Vanity 6 Discography of CDs

Vanity 6 music CDs No one ever accused the members of Vanity 6 of being great singers; if you wanted to hear female vocalists with great chops in the early '80s, you listened to Teena Marie, Alicia Myers, or Evelyn "Champagne" King. Nor did the female trio have the depth of its mentor Prince. But then, Vanity 6 wasn't supposed to be about depth or vocal prowess. Its mission was to entertain, and if you accept this self-titled debut album for what it is -- wild, decadent, trashy entertainment -- Vanity and her colleagues are insanely fun. Prince's stamp is all over this 1982 release, which finds Vanity, Brenda, and Susan backed by the Time. The raunchy lyrics reflect Prince's obsession with all things sexual, and like Prince, Vanity 6 manages to bridge the gap between funk/R&B and rock/pop/new wave. Even if the sexually exploitive lyrics become predictable after awhile, this LP is quite diverse and unpredictable musically. The hit "Nasty Girl" and the hilarious rap tune 'If a Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up)" are irresistibly funky, and new wave audiences were drawn to more rock-minded tracks like "Bite the Beat," "Make-Up," and the Go-Go's-influenced "He's So Dull." As it turned out, Vanity 6's first album was also its last. In 1984, Vanity went solo, and Brenda and Susan formed the very similar Apollonia 6 with singer Apollonia. That group only recorded one album, which is probably just as well -- Vanity 6 and Apollonia 6 certainly weren't without their limitations. But despite those obvious limitations, Vanity 6 is a highly entertaining footnote in the history of Prince's Minneapolis funk-rock scene. ~ Alex Henderson ...

Vanity 6 CD discography "What time is it?" shouts Morris Day to kick off the album of the same name. "Time to get Wild And Loose!" is the resounding response he gets from The Time, the often unjustly overshadowed funk outfit from Minneapolis. This album oozes attitude. From its opening "Wild And Loose," Morris never quits with his rantings ("Ain't nobody cool but me"). But his real talent, aside from his alleged sexual prowess, is his ability to get the most out of his band. What makes these grooves timeless are the immensely musical and tight players Mr. Day gathered. "777-9311," for instance, features some super cymbal work from Jellybean Johnson, and a frenzied guitar solo from Jesse Johnson. This is funk, early eighties style, with a certain Prince-ly flavor and plenty of humor. "Somebody get me a mirror!" Live Recording Recording information: Hollywood Sound; Studios, Sunset Sound. Photographer: Al Beaulieu. The Time: Morris Day (vocals); Jesse Johnson (guitar, vocals, drums); Jimmy Jam, Monte Moir (keyboards, vocals); Stacy Adams, Terry Lewis (bass, background vocals); Jellybean Johnson (drums, percussion). Personnel: Jesse Johnson (vocals, guitar); Jimmy Jam, Monte Moir (vocals, keyboards); Terry Lewis (vocals, background vocals); Morris Day (vocals); Jellybean Johnson (drums, percussion); Vanity 6 (background vocals).