✦ My Name Is Prince – Maxi‑Single US: Oct. 1992

A swaggering Love Symbol proclamation unleashed across every major US format during Prince’s early ’90s reinvention

✦ Summary

My Name Is Prince was released in the United States across an unusually wide array of formats in late 1992, reflecting Prince’s full‑scale push behind the second single from the Love Symbol album. While the US 12-inch vinyl maxi‑single arrived on October 22, 1992, most other US formats — including the 7-inch, CD single, cassette single, cassette maxi‑single, CD maxi‑single, Digipak edition, and multiple promotional CDs — were issued earlier on September 1, 1992 under Paisley Park/Warner Bros. Records.

All commercial editions shared the now‑iconic artwork: Prince in chainmail‑inspired regalia beneath a bold purple banner reading MY NAME IS PRINCE, complete with a Parental Advisory label. Promotional variants occasionally altered the layout or omitted the stickering, but the visual identity remained consistent across the campaign.

The single marked a pivotal moment in Prince’s early ’90s evolution — a fusion of funk, hip‑hop, house, and NPG swagger that introduced the public to his emerging Love Symbol persona. With Tony M.’s rap verses, turntable scratches, horn stabs, and a boastful lyrical stance, the track positioned Prince as both a veteran icon and a contemporary force in the shifting musical landscape of 1992.

✦ Highlights

• US 12-inch maxi‑single released October 22, 1992

• All other US formats released September 1, 1992

• Second single from the Love Symbol album

• Peaked at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100

• Stronger international performance (No. 7 UK)

• Artwork unified across formats

• One of Prince’s most hip‑hop‑infused singles

✦ Track Details

US 12-inch Vinyl Maxi‑Single – Oct. 22, 1992

Paisley Park / Warner Bros.

A1: My Name Is Prince (Original Mix Edit)

A2: My Name Is Prince (12" Club Mix)

B1: My Name Is Prince (House Mix)

B2: My Name Is Prince (Hard Core 12" Mix)

US 7-inch Vinyl Single – Sept. 1, 1992

A: My Name Is Prince (Edit) — 4:05

B: My Name Is Prince (LP Version Excerpt) or alternate edits depending on pressing

US CD Single – Sept. 1, 1992

1: My Name Is Prince (Edit)

2: My Name Is Prince (LP Version Excerpt)

US CD Maxi‑Single – Sept. 1, 1992

1: My Name Is Prince (Original Mix Edit)

2: My Name Is Prince (12" Club Mix)

3: My Name Is Prince (House Mix)

4: My Name Is Prince (Hard Core 12" Mix)

US CD Maxi‑Single – Digipak Edition

Same tracklist as above, packaged in a fold‑out Digipak

US Cassette Single – Sept. 1, 1992

A: My Name Is Prince (Edit)

B: My Name Is Prince (LP Version Excerpt)

US Cassette Maxi‑Single – Sept. 1, 1992

A: My Name Is Prince (Original Mix Edit)

B: My Name Is Prince (12" Club Mix)

US Promotional CD Singles (3 variants)

• Promo #1: Edit / LP Version

• Promo #2: Club Mix / House Mix

• Promo #3: Radio‑friendly edits for AM/FM compatibility

US Reissued CD Maxi‑Single

• Reissue date not officially documented

• Archival consensus: late 1992 or early 1993, likely tied to ongoing Love Symbol promotion

• No evidence of a later 1990s repress

✦ Production and Context

Written by Prince and Tony M.

Produced, arranged, and performed by Prince & The New Power Generation.

Recorded at Paisley Park Studios, late 1991.

Photography by Randee St. Nicholas.

Released during Prince’s transition into the Love Symbol persona and escalating tensions with Warner Bros.

A response to the rise of hip‑hop, incorporating rap, scratches, and harder beats.

✦ Chart Performance

United States: No. 36 — Billboard Hot 100

United States: No. 25 — Hot R&B/Hip‑Hop Songs

United States: No. 7 — Dance Club Songs

United Kingdom: No. 7 — UK Singles Chart

✦ Discography Sidebar

Love Symbol Era Singles:

Sexy MF — Single: 1992

My Name Is Prince — US Formats: Sept.–Oct. 1992

7 — Single: 1992

The Morning Papers — Single: 1993✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

Oct. 13, 1992 — Love Symbol album released

Sept. 1, 1992 — My Name Is Prince (US singles & promos)

Oct. 22, 1992 — US 12-inch maxi‑single released

1993 — Name‑change tensions escalate

✦ Glam Flashback

My Name Is Prince is the sound of a superstar reintroducing himself — loud, proud, and fully aligned with the early ’90s shift toward hip‑hop swagger. Across its many US formats, the single became a statement of identity and reinvention, pairing NPG muscle with Prince’s trademark theatricality. The remix packages pushed the track into club territory, while the artwork cemented the Love Symbol era’s bold visual language.

✦ Image & Artwork Copyright Notice

All images, photographs, and artwork referenced or displayed in this post remain the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included strictly for historical, educational, and archival purposes under fair‑use principles. No ownership is claimed, and all rights belong to the original creators, photographers, designers, and publishers.

✦ Sources

Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, Billboard Chart History, Official Charts Company, YouTube