The Vanity 6 album: C or D????

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All I have to say is: "Nasty Girl"...

One of the three best singles of the 80's, and DON'T EVEN ARGUE WITH ME, SUCKAS... Perfect intro, perfect sex-kitten lyrics, the perfect beat for a little strip-club bump-n'-grind; sultry and slinky and sweaty and heterosexually oily enough to turn your gay friends straight, to give your grade-school nephew a REAL sex-ed, to make ya grandmomma move that artifical hip from side to side... Production by His Royal Purple Weirdness... rhythm by the Time, in silhouette behind a pink lace curtain... you can keep your Michael Jackson/Janet Jackson/Madonna/Duran Duran Billboard Top 40 hits of the decade... just give me that five minutes of the once and future Ms. Denise Matthews cooing about how she needs seven inches or more, with husky-voiced backup from The Chain-smoking Lesbian One (i.e. "the white chick") and non-existent backup from The One With the Teddy Bear (i.e. "the other black chick")... And the coda?? Did I use the word "perfect" already?? Too bad. I'll wake you when I'm done...

But, WAIT -- there's more!... the grade-Z plastic new wave of "Bite the Beat", complete with two-fingered Farfisa solo... the funk-da-fied dissin' and dozens-playin' of "If a Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up)", in which the aforementioned Lesbian White Member of The 6 unleashes a scathing rap so unbelievably right-on and raunchy, it almost legitimately paves the way for Emi -- oh, never mind... the robotically-intoned drum-machine-and-keyboard-bleep workout "Drive Me Wild", which is ALMOST as stank-bootyfunk-nasty as the 12" extended single version, with fuck-me lyrics nearly as brilliant as those of "Nasty Girl"... And, hell, if you don't dig all THAT, then you at least get Prince doing a vocal drag-queen number...

Why did I fall in love with these gals as a wee, curly-haired lad in 80's California?? Why did I wander about in a trance, with the voice of the Original Caramel Queen of His Royal Purple Order cooing in my ear through my state-of-the-art Walkman (with both a rewind AND a fast-fwd button... you KNOW it!)?? I mean, these girls are almost like -- what? -- the Pistols of early-80's bubblegum, seeing as how this was their one album before the sheer momentum of their opening lingerie dance on the 1999 tour tore them apart at the seams! Even better: This thing's been, like, deleted from the Warner Bros. catalogue, so hunting it down reminded me of when I was about ready to board a flight to Madagascar, trying to find a CD version of Miles' "Live-Evil", in the pre-Sony-reissue era!!!

Come on, SOMEONE out there... tell me... do I walk alone on this garter-strewn path to sheer Vanitydom????

― Scott Kos, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 16:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

Desperately seeking Susan Moonsie from Vanity 6

But yeah, it's a classic. If only for "Nasty Girl" alone. But I like basically everything with any Prince involvement, except the Mazarati album.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 16:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

Never heard the Mazarati. I've heard it's lame, though. I had the Family tape as a kid, and now have NO CLUE what the hell I did with it... I've heard the Jill Jones alb was ace, too.

― Scott Kos, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 16:31 (10 years ago) Permalink

The Family is the shit.

― Andy K (Andy K), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 16:33 (10 years ago) Permalink

Only thing I could find on Susan is on some website for an art gallery in New Orleans, where someone apparently used her as the subject for a painting... doesn't even look like her...

http://www.arthurrogergallery.com/Artists/Bourgeois/susanmoonsie_image.htm

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 16:40 (10 years ago) Permalink

I also rather like "Happy Birthday, Mr. Christian" from the A6 album, which I still have, in excellent condition... next to my Time albums.

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 16:48 (10 years ago) Permalink

Let's not forget about the Jesse Johnson Revue lps!

I wish Dez Dickerson had done a solo album back in the day.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 17:05 (10 years ago) Permalink

Oh, man, that's right!!! I had the debut Jesse Johnson Revue LP on A&M back then, too! (Well, I'd imagine it's still tucked away with all the vinyl at my ma's). For some reason, I remember if I held that record (and some of the other vinyl on A&M) up to the light, I could almost sorta see through it...

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 17:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

How extensive was Prince's involvement in V6/A6, songwriting-wise?

