All 3 songs were intended for Apollonia 6's album but of course none of them made it. All 3 songs were cut in the same time period, "The Glamorous Life" was cut Dec.27 in 83! "Take Me With U" was cut Jan 27,84 and "Manic Monday" on Feb 4. P always cut a lot of songs for different projects all at the same time, but I find it interesting on how which songs ended up where they ended up. I NEVER liked the song "Take Me With U". It never fit on the Purple Rain album and since it has a scene in the movie, that's why it's on there. But knowing that originally, it was slated for Apple's album, it makes more sense. But the track that really blows my mind is "The Glamourous Life". That song, musically, was so ahead of it's time. And thank GOD P didn't waste it on the Apollonia 6 album. This cut blew Sheila E. up through the roof. But to see that it was cut in 83 is a trip. Can't hear Patty singing this. I just like little twisters in stuff that's totally different from what ended up being.

I think the drum programming and production on "The Glamorous Life" single is incredible. I love the song and think it is one of P's master productions.Like all of Prince's great tracks it STILL sounds fresh and exciting today. I also think it is on of Prince's great club tracks too. Love it!

i was listening to The Glamourous life on an old cassette I've recently unearthed last night.

I kept rewinding and rewinding and listened to it over and over, its quite hypnotic.

I got a bit choke struck by the
'love is forever and thats all your life,
love is heaven sent'
its the note and Sheila's voice, shes not a great vocalist, in intonation, but she does amazing almost subliminal sexy stuff with her voice.

one wonders what she would have sounded like singing the other 2.

when I finally listened to the next track, it was 77 Bleeker St, and I nearly wet myself, that song also has that background repetitive sexy vocal,it starts quite cheesy, like you could'nt play it to someone who had'nt heard it, and ends up being something totally different with that back vocal.

Uptown once printed a photo of a test pressing of the Apollonia 6 album.It featured the song "Manic Monday"! That song was later replaced by "Blue Limousine",if I'm not mistaken.

DavidEye said:

I've heard her Manic Monday and the vocals are thin.IMHO

i like Blue Limousine it reminds me of 'Car on a hill' by Joni Mitchell, not sure if its supposed to.

I agree,the Apollonia version of "Manic Monday" isn't very good.Her vocals are flat and lifeless.Prince made the right decision in giving it the Bangles.

DavidEye said:

Man, Patty was only being recorded simply because she replaced Vanity in the film. Otherwise, P wouldn't have gave her the time of day. He HAD to deliver another album with Vanity6, so he just switched names. But he wasn't about to waste good songs on Apples6, that's why Sheila got all the good joints.

maleeboo said:

Very good ear. I wouldn't doubt that it's a bite, being P is a huge Joni fan.

i love the glamorous life!!! definitely one of my all time favorite 80's tracks . its just too dancable

I'm sure I read somewhere that "Sugar Walls" was originally intended for the Apollonia 6 album also, not to mention "17 Days."

Anyone have better info?

If that's true, no wonder those girls got pissed, they lost:

17 Days
The Glamorous Life
Sugar Walls
Manic Monday
Take Me With U

[never on the same config, but still...]

Even if the vocals never turned out great, that still would have made for a much different (and much more successful album)

Sydney said:

Yes but it's Sheila's live percussion that really takes it to the next level.

From the syncopated timbale riff during the opening sax solo, to all the jamming onthe timbales and cymbals that goes on throughout, there is no way this song would've been the same if Sheila hadn't played on it.

I didnt know those songs were intended for apples and co, but Prince definitely made the right choice not giving them to them!! I cant imagine The Glamourous Life without Sheila or 17Days without the Revolution! And The Bangles version of Manic Monday is the best IMO.

It appears everything worked out is it should have

skip said:

At an early stage,the song "17 Days" was definitely intended for the Apollonia 6 album.It was going to be sung by Brenda.She's a smoker,which is why Prince came up with the line "All I got is two cigarettes...".I'm glad he kept it for himself though.

I think "Sugar Walls" would have been perfect for Apollonia 6.Their album could have used one more strong jam like this.If I were Prince,I would have recorded a long 7 minute version with the girls and made it the first track on their album,replacing the silly "Happy Birthday Mr.Christian".

DavidEye said:

Yeah. I like "Mr. Christian," but "Sugar Walls" has a stronger hook than most of the songs on that album.

DavidEye said:

I agree, Eye. Although in the book D.M.S.R., it states that P specificly wrote Sugar Walls for Sheena cuz P knew the engineer that was working on Sheena's album plus she was riding him about P producing her album, which P wasn't interested in doing. So, he wrote Sugar Walls for her.