Love Symbol

Warner Bros. Records

I love this band. I just wish they were all girls.

The unpronounceable Prince love symbol or Love Symbol Album was the second and final LP Prince credited jointly with the New Power Generation. Like the preceding LP Diamonds And Pearls, it absorbs many musical genres, yet unlike its predecessor NPG’s writing contribution is much reduced.

Love Symbol is a Prince record through and through and centres its tracks around a make believe theme based on his supposed relationship with an Egyptian princess, played by Mayte Garcia – the band’s newly employed dancer and backing vocalist and who in 1996 married Prince in real life. Mayte is the inspiration behind several tracks on the album. Segues were added to adopt the format of hip hop albums of the day. Two of these are voiced by Kirstie Alley, playing the role of reporter Vanessa Bartholomew as a narrative binding the storyline of Prince’s infatuation with the (underage) princess. Alley first met Prince when he was opening the Special Olympics in Minneapolis 20 July 1991 and they struck up a friendship. Her vocals were recorded at Record Plant studios LA by Prince’s engineer Peter Arata. Five additional segues fleshing out the story were recorded with Mayte in the role of the princess but were removed due to the space constraint of CDs – which Love Symbol runs to almost 75 minutes, the near maximum capacity for a single disc. On its vinyl format Love Symbol was issued as a double LP, Prince’s sixth.

The oldest song on Love Symbol is The Flow, recorded at Olympic Studios, London in September 1990 and was considered for Diamonds And Pearls as its rap part was a common feature on Nude Tour. The remainder of Love Symbol was entirely new, laid down at Paisley Park Studios between the completion of the sessions for Diamonds And Pearls in December 1991 and launching the supporting tour in April 1992. Crucially, Love Symbol became Prince’s first release under his record-breaking $100 million six-album contract extension, signed with Warner Brothers on 31 August 1992 owing to the success of the previous LP Diamonds And Pearls. There was therefore considerable pressure for Love Symbol to succeed. The album is as genre bending as the predecessor; there is pop, funk, hip hop as well as a foray into electro pop. Hot on the heels of the preceding LP, Love Symbol‘s lead single Sexy M.F. dropped three months ahead of the album, so early Diamonds And Pearls Tour was still in full swing and its B-sides featured songs from that album. Sexy M.F. languished at 66 in the US Hot 100 harmed by limited airplay due to its lyrical content – a clean version of the song was later available titled Sexy Mutha. The single charted at 4 in the UK thanks to its timing with the tour. Due to his subsequent fallout with Warner in 1993, Love Symbol would become Prince’s last singles-led album. Of its five promos the most successful was 7, aptly peaking in the Hot 100 at number 7, it received RIAA’s Gold certification on 10 March 1993.

Unlike the preceding record Diamonds And Pearls, Prince’s Love Symbol was lacking a major hit. Its second single My Name Is Prince received heavy promotion and was backed with alternative remixes and versions, repeating the formula of Gett Off and Cream. The track was written in response to Michael Jackson declaring himself King of Pop upon releasing the Dangerous LP in November 1991 seven weeks after Diamonds And Pearls: “My name is Prince, I don’t wanna be king.” My Name Is Prince is also in the style of New Jack Swing, the genre Jackson made hugely popular with Dangerous. The song’s B-side 2 Whom It May Concern continues the theme: “There are no kings on this earth, only princes”. My Name Is Prince charted at only 36 in the US, but in the UK produced a top ten hit. The LP’s following two singles were issued in the US on the same day: Damn U and 7. Whilst Damn U fell short of Billboard’s top 100, 7 was a top 10 hit. The album’s final single The Morning Papers dropped in March 1993 and peaked at 44; just two of the LPs five singles entered the US top 40. With only one single from Love Symbol reaching Billboard’s top 10, concern grew at Warner Brothers whether they would ever manage to recoup their $100m commitment. Within a year since celebrating their historic signing, Warner’s long-standing relationship with Prince was on the rocks.

Released under Prince’s Warner-owned imprint Paisley Park Records, Love Symbol enjoyed only moderate success in the US, where it peaked on Billboard Hot 200 at number 5. It certified Platinum by RIAA on 17 December 1992, racking up only half the sales of the predecessor Diamonds And Pearls. Getting better reception overseas, Love Symbol topped the UK album chart having sold 300,000 units. Love Symbol was supported with the Act I Tour in 1993, Prince’s first major tour of the US since 1988 having concentrated his touring routine in Europe where sales of his music was greater. Following the Act I theatre tour, Prince dropped Tony M, Damon D and Kirky J from NPG’s line-up, and staged following Act II Tour as a solo artist. Following the sales pattern of the album, Act II Tour was performed only in Europe and was played at larger venues.

