A Love Bizarre

"A Love Bizarre"
Single by Sheila E.
from the album Romance 1600
B-side"A Love Bizarre (Part II)", "Save the People"
ReleasedNovember 1985
Recorded1984–1985
GenreR&B, funk
Length12:18 (album version)
3:46 (single version)
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Prince, Sheila E.[1]
Producer(s)Prince, Sheila E.
Sheila E. singles chronology
"Sister Fate"
(1985) 		"A Love Bizarre"
(1985) 		"Holly Rock"
(1986)

"A Love Bizarre" is a song recorded by Sheila E., and written by Prince and Sheila E. The song is a duet between both singers and it appears on Sheila E.'s 1985 album Romance 1600. It clocks in at 12:16, but the single version is 3:46 in duration. It made its debut in the music movie Krush Groove.

The song was a major hit and reached number one on the Urban radio airplay and Dance/Club play charts.[2] On other American charts, "A Love Bizarre" went to number 2 on the US R&B charts and number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and pop radio airplay charts.[3] The German 12" single release is backed by the B-side "Save the People" which also served as the B-side for her previous single "Sister Fate". She performed the song as part of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band during their 2001, 2003 and 2006 tours.

Music video

The club scene from Krush Groove in which Sheila E. and her band are performing the song was used for the majority of the music video with a few scenes from the film edited in. The music video uses the song's single edit.

Formats and track listings

US 7"

  1. "A Love Bizarre" – 3:46
  2. "A Love Bizarre (Part II)" – 3:50

US 12" promo

  1. "A Love Bizarre" (LP version) – 12:18
  2. "A Love Bizarre" (edit) – 3:46

German 12"

  1. "A Love Bizarre (Parts I and II)" – 7:36
  2. "Save the People" – 8:28

Personnel

Credits from Duane Tudahl and Benoît Clerc[4][5]

  • Sheila E. – lead & backing vocals, percussion
  • Prince – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, Yamaha DX7, electric guitars, bass guitar, LinnDrum
  • Eddie M. – saxophone, backing vocals
  • Juan Escovedo – percussion
  • Steph Birnbaum, Susie Davis, & Jerome Benton – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "A Love Bizarre"
Chart (1985–1986) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 14
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 9
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] 16
UK Singles Chart[10] 76
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 11
US Billboard Hot Black Singles[12] 2
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[13] 1
West Germany (GfK)[14] 4

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "A Love Bizarre"
Chart (1986) Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[15] 83

See also

References

  1. ^ Ascap entry for song[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 232.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 522.
  4. ^ Tudahl, Duane (2021). Prince and the Parade and Sign O' The Times Era Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538144527.
  5. ^ Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.
  6. ^ "Sheila E. – A Love Bizarre" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  7. ^ "Sheila E. – A Love Bizarre" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  8. ^ "Sheila E. – A Love Bizarre" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  9. ^ "Sheila E. – A Love Bizarre". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  10. ^ "a love bizarre | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  11. ^ "Sheila E. Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  12. ^ "Sheila E. Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  13. ^ "Sheila E. Chart History: Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sheila E. – A Love Bizarre" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  15. ^ "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. Nielsen Business Media. December 27, 1986. p. Y-21.