Up in the beat around my bend

Despite her obvious limitations as a vocalist, Wild Animal is a respectable solo debut.

-editor Alex Henderson

the departure from Uptown 2 Motown

Bill Wolfer

composer Robert Bruce McCan

David Williams

Robbie Bruce

Julien Jackson

Daniel Poulin

Morris Day

Prince

the Last Dragon

7th Heaven

[Verse 1]
Why don't you come into my vampire boudoir
State your delight, the rest get bizarre
Touch me here, touch me there
Ooh, when you touch, I let go of my air

[Chorus 1]
You're that someone that drives me insane
As if something got stuck in my vein
When you touch me I scream in delight
Hurry, hurry, touch me tonight, I'm flippin' out, yeah, I'm flippin' out

[Verse 2]
You can swallow me all in one bite
Creme de la cocoa is what i taste like
Bite me here, ooh, swallow me there
I could follow and die without fear

[Chorus 2]
You're that someone who drives me insane
Kiss my neck with your sharp fangs and stay
If you kiss me, i'll scream in delight
Hurry, hurry, try me tonight i'm flippin' out, yeah, ooh, ooh, ooh

You're that someone who drives me insane
You are that man so in touch with my vein, ooh
If you catch me, i'll sleep in delight
Hurry, hurry, catch me tonight, i'm flippin' out, i'm flippin' out, yeah

[Verse 3]
Why don't you come back to my vampire boudoir
I am the vamp who bites the vampire
Vamp me here, ooh, love me there
If you love me, i'll swallow your spear

[Chorus 3]
You're that vampire who drives me insane
Like that sharp fang that sucked on my vein
When you bite me, I scream in delight
Hurry, hurry, bite me right, I'm flippin' out, ha ha, ooh, yeah, I'm flippin' out, flippin' out

[Spoken (Vanity)]
Vamp. Short for Vanity
A woman who uses her charms and wiles to seduce
Vampish. Vanity. I am vamp!
A woman who practices seductiveness by magic spell

[Spoken, played backwards (male)]
The fabulous, the fabulous pocket steamer!
Yes, the pocket steamer can be yours!
What if we included, hahaha!
Yes folks, you get all this and much, much more!
If only you buy Vanity's album, Wild Animal
Available at record stores everywhere

This is great! I love this album. I think all the songs were perfect for her. I love the fact that she wrote them all, or at least most. Her vocals didn't/ doesn't bother me in the least. Can someone say Britney Spears? The vampire idea was a pretty smart idea camouflaging her vocals with her breathy overtures. She totally pulled off the sultry vampire thing. She was also totes inspired by Prince with that backwards talking guy. I saw his inspiration with a lot of the things she did... "Pretty Mess", her answer to Head. In the song Wild Animal, I've heard it said that it was a reference to Tanya's Island, but I think the king kong refrence was a reference to the scene she was supposed to do in Purple Rain, where she would have called Prince King Kong like Apples did before the love scene after seeing his chest hair... She had the same line in the script with her character in it. That gorilla in Tanya's Island was not little! Lol. Case in point... "My little King Kong...." Then she makes sure to reiterate "My little" for good measure. The icing on the cake though was "Samuelle..." Shamelessly about Prince. I wonder what "Robbie Baby" thought about that?

"Vanity Valery, this is your conscience calling..." This album along with all of her albums, are my guilty pleasure. It's like eating frosting to me.

