In 1985 Sheila E. was riding high on the success of her breakout solo album, the Prince-produced The Glamorous Life, and the world was eagerly waiting to see what she would do next. Sheila and Prince went back into the studio to record Romance 1600, which would be one of the first non-Prince albums to be released on his Warner Bros. imprint Paisley Park Records, and together they concocted another smash hit: the 12-minute epic "A Love Bizarre," which was also edited down into a shorter radio-friendly single.
We’re like four little gangs. My band, Sheila E., The Family, and Mazarati. ”
Prince, Ebony, 1986
Overall, it was an incredibly prolific year for Prince. In addition to releasing Romance 1600 with Sheila E., Prince also wrote and produced albums for the Family and Mazarati, in addition to releasing his own Around the World in a Day and beginning work on the film Under the Cherry Moon and soundtrack Parade.
Fueled by the success of "A Love Bizarre," Romance 1600 rose to number 12 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and was certified gold, selling over 500,000 copies.
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