7 Maxi-Single US: 1992

A Love Symbol Biblical-Funk Epic

Released as a 12-inch maxi-single in the US on December 3, 1992, on Paisley Park/Warner Bros. Records (catalogue: 9 40574-0 / 0-40574), Prince And The New Power Generation’s “7” was the third single from the Love Symbol album. Featuring the Album Version, After 6 mixes, Acoustic Version, Album Edit, and “2 Whom It May Concern,” this apocalyptic funk masterpiece — sampling Lowell Fulsom’s “Tramp” — peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Gold. A spiritual NPG high-water mark.

Single Overview

Release Details

Label: Paisley Park / Warner Bros. Records.

Formats: Vinyl 12" 33 ⅓ RPM Maxi-Single, Cassette Maxi-Single, CD Maxi-Single (Digipak).

Full Track Listing by Format

12" Vinyl Maxi-Single (9 40574-0)

Side A

1. 7 (Album Version) (5:09)

2. 7 (After 6 Edit) (4:20)

3. 7 (After 6 Long Version) (5:15)

Side B

1. 7 (Acoustic Version) (3:54)

2. 7 (Album Edit) (4:23)

3. 2 Whom It May Concern (4:01)

Cassette Maxi-Single (9 40574-4)

Same tracklist as 12" (plays both sides).

CD Maxi-Single (9 40574-2) – Digipak

Same tracklist as 12".

Variants

- 12", 33 ⅓ RPM – Paisley Park/Warner Bros. 9 40574-0 – US – 1992

- Cassette Maxi – Paisley Park 9 40574-4 – US – 1992

- CD Maxi, Digipak – Paisley Park 9 40574-2 – US – 1992

Production and Context

Produced/Arranged/Performed by Prince & The New Power Generation. Co-producer: Keith Cohen (After 6 & Acoustic mixes). Engineered by Airiq Anest, Dave Aron. Sample of “Tramp” (Lowell Fulsom/Jimmy McCracklin). From Love Symbol (1992). Design: Greg Ross.

Chart Performance

- USA (Billboard Hot 100): 7 (23 weeks)

- USA (Hot R&B Singles): 61 (16 weeks)

Certifications

- RIAA Gold (US): March 10, 1993 (500,000 units)

Legacy and Collectibility

“7” is Prince’s biblical-funk masterpiece — spiritual, apocalyptic, and Gold-certified. Original US 12" maxis fetch £20–£60 on eBay/Discogs, CD digipaks £15–£40. Verify catalogue 9 40574-0. This maxi is a must-have for Love Symbol-era collectors.

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Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube

Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, mistakes do happen. Simply leave a comment and the post will be updated. Thank you.