― Sam J. (samjeff), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 17:30 (10 years ago) Permalink

He was very involved. It's rumored that many of the songs on those albums were his throw-aways. Or demos he had played around with, and couldn't really do anything with. There was such a backlog of material in those days, naturally much of it got farmed out to B-sides, and the repertoires of his proteges... For example, "Sex Shooter" was originally done with V6 and planned for a second V6 album, but after she split for the glory of "Action Jackson" and "Berry Gordy's The Last Dragon", it was held onto for A6. "Take Me With U" was originally planned for the A6 album, as was "The Glamorous Life". It's kinda like how, on the first Time album, you can hear HIS backing vocals throughout all the songs.

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 17:44 (10 years ago) Permalink

Prince wrote and played everything on the V6/A6 records. Wrote and played everything except strings on the Family alb,too.

And, yeah, Scott - the Jill Jones record rocks.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 17:48 (10 years ago) Permalink

Oh yeah, can't forget about the Shiela E. records! "A Love Bizarre" is like all Prince. It would have fit right in on Around the World in A Day.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 17:54 (10 years ago) Permalink

This goes into some nice detail about the whole A6 thing, as well as having nice pics:

http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/jleroue/musicpages/minneapolis/apollonia/apollonia6.html

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 17:55 (10 years ago) Permalink

likewise:

http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/jleroue/musicpages/minneapolis/vanity/vanity6.html

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 17:56 (10 years ago) Permalink

Man... Jill Jones... Jesse Johnson... The Family... I'm gonna be a downloadin' fool... (hey, it's justified! it's not like you can walk into your nearest friggin' Sam Goody and pick up this stuff! Screw Warner Bros.!!!!!)

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 18:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

as i said on the referenced thread, classic if only for "Nasty Girl" verything else Scott expressed far better

(except that this was responsible for me actually paying to go see 'last dragon' in the theaters - "Shaw'Nuff - the Shogun of Harlem" hehheh, sorry it still makes me giggle)

and i'm still pissed that i'd have to pay 160 bucks to find this on CD

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 22:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

where's the love for Andre Cymone!?!

SURVIVIN IN THE 80s is where it's at, kids... that being said I dig almost everything Prince was affiliated with from the time period, altho I've never heard (or even knew of) the A6 or Jesse Johnson records! The "Jamie Starr" Time stuff is faboo as well.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 23 April 2003 22:28 (10 years ago) Permalink

80's Mineapolis was fab. whatevere happened to alexander o'Neal, agin back in the US i have a once much-loved 12 inch of Innocent. haven't listened to it in abt 15 years now tho

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 22:31 (10 years ago) Permalink

YOU'RE A FAKE, BABY!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 22:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

What Dan?

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 22:42 (10 years ago) Permalink

Oh come on, "Fake" was Alexander O'Neal's biggest single!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 22:43 (10 years ago) Permalink

the two imprinted on my brain are the duet with Sherelle (Cherelle?) and Innocent

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 22:45 (10 years ago) Permalink

Matos played "Nasty Girls" last night at Infrared Lounge, after my outside cig led to three Billy Squier songs in a row

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 22:49 (10 years ago) Permalink

Now that people are interested in records I might actually play, I really should start about DJing again.

― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 23:14 (10 years ago) Permalink

I hope that is referring to Vanity and not Billy Squier

― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 23:16 (10 years ago) Permalink

The gays love "Nasty Girl", Sean! "The Stroke", too, actually.

― Arthur (Arthur), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 23:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

Ha! I used to play Billy Squier actually.

― Sean (Sean), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 23:19 (10 years ago) Permalink

Hell, $160?!?! My cheesy 80's memories aren't worth THAT much! Not for eight tracks!! It's mp3 City all the way, when it comes to this V6 stuff... especially since I have no idea what happened to my old V6 tape that I bought at the Wherehouse, around late '84, maybe early '85.

Anyway, for my upcoming wedding in October, let's see... I think I'm having the DJ dust off "Bite the Beat", the extended-single version of "Drive Me Wild"... and the seven-minute version of Apples doing "Sex Shooter"...

