Romance 1600
| Romance 1600 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Sheila E. | ||||
| Released | August 26, 1985[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1984–1985 | |||
| Genre | Funk, pop, R&B | |||
| Length | 38:59 | |||
| Label |
Paisley Park/Warner Bros. 25317 | |||
| Producer |
Sheila E. Prince | |||
| Sheila E. chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau | (B)[3] |
Romance 1600 is the second album by the singer-drummer-percussionist Sheila E. Prince contributed some backing vocals, guitar and bass guitar, and co-wrote/co-produced "A Love Bizarre", a 12-minute epic that became a major hit in its edited radio-friendly form.
During her break, she had received a lot of media exposure, including appearing in the movie Krush Groove, in which she performed "A Love Bizarre" and "Holly Rock". She had also performed for a wide audience as an act on Prince and The Revolution's Purple Rain Tour.
The video for the album's lead single, "Sister Fate", introduced a new image of the performer: a somewhat female-Prince influenced protégée. "Sister Fate"'s B-side had the cryptic protest song "Save the Children". The album itself had many tracks that were personal and which help to support the embodiment of the thematic faux-French Renaissance episodic adventure that the lead single's video and the album art intended to set up for the listening audience.
Although the album received mixed reviews, "A Love Bizarre" was the album's most successful single. On January 28, 1986, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA.[4]
Track listing
All tracks written by Sheila E, except where noted.
| Side one | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Sister Fate" | 3:50 |
| 2. | "Dear Michaelangelo" | 4:38 |
| 3. | "A Love Bizarre" (Prince and Sheila E.) | 12:18 |
| Side two | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 4. | "Toy Box" | 5:32 |
| 5. | "Yellow" | 2:11 |
| 6. | "Romance 1600" | 3:56 |
| 7. | "Merci for the Speed of a Mad Clown in Summer" | 2:47 |
| 8. | "Bedtime Story" | 3:45 |
Personnel
- Sheila E. – lead vocals, percussion, drums, strings, bass guitar, keyboards, arranger, producer, writer
- Juan Escovedo – percussion (tracks 3 and 8)
- Eddie M. – background vocals (tracks 3 and 4); saxophone (tracks 1–4; 6–8)
- Ken Grey – organ (track 1)
- Stef Burns – guitar (tracks 2 and 8)
- Karl Perazzo – bongos (track 6)
- Prince – guitar, bass guitar (tracks 3 and 4); background vocals (tracks 3 and 5)
- Micheal Weaver – background vocals (track 4)
- Stef Birnbaum – background vocals (tracks 3 and 4)
- Susie Davis – background vocals (tracks 2, 3, 6)
- Benny Rietveld – background vocals (track 6)
Chart positions
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 50 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Albums | 12 |
References
- ↑ http://www.princevault.com/index.php/Album:_Romance_1600
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ Robert Christgau review
- ↑ "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. Retrieved March 7, 2012.