[Edited 7/24/17 5:24am]

"Mechanical Emotion" by Vanity featuring Morris Day (1984)

1. FLIPPIN OUT
2. PRETTY MESS

3. SAMUELLE
4. STRAP ON 'ROBBIE BABY'

5. WILD ANIMAL

6. MECHANICAL EMOTION (w/Morris Day)

7. CRAZY MAYBE

luvgirl said:

This is great! I love this album. I think all the songs were perfect for her. I love the fact that she wrote them all, or at least most. Her vocals didn't/ doesn't bother me in the least. Can someone say Britney Spears? The vampire idea was a pretty smart idea camouflaging her vocals with her breathy overtures. She totally pulled off the sultry vampire thing. She was also totes inspired by Prince with that backwards talking guy. I saw his inspiration with a lot of the things she did... "Pretty Mess", her answer to Head. In the song Wild Animal, I've heard it said that it was a reference to Tanya's Island, but I think the king kong refrence was a reference to the scene she was supposed to do in Purple Rain, where she would have called Prince King Kong like Apples did before the love scene after seeing his chest hair... She had the same line in the script with her character in it. That gorilla in Tanya's Island was not little! Lol. Case in point... "My little King Kong...." Then she makes sure to reiterate "My little" for good measure. The icing on the cake though was "Samuelle..." Shamelessly about Prince. I wonder what "Robbie Baby" thought about that?

"Vanity Valery, this is your conscience calling..." This album along with all of her albums, are my guilty pleasure. It's like eating frosting to me.

[Edited 7/24/17 5:24am]

Oh yeah I get the Britney connection now. Thanks. It connected.

I was thinking the same about the PR scene with King Kong

SoulAlive said:

"Mechanical Emotion" by Vanity featuring Morris Day (1984)

And U CANNOT tell Me that Morris Day DID NOT program THE HELL OUTTA DEM DRUMS ON THIS!!!

woogiebear said:

SoulAlive said:

"Mechanical Emotion" by Vanity featuring Morris Day (1984)

And U CANNOT tell Me that Morris Day DID NOT program THE HELL OUTTA DEM DRUMS ON THIS!!!

Agreed. The song is very MPLS style & sound.

woogiebear said:

SoulAlive said:

"Mechanical Emotion" by Vanity featuring Morris Day (1984)

And U CANNOT tell Me that Morris Day DID NOT program THE HELL OUTTA DEM DRUMS ON THIS!!!

Oh HE DID!!!!

I like the french part too.

It is one of her better songs

Vashtix said:

woogiebear said:

And U CANNOT tell Me that Morris Day DID NOT program THE HELL OUTTA DEM DRUMS ON THIS!!!

Oh HE DID!!!!

I like the french part too.

It is one of her better songs

I'm hearing something in the music. Is it Nasty Girls? The open drums remind me It's A Beautuful Day(Parade outtake)

In late 1984, Vanity was no longer part of Prince's Minneapolis funk-rock empire. The singer was signed to Motown as a full-time solo artist, and her former group, Vanity 6, had evolved into the trio Apollonia 6. Commercially, Vanity didn't get very far on her own -- many people saw her as a glaring example of style and image over substance and felt that she couldn't be creative without Prince's input. But, in fact, Vanity's solo debut, Wild Animal, isn't bad. While no one would accuse Vanity of having Teena Marie's chops -- her voice is undeniably thin -- the singer's writing is generally decent on this 1984 LP, which she produced with Bill Wolfer. Wild Animal isn't nearly as Prince-sounding as some might assume; on material that ranges from the single, "Pretty Mess" (an infectious slice of funk-rock with a groove that brings to mind Shalamar's "Dancing in the Sheets"), to the haunting "Samuelle" and the rockin' "Strap on 'Robbie Baby'," Vanity sounds like's she's making an honest effort to forge ahead. Some of the lyrics are risqué, although for the most part, Wild Animal isn't as raunchy as Vanity's work with Vanity 6. This out of print LP isn't for R&B purists -- Wild Animal is essentially an R&B album, but Vanity laces her R&B with big doses of rock and pop. Despite her obvious limitations as a vocalist, Wild Animal is a respectable solo debut. But the public refused to take Vanity seriously as a solo artist, and this album's unimpressive sales reflected that.

by Alex Henderson

http://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-animal-mw0000845072

The Last Dragon (sometimes listed as Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon) is a 1985 martial arts film produced by Rupert Hitzig for Berry Gordy and directed by Michael Schultz.[3] The film was a critical disappointment but a financial success, and is now considered a cult classic. The film stars Taimak, Vanity, Julius J. Carry III, Chris Murney, Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Faith Prince. Choreography was done by Lester Wilson and Lawrence Leritz. It was released in theatres by TriStar Pictures on March 22, 1985.