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Wednesday, 23 April 2003 23:19 (10 years ago) Permalink

I'm soooo glad someone is speaking good stuff about that Vanity 6 album... "Drive Me Wild" and "Make Up" were basically The Normal/DAF with porn girls on vocals.

The Family's album is grossly underrated as well. And Andre Cymone's "The Dance Electric"...

I only wish the Appolonia 6 record was good as the Vanity 6 album, though half of it is great.

(You can find all of this on vinyl pretty easily. Hell, you could buy the records and pay someone to digitize them for you for MUCH less than $160... jesus f'in christ)

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 24 April 2003 01:28 (10 years ago) Permalink

"Drive Me Wild" and "Make Up" were basically The Normal/DAF with porn girls on vocals.

Insert electroclash joke here.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 24 April 2003 01:31 (10 years ago) Permalink

*laughs*

God... "Warm Leatherette"...

Also, I may be poking at some people's exposed nerve endings or whatever here... but why is it that the V6/A6 stuff -- brilliant fluff though it is -- why is it that it sounds SOOO much less dated to 21st-century ears than, say, the concurrent early Madonna stuff???

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Thursday, 24 April 2003 02:13 (10 years ago) Permalink

BTW, donut bitch (you rawk) --

I totally agree about the A6 album... Between '84-'87 alone, I must've spun it enough for a THOUSAND lifetimes, and yet all I remember is "Sex Shooter" and "Happy Birthday, Mr. Christian"... and the giggly "skits" on Side Two, which -- as cute as they are -- are BEYOND obvious as time-fillers...

― Scott Kos (Scott Kos), Thursday, 24 April 2003 02:17 (10 years ago) Permalink

but why is it that the V6/A6 stuff -- brilliant fluff though it is -- why is it that it sounds SOOO much less dated to 21st-century ears than, say, the concurrent early Madonna stuff???

*coughPRINCEcough*

When Matos, JS, and I were discussing Prince (at le Seattle FAP) last week, M mentioned the rather understated Devo/synth-punk influence on Prince, and he's completely right.

He said, for starters, "I mean, look at Dr. Fink!"... and he does indeed look a lot like a Mark Mothersbaugh understudy at the very least.

Moreover, since that synth-punk influence is, for lack of a better word, trendy these days.. and given that sparse, gated synth drums will be trendy for a long time.. it ain't no surprise.

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 24 April 2003 04:09 (10 years ago) Permalink

Nope. Prince used to play "Cars" in soundchecks too, so score another connection for Numan there.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 24 April 2003 05:12 (10 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

haha just seen the video for 'he's so dull', so so awesome, why oh why wasn't it a worldwide #1

― Affectian (Affectian), Thursday, 2 September 2004 22:17 (8 years ago) Permalink

You can get this on P2P, right? Acqlite only let me get about 3 songs, but as one of them was a 5 mins plus 'Nasty Girl', I wasn't complaining too much.

― R.I.M.A. (Barima), Friday, 3 September 2004 09:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

"Why did I fall in love with these gals as a wee, curly-haired lad in 80's California?? Why did I wander about in a trance, with the voice of the Original Caramel Queen of His Royal Purple Order cooing in my ear through my state-of-the-art Walkman (with both a rewind AND a fast-fwd button... you KNOW it!)?? I"

because vanity is so incredibly hot perhaps?!?!?! shes not black by the way as the lead post says, shes latina.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Friday, 3 September 2004 09:38 (8 years ago) Permalink

The opening post is the very best thing I've read here in quite some time now.

― R.I.M.A. (Barima), Friday, 3 September 2004 09:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

i dont think the vanity 6 stuff sounds less dated than early madonna... its about the same level of datedness.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Friday, 3 September 2004 09:48 (8 years ago) Permalink

i also like pretty mess

"you mad such a pretty mess
on my dress"

― gaz (gaz), Friday, 3 September 2004 10:34 (8 years ago) Permalink

vanity 6 vs. apollonia 6.

vanity wins every time.

― dickvandyke (dickvandyke), Friday, 3 September 2004 10:35 (8 years ago) Permalink

Rumours that Vanity 6 songs played a major role during and after the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal could not be confirmed.

x-post

― R.I.M.A. (Barima), Friday, 3 September 2004 10:39 (8 years ago) Permalink

wow, was inspired to check out Vanity's (or i shld say Denise Matthew's) website and came across this quote

“prior to finding my Lord and Savior I lived in the bottomless pit playground of cocaine addiction. Lifting me higher and dropping me like a steel beam, I’d inhaled enough crack rock so that you could light me up and smoke me and stick me into the nearest cold grave.”

