Album: Vanity 6

1982: Azz Izz ◄

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Vanity 6

Album details Released: 11 August 1982 Length: 30:59 Label(s): Warner Bros. Studio(s): Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Chanhassen, MN, USA; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, USA Charts, Certifications & Awards Charts America Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart USA: Billboard 200 2 Oct. 1982 45 31 USA: Billboard Black LPs 2 Oct. 1982 6 36 Certifications Institution, Country Date Certification RIAA (USA) 1 Aug. 1985 Gold Awards This album has not received any awards in the USA Singles released Nasty Girl b/w Drive Me Wild Bite The Beat b/w 3 x 2 = 6 He’s So Dull b/w Make-Up Drive Me Wild b/w 3 x 2 = 6 See also Apollonia 6 (album)

Vanity 6 is the first and only album by Vanity 6, a group put together and effectively run by Prince, and was released on 11 August 1982. The album was produced by Prince under the pseudonym The Starr* Company, and production credit was shared (erroneously) with Vanity 6. Seven of the eight songs were written or co-written by Prince, but credit was given to the bandmembers. He’s So Dull was written and produced by Dez Dickerson. A follow-up to the album was planned to coincide with the Purple Rain movie, but when Vanity decided she did not want to participate in the movie, Prince instead replaced her with Apollonia and changed the group’s name to Apollonia 6; the tracks planned for the follow-up were subsequently included on the album Apollonia 6. Sessions and compiling Some of the tracks were originally recorded in 1981 and intended for the group The Hookers, the name of the group before Vanity joined. Wet Dream, Make-Up and Drive Me Wild were recorded in Summer 1981, but the album by The Hookers was left unfinished in Autumn 1981, when Prince embarked on the Controversy Tour (see details of the album in the trivia section below). The Hookers evolved into Vanity 6 when Vanity (born Denise Matthews) and Brenda Bennett joined the group, replacing Jamie Shoop and Loreen Moonsie. Nasty Girl, Bite The Beat and He’s So Dull were recorded in late March 1982 for the newly revised group. If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up) and 3 x 2 = 6 were the final tracks recorded for the album, in March or April 1982. Vanity and Brenda Bennett’s vocals for Wet Dream, Make-Up and Drive Me Wild were also recorded at some point in Spring 1982. Promotion The album produced four singles, Nasty Girl, Bite The Beat, He’s So Dull, and Drive Me Wild, and Vanity 6 supported the album by touring as one of Prince’s opening acts on the 1999 Tour (with the musical backing played by The Time). Perhaps due to the album’s explicit lyrics, the album only reached number 45 on the US Billboard Pop Chart, but reached number 6 on the US Billboard Black Chart (recently renamed from the Billboard Soul Chart). Track listing CD LP The compact disc version is a reissue from the original LP. Nasty Girl (5:10) Wet Dream (4:12) Drive Me Wild (2:31) 1 He’s So Dull (2:32) 2 If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up) (5:34) 3 Make-Up (2:40) 1 Bite The Beat (3:12) 4 3 x 2 = 6 (5:24) 5 The vinyl long play is the original issue. Side 1: Nasty Girl (5:10) Wet Dream (4:12) Drive Me Wild (2:31) 1 He’s So Dull (2:32) 2 Side 2: If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up) (5:34) 3 Make-Up (2:40) 1 Bite The Beat (3:12) 4 3 x 2 = 6 (5:24) 5 All songs written by Prince (credited to Vanity 6) except where noted. 1 Written by Prince (credited to Susan Moonsie) 2 Written by Dez Dickerson (credited to Dez Dickerson and Vanity) 3 Written by Prince and Terry Lewis (credited to Terry Lewis and Vanity 6) 4 Written by Prince (lyrics, credited to Brenda Bennett) and Jesse Johnson (music) 5 Written by Prince (credited to Vanity) Personnel Musicians Vanity - vocals, lead vocals on Nasty Girl, Wet Dream, He’s So Dull and 3 x 2 = 6, co-lead vocals on If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up) Brenda Bennett - vocals, lead vocals on Bite The Beat, co-lead vocals on If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up) Susan Moonsie - vocals, lead vocals on Drive Me Wild and Make-Up Prince - all instruments, except where noted (credited as The Time) Dez Dickerson - drums on He’s So Dull and 3 x 2 = 6, guitar on He’s So Dull Jesse Johnson - guitar, bass guitar and keyboards on Bite The Beat Production Prince - producer (album) (credited to The Starr* Company and Vanity 6) Dez Dickerson - producer on He’s So Dull Allen Beaulieu - photography Thanks none.

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Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2 This section is under construction Variants, Special Editions and Reissues Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2 This section is under construction

Additional Information Promotion (at time of release) Trivia Vanity 6 was an opening act on Prince’s 1999 Tour (along with The Time), playing songs from the album. In the early stages of work on the album, both the album and the band were known as The Hookers. No configuration of the album The Hookers is known, but tracks intended for the project included Drive Me Wild, Make-Up, Wet Dream, I Need A Man, Jealous Girl and Pizza. Prince put the project on hold in late 1981 as he embarked on the Controversy Tour. I Need A Man, Jealous Girl and Pizza were removed from the project as he restarted the project and it evolved into Vanity 6. Gym Class and Money Don’t Grow On Trees may have also been intended for The Hookers, but this is unconfirmed. References The Vault: The Definitive Guide to the Musical World of Prince by Per Nilsen & jooZt Mattheij, with the UPTOWN Staff (Uptown, 2004) RIAA https://www.facebook.com/JesseJohnsonfan/posts/10152293702581224

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