PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION RELEASED 'AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY' 30 YEARS AGO TODAY

Perhaps one of Prince & The Revolution's most offbeat, transitional works, Around The World In A Day, was released on an unsuspecting public 30 years ago today. With minimal to zero promo to trumpet its release, Around The World In A Day showed up in record stores without even a picture of Prince or the band to push it. In fact, first single Raspberry Beret was not released until a month after the album.  Prince stated that he wanted listeners to experience the album as a whole and not base its substance on just one song. Following the hugely successful and overtly commercial Purple Rain, Prince & The Revolution hit the studio looking for a new sound. What they came up with, rumored to be influenced greatly by Revolution members Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, was an eclectic group of songs with a psychedelic twist, relying heavily on tambourines, cymbals and strings. Even without promotion, Around The World In A Day still managed two Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with Raspberry Beret (#2) and Pop Life (#7), a top 20 with Paisley Park in the UK (#18) and one more Hot 100 entry in the US with America (#46). While not as successful as Purple Rain (what was?) ATWIAD still hit #1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for three consecutive weeks. What it also did was set up a change in Prince's sound that would stay with him through his next album, Parade, the amazing soundtrack to his film Under the Cherry Moon, also written in tight collaboration with Wendy and Lisa. Although it is not as lauded as some of his other output during his most commercially successful period, I find Around The World In A Day to be such an important album in terms of evolution of his sound and reinvention in Prince's career. I still listen to this album to this day and it hold up incredibly well. So take a listen below and Happy 30th, Around The World In A Day.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: SHEILA E.

Without a doubt one of the most talented people in the music business and definitely Prince's most accomplished and respected protégé, Sheila Escovedo, known the us as Sheila E., forged her own unique place in pop music over the last few decades. The daughter of renowned percussionist Pete Escovedo, Sheila played along side her father growing up and eventually played professionally for the likes of George Duke, Lionel Richie, Herbie Hancock, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross. Of course, her life completely changed when Prince met her in 1978 when she was playing a gig with her father and prophesied that she would one day join his band. Sheila was eventually asked to join Prince in the studio during the Purple Rain sessions to record backing vocals for B-side classic Erotic City, and the rest is history. Prince produced her debut album, Sheila E. in The Glamorous Life, with it's massive title track and top 40 hit The Belle of St. Mark. Sheila opened for his Purple Rain tour to promote the album, and even had a brief affair with The Purple One. She was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards for her debut. Her second album, also written and produced with Prince, Romance 1600, yielded another hit with the Prince duet A Love Bizarre (#11). Her third and last album of the 80s, Sheila E., was a step in a new direction with a more Latin flavored and had a sound very similar to Prince's Lovesexy album. Though she failed to garner a major chart hit from the set, aside from Hold Me hitting #3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Chart, Sheila E., the album, was well received by critics and fans alike. Sheila continued to record music and began acting in films such as Krush Groove, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and Prince's concert film Sign 'O' The Times. Sheila eventually joined Prince's new band, The New Power Generation, and recorded during his Sign 'O' The Times, Lovesexy and The Black Album period, coming back to tour with him every few years thereafter. She went on to record a few more albums in the 90s and play with artist like Phil Collins, Cyndi Lauper and even Beyoncé. Her last solo album, Icon, was released in 2013. She remains a renowned percussionist and sought after performer. Here are just a few of Sheila E.'s greatest for you to enjoy. Notice the man-on-man love in the last video, 1991's Sex Cymbal. Sheila loves the gays!! Be glamorous.

