Apollonia 6

Apollonia 6
OriginMinneapolis, Minnesota
Genres
Years active1983–1985
LabelsWarner Bros.
Past members

Apollonia 6 was an American female singing trio founded in 1983 by Prince, as a successor to his previous group Vanity 6 following the departure of lead singer Vanity. Singers Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie continued from the earlier group, while actress and model Apollonia Kotero joined as frontwoman. The group released one album and dissolved in 1985.

Origin

Recording artist Prince created the group Vanity 6 in 1981, with singers Vanity (Denise Matthews), Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie. After a number of disputes with Prince, Vanity left the group in 1983 to pursue solo endeavors. She also left behind a co-starring role in Prince's 1984 film Purple Rain.[1]

Searching for a replacement, the film's director, Albert Magnoli, met aspiring actress and model Patricia Apollonia Kotero. Prince asked her to use her middle name, and as Apollonia she both stepped into the film Purple Rain, and became lead vocalist in the group, which was renamed Apollonia 6.[2]

The group released one self-titled album,[3] which featured Prince associates Jill Jones and Wendy & Lisa on backing vocals.[4]

A four-track video was filmed, based on the Apollonia 6 album, directed by Brian Thomson (Australian production designer of the original stage versions of The Rocky Horror Show and Jesus Christ Superstar), scripted by Keith Williams (concept writer for music videos by Phil Collins, Ray Parker Jr., and Donna Summer), with a cast consisting of Ricky Nelson, Edy Williams and Buck Henry. Shot in a Los Angeles film studio in 1985, and produced by British video firm Limelight, the video never went beyond rough cut. Footage from the project has appeared on many social networking sites, such as YouTube.

Dissolution

Prince had originally intended his classic tracks "Manic Monday" (later recorded by The Bangles), "17 Days" (later used as the B-side to "When Doves Cry"), "Take Me with U" (released on the Purple Rain soundtrack) and "The Glamorous Life" (recorded by Sheila E. in 1984) for the Apollonia 6 album. Apollonia 6 were slated to open the Purple Rain tour with Prince and Sheila E., but that idea was scrapped after the group returned from a promotional tour of Europe. However, Apollonia 6 did appear on a few select dates of the Purple Rain tour, usually during the "Baby I'm a Star" encore. One such moment is documented in the "I Would Die 4 U" and "Baby I'm a Star" performance on the VHS of Prince and the Revolution: Live, filmed in Syracuse, March 30, 1985.

After the group's demise, Kotero continued working on TV shows such as Falcon Crest and in films for the next decade.[5] She released a solo album in 1988 entitled Apollonia through Warner Bros. Records.[6]

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
[7] 		US
Dance
[8] 		US
R&B
[9] 		NLD
[10] 		BEL
(FL)
[11]
"Sex Shooter" 1984 85 32 19 16 15 Apollonia 6
"Blue Limousine" — — 19 — —

References

  1. ^ The New York Times Archived March 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Canby, Vincent (July 27, 1984). "Purple Rain, With Prince". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  3. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 96. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  4. ^ The New York Times Archived March 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Apollonia Kotero". Apollonia Kotero. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  6. ^ Draper, Jason (2011-04-01). Prince: Chaos, Disorder, and Revolution. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-1-4584-2941-4.
  7. ^ "Apollonia Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  8. ^ "Apollonia Chart History: Dance Club Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  9. ^ "Apollonia Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard.com. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  10. ^ "Apollonia Chart History - Dutch Charts". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  11. ^ "Apollonia Chart History - Belgian Charts". ultratop.be – Ultratop Belgian Charts. Retrieved October 22, 2022.