I have a dvd with Apollonia 6 singing that on some Mexican Tv show. It was really cool because I always thought Apollonia sang lead on all the songs. It was cool to hear Brenda singing lead.

I like it alot.

This is my favorite song on the Apollonia 6 album.It should have been a single,with alot of promotion and hype.It's a superb song.I was shocked when I first heard it.I couldn't believe that Brenda was singing this good! Her vocals are strong and powerful,and she's singing some clever lyrics too...

It's 7:32,where can my baby be?
I must be a fool to let somebody do this to me
I can't stop him,wherever he parks his car is alright
But he'll be parking with a dent in the side,if he stands me up tonight

Great Minneapolis style jam.

SoulAlive said:

I am with you on this one...I never got the Appollonia album back in the day...thought it would be all fluff and felt I couldn't take an entire record of Apollonia singing . I first heard this just a few years ago on the NPG Music Club website and was shocked that a)Brenda was singing and was a GOOD singer on top of it, and b) it was a hooked-filled piece of minnapolis-funk pleasure. I have been playing the crap out of it since...

That jam is hot.

One of my favorite songs ever

vainandy said:

Indeed! This song has all the ingredients of "The Minneapolis Sound" circa 1983/83.The synthesizer riff is mesmerizing.

Wonderwall said:

Yeah,I never knew Brenda was such a good singer.On the Vanity 6 album,she only sings lead on one song ("Bite The Beat") and her vocals really weren't that great on that tune.But on "Blue Limousine",she really lets loose! Her vocals are remarkably strong.

SoulAlive said:

It was a single off the album in the US but Prince was already over this project as was Warner. Sad...such a great song with Sheila E on percussion![


.

VANITYSprisonBYTCH said:

you know what...now that you mentioned it,I do recall seeing the 45 of "Blue Limousine" in a record store.I was shocked when I saw it.Here was a GREAT song that was a single,and nobody was playing it! It was completely ignored.I never understood that.I had read in Black Beat magazine that Prince had gotten "bored" with the group.That explains why their album didn't have any real promotion.

SoulAlive said:

Totally...I have the 7-inch to this back home...The extended mix was really good I remember...such a great beat....

VANITYSprisonBYTCH said:

Was there a 12" version of this song?

Neither Vanity or Apollonia should have been the lead singer for 6. It should have been Jill 6, Jill Jones on lead and Brenda on co lead vocals and the others doing background only.

therat said:

in concert,Jill sang behind a curtain while Vanity 6 performed.And she's all over the Apollonia 6 album too.She's also singing the chorus of Sheila E's "The Belle Of St.Mark"...providing the strong vocals that you hear.She played a valuable role in the Prince camp,lol.

He likes 'em pretty
He likes big titties
He likes 'em in their lingerie

SoulAlive said:

Yep...I have it somewhere...I left alot of my 'collectable' vinyl back home and I have all the Apollonia 6 singles...I have 'Blue Limo' and it's extended..cant remember the name of the mix...man..I wish I could go through those records RIGHT NOW but I keep them in a safe place

The 12" "mix" is the album version.

GoActive said:

I love that line

Song is sexy & cute

why jill jones was more prominent she was 10 times better singer and better looking than vanity apolonia 6?

Can I make a retarded observation?

He's got a white one, he's got a yellow one
He's got a black one with a body obscene
Doesn't this sound like she's describing the group A6?
I dunno, it was just the first thing that popped into my head.

Prince wrote and produced it even though the credits say Sheila E wrote it

If you are curious, here are a few details about this session:

---

Sunday, April 15, 1984

Prince was finished with the music for Purple Rain, so he was able to focus on a few loose ends for the APOLLONIA 6 album. With one day left to record at Sunset Sound, and because yesterday’s session for editing “Take Me With You” ended early, Prince wanted to start this session unusually early as well. Peggy Mac, Prince’s main engineer during this period, was called in to set up the studio at 11 am. By noon, Prince appeared in Studio 3 and quickly began laying down drums, guitar, bass, synth and a guide track for Apollonia to follow.

As the session progressed, Prince contacted Apollonia about dropping by the studio to record. Because she had a previous engagement that night, she wasn’t able to attend. Brenda Bennett was given the task of recording this song, and it really feels like it was originally written for her. She obviously felt the same. “He usually had a work vocal track which you got the chance to listen to it once,’ Bennett remembers. “He didn't expect you to get it, but he wanted that. I had such a good feeling for it and I said “just let me in there and let me get the sound and let’s do it”. I ran away with it.”

Susan was not present that evening, so Brenda was the only member of the band to perform on this track. Susannah Melvoin was also in the studio so he had her put her vocals in the background. According to Brenda, “there was a lot of ad-libbing during the middle part of the song. He told me what he wanted Susannah to do and I did my best Susan impression.” Their vocals were tracked multiple times and mixed to give the song a deeper, ‘band feel’ to the sound.

The recording session was finished at about 3am. Peggy and Prince spent the next 2 hours and 45 minutes creating a rough mix. At 5:45 am on the morning of April 16, 1984, Prince seemed content and he ended the session and left. It would be his last recording session (as opposed to mixing, editing, etc.) at Sunset Sound for a while because he would not be back until October when he would lay down the tracks for “A Condition Of The Heart.”

Although Apollonia 6 is credited with writing the lyrics for this track, they were actually written by Prince. Likewise, Sheila E. was credited with writing the music for this song. That has never been established. An interesting note is it is easy to hear the similarities between this song and “Toy Box”, which was recorded 8 months later in December and placed on Sheila’s ROMANCE 1600 album. That track was also credited to Sheila.

-This contains elements from an early draft of the book “Prince: The Studio Sessions”

thanks for the info,madhouseman.Two comments....

***I'm glad he let Brenda sing this song,instead of Apollonia

***when will the book "Prince:The Studio Sessions" get released?

SanDiegoFunkDaddy said:

The credits on those albums are hilarious Did Prince really think he was fooling anybody?

SoulAlive said:

I agree with you. Brenda is an amazing singer so it was great to give her a showcase. From all that I've learned, Apollonia couldn't have been happier with the way the song came out as well.

The book is still early on in the writing process. I've got a day job and don't know how many people would buy it. Also, a lot depends on UPTOWN. My goal was to have this as an UPTOWN book, but that may not happen. So the answer is, I don't know. I'll let everyone know as it comes along.

I like it more because of the Sheila factor.

PurpleJedi said:

what is the sheila factor on this track?