What are your thoughts on the Romance 1600 album?

The album photography was wonderful, especially the full band shot,

but I felt this album fell short in comparison to the symbiotic albums of the same period Around the World in a Day & the Family (1985)

Do you think Prince rushed this project?

I was thinking about this last night, what songs(unreleased mostly)

could have been given to this album project to take the Sheila E Glamorous Life to the next level?

the Glamorous Life album was perfect fom beginning to end. Not too long, no fillers, a nice flow, it felt right in the vision of Uptown/Erotic City

I believe there was only 1 song that the band created/performed on: Merci 4 the Speed of a Mad Clown in Summer

I think this albums concet was similar to the Glamorous Life but more from a place of 'fantasy' romantic daydreaming of love in time gone by...

For me the 3 made bold are the strongest and the 3 I would keep.
The band like all the other before proved they had the vision and the skill to do the job.
A strong lead guitarist like Steph, he should have been given songs that had more challenge to his guitar rock.

Tossed on Bedtime Story.
The others I world replace.

Not much into this album... However I feel A Love Bizarre is some of Prince's best lyrical work... So much beautiful imagery in that song.

5^th December 1984.

While on the Purple Rain tour, Prince and Sheila begin work on her second album, Romance 1600, at a studio called Master Sound in Cleveland. They recorded Bedtime Story, Dear Michaelangelo, Toy Box and two songs which did not make the album, they were Fish Fries and Small Grey Monkey. Prince spent a lot of time working on the album during the tour, working in various studios along the way.

3^rd January 1985.

Prince and Sheila do more work on Romance 1600 at Cheshire Studio in Atlanta. They recorded Sister Fate and A Love Bizarre.

5^th February 1985.

Prince and Sheila continue work on Romance 1600 at Sunset Sound Studio in L.A, from 5^th-13^th February. They record Romance 1600 and Yellow and then set about putting the finishing touches to her album. The album was completed after the Purple Rain tour when Sheila recorded Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer. Prince was not involved in the recording of this song and Sheila used her own musicians.

26^th August 1985.

The second album by Sheila E entitled Romance 1600 is released on Paisley Park Records. The album continues the cinematic theme of the first album with the full title as Sheila E In Romance 1600. The songs are described as “scenes” and the musicians as “actors.” All the songs on the album are listed as being Sheila E compositions, except for A Love Bizarre which is credited to Prince and Sheila. However, Susan Rogers who engineered most of the album claims that Prince wrote all the songs, both music and lyrics, except for Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer, which Sheila recorded with her own band. On the album, Sheila plays percussion but Prince plays almost every other instrument.

Sister Fate was released as a single before the album but did not have much impact. The second single A Love Bizarre was released in September and became a hit, reaching number 11 on the pop chart. The third single Bedtime Story failed to chart. The album reached number 50 on the pop chart and eventually went gold.

feeluupp said:

Not much into this album... However I feel A Love Bizarre is some of Prince's best lyrical work... So much beautiful imagery in that song.

the era was wonderful to watch. But the music didn't have the magic.

I would have shortened A Love Bizarre for the album and released the extended version.
Dear Michaelangelo is wonderful music. U can hear Prince expressing a direction in music that sort of reminds me of Go, Adonis & Bathsheba, but Eddie M's horn really takes this songs to a new level.

Never understood why fans didn't like this one as much as her debut. It's the one I go back to the most and probably my favorite of the trio she recorded with P. I wouldn't change the songs that are on it already, but I'd love an expanded edition with the extended cuts, b-sides and outtakes... oh, and a second disc with audio from the Warfield '86 concert and a DVD of that same concert. One can dream. Until then, I'll put it all together with bootlegs and vinyl rips.

The Glamorous Life was a success due to the Purple Rain bonanza, it was still quite formulaic in terms of the music even though today it sounds like emblematic Prince music.

If Romance 1600 had been released first, you bet it would have fared just as well as GL, maybe it would have sold more in fact. A large part of its relative failure was that it co-opted the whole Edwardian look and Purple Rain-ish sound when the public was already way over-exposed to that aesthetic. It tanked essentially due tothe PR phenomenon being old news by then.

Aerogram said:

The Glamorous Life was a success due to the Purple Rain bonanza, it was still quite formulaic in terms of the music even though today it sounds like emblematic Prince music.

If Romance 1600 had been released first, you bet it would have fared just as well as GL, maybe it would have sold more in fact. A large part of its relative failure was that it co-opted the whole Edwardian look and Purple Rain-ish sound when the public was already way over-exposed to that aesthetic. It tanked essentially due tothe PR phenomenon being old news by then.

