Burning The Ground Exclusive
Sister Fate: The Song That Dared Sheila E. to Change Everything
1985. The Purple Rain era is still smoldering. And Sheila E. is done being a spectacle.
There’s a moment in the music video for “Sister Fate” — a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it flash at the 3:06 mark — where an image of Prince is superimposed over a newspaper headline reading “WHO IS SHEILA E.’S MYSTERY LOVE?” It lasts exactly one second. It’s playful. It’s knowing. And it tells you everything about the tightrope Sheila E. was walking in the summer of 1985: close enough to Prince’s orbit to benefit from its gravity, but determined to step into her own light.
“Sister Fate” was the lead single from Romance 1600, Sheila E.’s second album, released on July 26, 1985. It was more than a song. It was a declaration of intent.
A New Image, a New Album, a New Statement
After the breakout success of The Glamorous Life in 1984, Sheila E. could have easily leaned into the formula: glamour, sequins, the thrill of being Prince’s most dazzling protégé. Instead, she did something counterintuitive. She cut her hair. She wore a long-sleeved blouse and long pants for the Romance 1600 campaign. She showed up as a musician first, a performer second.
“They thought the whole thing about the first album was to sell sex,” she later reflected. “But for the second album… I wanted to be seen as a strong musician.”
“Sister Fate” was the sonic embodiment of that shift. Written, produced, and arranged entirely by Sheila E. herself, the track came together quickly — basic tracks were laid down on January 9, 1985, at Cheshire Sound Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, the night after a show on the Purple Rain Tour. Overdubs followed on January 15th. The whole thing had that charged, live-wire energy of a band at its creative peak, running on tour adrenaline and studio instinct.
The Sound: A Prince-Produced Fever Dream
Musically, “Sister Fate” is a rich, layered piece of mid-80s R&B funk. Prince contributed keyboards — Yamaha DX7, Hammond organ, piano — bass guitar, Linn LM-1 drum machine, and handclaps. Sheila E. brought everything else: lead and backing vocals, drums, Simmons SDS-V electronic pads, congas, cowbells, timbales, shaker, and cymbal. The album version opens with an organ and percussion intro that sets a moody, almost cinematic tone before the track kicks into gear. The single version trims that intro entirely, opting for a more direct punch.
Steph Birnbaum added electric guitars. Eddie M. came in on saxophone. Benny Rietveld played bass on the album intro. The result was a textured, full-band R&B production that showcased Sheila’s percussive mastery while still carrying Prince’s unmistakable fingerprints.
The Video: Cloud Jackets and Hidden Messages
The music video, filmed at Greystone Park & Mansion in Beverly Hills and directed by Prince himself, introduced the world to a new Sheila E. aesthetic. Gone was the ultra-glam of “The Glamorous Life.” In its place: Sheila in a brocaded “cloud jacket,” a deliberate visual echo of Prince’s own “cloud suit” from the “Raspberry Beret” video, which was released around the same time. The two visuals were in conversation — a private joke made public, stitched into the fabric of both their images.
That one-second Prince cameo superimposed over the newspaper headline is the video’s sly centerpiece. It acknowledges the constant speculation about their relationship while refusing to actually answer it. It’s teasing. It’s artful. It’s very Prince.
The Charts: Underperformance That Changed Everything
Commercially, “Sister Fate” fell short of expectations. It reached only number 36 on the Hot Black Singles chart and peaked at number 8 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, never breaking into the main Hot 100 at all. By the metrics of pop radio, it was a miss.
But that miss had consequences. Because “Sister Fate” underperformed, the album’s second single — “A Love Bizarre,” a sprawling duet featuring Prince — was rush-released to salvage momentum. It worked. “A Love Bizarre” climbed to number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart, becoming one of the defining tracks of the era. In a strange way, the commercial stumble of “Sister Fate” cleared the path for its far more successful successor.
The Larger Legacy
Romance 1600 was released on August 26, 1985, on Warner Bros. Records and Paisley Park Records — one of the first albums released on Prince’s newly founded label. Sheila E. became one of the first artists to sign to Paisley Park, cementing a creative partnership that was more than mere proximity to a superstar.
On October 12, 1985, Sheila performed “Sister Fate,” “A Love Bizarre,” and “Holly Rock” on Soul Train. She appeared in the film Krush Groove that same fall. A concert film, Live Romance 1600, captured her band at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, with Prince and the Revolution making a special appearance.
“Sister Fate” may not have been the hit it was meant to be, but it was something more interesting: a turning point. It was the moment Sheila E. publicly chose artistic identity over commercial formula, even if the charts didn’t reward her for it right away. In that sense, it deserves to be heard not just as a song, but as a statement — a note left for history, signed by a woman who refused to be anyone’s sidekick.
A note on this transfer
This 12″ transfer marks the debut use of the new MOTU M4 Audio Interface — a fitting piece of gear to inaugurate with a record this rich in percussion and texture. You can expect the full warmth and detail of the extended mix to come through with exceptional clarity.