Set in New York City, the movie follows a martial artist named Leroy Green (a/k/a Bruce Leroy), who has dreams of becoming a great martial artist like his idol Bruce Lee. His master (Thomas Ikeda) explains that he has reached the final level of martial arts accomplishment known as "The Last Dragon". Martial artists who reach this final level are said to be able to concentrate such mystical energy into their hands that they begin to glow. Only a true martial arts master would be able to exhibit "The Glow" over his entire body. Leroy doesn't fully understand and, in possession of a medal supposedly belonging to Bruce Lee, Leroy embarks upon a journey to find Master Sum Dum Goy, whom his master claims can help Leroy unlock the power of "The Glow".

Another martial artist, Sho'nuff (Julius J. Carry III) (a/k/a "The Shogun of Harlem") sees Leroy as the only obstacle to being acknowledged as the true master of martial arts. Leroy refuses to fight him and a furious Sho'nuff vows that he will defeat Leroy. Sho'nuff and his gang later break in and assault one of the students at Leroy's martial arts school, Johnny Yu (Glen Eaton), demanding that Leroy bow before Sho'nuff. Finally, Sho'nuff and his gang attempt to send a message to Leroy by destroying the Green family pizza restaurant.

Meanwhile, video arcade mogul Eddie Arkadian (Chris Murney) sends his men to kidnap 7th Heaven video host Laura Charles (Vanity) in the hopes of getting his girlfriend Angela Viracco's (Faith Prince) new music video featured on her show. The kidnap attempt is thwarted by Leroy who easily fends off the thugs. He loses his medal during the struggle, which Laura recovers. Later, Leroy witnesses Laura being kidnapped by Arkadian's brutish henchman Rock (Mike Starr). A clue left behind reveals that the kidnappers work for Eddie Arkadian Productions.

Laura refuses to promote Angela Viracco's video on her program, but as Arkadian's men prepare to coerce her by force, Leroy suddenly bursts into the room and rescues Laura once again. Back at her apartment, Laura gratefully returns Leroy's medal. Consumed with vengeance, Arkadian hires Sho'nuff to defeat Leroy and takes control of the 7th Heaven studio, capturing Laura and Leroy's younger brother, Richie, who has snuck in hoping to woo Laura.

Posing as a pizza delivery man, Leroy manages to infiltrate the assumed lair of Master Sum Dum Goy within a fortune cookie factory, but is shocked to discover that the "Master" is only a computer churning out cookie fortunes. Leroy consults his former master for answers, but his master suggests that Leroy has known the answers all along.

Not wanting anyone to get hurt in the process of achieving her stardom, Angela leaves Arkadian and asks Johnny to warn Leroy about his plan. As Leroy returns to 7th Heaven, he is ambushed by an army of violent thugs hired by Arkadian. Leroy's students, led by Johnny, charge into the studio to even the odds. Using Laura as bait, Eddie lures Leroy to a dilapidated building where he finally faces off against Sho'nuff. Sho'nuff reveals his ability to use "The Glow", his hands pulsating with a red aura, and beats Leroy viciously before attempting to force him to acknowledge Sho'nuff as "The Master". As recent events flash before Leroy's eyes, he realizes that his former Master was correct and that everything he needed to achieve the "Final Level" was within him all along. His entire body bathed in the sublime golden light of "The Glow", Leroy uses his newfound power to defeat Sho'nuff.

