I remember someone telling me Jesse Johnson wrote it and performed it with her.

Great song too.

It's an entire Prince track with Sheila E. adding some percussion.

At least, to my ears. It has him using his 'vocals through the guitar equaliser (?)'-trick. He used that on the extended remix he made for the Brown/Franklin duet too.
I like it lots. Together with Too Sexy one of my fave early Sheila E./Prince colloborations...

It's Prince:

Library of Congress entries:

1. Registration Number: PA-225-842
Title: Shortberry strawcake.
Note: Performed by Sheila E.
In: The Glamorous life. mW B Records 1-25107, c1984. 1 sound disc :
33 1/3 rpm ; 12 in. side 1, band 2
Claimant: Girlsongs
Created: 1984
Published: 4Jun84
Registered: 13Aug84
Author on © Application: music: Jamie Starr , pseud.
Previous Related Version: Prev. reg. 1984, PAu 615-236.
Special Codes: 3/M

2. Registration Number: PAu-615-236
Title: Shortberry strawcake.
Description: on 1 sound cassette.
Note: (With The Belle of Saint Mark et al.)
Claimant: Girlsongs
Created: 1984
Registered: 14May84
Author on © Application: music: Jamie Starr , pseud.
Special Codes: 3/M

-----

ASCAP entry:

1. SHORTBERRY STRAWCAKE (Title Code: 490545934)
Writers:
PRINCE

Performers:
SHEILA E


Variations:
(none found)
Publishers/Administrators:
GIRLSONGS
% UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
2440 SEPULVEDA BLVD.
SUITE 100
LOS ANGELES , CA, 90064
Tel. (310) 235-4700

.,

Thanks! I don't know what the guy that told me that was thinking, or why I believed him.

I think Jesse got credit for it on the album, probably because P "borrowed" something from Jesse

that's my jam right there!

4nowneway said:

Prince stole/borrowed the music to "Belle of St. Mark" from Jesse, and in return gave Jesse credit for Shortberry Strawcake

ever notice how the middle/end sounds a lot like "sugar walls"!!!!

Taurus said:

Not the whole music, the rythm programming only.

langebleu said:

L'ange - perhaps you know this. I got into an argument with someone re the authorship of "Hollyrock." I said Prince had nothing to do with this, but my foe said, "YES HE DID!" Care to clarify? Thank you!

jillybean said:

According 2 Per Nielsen (who used 2 b very careful about the "Romance1600/HolyRock" matter b4 he eventually interviewed so many 4mer Prince associates), Prince wrote Holy Rock & every track on Romance 1600 but "Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer" (composed & recorded by Sheila & her band). Neither the library of congress or ASCAP will b on any help 2 verify this, though, cuz 4 some reason Prince not only gave the writing credits, but also the writing copyrights & royalties 2 Sheila, which is why LangeBleu won't b able 2 clarify this.

shaomi said:

It's basically as Shaomi says, Jillybean.

The standard sources of verification appear to indicate that Prince made no contribution to the composition or recording.

However, the further research undertaken indicates that:

1. Prince appears on the recording, playing most of the instrumentation
2. He wrote the song

The presumption must be that Prince decided to gift the song entirely to Sheila.

.

shaomi said:

What do you mean by "rythm programming"? The drum track?

doeineffect said:

Yeah. The info comes from Per Nielsen's DMSR book.

According to my notes, Shortberry Strawcake was recorded on Monday, January 9, 1984 at Sunset Sound. From what I recall, he was having a very busy January and was working on many tracks for The Time and Apollonia 6. He spent several days earlier in the week working on The Bird (studio version) and The Belle of St. Mark. Both of them are tracks that had A LOT of Jesse Johnson's involvement. My thought is that he wanted to make sure that Jesse was given some credit. Many of the engineers/band members have said that his method of giving songwriting credit was based on how he felt that day, and not always based on their contribution. Sometimes it was given because he needed a way to apologize for something, or wanted to give it to someone else to spite an entirely different person who had pissed him off that week.

Bottom line is that Prince recorded and produced ShortBerry Strawcake. Jesse was probably given credit so he wouldn't be too pissed off. Didn't seem to work! lol

I always wondered about Hollyrock.....and Rom 1600 stuff..... and the databases do say sheila as y'all say.

The weird thing, is on the extneded version of Hollyrock, Sheila says "Steff ... play.." and I know Stef Birnbaum can sound like Prince.

I knwo she coulda been just saying that... but it's possible he was playing guitar not P.

Jesse always claimed that he wrote that or at least came up with riff. And I think that Jesse got the props for the song. Jesse always stated that people never gave him his credit for being funky. That song was tight. But Prince or Jesse, it does not matter. The only thing that matters is that they made Minneapolis hot!

WHO was behind "Too Sexy" ????

paisleypark4 said:

i'm not 2 sure but not Prince (though it sound like Prince a lot), according 2 Per Nielsen anyway.

paisleypark4 said:

According to US Copyright DB..... Sheila, Steph Birnbaum (her guitar player) , Benny Rietveld (her bass player) and Miko Weaver (Guitar player, later in "Counter Revolution").

http://www.loc.gov/cgi-bi...t/locis.pl

1. Registration Number: PA-233-118
Title: Too sexy / Sheila E., Michael Weaver, Benjamin Rietveld,

Stephen Birnbaum.

Imprint: W B Records 7-29180, c1984.
Description: on 1 side of 1 sound disc : 45 rpm ; 7 in.
Note: (With The Belle of Saint Mark).

Performed by Sheila E.

Claimant: Chocheat Music & Miss Tight Butt Music
Created: 1984
Published: 10Oct84
Registered: 13Dec84
Author on © Application: words & music: Sheila Escovedo p.k.a. Sheila E.; music: Stephen

Birnbaum, Benjamin Rietveld & Michael Weaver.

Special Codes: 3/M