This thread has been inspired by L4OA's thread about Alphabet Street.

Was "My Name is Prince" a wise choice 4 the the 1st single? Should it have been a single at all?

I'm pretty sure it had an adverse effect here in Australia after he had such great success with D&P. I think the general consensus was "Oh dear! He gone all weird again!". I don't think that song or the accompanying Video helped 2 build on the success of D&P, which is a shame, because I think O+> is a good album except for a few :roll tracks.

Fantastic record, I can remember it got some serious air play at the Club's back then ( I was in Scotland at that time), twas mighty fine cause it was a fantastic record to get your freaky groove on!!! So yes great choice for 1st single!

On a footnote, I guess for Australia he was just not 'manly' enough so thats why the land of down under has forgot all about the legend. After all they have Kylie and Danni.
[Edited 4/15/08 18:24pm]

I've always liked the track but I agree it put alot of people off ie: the D&P fans.
Something like The Morning Papers would have been a better first single if he wanted to continue appealing to the masses.

It was 2nd single of the 0-> Album. Made number 5 in the UK so was a major hit. & i understand top ten most of Europe.

One of Princes funkiets/hardest singles.

Sam 8)

That song was to alert everyone that Prince did not come here to fuck around.

Tame said:

Yeah, I think that was a good choice as the 1st single.

It would have been a good choice had "Sexy MF" not been the 1st single

7

djdaffy1227 said:

Now I agree with that. Radio never touched Sexy MF here in NYC in 1992 (unless it was late at night and I was in bed). As for My Name is Prince, I thought it was a great choice of single. I just wish it was pushed harder by WB or whoever was in charge of promotion so that it could have been the bigger hit it should have been. That song kicked major ass and I remember it got some big radio play on Z100 here for a minute and then it was gone as quickly as it hit. It still makes me kinda thinking about it because it never should have happened that way.

I think it should been the title of his first album.

One of his worst singles ever. Whenever they played in a club here in germany, the dancefloor got empty within seconds. Sexy MF was much much better and soooo funky.

purplecam said:

it was a major hit in the uk though, no.4 i think

MNIP was not a good single choice, guess The Continental (slightly mixed) would've been a huge hit! Also Morning Papers as a first or second single would've been great (with b-sides, not live 4 love), but when Morning P was released it was to late for the album...

I think its hysterical to call a song my name is prince when your touting yourself with no name as a symble!!!


a lovely harsh sound with near hysterical shouting and coarse language plus the video with his mad biker stylie hat and pearl fringing!! very scary! made michael jacksons im bad look sweet!

very funny IMO

I was only 10 when it came out and loved it!

RumAndRaisin said:

But it was a minor hit in the U.S. I think it went to 36, barely hitting Top 40.

I was in 6th grade, I loved it!

I was wondering why it did not appear on The Hits compilation.

I have a cd maxi single of it... had to replace my cassingle.

but realy SEVEN is viewed as his last bona fide'classic' by the public so i guess that would have been a good choice

my name is ..is cool but a little too zeitgeist

sexy mf-cool but radiolay was hampered

I always thought it was a stupid song... but I find myself singing it sometimes. What the hell??

I think it was the obvious choice for first single.It's very similiar to alot of songs that were being played on the radio around that time (LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out",for example).It had all the makings of a Top 10 smash,too bad it didn't achieve its full potential.

syble said:

At that point he was still called prince. I remember the ads. "Princes funky new album entitled... (sound effect..scccchhtttting!)" Hilarious.

I love My name is P. It got a great reaction in europe. Remeber seeing the promo on Totp.

SoulAlive said:

I don't recall "My Name Is Prince" flopping at ALL. I certainly didn't have to hunt that one down. Certainly I saw the video very often.

It's a pretty terrible song, imo, but I love the hardcore remix.