In this March 22, 1985 file photo, actor Taimak, left, and Vanity arrive at the Century Plitt Theater for the premiere of their film "The Last Dragon," in Los Angeles. Vanity, a Prince protege who renounced her sexy stage persona to become a Christian minister, has died at age 57. The singer and actress, born Denise Matthews, died Monday, Feb. 15, 2016, at a hospital in Fremont, Calif, said Gisela Hernandez, a spokeswoman for Washington Hospital Health Care System. (AP Photo/Liu Heung Shing, File)

woogiebear said:

SoulAlive said:

"Mechanical Emotion" by Vanity featuring Morris Day (1984)

And U CANNOT tell Me that Morris Day DID NOT program THE HELL OUTTA DEM DRUMS ON THIS!!!

this is my favorite song on the album.It has that funky Minneapolis sound! I wish that more of the album had this sound.

Since Vanity wrote/co-wrote all the songs on this album, I'd love to know what her mindset was. We know she had a love of halloween so I get the whole vampire thing. I'm curious what Motown thought of all the provocative lyrics too.

I thought Vanity and Taimak made such a pretty pair. Did they date off screen? Wild Animal is OK but her follow up album Skin On Skin is much better. I LOVE Romantic Voyage and Vanity sings it very nicely.I wish Motown would re-issue her albums on CD.

Thank you for this! Great thread.

*

I had that poster! The Last dragon was everything to me. Almost as big as Purple Rain... (almost) I had a picture of myself (which I since lost ) with that poster and one of Prince in the background from when I was a pre-teen. The Last Dragon was a big deal back then and had a huge following, so I was shocked when i read recently that it wasn't really considered a block buster movie even though it was so popular. Although I was glad to hear that it's considered a cult classic and still revered by many. There's even a fan site for it, that I may or may not frequent from time to time..

*

Back then, to all the little kids in my neighborhood, this movie was a big deal. Huge. When it first came out, if you were to go over to any given friend's house, it would be on... On repeat for the whole day… All the girls doing the 7th Heaven dance like Vanity, lol.

I even had/have the soundtrack to this movie. Remember "Rhythm Of The Night" by El Debarge and the song "Star Light." I even loved those other silly songs by Eddy's girlfriend, the blond character named Angela. Seriously, I still remember the lyrics to "Dirty Boys."

*

I found a picture, inside your suitcase.

I don’t know what it means

I didn’t recognize her face

Mail order catalogues, underneath your mattress

polaroid's seduce a dance

She is not an actress

Why is this hulla group all jumping through a hoop, hoooop

Dirty boys, I found him, I found him

Dirty boys, I found him, I found him

Dirty boys, I found him, I found him

Now that I have seen it all

you want me to participate

you dress me up in peek a boo's

bottom rolling roller skates

dirty boys, I found him, I found him

dirty boys, I found him, I found him..

*

Bruce Leroy wasn't so bad himself… Fun fact, Leroy's little sister Natasha was the little girl who played Rudy in the Cosby show! Lol.. I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to stuff like this but did anyone else notice the infamous ode to vanity's time with Prince throughout the movie? Eddy was a small guy (looks about 5ft 3in) Trying to make Angela into a star although she wasn't a great singer -Due to his blind attraction to her - Showcasing her in her teddy's and peek a boo's, giving her frivolous songs to sing. Check out the similarities between "Dirty Boys' and "Nasty Girls." In the end before leaving him, Angela told him off saying he was getting by on her breast (nice way of putting it) and asking if he was doing it for himself or her? I wonder if Prince ever saw the movie. lol..

[Edited 7/25/17 14:31pm]

"I put the sexual image of me in my music," she told The Associated Press in 1985. "My music is very sexual, so you could say I'm just putting all of me out there."

jungleluv said:

I thought Vanity and Taimak made such a pretty pair. Did they date off screen? Wild Animal is OK but her follow up album Skin On Skin is much better. I LOVE Romantic Voyage and Vanity sings it very nicely.I wish Motown would re-issue her albums on CD.

I wish they would too. Romantic Voyage and Under the Influence were my faves from the second album.

