Released October 13, 1992 Release date 13 October 1992 | Length 74:56 Label Paisley Park Records | |
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Recorded September 1991 – March 1992 Producer Prince and The New Power Generation Love Symbol Album
(1992) The Hits/The B-Sides
(1993) Artists Prince, The New Power Generation Genres Funk, Rock music, Pop music, Soul music, Contemporary R&B, Jazz Nominations Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Album - Group, Band or Duo Similar Prince albums, Funk albums | ||
Unboxing prince and the new power generation love symbol album
is the fourteenth studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the second (and final) to feature his backing band The New Power Generation. It was released on October 13, 1992 by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. The title of the album is an unpronounceable symbol as depicted in its cover art, which Prince adopted as his stage name in 1993. As the symbol was copyrighted under the title "Love Symbol #2", the album is commonly referred to as the Love Symbol Album, but alternatively as the Symbol Album or simply Symbol.
Contents
- Unboxing prince and the new power generation love symbol album
- Make the prince symbol and giveaway
- Promotion
- Storyline
- Critical reception
- Track listing
- Special Editions
- Early configuration
- Prince and The New Power Generation
- Additional personnel
- Production
- Publishing
- Singles
- Songs
- References
The album contains elements of musical styles including funk, R&B, hip hop, jazz, reggae, and synthpop. The album was originally conceived as a "fantasy rock soap opera" with various spoken segues throughout. It has sold over five million copies worldwide.
Make the prince symbol and giveaway
Promotion
The album's first two singles, "My Name Is Prince" and "Sexy MF", achieved modest success on the US pop chart, though both made the top ten in the UK. Conversely, the third single, "7", was not as successful as the first two singles in the UK, but was a top ten hit in the US.
Storyline
An early configuration of the album contained as many as eight segues as well as an intro. Together they explained the album's storyline. However, in a last-minute attempt to add an additional song ("I Wanna Melt with U", which was originally considered to be a B-side to the "7" maxi single, and which contains several sampled sounds also present in "7"), most of the segues had to be cut for album length. The few that remained were somewhat confusing in context. The unreleased segues have been bootlegged since.
The album debuts Mayte Garcia, who plays a part in the album's storyline and would become Prince's wife in 1996.
3 Chains o' Gold, a direct-to-video film produced and directed by Prince, was released in 1994. The film is based on the storyline and songs of the Love Symbol Album and contains some of the original segues which were planned to be on the album.
Critical reception
The Love Symbol Album was voted the 14th best record of 1992 in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics nationwide, published by The Village Voice. Robert Christgau, the poll's creator, later wrote of the album: "Designed to prove his utter inexhaustibility in the wake of Diamonds and Pearls, by some stroke of commerce his best-selling album since Purple Rain, this absurdly designated 'rock soap opera' (is he serious? is he ever? is he ever not?) proves mainly that he's got the funk."
Track listing
Produced, arranged and performed by Prince and The New Power Generation.
All songs composed by Prince, except where noted.
Special Editions
Several editions of this album were released. Early pressings of the album featured an embossed gold love symbol on the jewel case, sometimes matt, sometimes glossy. Later editions feature it printed on the booklet or not present at all. A Special Limited Edition Gold Box CD was released with a purple love symbol engraved in the golden box. One boxed set came with a bonus "Sexy MF" CD single, another with a specially-created CD single of "My Name Is Prince" mixes.
Early configuration
Below is the early version of the album with all the original segues. Also, "The Sacrifice of Victor" is slightly longer on the early configuration.
Prince and The New Power Generation
Additional personnel
Production
Publishing
Singles
Songs
My Name Is Prince6:39
Sexy MF5:26
Love 2 The 9's5:45