HUMPDAY SEXY SONG: APOLLONIA 6 - SEX SHOOTER

The only thing I love more than one slutty girl singer is THREE slutty girl singers. Apollonia 6 was born out of a previous incarnation of Prince's brainchild Vanity 6. Once Vanity bailed on the group, Prince recast the lead to play his love interest in the movie Purple Rain, finding Patricia Kotero after a nationwide search. He rechristened her Apollonia, threw her in front of existing members Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie and VOILA, Apollonia 6 was born. The "6" allegedly stands for the number of breasts in the group. Early 80's Prince, always keeping it classy. Anyway, based on the Prince's ability to write one helluva catchy tune, Apollonia's charisma, the groups sex appeal and the tremendous success of Purple Rain, the first single, Sex Shooter, from their only album was a hit!! The song went to #85 on the Hot 100, and #7 on both the R&B and Dance Charts in the US. Take that, Vanity! Of course, Apollonia 6 were not long for this world, but their self-titled album and this song alone earn them a place in my heart. Here is today Humpday Sexy Song. Hump a gun!! NO!! DON'T!!! THAT IS TERRIBLE ADVICE!!

SOUNDTRACK DAY!!

I thought I'd give you a glimpse into my world by listing my top 5 favorite soundtracks of all time. These are based solely on the merits of how much I personally enjoyed them, so if you don't agree that's okay. You're 100% wrong, but that's okay. ha. Anyway, just a little trip down memory lane for me and hopefully for you! Some of my fondest memories are attached to these movies and their music. Here we go. Oh, and yes, they're all from the 70s an 80s. DUH!

5. Saturday Night Fever - I mean, HELLO! This album is a freakin' masterpiece and defines an entire decade of music. The incomparable Bee Gees put together a soundtrack that perfectly captured the sexy, gritty disco era and produced unforgettable songs in the process. The title track, More Than a Woman, If I Can't Have You, How Deep is Your Love are all classics. It doesn't even matter that I can only understand about five words of Night Fever, it's still one of my favorite songs of all time. Watch the video for the song and try not to shake that ass!


4. 9 1/2 Weeks - Arguably the sexiest movie of the 80s, especially since it was basically one long sex scene, 9 1/2 Weeks also had an amazing soundtrack that went along with it!! Though not has hugely successful as other 80s soundtracks, it did spawn the hit by Duran Duran member John Taylor, I Do What I Do. But more importantly, the whole album was great! Contributions by Eurythmics, Devo, Corey Hart (Eurasian Eyes, my fave), Dalbello and Luba all unimaginably great, and of course the gem of them all, You Can Leave Your Hat On by Joe Cocker which Kim Basinger does her strip tease to. Hot!! Watch the NSFW VIDEO below and check out this album if you never have.


3. Footloose - DANCE!!! Footloose was undeniably a phenomenon when it came out. Everybody had seen it and everybody had the soundtrack. Hit after hit after hit, including two #1 song, Footloose and Let's Hear It For The Boy, flooded the radio for months. Of course, every song was a hit to me, especially Bonnie Tyler's Holding Out for a Hero and Dancing in the Sheets by Shalamar. You all know a song from Footloose. Here is the INCREDIBLY 80s video for Holding Out for a Hero for you to enjoy/laugh at. But the song is amazy!!


2. Flashdance - Another film that completely changed the way I thought about music and movies. Flashdance was like watching a really long music video, and I LOVED it. Still obsessed with Jennifer Beales to this day, as a matter of fact. From the smash, Academy Award winning title track by Irene Cara to the #1 hit Maniac, Flashdance's sountrack was chock full of energy and electronic goodness. Find a better group of songs than Manhunt, Imagination and Romeo. I dare you. Here is the video for Flashdance...What a Feelin' by Irene Cara. Amazing.


1. Purple Rain - If you don't like Purple Rain, you don't like MUSIC!! Prince & the Revolution let loose a masterpiece that was, is and always will be my favorite movie sountrack of all time. The album stayed at #1 for 24 weeks and spawned the moster hits When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, the title track, Take Me With U and the glorious I Would Die 4 U. Every song is amazing and complex and done in only a way Prince can do. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. It's regarded as one of the best albums of all time. Here is the final scene from Purple Rain with I Would Die 4 U & Baby, I'm a Star. Wow. That's all I can say. Wow. Enjoy.

Prince - I would die 4 U/ Baby I'm a Star from mark Daley on Vimeo.