Taimak has not aged one bit. He looks just as young now as he did back then. I don't know if he and Vanity dated, but I do remember seeing an article sometime last year, where Berry Gordy when casting the female lead, asked Taimak which woman would he want to take to bed (putting it nicely). He answered "Vanity". I don't know if that had anything to do with the reason she was cast, but I do agree her and Taimak did look nice together.

purplegirl00 said:

jungleluv said:

I thought Vanity and Taimak made such a pretty pair. Did they date off screen? Wild Animal is OK but her follow up album Skin On Skin is much better. I LOVE Romantic Voyage and Vanity sings it very nicely.I wish Motown would re-issue her albums on CD.

I wish they would too. Romantic Voyage and Under the Influence were my faves from the second album.

Taimak has not aged one bit. He looks just as young now as he did back then. I don't know if he and Vanity dated, but I do remember seeing an article sometime last year, where Berry Gordy when casting the female lead, asked Taimak which woman would he want to take to bed (putting it nicely). He answered "Vanity". I don't know if that had anything to do with the reason she was cast, but I do agree her and Taimak did look nice together.

IIRC, he implied that they fooled around by kissing a little, but nothing more than that...

jungleluv said:

I thought Vanity and Taimak made such a pretty pair. Did they date off screen? Wild Animal is OK but her follow up album Skin On Skin is much better. I LOVE Romantic Voyage and Vanity sings it very nicely.I wish Motown would re-issue her albums on CD.

Taimak Guarriello

Basically what he revealed was that while Berry Gordy and the rest of the production team for The Last Dragon were still casting for the roles in the film, Gordy asked Taimak in a more explicit way, ‘What entertainer would Taimak like to get with’ (get with, as in have sexual relations of some sort), because that’s who Gordy would then attempt to cast as “Bruce Leroy’s” love interest. Taimak told Gordy that he had a thing for “Nasty Girl” singer, Vanity, and as you can see, Gordy pulled some strings and made it happen.

Now here’s where the interview got even more interesting- aside from learning that Mr. Gordy is obviously a lil’ more raw than we know him to be- when they tried to get more info out of Taimak, he politely implied that he and Vanity did in fact end up “getting with” each other. When Charlamagne directly asked Taimak if he had sex with Vanity, Taimak tried to avoid the question and laughed, then after more pressing by Charlamagne he finally said “Well…I’m gonna leave it as…we were affectionate…LOL.”

http://www.iloveoldschoolmusic.com/lawd-see-what-the-last-dragon-actor-revealed-about-vanity-berry-gordy/

September 7, 1984

"Pretty Mess" is a 1984 song released by Canadian singer Vanity. The song was the lead single in support of her debut studio solo album, Wild Animal on Motown Records. The single peaked at No. 15 on the Hot Black Singles and No. 13 on the Hot Dance Club Play charts in Billboard Magazine.

Ahh!...Here we go again falling on my bed and pulling on a pillow
Well I think you got what it takes to get me boiling like a kettle
Here everything's boiling up
I boil to the maximum,yeah
Well I do believe babe,you boil me bubbling
You get me in so much trouble
Ooh and baby someday soon
I will take you there
Promise you the moon
And then he pulled a seam and it went all the way

(chorus)
Ooh yeah,such a pretty mess
He made such a pretty mess on my dress
Ooh yeah,such a pretty mess
Such a pretty
Here we go again,pulling on my hair
I'm dripping like a hot tea
I'm aware if you drip it too hot
It just might spill all over this lovely
Here everything's boiling up
I boil to the maximum,yeah
Well I do believe babe,you boil me bubbling
You get me in double trouble
Ooh and baby someday soon
I will take you there
Promise you the moon
And then I took a drink and it went all the way

chorus)
Ooh yeah,such a pretty mess
We've made such a pretty mess of my dress
Ooh yeah,such a pretty mess
Oh such a pretty
Here we go again,crawling through the kitchen...oh ho ho hum
I bet you got what it takes to get me into a living room position
Ooh and baby someday soon
I will take you there
Promise me the moon
And then he found a hallway that went all the way

(chorus)
Ooh yeah,such a pretty mess
He made such a pretty mess of my dress
Ooh yeah,such a pretty mess
Oh it's such a pretty