5 Artists You May Not Have Realized That Sheila E. Played With
When you think of Sheila E. and the artist with whom she’s most often associated, there’s really only one thought that tends to come to mind: Prince. That’s fair, since he’s the one who kick-started her career, thanks to penning her classic single “The Glamorous Life,” but she’s a talented percussionist whose career never required her to be at His Royal Badness’s beck and call at all times, and since it’s her birthday, we thought we’d spotlight five artists who’ve also utilized her skills on their recordings.
1. Kenny Loggins, “Vox Humana” (1985): Given that VOX HUMANA was Loggins’ first album after the success of Footloose, you’d think that you’d remember it for all of the hits that it spawned. In truth, however, it really only had one substantial hit – “Forever” – and it’s far better known for all of its guest stars. In addition to Sheila E. guesting on the title track, the album also features appearances by Steve Lukather, David Foster, Steve Porcaro, Marilyn Martin, Richard Page, El DeBarge and Bunny DeBarge, Philip Bailey, Hamish Stuart, Carl Anderson, and the Pointer Sisters.
2. Poison, “Native Tongue / The Scream” (1993): Definitely an anomaly among Poison’s catalog, the harder and more serious tone of this LP is definitely not what most people remember the band for, which may be why it failed to secure a ton of sales. Fortunately, if you want to hear Sheila’s contributions, they’re on the first two tracks, so give those a spin and you’re done!
3. Carlene Carter, “He Will Be Mine” (1995): Who says Sheila E. can’t go country? Well, truth be told, Carter always had a bit more of a rockabilly twang to her tunes, but it’s still a pleasant surprise to see and hear Sheila in the mix.
4. Jennifer Love Hewitt, “Let’s Go Bang” (1995): Yes, that’s right, the Party of Five / Ghost Whisperer superstar had a brief run as a recording star, and given the titillating title of this track, you can imagine that Sheila was right at home with the material.
5. Pat Boone, “Panama” (1997): Kids, we’re not even going to try and explain this one to you, because it involves the PMRC and Pat Boone trying to be cool and… You know what? Just listen to it. It’s still going to be inexplicable, but at least you’ll probably get a laugh out of it.
