The history of Apollonia 6 goes back to 1981, when an up and coming Prince was looking to form an all girl group called, The Hookers. For this, he hand selected the women, which included Susan Moonsie, and her sister, Loreen. Prince would immediately begin to record music with and for the girls until 1982 when he would meet Denise Matthews. The two began a romantic relationship.
After the two began a romantic relationship, Prince dissolved The Hookers, and in their place created Vanity 6, led by Matthews, who would dawn the stage persona of Vanity. The new group was rounded out by Brenda Bennett, and Susan Moonsie, and together they released their self titled debut album that same year.
It's interesting that while Prince would use Vanity as a poster child, often accompanying him for photo shoots, it was Bennett who he would place in charge of rehearsals and voice checks for the group. Though this caused tensions among the girls, things ultimately came to a head during pre-production of the movie Purple Rain. Vanity was initially cast to star opposite Prince. However, she abruptly quit the project. Several reasons are speculated, which include money and her relationship with Prince ending.
Before this would happen, work had commenced on Vanity 6's second album, with a handful of demos being produced. Though without a lead singer, and co-star for his film, an open casting call was placed for the latter. It would be Patricia Kotero, AKA, Apollonia, who would ultimately get the job.
Apollonia would also step in as the new front woman for the group, now renamed Apollonia 6. They would release a single self titled album, and then disband.
Initially, there were grand plans for this new group. Not only was their second album slated to include such classic hits as, Manic Monday, 17 Days, Take Me With You and The Glamorous Life, but they were also supposed to be the opening act for Prince's Purple Rain tour. All of this was ultimately scrapped, but boy, what could have been had they been the mouthpiece for the above noted tracks? They may very well have taken off in a big way.
Well, sadly that didn't happen. So, as it stands, we have to settle for that one moment in time when Apollonia 6 released their one and only album, which today I'm diving into!
Sound and style wise, this is definitely a Prince album locked in that sweet spot of time where he was cranking out hit after hit. This isn't hurt by the very obvious appearances and back up vocals not only by Prince, but Wendy and Lisa. If this were a Prince album, it probably would have been well received.
The songs are relatively hit or miss. There are no top forty tunes here, and a lot of that is because of the subjective material they lyrics convey...Well, subjective and direct. I mean, there's no need for interpretation when a song is called, Sex Shooter.
I think what intrigues me most about this album is the premise behind it, and the artist leading the charge. If this weren't a Prince project, I would probably have no interest in it whatsoever. However, it's because of his involvement, that I most likely like it more than I would. Though lacking in actual hits, it has a familiar sound, which makes it work for me.
Now, before you rush out there and nab yourself up a copy on CD, what truly sucks about this album is its scarcity and price. Original 1988 CD pressings are incredibly difficult to find, and can easily set you back two to five hundred dollars! Even high end bootleg / unofficial "Digital Remastered" copies can set you back as much as one hundred dollars. Unless you are a true Prince aficionado, you probably don't need this album that badly. Well, not on CD anyway.
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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS January 9, 1982 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS January 9, 1988 |
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