Why Prince swapped his name for the 'Love Symbol' 25 years ago

Frustration at feeling shackled by his record label led the Purple One to drastically rebrand, infuriating executives and bewildering reviewers

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Joe Zommerlad

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

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Source: https://www.independent.c...85801.html

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“It is an unpronounceable symbol whose meaning has not been identified. It’s all about thinking in new ways, tuning in 2 a new free-quency,” the Purple One offered, not entirely helpfully.

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Prince would later suggest that the glyph “entered his consciousness during meditation” and was inspired by two of his backing dancers, Mayte Garcia (his future wife) and Tara Leigh Patrick (the future Carmen Electra).

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In truth, he actually tasked his creative consultants Mitch Monson and Lizz Luce to design it one day at his Paisley Park recording compound in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

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I knew a lot of the Prince-related information in this article already (not so much the information about Led Zeppelin). However, I did not know that Prince hired two creative consultants in order to create the symbol. Nor did I know that the symbol "entered his conciousness during meditation" as a result of inspiration from Mayte and Carmen Electra.

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I really like this article. I think it accurately summarizes this whole phenomenon of Prince's name-change in a way that is very accessible to the general public, including non-Prince fans.

Since he could not use his name 'Prince' during the WB fiasco he changed it to a symbol to be able to continue performing and recording and putting out albums.

Genius move.

I have read that various people were responsible for that symbol....I thought one time that Londell, was responsible for it, another time a female whose name I dont remember...it's not surprising that Prince took a lot of credit for other's ideals

206Michelle said:

Why Prince swapped his name for the 'Love Symbol' 25 years ago

Frustration at feeling shackled by his record label led the Purple One to drastically rebrand, infuriating executives and bewildering reviewers

.......

Joe Zommerlad

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

.

Source: https://www.independent.c...85801.html

.......

“It is an unpronounceable symbol whose meaning has not been identified. It’s all about thinking in new ways, tuning in 2 a new free-quency,” the Purple One offered, not entirely helpfully.

.

Prince would later suggest that the glyph “entered his consciousness during meditation” and was inspired by two of his backing dancers, Mayte Garcia (his future wife) and Tara Leigh Patrick (the future Carmen Electra).

.

In truth, he actually tasked his creative consultants Mitch Monson and Lizz Luce to design it one day at his Paisley Park recording compound in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

.......

I knew a lot of the Prince-related information in this article already (not so much the information about Led Zeppelin). However, I did not know that Prince hired two creative consultants in order to create the symbol. Nor did I know that the symbol "entered his conciousness during meditation" as a result of inspiration from Mayte and Carmen Electra.

.

I really like this article. I think it accurately summarizes this whole phenomenon of Prince's name-change in a way that is very accessible to the general public, including non-Prince fans.

here's some more discussion on it here: http://prince.org/msg/7/455109

Prince himself explains it pretty well in the 98 Tavis interview

lollipop2 said:

I ran into his sister Sharon in NYC back in '96 (when he was ) and she told me he did it to get out of his WB contract.

RodeoSchro said:

Empress said:

RodeoSchro said:

I ran into his sister Sharon in NYC back in '96 (when he was ) and she told me he did it to get out of his WB contract.

This is what I believe to be true.

Yup.

As far as LEGAL name changes are concerned:

You can't go by anything offensive, anything with a number in it, OR anything with a symbol in it.

So, whether he like it or not he was legally still Prince the whole time.

The "Symbol" thing - was really only for the stage... and yes, of course the ONLY way out of his "CON-tract." with Warners.

WB told him they owned him and all his music and even his name. Fuckers.

Wlcm2thdwn3 said:

WB told him they owned him and all his music and even his name. Fuckers.

which is why he had to change it back..right??