that suggested he had been listening to Public Enemy." [11]

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was filmed in August and September 1992 [12] and directed by Parris Patton. [13] It features American actress Kirstie Alley as news reporter Vanessa Bartholomew [14] and Lauren Green as a studio anchor. [15] [16] In the video, fans are rioting to see Prince perform onstage. However, instead of performing onstage, he dances with his band in an alleyway while shooting his latest music video, wearing the outfit from the single's artwork (a police uniform and cap with chainmail obscuring his face), singing into a microphone in the shape of a gun, and inciting riots and general chaos.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits from Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud [17] [18]

Charts

Related Research Articles

The New Power Generation, also known as the NPG, was the backing band of musician Prince from 1990 to 2013. They were replaced by 3rdeyegirl as his backing band in 2013. In 2015, the New Power Generation reunited as Prince's backing band for his final studio album before his death, Hit n Run Phase Two. They reunited once again in 2017 for a US and European tour.

<i>Love Symbol</i> 1992 studio album by Prince

Love Symbol is the fourteenth studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the second of two that featured his backing band the New Power Generation. It was released on October 13, 1992, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. It was originally conceived as a "fantasy rock soap opera" with various spoken segues throughout, and contains elements of R&B, funk, pop, rock, and soul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cream (Prince song)</span> 1991 single by Prince and the New Power Generation

"Cream" is a song by American singer-songwriter Prince and his backing band the New Power Generation, released in September 1991 by Paisley Park and Warner as the second single from Prince's 13th studio album, Diamonds and Pearls (1991). In a 2004 MTV special, Prince joked that he wrote the song while looking at himself in the mirror. "Cream" became Prince's fifth and last number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100, staying at the top for two weeks. The song entered the top 10 in 15 other countries worldwide, peaking within the top three in Australia, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland. Its music video was directed by Rebecca Blake.

Rosie Gaines is an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Pittsburg, California. Gaines is a former band member of Prince's group the New Power Generation. She duetted with singer Prince on the hit song "Diamonds and Pearls". She released a number of dance hits, the most notable being "Closer Than Close", which made the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gett Off</span> 1991 single by Prince and the New Power Generation

"Gett Off" is a song written and produced by American musician Prince, released in June 1991 by Paisley Park and Warner Bros. as the lead single from his thirteenth album, Diamonds and Pearls (1991). The album was his first with his backing band the New Power Generation. "Gett Off" was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching number four in the United Kingdom; the maxi-single was too long and pricey to appear on the UK Singles Chart, so this release was classified as an album, peaking at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart in August 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamonds and Pearls (song)</span> 1991 single by Prince and The New Power Generation

"Diamonds and Pearls" is the title track of American musician Prince and The New Power Generation's 1991 album and was released as a single in November 1991. The song is an upbeat ballad, given a rock edge with guitar and heavy drumming. It also features the vocals of NPG member Rosie Gaines. The ballad is an expression of love and not lust, as is the theme on some of the other singles from the album. It was a top 10 hit, reaching number three in the US and the top spot on the R&B chart. The pearls in the accompanying music video come from Connie Parente, a Los Angeles jewelry collector and designer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Power Generation (song)</span> 1990 single by Prince

"New Power Generation", or "N.P.G.", is a song by American musician Prince from the 1990 album and film Graffiti Bridge. It is an anthem for his backing band, The New Power Generation, who were officially co-credited on his album covers for a time, and continued to back him up until 2013, albeit with a changing lineup. The song saw minimal chart attention, and was not as successful as its predecessor, "Thieves in the Temple".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Money Don't Matter 2 Night</span> 1992 single by Prince and the New Power Generation

"Money Don't Matter 2 Night" is a song by American musician Prince and the New Power Generation from their 1991 album, Diamonds and Pearls. The song was released in March 1992 by Paisley Park and Warner. Co-written with Rosie Gaines, the lyrics deal directly with money, poverty, and greed, and overall, the song is a smooth delivery with layered vocals by Prince. It peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. The accompanying music video was directed by Spike Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder (Prince song)</span> 1992 single by Prince and the New Power Generation

"Thunder" is a song by American musician Prince and the New Power Generation, from their 1991 album Diamonds and Pearls. It was issued as a limited, individually numbered 12-inch single picture disc in the UK and Ireland only, and the edited version was available only on the promotional single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexy MF</span> 1992 single by Prince

"Sexy MF" is a song by American musician Prince and the New Power Generation, released as a single from their 1992 album Love Symbol. The music and most of the lyrics were composed by Prince, while Levi Seacer Jr. came up with the chorus and the song's title. Tony M. also delivers a rap, which he wrote. The song and its refrain "You sexy motherfucker" caused some controversy, and edited versions were produced for radio, the music video and the US version of the album. The song was recorded in Paisley Park's Studio A in December 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7 (Prince song)</span> 1992 single by Prince and the New Power Generation

"7" is a song by American musician Prince and the New Power Generation, from their 1992 Love Symbol Album. It was released in late 1992 as the third single from the album, and became the most successful in the United States. It features a sample of the 1967 Lowell Fulson song "Tramp" and is composed of heavy drums and bass in an acoustic style. It has a distinct Middle Eastern style of music, and a Hindu reincarnation theme, and an opera-like chorus which features Prince's multi-tracked vocals. The lyrics have religious and apocalyptic themes. The song is ambiguous and can be interpreted in many ways, as the "7" mentioned in the chorus could be the song referring to the Seven Deadly Sins or the seven Archon of Gnosticism or the seven names of God in the Old Testament. The song received positive reviews and peaked within the top forty of many of its major markets. Its music video was directed by Sotera Tschetter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damn U</span> 1992 single by Prince and The New Power Generation

