It is strange enough that Prince chose to make his second album eponymous, not the first one.

Is there a backstory behind this odd choice? Why the album carried no title of its own? Was any title considered at some point?

Thanks.

I have no info on it but back then many artists used their second or third releases as self titled.

I don't think I've ever read anything about this, but I'm going to guess that it was just part of the general attitude towards the album that it needed to justify WB's investment in Prince after the expense of For You - so more marketable songs and a more direct title.

NouveauDance said:

I don't think I've ever read anything about this, but I'm going to guess that it was just part of the general attitude towards the album that it needed to justify WB's investment in Prince after the expense of For You - so more marketable songs and a more direct title.

Good question.

It has been done before, for instance, Janet Jackson's fifth studio album was eponymous, it marked her a megastar in her own right.

I wonder the story behind 'Prince', perhaps he felt the album represented him most.

[Edited 3/25/12 13:14pm]

some artists do it when they feel the made a statement of some kind, or think they have come up with their masterpiece. metallica did it on their 5th (the black album) album. motley crue did it on thier 6th album when they changed singers sort of to make they point that this is what motley is (was) now. then theres the simple explanation, they just couldnt come up with a title!

I am going to throw in a guess. For You had such a poor reception and Prince felt it was over laboured and sterile sounding which led to its flopitude.

With the next album he wanted something fresher, funkier and looser and as many fans would be picking this album up for the first time, they would think it was Prince's first album probably only discovering For You later on.

Because of this he called the album Prince, but then again, many artists have put out Eponymous named albums longa fter their debuts like Barban Joan Streisand (1971), Diana (1980) etc.

Still I think Prince was in the mood to make his music more accessible than For You, on Prince. The single choice was a good one too. I wanna be your lover was the perfect dance floor hit of the time, with its chorus that spoke to young girls and lovers everywhere.

He wanted to walk before he ran, whats the point in making bold statements straight off, lets get known first, and a lot of people got sucked in the carefree image paraded by the Prince album, that Dirty Mind did become a 180 degree right turn.

Think about it, you are caught up in the disco post coital cooing of Lover, Sexy Dancer adn Still waiting and then you are sonically assaulted by Dirty Mind, Head and the anti war parable of Party Up, thats how you get attention.

Adorecream said:

I am going to throw in a guess. For You had such a poor reception and Prince felt it was over laboured and sterile sounding which led to its flopitude.

With the next album he wanted something fresher, funkier and looser and as many fans would be picking this album up for the first time, they would think it was Prince's first album probably only discovering For You later on.

Because of this he called the album Prince, but then again, many artists have put out Eponymous named albums longa fter their debuts like Barban Joan Streisand (1971), Diana (1980) etc.

Still I think Prince was in the mood to make his music more accessible than For You, on Prince. The single choice was a good one too. I wanna be your lover was the perfect dance floor hit of the time, with its chorus that spoke to young girls and lovers everywhere.

He wanted to walk before he ran, whats the point in making bold statements straight off, lets get known first, and a lot of people got sucked in the carefree image paraded by the Prince album, that Dirty Mind did become a 180 degree right turn.

Think about it, you are caught up in the disco post coital cooing of Lover, Sexy Dancer adn Still waiting and then you are sonically assaulted by Dirty Mind, Head and the anti war parable of Party Up, thats how you get attention.

Nice explanation

Whitney's first and second albums were Whitney Houston and Whitney respecdtively. Kinda weird IMO. I don't "get" eponymous albums. I think its kinda lazy most of the time and sometimes it fits if there is no discernible "theme" for an album. Now that I think about it, the songs on Prince's Prince, might actually fit best under an eponymous title though. Apart from the lead single IWBYL or IFFU none of the song titles seem to "fit" So other options are what?

Naked Flying Horse Ride

Riding the White Horse

Black Male Farrah