“Bernadette’s a lady” whom Prince fondly remembers in his biographical song The Sacrifice Of Victor, is Bernadette Anderson, social worker and mother of his school friend Andre Cymone, whose basement Prince lived in when he moved out of his father’s home, aged 12. Bringing stability to Prince’s teenage life her kindness was never forgotten and considered her the one of the most important people in his life.

Cover story

The album’s cover image is a shot by Jeff Katz, stills photographer on production of the promo video for the single 7. The seven boys and seven girls dancing with Prince and Mayte had gotten the couple broody and their plans to start a family spawned from this shoot. Building on Warner art director Jeff Gold’s idea of the hologram covering the previous LP Diamonds And Pearls, the CD version of Love Symbol is also unusual. Etched into the jewel case’s cover is a gold foil Prince love symbol (Prince love symbol), the unpronounceable name of the album and which Prince would adopt on his birthday, 7 June 1993, in replacement of his own name due to his escalating dispute with Warner Brothers over the terms of his recording contract and the control that imposed on his music. The symbol’s design is an updated version of the original male/female symbol first seen on the petrol tank of the motorbike in the movie poster for Purple Rain. Its 1992 iteration became known as Love Symbol #2 when Prince registered it as a trademark. Love Symbol was also released packaged as a alternative gold foil slip-case digipak limited edition (see above), drawing inspiration from a book published for artist Lucas Samras.

Performers

Vocials/Guitar

Prince

Drums

Michael Bland

Chuck Thomas ⁷

Rhythm Guitar

Levi Seacer Jr.

Keyboards

Tommy Barbarella

Bass Guitar

Sonny Thompson

Michael Koppelman ^{Blue Light}

Vox/Purpleaxxe

Rosie Gaines

Raps

Tony Mosley

Percussion

Kirk Johnson

Backing vocals

Damon Dickson

Mayte Garcia ^{Love 2 The 9’s, The Max, Blue Light and And God Created Woman}

Saxophone

Eric Leeds ^{Blue Light}

Baritone Sax

Kathy Jensen

Tenor Sax

Brian Gallagher

Trumpet

Dave Jensen

Steve Strand

Trombone

Michael B. Nelson

Programming

Eric "Statik" Anest ^{My Name Is Prince [12" Club Mix] and My Name Is Prince [Hard Core 12" Mix]}

Orchestration

Clare Fischer ^{Damn U}

Scratches

D J Greaves

Data

Production

Prince & the New Power Generation

Label

Paisley Park Records

Distribution

Warner Bros. Records

Cover/Design

Jeff Katz, Jeff Gold and Greg Ross

Released

31 years ago on 5 October 1992

Running Time

74:58

US Chart Peak

5

UK Chart Peak

1

Prince Album

#14

Orig. Formats

Tracklist

1. My Name Is Prince [feat. Tony Mosley] (6:37) ¹
2. Sexy M.F. [feat. Tony Mosley] (5:25) ²
3. Love 2 The 9's [feat. Mayte and Tony Mosley] (5:45)
4. The Morning Papers (3:57)
5. The Max [feat. Mayte and Tony Mosley] (4:30)
6. Segue [feat. Kirstie Alley] (0:21)
7. Blue Light (4:38)
8. Eye Wanna Melt With U (3:50)
9. Sweet Baby (4:01)
10. The Continental [feat. Carmen Electra] (5:31)
11. Damn U (4:25)
12. Arrogance [feat. Tony Mosley] (1:35) ³
13. The Flow [feat. Tony Mosley] (2:26)
14. 7 (5:09)
15. And God Created Woman (3:18)
16. 3 Chains O' Gold (6:03)
17. Segue [feat. Kirstie Alley] (1:30)
18. The Sacrifice Of Victor [feat. Tony Mosley and The Steeles] (5:40)

Released as a single

¹ Rap written by Tony Mosley.
² Cowritten with Tony Mosley and Levi Seacer Jr.
³ Cowritten with Tony Mosley.

Singles from Love Symbol

Sexy M.F.

