BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984
Originally posted August 11, 2011
“The Glamorous Life” is a song written by Prince in 1984 and first recorded by singer/percussionist Sheila E. The dance song has lyrics which reflect a cynicism for the decadence and materialism of the song’s protagonist, referred to in the third person, who “wants to lead a glamorous life”, although she is aware that “without love, it ain’t much”.
“The Glamorous Life” was originally intended to be recorded by the short-lived replacement act for Vanity 6, girl group Apollonia 6. Prince allegedly had several tracks lined up for the trio to record for their 1984 debut album (and by some accounts, their follow up album as well), but abandoned the idea when he learned that lead singer Apollonia Kotero had no desire to stay in the group beyond her contractual obligations as designed for her movie role in Purple Rain.
Prince decided to give the song to Sheila E. who was fresh off her duet on Prince’s “Erotic City”. “The Glamorous Life” would be recorded by Sheila E. and go on to launch her solo career.
“The Glamorous Life” was the title track and closing song on Sheila E.’s debut solo album, and reached number 7 on the U.S. pop charts, as well as number 1 on the U.S. dance charts, and earned a Grammy Award nomination. Internationally the song reached number 2 on the Dutch Top 40 and number 76 on the U.K. Singles Chart.
Sheila E.’s live performances of the song became memorable events, most notably for her percussion solo towards the end of the song. Depending on the occasion, she would either spin around several times while drumming without missing a beat during the rigorous solo, place one highly elevated foot on a snare while standing on the other leg mid-solo, or perform with glow-in-the-dark drumsticks. While the solo featured in the song helped to bolster Sheila E.’s fame, all subsequent versions of this song have no drum solo.
SIDE A:
The Glamorous Life (8 Minute Version) 9:02
SIDE B:
The Glamorous Life (Part II) 3:15
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Glamorous Life | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #7 |
| 1984 | The Glamorous Life | U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | #1 |
| 1984 | The Glamorous Life | U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles | #9 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Warner Music UK Ltd. – SAM 196
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1984
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Funk
CREDITS:
Co-producer – Jamie Starr
Directed By – Starr * Company, The
Producer, Directed By – Sheila E.
Find the 12″ on DISCOGS
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: 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)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
Thank you very much Paul.
Thank you so much! This song reminds me to the TV series Miami Vice! In fact, that was the first time I listen to Sheila E.
http://miamivice.wikia.com/wiki/Sheila_E.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk4CowaFh0U
Paul,
Thank you! I can’t wait to see what other surprises you have planned for us! 🙂
You’re welcome Rick 🙂
Thank you for this. It sounds great.
I’m sure you have some very interesting Prince (R.I.P.) rarities planned. One rarity that has complete escaped me so far is the 12″ for Brownmark’s ‘Bang Bang’. Not the greatest track, but it’s a gap in my 80’s Prince collection.
You’re welcome David. I don’t have the Brownmark 12″.
This is such a great track to remember Prince’s legacy.
Sheila E, understandably, looked devastated in recent interviews, but still very dignified.
I’ve always had a lot of respect for Sheila E because she was never a Prince puppet. She comes from a very serious musical family and is extremely talented.
Thank you.
You’re welcome AnthonyC 🙂
Oh Paul, I have been waiting for this since I first discovered you a few years ago!! I LOVE this killer version of the song (the album version), so much better than the club edit that came out on 12-inch. Everything, from the intro and throughout the song, this mix is spectacular!! And to have it in your AWESOME SOUND, I have chills. And ooh, I love the flip-side so much. Between the drum machine and the live drums, this was machine-gun heaven for me. Too bad no radical edits, as that would be the cherry on this sonic-sundae. You… Read more »
You’re very welcome Jeff. This is the best mix and should have been swapped with the club edit for the album. I was kind of disappointed that this was not a rare mix when I bought this 12″ but I do love it because it sounds so great on vinyl 🙂
Yay! I figured a Prince tribute was in the works—you wouldn’t happen to have “America,” by any chance, would you?—but I’m glad his satellite acts aren’t being forgotten, Sheila being a particular favorite. Thanks, Paul!
You’re welcome JamieH 🙂
Oh Danke
You’re welcome Panter 🙂
Thanks Paul. Still cannot believe that Prince is gone. He had do much talent and influence. Hopefully could you post Mountains (1986) soon?
It’s quite a shock Omar.
Never heard this mix before was it a Promo Only Vinyl Only release? How rare is this mix? Thanks for Adding this !!! 🙂 (was it ever commercially available ?) Always loved this song.
It’s actually the album version.