But the Glamorous Life too me, have pretty good songs. I don't think Sister Fate or Toy Box match Olivers House or the Belle of St Mark
And Bedtime Stories doesn't come close to Noon Rendezvous or Next Time Wipe the Lipstick Off Your Collar.
.
Both albums definately started out with extremely strong 1st singles. I just don't think Romance 1600 musically is put together well. Sheila E was on top during this period, I don't think the album didn't do as well because people were over and over exposed. I personally wanted more. I just don't think as an album it has strong songs. I've heard some of them live and it doesn't excite me.
.
I mean did Apollonia 6 or Ice Cream Castles do as well being in the Purple Rain?
And many have also said Ice Cream Castles wasn't put together as well as What Time Is It? Which I agree. I skip around ICC but listen through What Time Is It? always.

I'm thinking of outtakes that Sheila E would be able to hangle, that would work with the new touches of sound in A Love Bizarre, Dear Michaalangelo, Merci 4 the Speed...

.

Kiss Me Quick would be a cool addition with (especially since the lyrical direction is from a woman to a man) add some finger cymbals, some extra percussion, a little bit of wicked sax

Manic Monday

Feline

the Dance Electric

It's one of my favourite Prince productions. I think you might be right that it was maybe rushed or he was juggling a lot of balls all at once at this point - I can definatelt see how a lot of fans wouldn't hold in such high regard, but it has that it-factor for me - that kind of look/sound/feel that was a blink and you'll miss it moment in pop.

Favs: Dear Michaelangelo, Sister Fate, Toy Box, and the title track especially (very overlooked fun Vanity 6 New Wavey track that probably illustrates most of all that fleeting moment vibe the album has to me) but I love the whole thing top to bottom. Like the Mazarati album, these things are just too fucking awesome to last!

NouveauDance said:

It's one of my favourite Prince productions. I think you might be right that it was maybe rushed or he was juggling a lot of balls all at once at this point - I can definatelt see how a lot of fans wouldn't hold in such high regard, but it has that it-factor for me - that kind of look/sound/feel that was a blink and you'll miss it moment in pop.

Favs: Dear Michaelangelo, Sister Fate, Toy Box, and the title track especially (very overlooked fun Vanity 6 New Wavey track that probably illustrates most of all that fleeting moment vibe the album has to me) but I love the whole thing top to bottom. Like the Mazarati album, these things are just too fucking awesome to last!

One of my favorites too. At the time it came out, I was really impressed with Dear Michealangelo. There really is nothing like that. It Destroys me that he did this record, and Arounf the World while ON TOUR. On the freak'n Purple Rain tour no less! That guy was on fire.

I listen to it now, and I think the music is great, the concepts are a little embarassing, but I guess that's always been Prince. He's in his own world of libertine fantasy, or whatevs.

I can't imagine chenging anything on this record. So what if it's not Glamorous Life?

I love this album. Not as much as the Glamorous Life, but more than Sheila E self titled album. They should have thrown Holly Rock on Romance 1600 too. A Love Bizarre is in my top 10 Prince songs.

motherfunka said:

I love this album. Not as much as the Glamorous Life, but more than Sheila E self titled album. They should have thrown Holly Rock on Romance 1600 too. A Love Bizarre is in my top 10 Prince songs.

Sheila E(1986) could easily be split into 2 different albums

Wasn't HollyROck made for the Krush Groove movie?

I know we get some of the song at the 1985 Birthday/Masquerade show and the Rap came from Feline

OldFriends4Sale said:

What are your thoughts on the Romance 1600 album?

The album photography was wonderful, especially the full band shot,

but I felt this album fell short in comparison to the symbiotic albums of the same period Around the World in a Day & the Family (1985)

Do you think Prince rushed this project?

I was thinking about this last night, what songs(unreleased mostly)

could have been given to this album project to take the Sheila E Glamorous Life to the next level?

the Glamorous Life album was perfect fom beginning to end. Not too long, no fillers, a nice flow, it felt right in the vision of Uptown/Erotic City

I believe there was only 1 song that the band created/performed on: Merci 4 the Speed of a Mad Clown in Summer

I think this albums concet was similar to the Glamorous Life but more from a place of 'fantasy' romantic daydreaming of love in time gone by...

For me the 3 made bold are the strongest and the 3 I would keep.
The band like all the other before proved they had the vision and the skill to do the job.
A strong lead guitarist like Steph, he should have been given songs that had more challenge to his guitar rock.

Tossed on Bedtime Story.
The others I world replace.

1. Sister Fate 2. Dear Michaelangelo 3. A Love Bizarre 4. Toy Box 5. Yellow 6. Romance 1600 7. Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer 8. Bedtime Story

The band is not believed to have played on the record save "Merci".

pzlyprk said:

Never understood why fans didn't like this one as much as her debut. It's the one I go back to the most and probably my favorite of the trio she recorded with P. I wouldn't change the songs that are on it already, but I'd love an expanded edition with the extended cuts, b-sides and outtakes... oh, and a second disc with audio from the Warfield '86 concert and a DVD of that same concert. One can dream. Until then, I'll put it all together with bootlegs and vinyl rips.