Paisley Park Records

Released

30 June 1992

Distribution

Warner Bros. Records

US Chart Peak

66

UK Chart Peak

4

Cover/Art

Jeff Katz (photo) and David Carson (logo)

Formats

1. Sexy M.F. (5:35)
2. Strollin' (3:26)

Also available as a love symbol shaped 7" picture disc.

Sexy M.F.

Paisley Park Records

12"/Maxi-Single

Released

6 July 1992

Distribution

WEA Records

US Chart Peak

No Release

UK Chart Peak

4

Cover/Art

Jeff Katz (photo) and David Carson (logo)

Formats

1. Sexy M.F. [feat. Tony Mosley] (5:25)
2. Strollin' (3:36)
3. Daddy Pop [feat. Tony Mosley] (5:15)

My Name Is Prince

Paisley Park Records

12"/Maxi-Single

Released

28 September 1992

Distribution

WEA Records

US Chart Peak

No Release

UK Chart Peak

7

Cover/Art

Randee St. Nicholas and Greg Ross

Formats

1. My Name Is Prince [Edit] [feat. Tony Mosley] (4:05)
2. Sexy Mutha (3:55)
3. 2 Whom It May Concern (4:02)
4. My Name Is Prince [feat. Tony Mosley] (6:38)

My Name Is Prince

Paisley Park Records

Released

29 September 1992

Distribution

Warner Bros. Records

US Chart Peak

36

UK Chart Peak

No Release

Cover/Art

Randee St. Nicholas and Greg Ross

Formats

1. My Name Is Prince [Edit] (4:05)
2. Sexy Mutha (3:55)

My Name Is Prince

Paisley Park Records

12"/Maxi-Single

Released

22 October 1992

Distribution

WEA Records

US Chart Peak

No Release

UK Chart Peak

51

Cover/Art

Randee St. Nicholas and Greg Ross

Format

1. My Name Is Prince [feat. Tony Mosley] (6:38)
2. Sexy Mutha (3:55)
3. 2 Whom It May Concern (4:02)

Also available as a 12" picture disc.

My Name Is Prince

Paisley Park Records

12"/Maxi-Single

Released

22 October 1992

Distribution

Warner Bros. Records

US Chart Peak

-

UK Chart Peak

No Release

Cover/Art

Randee St. Nicholas and Greg Ross

Formats

1. My Name Is Prince [Original Mix Edit] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (8:06)
2. My Name Is Prince [12" Club Mix] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (8:11)
3. My Name Is Prince [House Mix] [remix by Greg Royal] (7:18)
4. My Name Is Prince [Hard Core 12" Mix] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (7:55)
5. Sexy M.F. [12" Remix] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (7:34)

My Name Is Prince: Remixes

Paisley Park Records

12"/Maxi-Single

Released

2 November 1992

Distribution

WEA Records

US Chart Peak

No Release

UK Chart Peak

51

Cover/Art

Randee St. Nicholas and Greg Ross

Format

1. My Name Is Prince [Original Mix Edit] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (8:06)
2. My Name Is Prince [12" Club Mix] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (8:11)
3. Sexy M.F. [12" Remix] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (7:34)

My Name Is Prince: Remixes

Paisley Park Records

12"/Maxi-Single

Released

2 November 1992

Distribution

WEA Records

US Chart Peak

No Release

UK Chart Peak

51

Cover/Art

Randee St. Nicholas and Greg Ross

Formats

1. My Name Is Prince [Original Mix Edit] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (8:06)
2. My Name Is Prince [12" Club Mix] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (8:11)
3. My Name Is Prince [House Mix] [remix by Greg Royal] (7:18)
4. My Name Is Prince [Hard Core 12" Mix] [remix by Keith "K.C." Cohen] (7:55)

Damn U

Paisley Park Records

Released

17 November 1992

Distribution

Warner Bros. Records

US Chart Peak

108

UK Chart Peak

No Release

Cover/Art

Jeff Katz and Greg Ross

Formats

1. Damn U (4:04)
2. 2 Whom It May Concern (4:02)

7

Paisley Park Records

Released

17 November 1992

Distribution

Warner Bros. Records

US Chart Peak

7

UK Chart Peak

No Release

Cover/Art

Jeff Katz and Greg Ross

Formats

1. 7 [Album Edit] (4:23)
2. 7 [Acoustic Version] (4:20)

7

Paisley Park Records

12"/Maxi-Single

Released

23 November 1992

Distribution

WEA Records

US Chart Peak

No Release

UK Chart Peak

27

Cover/Art

Jeff Katz and Greg Ross

Format

1. 7 (5:09)
2. 7 [Acoustic Version] (3:54)
3. 7 [After 6 Long Version] (5:15)

Only available as a 12" picture disc.

