She made her recording debut with jazz bassist Alphonso Johnson on his 1976 album Yesterday's Dreams. She is best known for her long association with Prince but has also collaborated with many other musicians. She had played with George Duke, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, and Diana Ross by the time she was in her early twenties. In recent years, she has collaborated with George Clinton, Ringo Starr, and Gloria Estefan.
Sheila E. is of Mexican, African American, and Creole descent. She is the daughter of percussionist Pete Escovedo, with whom she frequently performs. Her uncle is Alejandro Escovedo, also a musician. She is also niece to Javier Escovedo, founder of seminal San Diego punk act, The Zeros. Another uncle, Mario Escovedo, fronted long-running indie rockers, The Dragons. Notably, Nicole Richie is Sheila E.'s biological niece.
Prince met Sheila E. while she was performing at a concert with her father in the early 1980s. After the show, Prince met her and told her that he and his bassist "were just fighting about which one of us would be the first to be your husband" and prophetically vowed that one day she would join his band.
The two would eventually join forces during the recording sessions for Purple Rain. She provided vocals for Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" B-side single "Erotic City" between 1983 and 1984. Though taken under Prince's wing, she proved to be a successful artist in her own right. In 1984, she scored several hits including "The Glamorous Life" (#7 on the Hot 100 #7,), and "The Belle Of St. Mark" (#34). She opened for the Purple Rain tour and there was a segment where she would have a man called up on stage and seated in a chair while she sang and teased him, similarly mirrored by Janet Jackson for her Velvet Rope Tour.
Around the same time, the collaborating duo began a brief romantic relationship while Prince was still seeing Susannah Melvoin, twin sister of the Revolution band member Wendy Melvoin.
In 1985, she released Romance 1600 which scored her another hit with "A Love Bizarre" (#11). Sheila E. was nominated for American Music Awards and Grammys, including Best New Artist, for The Glamorous Life. Sheila E. recorded three total albums during the '80s, The Glamorous Life, Romance 1600, and Sheila E.
She appeared in four films, Krush Groove with Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Blair Underwood in 1985, Prince's concert film Sign 'O' the Times in 1987, and The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and Chasing Papi in 2003.
Later on, she served as Prince's drummer and musical director in his highly regarded backup band, dubbed the New Power Generation. During this same period, Sheila E. released "Koo Koo" from her third album, Sheila, with the accompanying video featuring Cat, a Sign 'O' the Times member, as a back up dancer. Sheila E. also served as a writer and musician on many of Prince's records, as well as on the albums of his protégés such as Madhouse.
After leaving Prince's musical organization in 1989 due to a collapsed lung, Sheila recorded a few more albums, Sex Cymbal, Writes of Passage, and Heaven. However, the albums garnered little attention. Later in 2002, Sheila E. appeared on Beyoncé's song "Work it Out".
Sheila E. was the leader of the house band on the short-lived 1998 late night talk show, The Magic Hour, starring Magic Johnson. She has performed three stints with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, in 2001, 2003, and 2006. Her drum "duets" with Starr are a moment of comic relief in the show, where they play the same parts but he quickly falls behind, shrugs and smiles as she takes off on an extended percussion solo. Says Sheila E.: "Ringo truly is one of the greatest rock 'n' roll drummers in the history of music. He enjoys the joke!"
In March 2007, she went on a small tour through Europe with her new band project called C.O.E.D. (Chronicles of Every Diva). C.O.E.D consists of Sheila E., Kat Dyson, Rhonda Smith and Cassandra O'Neal. For several concerts, C.O.E.D. was joined by Candy Dulfer as a special guest.
On April 9th, 2008, Sheila appeared on the historic Emmy winning program, Idol Gives Back. It was the most important and significant part of the highly rated American Idol television series. Sheila E. took part in the show opener, "Get on Your Feet", with Gloria Estefan. Dance troupe So You Think You Can Dance finalists joined the stage for the memorable moment. Idol Gives Back raised awareness and funds to benefit six total charities. International celebrities and sport figures graced the stage along with Sheila E. and Estefan for the historic television program event.
Sheila E. is also the business partner of singer and former The Brides of Funkenstein, Lynn Mabry. They jointly formed a foundation for abused children called the Elevate Hope Foundation.
A Love Bizarre
Sheila E. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whispering words that scream of outrageous sin
We all want the stuff that's found in our wildest dreams
It gets kinda rough in the back of our limousine
That's what we are, we all want a love bizarre
That's what we are, we all want a love bizarre
A kiss on the spine, we do things we never do
Swallow the pride and joy of the ivory tower
We'll dance on the roof, make love on a bed of flower
That's what we are, we all want a love bizarre
The moon up above, it shines on upon our skin
Whispering words that scream of outrageous sin
We all want the stuff that's found in our wildest dreams
It gets kinda rough in the back of our limousine
That's what we are, we all want a love bizarre
That's what we are, we all want a love bizarre
The lyrics in Sheila E.'s "A Love Bizarre" describe a desire for a wild, unconventional, and unapologetic love affair. The moon shining on the skin and whispering "words that scream of outrageous sin" sets the tone for a desire that goes beyond what is traditional, accepted, or polite. The lyrics imply a need to escape the confines of societal norms and expectations, and explore sensual and erotic pleasures that challenge conventional boundaries.
The lyrics also suggest that this desire is not just physical or sexual but also emotional and romantic. The reference to a "strawberry mind, a body that's built for two" and "a kiss on the spine" suggests a deep and intense connection that goes beyond just physical pleasure. The reference to "swallow the pride and joy of the ivory tower" implies a need to break free from the constraints of the upper class and indulge in the pleasures that are often denied to those who are not part of that world.
Line by Line Meaning
The moon up above, it shines on upon our skin
The moon illuminates us, making us feel alive and sensual
Whispering words that scream of outrageous sin
Our desires are so intense that they feel taboo, yet we can't help but yearn for them
We all want the stuff that's found in our wildest dreams
We long for the perfect partner and sexual experiences we've imagined in our fantasies
It gets kinda rough in the back of our limousine
We seek pleasure in wild and unconventional ways, even if it may be dangerous or risky
That's what we are, we all want a love bizarre
Despite societal norms and expectations, we crave a passionate and unconventional love
A strawberry mind, a body that's built for two
We envision the perfect lover, a mix of intelligence, passion, and physical compatibility
A kiss on the spine, we do things we never do
We explore new sexual territory and indulge in pleasures we've never experienced before
Swallow the pride and joy of the ivory tower
We let go of societal expectations and embrace our deepest desires, regardless of how others may judge us
We'll dance on the roof, make love on a bed of flower
We seek new and unique experiences, even if they may seem unconventional or risky
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PRINCE ROGERS NELSON, SHEILA ESCOVEDO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@funkmasterfishdatdamnfish7442
Anyone else is going through all their favorite jams thinking about how life was back in the days ? Tell me I'm not the only one ✌🏼️
@allseeingi
You’re not 😀👍🏽
@jasonbrazen3732
Definitely not the only one. 😁
@dondon351
Thinking of an 80s far away from planet Earth so called 80s. Like Burton's and hamburger the motion pic 80s and red dwsrf. Red. Dwarf made a millineum jump from the 80s
@kimlabelle1763
Still do.
@robertbortoli2183
@Kim Labelle just
@Wolverines4ever-sl1js
I want to be 15 again in 1986. I miss it so much the happiest time for me. This world now is horrid.
@Shaman196
Enjoy Our National Championship bro
@80erman1
I too
@francesconicosia9132
Im too