Didn't Warner Bros keep him from using just his first name "Prince" as his stage name? Couldn't he have just switched to using his full name "Prince Rogers Nelson"?

SymboloFunk said:

Didn't Warner Bros keep him from using just his first name "Prince" as his stage name? Couldn't he have just switched to using his full name "Prince Rogers Nelson"?

I don't think that was possible.

That would be like Warner brothers changing name to "Warner brothers and sisters".

Trademark/copyright/whatever

[Edited 4/30/16 11:13am]

Actually, did Warner Bros even keep him from using "Prince" as his stage name in the first place?

From what I read, it was Prince himself who chose to change his name to the Love Symbol as using the name "Prince" made him feel like Warner Bros' slave.

[Edited 4/30/16 12:18pm]

[Edited 4/30/16 12:23pm]

I think it was all, no pun intended, symbolic.

He didnt HAVE to change his name. Remember most of the 0}+> albums came out on WB.

emesem said:

I think it was all, no pun intended, symbolic.

He didnt HAVE to change his name. Remember most of the 0}+> albums came out on WB.

.

Most?

.

I count two - Chaos and Disorder and The Gold Experience.

.

Many other "symbol" albums were released elsewhere:

.

TMBGITW single/maxi

Emancipation
Crystal Ball

The Truth

Kamasutra

Newpowersoul / New Power Pak

Rave In2 / Rave Un2

Prince never actually changed his name. He was still Prince. The symbol was his new stage name that he adopted as a protest against Warner Brothers--it was symbolic and theatrical. I'm sure he continued to sign his checks and tax forms as Prince R. Nelson during this phase. Is there any evidence otherwise, beyond interviewers asking what to call him? That was a really popular routine back in those days, btw!

It is such an iconic, bold, brand identification.

It kind of freaks me out that someone else could possibily own the "image and trademarks" of our boy. ..I hope everything is sorted out for the best.

Prince owed albums and Warners kept screwing with Prince saying he wasn't delivering to their satisfaction, hoarding "the good songs" for himself. Had a lot to do with why Black Album was officially released.

dalsh327 said:

Prince owed albums and Warners kept screwing with Prince saying he wasn't delivering to their satisfaction, hoarding "the good songs" for himself. Had a lot to do with why Black Album was officially released.

Warner kept screwing with Prince? I think that's the other way around, honestly. They gave him a lot of leeway and more or less just wanted him to actually PROMOTE the albums they were releasing for him instead of quickly hopping from one project to the next. They even offered him extremely generous bonuses at the time to entice him to work with them.

Germanegro said:

Prince never actually changed his name. He was still Prince. The symbol was his new stage name that he adopted as a protest against Warner Brothers--it was symbolic and theatrical. I'm sure he continued to sign his checks and tax forms as Prince R. Nelson during this phase.

I know; I was only talking about his stage name.

SymboloFunk said:

Germanegro said:

Prince never actually changed his name. He was still Prince. The symbol was his new stage name that he adopted as a protest against Warner Brothers--it was symbolic and theatrical. I'm sure he continued to sign his checks and tax forms as Prince R. Nelson during this phase.

I know; I was only talking about his stage name.

Has nothing to do with his stage/birth name (which are the same name anyway). It was Prince's decision alone to change his name to a symbol. At one point it was rumored that he thought if he released albums under the Symbol name, that he could skirt his contract commitments, maybe that's what you're thinking of? In the end he delivered Gold Experience, Chaos & Disorder, Old 4 Friends 4 Sale/Vault and allowed the release of the Black Album, and that satisfied his Warners commitment.

weirdozmedia said:

SymboloFunk said:

I know; I was only talking about his stage name.

Has nothing to do with his stage/birth name (which are the same name anyway). It was Prince's decision alone to change his name to a symbol. At one point it was rumored that he thought if he released albums under the Symbol name, that he could skirt his contract commitments, maybe that's what you're thinking of? In the end he delivered Gold Experience, Chaos & Disorder, Old 4 Friends 4 Sale/Vault and allowed the release of the Black Album, and that satisfied his Warners commitment.

I was just clarifying that when I asked why Prince changed his name, I was only referring to his stage name, not his legal name. I already knew he didn't change his legal name.

[Edited 5/2/16 5:29am]

[Edited 5/2/16 5:32am]

I watched an interview recently (have seen too many to remember which one) in which Prince stated that Warner Bros. had told him he could not release any music under the name "Prince", since by the contract he signed, they owned any recordings that he might release under that name. Thus the idea of being a "slave" and a part of why he chose to change to his name.

Yeah youre right but he was out of contract after C&D. AFAIR TMBGITW was the only 0)+> release outside of WB while still in contract. Ultimately he thought he was somehow hurting WB by not using the Prince name but I dont think it made a dent in his sale of WB albums and only hurt himself which he thankfully realized.

Doozer said:

emesem said:

I think it was all, no pun intended, symbolic.

He didnt HAVE to change his name. Remember most of the 0}+> albums came out on WB.

.

Most?

.

I count two - Chaos and Disorder and The Gold Experience.

.

Many other "symbol" albums were released elsewhere:

.

TMBGITW single/maxi

Emancipation
Crystal Ball

The Truth

Kamasutra

Newpowersoul / New Power Pak

Rave In2 / Rave Un2

prittypriss said:

I watched an interview recently (have seen too many to remember which one) in which Prince stated that Warner Bros. had told him he could not release any music under the name "Prince", since by the contract he signed, they owned any recordings that he might release under that name. Thus the idea of being a "slave" and a part of why he chose to change to his name.

Prince was never really a slave to WB, however. He willingly signed on the dotted line for those "CONtracts" he later whined about. Yes, while under contract to WB it makes absolutely perfect since that any music he released would be tied to the recording label he made a deal with... again, willingly.

Changing the name to fuck with them, which is the only real reason, back-fired for him though. The contracts are with the person not just a name itself. ANy music he released, whether under Prince or was owed to WB until the contract ran out.

The fact is that Prince probably could have had his masters back in the early '90s if he'd wanted them. I'm sure WB would have been happy to give him back ownership of a master instead of each $10M bonus.

John