7

Paisley Park Records

12"/Maxi-Single

Released

23 November 1992

Distribution

WEA Records

US Chart Peak

No Release

UK Chart Peak

27

Cover/Art

Jeff Katz and Greg Ross

Format

1. 7 [Album Edit] (4:23)
2. 7 [Acoustic Version] (3:54)
3. 7 [After 6 Edit] (4:20)
4. 7 [After 6 Long Version] (5:15)

7

Paisley Park Records

12"/Maxi-Single

Released

3 December 1992

Distribution

Warner Bros. Records

US Chart Peak

7

UK Chart Peak

No Release

Cover/Art

Jeff Katz and Greg Ross

Formats

1. 7 (5:09)
2. 7 [After 6 Edit] (4:20)
3. 7 [After 6 Long Version] (5:15)
4. 7 [Acoustic Version] (3:54)
5. 7 [Album Edit] (4:23)
6. 2 Whom It May Concern (4:02)

The Morning Papers

Paisley Park Records

Released

1 March 1993

Distribution

WEA Records

US Chart Peak

No Release

UK Chart Peak

52

Cover/Art

Jeff Katz and Lyn Bradley

Formats

1. The Morning Papers (3:57)
2. Live 4 Love [feat. Tony Mosley] (6:58)

The Morning Papers

Paisley Park Records

Released

1 March 1993

Distribution

WEA Records

US Chart Peak

No Release

UK Chart Peak

52

Cover/Art

Jeff Katz and Lyn Bradley

Format

1. The Morning Papers (3:57)
2. Live 4 Love [feat. Tony Mosley] (6:58)
3. Love 2 The 9's [feat. Mayte and Tony Mosley] (5:46)

The Morning Papers

Paisley Park Records

Released

3 April 1993

Distribution

Warner Bros. Records

US Chart Peak

44

UK Chart Peak

No Release

Cover/Art

Jeff Katz and Lyn Bradley

Formats

1. The Morning Papers (3:57)
2. Live 4 Love [feat. Tony Mosley] (6:58)

Supporting tour

Act I Tour

1993

• 25 shows from 8 March to 7 April, 1993

Love Symbol – review

An album with no name is a tough sell to a commercial scale. Especially tough for Warner Bros since this was the first album under their much storied 1992 six album deal which quickly soured and ultimately destroyed one of music’s greatest partnerships. It always struck as a little odd to release the lead single titled My Name Is Prince for him to then go and change his name by the next album. Yet what a rollicking opener it was, both for the tour and the 77,000 audience at his first and only show at Wembley Stadium. To fill venues that size across a whole tour, Prince stuffed this album with sweeping, thumping numbers operatic and epic in scale. The confusingly named Love Symbol Album is a big budget affair. Love Symbol Album treads in the footsteps of Diamonds And Pearls in that they followed rather than blazed new trails in music. Love Symbol Album was Prince’s first to feature segues, adopting the formula of hip hop, while in essence is an R&B album. The LP wobbled in the US charts, peaking at number 5, and sent Warner in spin fearing for its whopping $100m investment and the rot in their relationship with Prince was set. The narrative of Love Symbol Album is the future, told mostly evidently through the confident 7 the LP’s hit single, and the self-indulgent 3 Chains O’ Gold (Prince channelling Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody) which brim with scope, as do the thumping The Max and the auto-biographical The Sacrifice Of Victor. The album twists and turns, through comical Blue Light to the impossible to broadcast Sexy M.F. (yet another challenge for Warner to overcome) and the self conscious My Name Is Prince. Prince taking stock of himself is explanation enough why this could only be named the male/female Love Symbol Album, in those good old days when Prince was Victor. The epic optimism of Love Symbol was not to last, as his one-man war with Warner would soon take a slavish turn and the album was his last co-credited with the NPG. Prince would become Prince love symbol and sacrificed poor old Victor.

Love Symbol is rated 4.5 out of 5 by Goldies Parade.

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