What I find pretty astonishing is that so far, the Romance 1600 Live video album has never been digitally ripped in full in either audio nor video. There was a CD boot in the 90's but for some reasons it skipped one song. Unless one has a VCR it's impossible to hear/watch this album today

.

A remastered extended edition would be amazing but so far WB retains the masters of all Sheila E. albums. I think P will try and get them back alongside the Time and 6's albums when they reach the 35 years legal limit, but let's see. Until then Prince certainly won't agree to any remastered/expanded edition.

.

Overall my feeling is that R1600 is quite underrated: its quasi-contemporary album, The Family, has achieved somewhat of a cult classic status but the interest in R1600 seems to have waned over time even among the hardcore fanbase. I don't know why really, in many ways R1600 is as weird and experimental as TF, and totally in line with the psychedelic vibe of ATWIAD/TF/Parade. In that album as much as those, Prince expands its musical vocabulary, and A Love Bizarre is one of his most memorable extended jams. Of note is the fact that it also features P's first experimentation with a full horns section in Yellow.

databank said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

What are your thoughts on the Romance 1600 album?

The album photography was wonderful, especially the full band shot,

but I felt this album fell short in comparison to the symbiotic albums of the same period Around the World in a Day & the Family (1985)

Do you think Prince rushed this project?

I was thinking about this last night, what songs(unreleased mostly)

could have been given to this album project to take the Sheila E Glamorous Life to the next level?

the Glamorous Life album was perfect fom beginning to end. Not too long, no fillers, a nice flow, it felt right in the vision of Uptown/Erotic City

I believe there was only 1 song that the band created/performed on: Merci 4 the Speed of a Mad Clown in Summer

I think this albums concet was similar to the Glamorous Life but more from a place of 'fantasy' romantic daydreaming of love in time gone by...

For me the 3 made bold are the strongest and the 3 I would keep.
The band like all the other before proved they had the vision and the skill to do the job.
A strong lead guitarist like Steph, he should have been given songs that had more challenge to his guitar rock.

Tossed on Bedtime Story.
The others I world replace.

1. Sister Fate 2. Dear Michaelangelo 3. A Love Bizarre 4. Toy Box 5. Yellow 6. Romance 1600 7. Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer 8. Bedtime Story

The band is not believed to have played on the record save "Merci".

right outside of horn sections and Sheila and Merci 4 the Speed.
I think all of the albums after the Time's first album should have had

2-3 all Prince songs(on instruments except for what the Lead protege could play)

2-3 all band songs (the whole band recording the song-that Prince wrote)

2-3 all band compositions

databank said:

pzlyprk said:

Never understood why fans didn't like this one as much as her debut. It's the one I go back to the most and probably my favorite of the trio she recorded with P. I wouldn't change the songs that are on it already, but I'd love an expanded edition with the extended cuts, b-sides and outtakes... oh, and a second disc with audio from the Warfield '86 concert and a DVD of that same concert. One can dream. Until then, I'll put it all together with bootlegs and vinyl rips.

What I find pretty astonishing is that so far, the Romance 1600 Live video album has never been digitally ripped in full in either audio nor video. There was a CD boot in the 90's but for some reasons it skipped one song. Unless one has a VCR it's impossible to hear/watch this album today

.

A remastered extended edition would be amazing but so far WB retains the masters of all Sheila E. albums. I think P will try and get them back alongside the Time and 6's albums when they reach the 35 years legal limit, but let's see. Until then Prince certainly won't agree to any remastered/expanded edition.

.

Overall my feeling is that R1600 is quite underrated: its quasi-contemporary album, The Family, has achieved somewhat of a cult classic status but the interest in R1600 seems to have waned over time even among the hardcore fanbase. I don't know why really, in many ways R1600 is as weird and experimental as TF, and totally in line with the psychedelic vibe of ATWIAD/TF/Parade. In that album as much as those, Prince expands its musical vocabulary, and A Love Bizarre is one of his most memorable extended jams. Of note is the fact that it also features P's first experimentation with a full horns section in Yellow.

That performance of A Love Bizarre from SFO is one of my favorite live performances. I recorded my VHS onto DVD.

OldFriends4Sale said:

motherfunka said:

I love this album. Not as much as the Glamorous Life, but more than Sheila E self titled album. They should have thrown Holly Rock on Romance 1600 too. A Love Bizarre is in my top 10 Prince songs.

Sheila E(1986) could easily be split into 2 different albums

Wasn't HollyROck made for the Krush Groove movie?

