80's Guilt #27: Ready For The World "Oh Sheila" (1985) / Sheila E "The Glamorous Life" (1984)

This entry was originally intended for "Oh Sheila" on its own, but it's difficult to ignore how closely the song resembles "The Glamorous Life," specifically the 3-chord cadence used in every other bar. It's definitely reminiscent of Prince's "Minneapolis" sound as well, which is noteworthy as Sheila E was yet another of Prince's protege's around the time of Purple Rain, an album released within the same year as both singles.

Prince's female protege prior to Sheila E was Apollonia 6, but Prince realized that Apollonia didn't have the singing chops to pull her own weight, and so the project was abandoned. The songs intended for their album included "17 Days" (the b-side of "When Doves Cry"), "Manic Monday" (later released as a single by The Bangles), "Take Me With U" (originally not intended for Purple Rain) and "The Glamorous Life." If Apollonia had the talent, we're guessing this would've been one hell of a record.