I finally found this album on CD (at Amoeba music in SF) - diggin' it now. I wore this tape out when I first bought it, in particular I was fond of repeating the first 20 seconds or so of Hon E. Man - it starts out sounding so EROTIC!

Show the luhv!

This is my favorite Sheila E. album.I like the two previous albums ('The Glamorous Life' and 'Romance 1600') but her third album is superior in every way.The sexy,naughty "Love On A Blue Train" is her funkiest jam...."Pride And The Passion" is lyrically similiar to "The Glamorous Life" and it's just as powerful....the rocking "Faded Photographs" really should have been a single.This song is explosive! The sultry "Hold Me" finds Sheila in a truly soulful setting and vocally,she's never sounded more passionate."Boy's Club" is a fun dance track with outrageous lyrics ("you better look twice,there's someone under my dress!").The reflective "Wednesday Like A River" has a country music feel to it.

This is the album that should have made Sheila E. a major superstar.Unfortunately,it wasn't promoted properly.In fact,by the time it was released,Sheila had temporarily given up her solo career to play drums for Prince.

Sheila's best album BY FAR. Totall underrated.

Poplife88 said:

I don't think it was underrated as much as cut short, when he pulled her to drum, for Sign o the Time.

The 1st single Hold Me was a pretty big hit on RnB stations

But it sure is really good, I would say on the same level as Glamorous Life 2 different styles of Purple Music

Sheila E had a more Parade/Dream Factory feel

I love this album.

"One Day I'm Gonna Make You Mine" is the jam! When I bought this album junior year of high school this song spoke to me because I was hella liking this dude who did not even know I was alive, so I could totally relate to it,
I remember I had "Wednesday Like A River" on my pager voice mail. Hold Me, Faded Photographs and Koo Koo were my shit though. At the time, I remember not liking the B side as much (it was tape), but now Pride and the Passion is my shit!

SoulAlive said:

Couldn't agree more... I was so bummed out by this... "Sex Cymbal" was nowhere as good as "Sheila E" and by then her chances of really making it big had passed...

Yeah, it's a shame this album wasn't promoted better. There should have at least been videos done. But I think Sheila had given up on wanting to be a star by this point. Still, it's a wonderful, fun, and funky album. I still play it a lot, but spring is when it really gets played to death in my household.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Yup I remember radio getting behind "Hold Me" (even without a video) and MTV put "Koo Koo" in heavy rotation. Just seemed Paisley Park or Sheila didn't have the interest in pushing it. A shame.

I think this album had at least four strong potential singles that should have been released in this order...

"Hold Me"---A perfect first single that R&B radio really embraced.

"Faded Photographs"---Could have been a huge pop hit in the summer of 87.Could have been an amazing video,too.I'm thinking that the MTV crowd would have loved this one.Alot of pop appeal.

"The Pride And The Passion"---

"Love On A Blue Train"---like "Hold Me",this would have done well on the R&B charts.


Sheila should have toured throughout 1987,on her own,promoting the hell out of this record.

1600 said:

I always thought that "Koo Koo" was a poor single choice.The song is funky and has a great message,but it's too subdued and lacks a hook.It didn't stand a chance on pop radio in 1987.

SoulAlive said:

second single should've been "one day"

kjamal said:

I played the h*ll out of this album when it came out.

Love on a Blue Train is incredible. Wednesday Like a River is awesome. Boy's Club is great.

Koo Koo had potential but I think that it was too "quirky" for radio.

PurpleJedi said:

That song is WILD! Killer bassline,excellent chorus/hook and some of the sexiest,most outrageous lyrics that Sheila has ever done:

funny when our eyes met,the walls around me turned wet

let me take your ticket,I'll show you where to stick it

Shame on Warners/Paisley Park for not seeing the hit potential of this song! They should have released this with a cool video and promoted the hell out of it.

PurpleJedi said:

It's a good "album track" but I think it's too subdued to be a single.It lacks a really strong hook.Other songs on the album ("Faded Photographs","Pride And The Passion","Love On A Blue Train") are much catchier and radio-friendly,with strong,memorable hooks.Any one of those songs should have been the second single.

This is one reason why Paisley Park Records suffered so badly in the late 80s/early 90s.Many times,the wrong singles were released and the albums weren't given proper promotion and attention.The 'Sheila E' album should have been a multi-platinum hit,with all the strong songs on it.

SoulAlive said:

There were a lot of good songs, but remember barely before the album got started, Prince disbanded the Revolution and pulled her to play drums

That's why when Koo Koo's video came out Cat Glover was dancing in it,

OldFriends4Sale said:

I don't think that has anything to do with Cat being in the video.

I also don't think Prince pulled Sheila to play drums. I'm pretty sure she was actively angling for the job.

Kinda makes you wonder -- If the Sheila E album was a hit, how much more of a star would Sheila have become? Would she have felt the pressure to record the sexually-suggestive songs ready for the follow-up? Would she not have gained as much respect as a drummer/percussionist and go-to girl for other artists and TV producers? Would there be a Krush Groove 2? Would her charity have helped as many kids by now? Would the Sign O the Times and Lovesexy shows been as interesting without her? Would she be the 80s icon sandwiched between Simon and Randy?