SIDE A:
Sister Fate (Extended Version) 5:48
Organ – Ken Grey
Saxophone – Eddie M (2)
SIDE B:
Save The People 8:30
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
| Chart | Peak Position | Date |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | #36 | 1985 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | #8 | 1985 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Music/ Maxi-Singles Sales | #26 | 1985 |
| Australia (Kent Report) | #481 | 1985 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Paisley Park – 0-20359, Warner Bros. Records – 9 20359-0 A
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Maxi-Single, 45 RPM, Allied
Country: US
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul
Style: Synth-pop, Funk, Soul
CREDITS:
- Arranged By, Producer, Written-By – Sheila E.
- Photography By – Rebecca Blake (2)
NOTES:
“Specially-Priced 2-Cut Maxi Single”
Original version of track A available on the Paisley Park album Romance 1600.
Made in U.S.A.
Printed in U.S.A.
Buy the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL TRANSFER & AUDIO RESTORATION:
-DjPaulT
for BURNING THE GROUND
THE GEAR:
Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK7
Cartridge/Stylus: Ortofon Concorde Music Black
Phono Pre-amp: Pro-Jec Tube Box DS2
Tubes: Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7 ECC83/B759 Gold Pins Vacuum Tube – Matched Pair
Audio Interface: MOTU M4
Turntable Isolation Platform: ISO-Tone™ Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro Spin Acrylic Mat
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 25 (Recording)
Down Sampling/Dither: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
**24bit FLAC Only Available For Seven Days!
Password: burningtheground
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oh sweet! I have this 12″ too – “Save the people” is worth it alone, thanks for the upgrade Paul!
Thank you for all the background info on this track. I can remember seeing this single in the shops but can’t recall actually hearing it in the wild, unlike A Love Bizarre.
Dean — Thanks so much for reading! You’re not alone in that experience. “Sister Fate” was very much a record you’d see in the racks without necessarily hearing it on the radio or in a club, which is a shame. It never cracked the Hot 100 and only scraped the lower end of the R&B chart, so it just didn’t have the airplay legs to lodge itself in the memory the way “A Love Bizarre” did. That one was everywhere once it dropped — and ironically, it probably got rush-released *because* “Sister Fate” was so quiet commercially. So in a… Read more »
I got so excited reading ING’s review of this fantastic record! Sheila E. was a definite favorite for me too! It was, “Beauty and the Beat” hearing her records! I also loved how Prince was involved with her initially. Although my musical tastes were evolving at the time to more Industrial musical sounds, I still loved a funk workout by this excellent musician! I am ever so stimulated by this release, and, YES, I love the 12-inch version here! You’re great, Paul! First Teena Marie and now Sheila E.!! Ecstasy!! I’m also excited to hear your new equipment! I am… Read more »
Jeff — What a response, thank you so much! Your enthusiasm absolutely makes the work worthwhile. “Beauty and the Beat” is a perfect way to describe that Sheila E. experience — she really did have that rare combination of visual magnetism and pure musical substance. And yes, Prince’s involvement in her early career was something special to witness unfold in real time. Love that your tastes were stretching toward Industrial sounds even then — that’s the mark of a true music head, holding space for a funk workout AND the harder edges simultaneously. No contradiction there at all! So glad… Read more »
Paul, thank you SO MUCH for this one! Sheila E. is my favorite artist of all time, and this is one of her top songs (only 2nd to The Glamorous Life for me…). The rip sounds fantastic and eager to listen next to the B side “Save The People” – I’ve just had my original vinyl rip I did myself about 30 years ago direct to audio CD-R but I know yours will be a huge upgrade! More Sheila E. rare tracks would be amazing! She has some deep vinyl versions that have never been on CD (like the slightly… Read more »
Matthew — Wow, a fellow Sheila E. superfan, and clearly one who knows his stuff! Totally respect having The Glamorous Life at the top — it’s hard to argue with that one. But Sister Fate sits beautifully in that second spot, and I think the 12″ really lets it breathe in a way the album version doesn’t quite capture. Your 30-year-old CD-R rip sounds like a treasured artifact in its own right! But yes, I think the MOTU M4 transfer will give you a fresh perspective on a record you clearly know intimately. And thank you for that tip about… Read more »
YES! Oh how a LOVED this single! This album! This woman! This musician! Posters on the wall, record flats and CD box used as art on my walls… the vinyl carefully dubbed onto a TEAC Sound 52 cassette that emulated the reel to reel tape aesthetic with reels to match the album art. And, of course, this 12” version carefully edited into place of the album version! Nailed it! Then later hunting down the CD at Musicland at the mall when I got my first CD player the next year. This album was one of my first 5 CDs: Thriller,… Read more »
ING — This comment is an absolute joy to read! The TEAC Sound 52 cassette dubbed to emulate the reel-to-reel aesthetic with matching reels… that is next-level dedication and love for this record. And carefully editing the 12″ into place of the album version? You were doing audiophile-grade curation before most people even knew what that meant! What a first CD collection too — Thriller, Ice Cream Castle, Romance 1600, Some Great Reward and Purple Rain. That’s not just a great list, that’s a snapshot of 1985-86 pop and R&B at its absolute peak. Depeche Mode sitting right there alongside… Read more »