― H (Heruy), Friday, 3 September 2004 10:39 (8 years ago) Permalink

That's snow joke.

― R.I.M.A. (Barima), Friday, 3 September 2004 10:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

(Sorry)

― R.I.M.A. (Barima), Friday, 3 September 2004 10:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

it's a good album, make up is nice. I found it for $4.99 recently on LP.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

Yeah got the Vanity vids off of Emule, really worth seeing. 'He's so dull' has the three girls bad-dancing about like Girls Aloud in an angular neon room, culminating with Vanity grabbing a ginger guy, throwing his glasses away, kissing him then shoving him down the stairs (hence all the odd noises at the end of the song). It ends with Vanity looking at the camera, smirking hotly with her hair blowing in the wind machine.

Agreed on the aceness of Scott's initial post. (Rima, if you appear on any more threads that I'm on too then we'll either have to have a fist-fight or get married).

― Affectian (Affectian), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:31 (8 years ago) Permalink

That's a loaded set of options. Let me get drunk first before I decide.

― Sean Bateman, Friday, 3 September 2004 16:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

One of the rarest CDs, yet most abundant used LPs.. now for download as mp3s in a zip (ripped from the original CD, that is.. 44MB total/192kbps each track):

http://s27.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3PPWLKHYLFZOW1CQ7KUVMKWG9C

It's time to jam... (before you sleep on it. "is that it? wake me when you're done.")

― I'm So Dull, Sunday, 30 January 2005 04:01 (8 years ago) Permalink

heh heh, I know somebody on this forum covered one of the songs off this album. HMMMMMMMM!

― donut christ (donut), Sunday, 30 January 2005 04:12 (8 years ago) Permalink

Hmm. I actually wouldn't mind hearing this record.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Sunday, 30 January 2005 04:15 (8 years ago) Permalink

One has not truly lived until one has heard the glory that is the V6 outtake known as "Vibrator".

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Sunday, 30 January 2005 04:26 (8 years ago) Permalink

Hey, upthread it says there's an extended mix of "Drive Me Wild"- Jesus Christ, I gotta hear that! I gotta!

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Sunday, 30 January 2005 04:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

drew, I have the 12"... i can digitize it for you if ya want. It's more layered than the really bare version on the album. There's a hint of funky guitar track, for example. (although it's actually not that hard to find used on vinyl.. I have no idea if it exists on CD though.. but my offer still stands.)

― donut christ (donut), Sunday, 30 January 2005 04:51 (8 years ago) Permalink

i want all appolonia / vanity videos
i wanna be vanity's gorilla
i wished dr funk made an album

how do i upload a picture of vanity's lp

― rurple pain, Sunday, 30 January 2005 04:58 (8 years ago) Permalink

I have a Time/V6/Prince & The Revolution show from '83 on video that I need to get onto DVD ASAP. Once that videotape dies I'll be very very sad. In it, V6 are sexy as hell (w/ The Time behind a curtain as their backing band). Then The Time come out and kill and basically steal the show from Prince.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Sunday, 30 January 2005 05:03 (8 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

Wait - according to Wikipedia:

Prince suggested that Matthews use the stage name "Vagina" (pronounced "Vageena"); she refused and renamed herself "Vanity" instead. Some versions of the story suggest that it was Prince himself who coined the name "Vanity," as he said that looking at Matthews was like looking in a mirror at the female version of himself."

Is someone making a Wikipedia jokie-jokie, or has that been known before?!?! Vagina?!?!

― Savannah Smiles, Monday, 14 January 2008 17:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

retroBorat?

― Mackro Mackro, Monday, 14 January 2008 17:06 (5 years ago) Permalink

the '6' is a ref to the number of breasts in the group. also hands and feet though prince didnt care about that so much.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Tuesday, 15 January 2008 12:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

so so classic

― blunt, Tuesday, 15 January 2008 12:49 (5 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

There's two things we can't stand:
– one is a jive talk man
– the other is a jive talk man with no money

can u dig it?

