Apollonia 6 (album)
| Apollonia 6 | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Studio album by Apollonia 6 | ||
| Released | October 1, 1984 | |
| Recorded | December 1983 – February 1984 | |
| Genre | R&B, Minneapolis sound | |
| Length | 34:05 | |
| Label | Warner Bros. | |
| Producer | Prince (as The Starr ★ Company) | |
| Singles from Apollonia 6 | ||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Apollonia 6 is the only studio album released by R&B vocal trio and Prince-protégés Apollonia 6.
The album was initially to be the second release by the Prince-formed group Vanity 6, but when lead singer Vanity departed Prince's camp, the musician hired Apollonia Kotero, thus changing the group's name and album.
Apollonia 6, the album, primarily features the vocals of Kotero and Bennett with backing vocals by Wendy & Lisa and Jill Jones (Susan Moonsie only recorded one song for this album). The album spawned only one hit, "Sex Shooter", which was performed by the group in the film Purple Rain.
As was the case with the Vanity 6 album, the album is perhaps most notable for the songs that were not a part of the album. These included the Prince-penned songs "Manic Monday" (later recorded by The Bangles), and two songs originally intended for Vanity 6 (the group and the album): "17 Days" (later used by Prince as the B-side to "When Doves Cry"), and "The Glamorous Life" (recorded by Sheila E. in 1984).[2]
Although the album was released primarily on vinyl and audio cassette (Warner Bros. 9 25108), a CD version of the album was released in Japan (W.B. WPCP-3701). The CD has become a highly sought-after collectible.
Apollonia 6 had a fair chart run, but is considered by some to be a viable part of the Minneapolis sound.[3]
Track listing[4]
| # | Title | Credited writer(s)1 | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Happy Birthday, Mr. Christian" | Apollonia Kotero, The Revolution, Brenda Bennett, Susan Moonsie | 7:06 |
| 2. | "Sex Shooter" | Kotero | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Blue Limousine" | Brenda Bennett | 6:19 |
| 4. | "A Million Miles (I Love You)" | Brenda Bennett | 5:51 |
| 5. | "Ooo She She Wa Wa" | Susan Moonsie | 4:10 |
| 6. | "Some Kind of Lover" | Brenda Bennett | 4:48 |
| 7. | "In a Spanish Villa" | Kotero, Wendy Melvoin | 2:12 |
1. All the songs on this album were actually written by Prince, but the songwriting credits were given to the group's members.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
Personnel
- Vocals: Apollonia Kotero, Susan Moonsie, Brenda Bennett
- Multi-instruments: Prince & The Revolution
- Guitars: Wendy Melvoin
- Keyboards: Lisa Coleman
- Bass: Mark Brown
- Drums, percussion: Sheila E.
- Additional backing vocals: Jill Jones
Production
- Produced by Prince (as The Starr ★ Company)
- Recorded, engineered and mixed by Peggy McCreary & The Starr ★ Company
- Mastered by Bernie Grundman
Singles
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 | US Dance | US R&B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Sex Shooter" | 85 | 7 | 7 |
| "Blue Limousine" | - | - | 19 |
Cover versions
"Sex Shooter" was covered by T.H.E.M. Thee Human Ego Maniacs in 2002, by both Firefox and Coco Electrik in 2006, by Frost in 2008, and by both Erika Jayne and Cahill featuring Nikki Belle in 2009.
"Oo She She Wa Wa" was covered by Snax featuring Peaches on his 2004 LP From the Rocking Chair to the Stage, released on Mental Groove Records.
References
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ "Apollonia 6". Angelfire.com. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r795
- ↑ "Track listing". Discogs.
- ↑ "Happy Birthday, Mr. Christian". ASCAP.
- ↑ "Sex Shooter". ASCAP.
- ↑ "Blue Limousine". ASCAP.
- ↑ "Ooo She She Wa Wa". ASCAP.
- ↑ "Some Kind of Lover". ASCAP.
- ↑ "In a Spanish Villa". ASCAP.