the glamorous life

Sheila E. broke musical barriers with the princely percussive pulchritude of this danceable decadence.  Sheila Escovedo was born into a legendary musical family with her father Pete Escovedo and her godfather Tito Puente drawing her into their world:     "Pops and Tito were big influences, of course, but music was always going to be a kind of home for me. Now, back then I couldn't tell you exactly what that meant--by fourteen I was doing what I loved, performing, and let that lead me. Everybody has doubts, and so did I, but I think what I thought about most was how my career as a musician would unfold, not changing direction completely...Growing up, being a drummer or percussionist was not something that was encouraged in a female, especially not by the public or the music industry. I got that encouragement from people like my dad and my godfather. I had a support system around the same time I had an interest. Many women never get that. Instead, women aspiring to be in the industry are told to look toward being vocalists, if anything. In some cases, the voice is a great instrument, but it's not the only one out there that a woman is capable of utilizing. I think, sadly, in some ways the machinations of the music industry discouraged female musicians, especially percussionist and drummers. A sexually submissive female performer overrode the image of an artistic, creative female musician. But I'm hopeful by what I see in the interest of some of the children, particularly girls, who want to play an instrument, percussion or otherwise ... I don’t think you realize that you are one of a few when you first start performing. I don’t know if there were any women playing timbales, fronting a band as an R&B/pop act. I was the only one of its kind, basically. Now, it’s awesome that there are so many women playing drums, percussion, timbales, congas, bongos, African instruments. It’s impressive to see how many women and young girls are playing. I have to tell you that it’s very humbling for them to come and tell me that I paved the way for them. I didn’t realize that until that point. I know what my dad had done for me to inspire me and when young girls and women come up to me and say I’ve inspired them, you don’t realize how you touch people until later on when someone tells you...I didn’t know I was going to be a musician until I played one of the shows with my dad. I had played with him on and off, but it wasn’t until I was 15 and I played that show that changed my mind. I had been dabbling in music a little bit. He had me play violin from the fifth grade until eighth grade. I got scholarships for violin. I took it because he wanted me to, but really I was an athlete. I wasn’t planning on being a musician. The two things I wanted to do were; be the first woman astronaut and the second thing was to win a gold medal in track and field. I was a sprinter. I was breaking records in all the competitions in junior high. I was training to be in the Olympics. That’s what I wanted to do. Instead of getting a gold medal, I ended up getting a gold record. I think that’s cool."

She made her debut on Alphonso Johnson's 'Yesterday's Dream' album at the age of nineteen.  It was while touring with her father that she first met Prince in 1978:    "I went to see him perform in the Bay Area, and when I went to introduce myself, the first thing he said was 'I already know who you are. I've been following your career.' "

It was during the sessions for 'Around the World in a Day' that she came to visit Prince in the studio and recorded the duet 'Erotic City' with him, which became the b-side to 'Let's Go Crazy' from 'Purple Rain'.  She also recorded vocals on some tracks that Prince had originally intended for Apollonia 6.  With those recordings, he convinced Warner Brothers to give her a record deal.  He also suggested she shorten her stage name to Sheila E.  'The Glamorous Life' was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood and produced by "Sheila E. and The Starr Company" (which was a pseudonymous front for Prince, who had done the songwriting, production, and arrangements for the entire album, with help from Escovedo).  The album features Sheila E. on lead vocals, percussion, and direction;   Jesse Johnson on guitars;  David Coleman on cello;  Nick DeCaro on accordion;  Novi Novog on violin;  Larry Williams on saxophone;  and Jill Jones (aka J.J.) and Brenda Bennett on background vocals. 

'The Glamorous Life' reached number twenty-eight on the US pop album chart and seven on the US R&B album chart.  She was nominated for an American Music Award and two Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance Female.  








http://www.sheilae.com/







'The Glamorous Life' single was a worldwide sensation, going to number eleven in Australia, nine on the US R&B chart, seven on the US pop chart, three in the Netherlands, and number one on the US dance chart.  



She wears a long fur coat of mink
Even in the summer time
Everybody knows from the coy little wink
The girl's got a lot on her mind

She's got big, big thoughts, big, big dreams
And a big brown Mercedes sedan
What I think this girl, she really wants
To be in love with a man

She wants to lead the glamorous life
She don't need a man's touch
She wants to lead the glamorous life
Without love it ain't much, oh

She saw him standing in the section marked
If you have to ask you can't afford it lingerie
She threw him bread and said make me scream
In the dark what could he say

Boys with small talk and small minds
Really don't impress me in bed
She said, "I need a man's man, baby"
Diamonds and furs, love would only conquer my head

She wants to lead the glamorous life
She don't need a man's touch
She wants to lead the glamorous life
Without love it ain't much

They made haste in the brown sedan
They drove to 55 secret street
They made love and by the seventh wave
She knew she had a problem

She thought real love is real scary
Money only pays the rent
Love is forever that's all your life
Love is heaven sent, it's glamorous

Lead the glamorous life
She don't need a man's touch
She wants to lead the glamorous life
Without love it ain't much

She wants to lead the glamorous life
She don't need a man's touch
She wants to lead the glamorous life
Without love it ain't much, it ain't much

Lead the glamorous life
She don't need a man's touch
She wants to lead the glamorous life
Without love it ain't much, it ain't much

She wants to lead the glamorous life
She don't need a man's touch
She wants to lead the glamorous life
Without love it ain't much, it ain't much

Lead the glamorous life
She don't need a man's touch
She wants to lead the glamorous life
Without love it ain't much, it ain't much

She wants to lead the glamorous life
She don't need a man's touch
She wants to lead the glamorous life
Without love it ain't much, it ain't much, ooh, oh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efkS7NUFPDI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRUfDeM4Cgw



"The Belle of St. Mark" reached thirty-four in the US, eighteen in the UK, sixteen in Australia, fifteen in Ireland, eight in the Netherlands, and number five in New Zealand.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTRz2w83-pw

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6zuqx_sheila-e-the-belle-of-st-mark_music

'The Glamorous Life' 
full album:

All songs written and composed by Sheila E, except where noted. 

Side one
1. "The Belle of St. Mark"   5:08
2. "Shortberry Strawcake"   4:44
3. "Noon Rendezvous" (Prince and Sheila E.) 3:50
Side two
4. "Oliver's House"   6:20
5. "Next Time Wipe the Lipstick Off Your Collar" (Brenda Bennett and Sheila E.) 3:50
6. "The Glamorous Life" (Prince) 9:00
bonus
7. "The Glamorous Life (Club Edit)"   6:33