― Stop Non-Erotic Cabaret (Abbbottt), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 01:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

My best friend and I wanted to start a V6 cover band. Never happened. She teaches pole dancing now.

― Stop Non-Erotic Cabaret (Abbbottt), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 01:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

tbh she's also working on a masters in engineering so that's not the whole picture

― Stop Non-Erotic Cabaret (Abbbottt), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 01:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

Hello, this is Vanity
Is Jimmy home?

- Yes, but he's taking a shower

Oh, I see
Did he just take out the trash?

- No, that's somethin' he use 2 do
Now he's taking out me

Oh, I see
Well, tell 'em he left his pants over here last night

- That's OK, U keep 'em
He won't be needin' 'em 2 night

Oh, what's the matter
Is he going swimming?

- Why no, we was gonna go
But he said he did that last night

Well sugar, I know about a great party
Why don't U bring us your car?

- So sorry baby, but I never go 2 singles' bars

Singles? Is that what U think?
Tramp, I'm datin' your dad

- Oh, he died about 7 years back
Now ain't that just 2 bad?

Well, that's how we like 'em - tall, stiff and ready
That's positively more than I can say 4 dead Jimmy

- That's because he was swallowin' vitamin E
Now he's swallowin' me

Oh, U mean U were swallowin' him
Why don't U just tie a mattress 2 your back?

- I'm gonna need it cuz if I ever see your face
I'm gonna fall and have a heart attack

All that's gonna fall is the wig off your head
Now what U think about that?

- I think I'd rather wear a wig
Than run a motel 4 roaches, ants and lice
Dogs and cats in my hat

― lex diamonds (lex pretend), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 08:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

What's really funny is the Time's B-Side Grace dialogue between Morris Day and Vanity as a reporter:

.... Hi. I'm Bridgette Harrington and I'm here to interview Morris Day, lead singer of THE TIME.
.... Mr. Day, How are you?

Need you ask?

.... I'll take it that you're fine.

Yes, I've been told that.

.... Oh, OK. Tell me. Are you really so cool?

Is money green?

.... When did you first notice your coolness?

I didn't. The doctor did.
You see, most people were born in birthday suits. I was born in a zute suit.

.... You got to be joking.

Baby, I ain't got time for jokes. What time is it anyway?

.... It's time for us to continue this interview.
.... How does THE TIME go about generating such a funky sound?

Pardon me. I know you didn't say "funk.".

.... Well?

Let me just say one thing. Funk is dead.
Funk is something you can learn in school and ain't nothing funky about being cool, ... Grace.

.... OK, but my name is Bridgette.

Oh I'm sorry, ... Grace.

.... It seems your image has a lot to do with your approch to music.
.... Your clothes for example.

My clothes, fuck. Hold it.

[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/grace-lyrics-the-time.html ]

Let me, let let me just say something to all the fellas out there.
Take off them blue jeans and them "New Wave" clothes and go get you some "Baggies."
It's about the freedom, right?
In other words, stay at the hotel with the biggest ballroom.
Don't get me wrong. Some of my best friends wear blue jeans.
I'm just not ever seen them in it.
What time is it?

.... Why are you concerned with the time?

'Cause I got somewhere to go.

.... Where's that?

To the Cork, Johnny.

.... I told you my name is Bridgette.

Sorry, Nella.

.... I don't think I like you at all.
.... Is there anything else you would like to say before we close this interview?

Yes!!!!
What's your phone number?

.... Uuh! - 7..., 7..., 7..., 9..., 3..., 1..., 1.

Ain't nobody bad like me?

777-9311
777-9311

― Just Saw Bobby Brown perform Every Little Step. Life is Great! (lilsoulbrother), Wednesday, 5 January 2011 16:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

needs more (nsfw) pictures this thread.

― piscesx, Wednesday, 5 January 2011 21:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

lolling at "Vageena"

― I just like… I just have to say… (Starts crying) (DJP), Wednesday, 27 April 2011 13:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

can someone explain "3 x 2 = 6" to me, it is a little beyond my understanding

― teledyldonix, Monday, 3 September 2012 18:52 (8 months ago) Permalink

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