"Damn U" is a song by American musician Prince and the New Power Generation, released in November 1992 as the fourth single from his fourteenth studio album, Love Symbol (1992). It is a slow-grooving romantic R&B ballad, featuring strings and violin. Prince sings of a woman who affects him greatly emotionally, and uses the term "damn u" as an expression of surprise at the woman's power over him. His vocal range shifts throughout the song from very high falsetto to his deeper lower baritone. The B-side was "2 Whom It May Concern", which was also available on the maxi single for "7". Its music video was directed by Randee St. Nicholas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)</span> 1992 single by En Vogue

"My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" is a song by American pop/R&B group En Vogue, released in March 1992 as the lead single from their multi-platinum second album, Funky Divas (1992).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Too Funky</span> 1992 single by George Michael

"Too Funky" is a song written and performed by English singer and songwriter George Michael and released by Columbia Records in the United States and Epic Records elsewhere in 1992. The song was Michael's final single for his recording contract with Sony Music before he started legal action to extricate himself from it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jam (Michael Jackson song)</span> 1992 single by Michael Jackson

"Jam" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, released in July 1992 by Epic as the fourth single from his eighth album, Dangerous (1991), where it is the opening track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Your Mind (song)</span> 1992 single by En Vogue

"Free Your Mind" is a song by American female group En Vogue from their second album, Funky Divas (1992). The track was composed and produced by Foster and McElroy. They were inspired by the Funkadelic song "Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow." The guitar and bass tracks for the song were written and recorded by San Francisco-based guitarist Jinx Jones. The opening line: "Prejudice, wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it go!", is adapted from a line originally used by David Alan Grier's character Calhoun Tubbs from Fox's In Living Color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Too Sexy</span> 1991 single by Right Said Fred

"I'm Too Sexy" is a song by British pop band Right Said Fred, released in July 1991 by Tug Records as their debut single from their first album, Up (1992). The song was written by band members and brothers Fred Fairbrass and Richard Fairbrass with Rob Manzoli and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside the United Kingdom, it topped the charts in seven countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United States. James Lebon directed the music video for the song, featuring various clips of models walking on the catwalk. In 2023, Billboard magazine ranked "I'm Too Sexy" among the 500 best pop songs of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoop</span> 1993 single by Salt-n-Pepa

"Shoop" is the lead single released from American hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa's fourth studio album, Very Necessary (1993). The song was produced by group members Sandra "Pepa" Denton and Cheryl "Salt" James with Mark Sparks. Released in September 1993 by Next Plateau, the song became one of the group's more successful singles, reaching numbers four and five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and topping the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart at number one. Two months after its release, "Shoop" was certified gold by the RIAA; it went on to sell 1.2 million copies. Its accompanying music video was directed by Scott Kalvert. The success of both this single and the follow-up single "Whatta Man" propelled Very Necessary to sell over 5 million copies in the US, becoming the group's best-selling album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rush</span> 1991 single by Luther Vandross

The Rush is a song by American recording R&B artist Luther Vandross', released as the third single from his 1991 album, Power of Love. It reached number six on the US R&B Singles chart and peaked at number 73 on Billboard's Hot 100 in January 1992. The next single to follow was "Sometimes It's Only Love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colour My Life</span> 1992 single by M People

"Colour My Life" is a song by British band M People, released as the second single from their first album, Northern Soul (1991). It was written by band members Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. The single was originally released in May 1991 and was given a full release on 24 February 1992. It peaked at number thirty five on the UK Singles Chart and number 13 on the UK Dance Singles Chart.

References

  1. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . September 26, 1992. p. 25. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  2. ↑ "My Name Is Prince - Prince Vault".
  3. ↑ Flick, Larry (October 10, 1992). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . p. 78. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  4. ↑ Bray People . November 6, 1992. p. 30.
  5. ↑ Clark, Randy (October 10, 1992). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cashbox . p. 7. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  6. ↑ Sholin, Dave (September 25, 1992). "Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report . p. 56. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  7. ↑ Bennun, Dave (October 10, 1992). "Singles". Melody Maker . p. 35. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  8. ↑ Gettelman, Parry (October 23, 1992). "Prince and the New Power Generation". Orlando Sentinel .
  9. ↑ Healy, Andy (October 12, 2017). "Prince's 'Love Symbol' Album Turns 25: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  10. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Prince & the New Power Generation / Prince - The Love Symbol Album". AllMusic . Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  11. ↑ Petridis, Alexis (September 12, 2019). "Prince's 50 greatest singles – ranked!". The Guardian . Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Video: My Name Is Prince". Prince Vault.
  13. ↑ "My Name Is Prince (1992) by Prince feat. The New Power Generation". IMVDb. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Kirstie Alley: People.com" . Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Fox News' Lauren Green shines light on faith".
  16. ↑ "The Death of Prince Dominates TV News Today".
  17. ↑ Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN   9781784728816.
  18. ↑ "The Love Symbol Album". guitarcloud.org. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – My Name Is Prince". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – My Name Is Prince" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – My Name Is Prince" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1863." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 44. October 31, 1992. p. 22. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 44. October 31, 1992. p. 23. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  25. ↑ "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 45. November 7, 1992. p. 48. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – My Name Is Prince" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – My Name Is Prince" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 50. December 12, 1992. p. 22. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  29. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – My Name Is Prince". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  30. 1 2 "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 46. November 14, 1992. p. 22. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 44, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – My Name Is Prince" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – My Name Is Prince". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  34. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
  35. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – My Name Is Prince". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Prince & The New Power Generation – My Name Is Prince". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Prince: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Prince: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . October 17, 1992. p. 18. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . November 14, 1992. p. 26. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  41. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  42. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  43. ↑ "Prince Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  44. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  45. ↑ "1992 Year-End Airplay Charts: European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 51/52. December 19, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.