I know we get some of the song at the 1985 Birthday/Masquerade show and the Rap came from Feline

I know that's where it ended up, but not sure if it was made for the movie.

OldFriends4Sale said:

databank said:

The band is not believed to have played on the record save "Merci".

right outside of horn sections and Sheila and Merci 4 the Speed.
I think all of the albums after the Time's first album should have had

2-3 all Prince songs(on instruments except for what the Lead protege could play)

2-3 all band songs (the whole band recording the song-that Prince wrote)

2-3 all band compositions

It'd have been an entirely different story

databank said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

right outside of horn sections and Sheila and Merci 4 the Speed.
I think all of the albums after the Time's first album should have had

2-3 all Prince songs(on instruments except for what the Lead protege could play)

2-3 all band songs (the whole band recording the song-that Prince wrote)

2-3 all band compositions

It'd have been an entirely different story

I know, but still in line with Prince's vision. I mean he would set the direction and tone

but only 2-3 would be total band compositions like Merci 4 the Speed... I think it fit the theme well, like 2 Sexy fit Glamorous Life

The Sister Fate Extended Version was nice and the 12" B-Side, Save The People was incredibly funky. I think people have debated online whether Prince was involved or not in the recording of Save The People.

I love every Sheila E album, i like this one too, a lot.

A love bizarre is way too long for this album though, it takes the whole vibe away.

databank said:

pzlyprk said:

Never understood why fans didn't like this one as much as her debut. It's the one I go back to the most and probably my favorite of the trio she recorded with P. I wouldn't change the songs that are on it already, but I'd love an expanded edition with the extended cuts, b-sides and outtakes... oh, and a second disc with audio from the Warfield '86 concert and a DVD of that same concert. One can dream. Until then, I'll put it all together with bootlegs and vinyl rips.

What I find pretty astonishing is that so far, the Romance 1600 Live video album has never been digitally ripped in full in either audio nor video. There was a CD boot in the 90's but for some reasons it skipped one song. Unless one has a VCR it's impossible to hear/watch this album today

.

A remastered extended edition would be amazing but so far WB retains the masters of all Sheila E. albums. I think P will try and get them back alongside the Time and 6's albums when they reach the 35 years legal limit, but let's see. Until then Prince certainly won't agree to any remastered/expanded edition.

.

Overall my feeling is that R1600 is quite underrated: its quasi-contemporary album, The Family, has achieved somewhat of a cult classic status but the interest in R1600 seems to have waned over time even among the hardcore fanbase. I don't know why really, in many ways R1600 is as weird and experimental as TF, and totally in line with the psychedelic vibe of ATWIAD/TF/Parade. In that album as much as those, Prince expands its musical vocabulary, and A Love Bizarre is one of his most memorable extended jams. Of note is the fact that it also features P's first experimentation with a full horns section in Yellow.

The laserdisc was ripped in high quality and shared on guitars101 and a few other places years ago. i'ma pm you.

I believe that 'Girl Power' (although I don't think that it existed at the time) would have made a great addition-removing 'Yellow.' I like Yellow, but as a b-side. 'Save the People' would have been a great addition as well with all the political crap going on in the in the States back in '85-86.

7teenz said:

I believe that 'Girl Power' (although I don't think that it existed at the time) would have made a great addition-removing 'Yellow.' I like Yellow, but as a b-side. 'Save the People' would have been a great addition as well with all the political crap going on in the in the States back in '85-86.

I was thinking the same thing Girl Power maybe with a different name

1. Sister Fate
2. Dear Michaelangelo
3. A Love Bizarre
4. Lust U Always
5. Manic Monday
6. Feline
7. Merci For The Speed Of A Mad Clown In Summer
8. Bedtime Story

9. Dance Electric (Sheila E/Prince & the Revolution)

iZsaZsa said:

I'm trying to hear Sheila on Manic Monday, and it's just not coming to me. Lol.

Listen to some Glamorous Life tracks:Next Time Wipe, Noon Rendezvous, the Belle of St Mark,

Dear Michaelangelo, I think she can do that, get another band member on vocals with her Steph (Jill Jones) I think it would have been a hit coming out of Uptown with her

Yeah, her & Jill could have pulled off Manic Monday. Sheila pretty much sang most of the other songs that would have appeared on the same album as Manic Monday if Prince would have kept the song inhouse. Jill was upset @ the fact Prince didn't off her the song in the 1st place. Sheila, Jill & Wendy & Lisa should have been a group. But of course it probably wouldn't have worked bcuz P was romantically involved w/Sheila, Jill & Susannah

iZsaZsa said:

I definately can hear Jill. Sheila? I...

I think it would have given Sheila and Romance 1600 a little more artistic attention. Sheila was big in 1985, she was everywhere. A Love Bizarre and then followed by Manic Monday