Sugar Walls

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Sugar Walls

A Private Heaven
from the album A Private Heaven
Sugar Walls
single art for Sugar Walls
Song details
Performer: Sheena Easton
First Released: 7 September 1984 - A Private Heaven album
Album(s): A Private Heaven

The Best Of Sheena Easton
For Your Eyes Only: The Best Of Sheena Easton
The World Of Sheena Easton: The Singles Collection
Sheena Easton: Greatest Hits
Sheena Easton: The Definitive Singles 1980-1987
A Private Heaven Deluxe Edition

Writer(s): Prince (as Alexander Nevermind)
Producer(s): Prince (credited to Greg Mathieson)
Live Appearances
First and last live appearance:
  • This track is not believed to have been performed live by Prince
Performed regularly on tour:
  • none
Performed occasionally in shows:
  • none

Sugar Walls is the second track on Sheena Easton’s fifth album A Private Heaven, and, around the time of the album’s release, Sugar Walls was released as the album’s third single.

In 1989, it was included as the ninth track on The Best Of Sheena Easton compilation. Also in 1989, it was included as the 18th and final track on the For Your Eyes Only: The Best Of Sheena Easton compilation. In 1993, it was included as the 13th track on The World Of Sheena Easton: The Singles Collection compilation. In 1995, it was included as the fourth track on Sheena Easton: Greatest Hits compilation. In 2021, a remastered version was included as the 18th track of Disc 1 on "Sheena Easton: The Definitive Singles 1980-1987". In 2022, it was included as the 2nd track of Disc 1 on the Deluxe Edition of A Private Heaven.

The song is the first of many collaborations between Sheena Easton and Prince.

Sugar Walls was listed on the Parents Music Resource Center’s "Filthy Fifteen" (along with Prince and the Revolution’s Darling Nikki) which led to the introduction of parental advisory stickers on explicit releases.

Basic tracking took place on 20 January 1984 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, and the song was originally tentatively intended for Jill Jones. However after Prince saw Sheena Easton perform on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson that night he thought she should sing it and it was subsequently sent over to The Sound Factory on 22 January 1984, Super Bowl Sunday, and Sheena Easton recorded her vocals on that same day.

In a 2012 interview, Sheena Easton explained how the collaboration occurred. Both Prince and Easton were working with the same engineer, David Leonard at the time. Leonard told her:
"'Prince sent over a track for you. We saw you on The Tonight Show the night before and Prince said 'Ya, I gotta write something for that girl.' And so he sent over Sugar Walls, and it was one of those things where it was like, 'Here it is. If you want to do it, here’s my number."

Sheena Easton adds:
"Then when we worked in the studio, we got along really well. We cracked each other up, we made each other laugh."

Although Greg Mathieson is listed as the executive producer, Prince was in fact very hands-on in producing the track on the spot.


Recording Information
Recording Sessions
Date Studio Additional info
20 January 1984 Sunset Sound,
Hollywood, CA, USA
Tracking
22 January 1984 The Sound Factory,
Hollywood, CA, USA
Sheena Easton vocal recording
19 & 20 June 1984 Sunset Sound,
Hollywood, CA, USA
Additional mixes
Recording Personnel
  • Sheena Easton - lead vocals
  • Prince - all instruments (uncredited)
  • Carlos Vega - credited for drums, but did not participate
  • Abraham Laboriel - credited for bass guitar, but did not participate
  • Lee Ritenour - credited for guitar, but did not participate
  • Mike Landau - credited for guitar, but did not participate
  • Greg Mathieson - credited for keyboards, but did not participate
  • Michael Boddiker - credited for keyboards, but did not participate
  • Lennie Castro - credited for percussion and psycho bongos, but did not participate
  • Richard Page - credited for background vocals, but did not participate
  • Steve George - credited for background vocals, but did not participate
  • Tom Kelly - credited for background vocals, but did not participate

Versions
Released Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Sugar Walls 4:09 A Private Heaven

Sugar Walls single
The Best Of Sheena Easton
For Your Eyes Only: The Best Of Sheena Easton
The World Of Sheena Easton: The Singles Collection
Sheena Easton: Greatest Hits

Studio
Sugar Walls 4:09 Sheena Easton: The Definitive Singles 1980-1987

A Private Heaven Deluxe Edition

Studio Remastered in 2020/2021 by Simon Murphy
Sugar Walls (Dance Mix) 7:01 Sugar Walls single
Remix Remixed by Greg Mathieson and Rusty Garner; David Leonard - remix engineer
Sugar Walls (Dance Mix) 7:01 Sheena Easton: The Definitive Singles 1980-1987

A Private Heaven Deluxe Edition

Remix Remixed by Greg Mathieson and Rusty Garner; David Leonard - remix engineer. Remastered in 2020/2021 by Simon Murphy
Sugar Walls (Long Roman Version) 6:38 A Private Heaven Deluxe Edition Alternate version Remixed by Greg Mathieson and Rusty Garner; David Leonard - remix engineer. Remastered by Simon Murphy of Another Planet Music
Sugar Walls (Red Mix) 5:26 Sugar Walls single Remix Remixed by Greg Mathieson and Rusty Garner; David Leonard - remix engineer
Sugar Walls (Red Mix) 5:26 Sheena Easton: The Definitive Singles 1980-1987

A Private Heaven Deluxe Edition

Remix Remixed by Greg Mathieson and Rusty Garner; David Leonard - remix engineer. Remastered in 2020/2021 by Simon Murphy
Video Versions
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Sugar Walls 3:52 Sugar Walls video download Promo video Official music video
Sampled, Referred to, Quoted in...
Title Length Released Version Additional info
Hot Thing (Extended Remix) Remix This Shep Pettibone remix of this song samples Sugar Walls
Unreleased Versions
Title Version Additional Info
Sugar Walls Studio Original recording with Prince vocals
 
Additional Information

See also Trivia


References
Style   < < < All Songs Unreleased Songs > > >   The Sun, The Moon And Stars