"Oh Sheila" is a 1985 single by
Ready for the World. The song reached number one on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, the
Hot Black Singles and the
Hot Dance Club Play charts.
It was the first of two chart toppers for the band on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart, preceding their 1986 number-one R&B hit, "
Love You Down
"Love You Down" is the title of an R&B song written by Melvin Riley Jr. Riley's former band, Ready for the World, originally recorded the song in 1986 and released it as the lead single from their second album, '' Long Time Coming'' produced by ...
".
The song is commonly misattributed to
Prince, due to similarity to his vocal and musical style, heavy use of the detuned
rimshot sound of a
drum machine, and the belief that the song's lyrics allude to frequent Prince collaborator
Sheila E.
Sheila Cecilia Escovedo (born December 12, 1957) better known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American percussionist and singer. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist and singer for The George Duke Band. After leaving t ...
The use of a faux
British accent during parts of the song was the preference of singer Melvin Riley Jr., who said "I like that kind of accent, so I thought I'd use that sound."
Track listing
;7-inch vinyl version
#"Oh Sheila (Single Version)" – 3:36
#"I'm the One Who Loves You" – 3:20
;12-inch vinyl version
#"Oh Sheila (Extended Version)" – 6:48
#"Oh Sheila (Dubstramental)" – 4:00
#"Oh Sheila (A cappella)" – 3:54
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Angel City version: Love Me Right (Oh Sheila)
In 1999, Dutch
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
duo
Angel City covered the song, featuring vocals by British singer
Lara McAllen
Lara McAllen is an English singer, songwriter and vocal producer.
Biography
McAllen is the singer for the dance-pop music project Angel City. She began dancing at the age of five, and briefly pursued a modelling career before becoming a back ...
. The song was first released in 1999 and again in 2003. It is the lead single from the band's 2005 debut album, ''
Love Me Right''. Angel City's version retains the verses from the original song but changes the chorus.
"Love Me Right (Oh Sheila)" reached number 11 on the
UK Singles Chart and number 95 on the U.S.
''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming their first charting single in the latter. The single also charted in Belgium and the Netherlands.
See also
*
List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles of 1985
*
List of number-one dance singles of 1985 (U.S.)
*
List of number-one R&B singles of 1985 (U.S.)
*
List of number-one singles of 1985 (Canada)
*
List of number-one dance airplay hits of 2004 (U.S.)
References
{{Authority control
1985 songs
1985 singles
1999 debut singles
2003 singles
Ready for the World songs
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
RPM Top Singles number-one singles
MCA Records singles