Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s. They released one album, which blended the sounds of pop, New Wave, dance music, R&B, and funk. In 1981, Prince, himself a rising musical star, suggested that his three female friends—Susan Moonsie, his wardrobe mistress, Boston native Brenda Bennett, and his personal assistant, Jamie Shoop form a girl group that would be called "The Hookers." Prince's vision was that the three women would perform in lingerie and sing sensual songs with lyrics about sex and fantasy. Prince had been wanting to mentor a girl singer or group since the late 70s when he saw the film A Star is Born with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson . The original trio recorded a few demos before Prince met Denise Matthews, a nude model and Canadian B-movie actress, in January of 1982. Prince was so taken by Matthews' charisma that he decided she would be the perfect front-woman for his "Hookers" project. Around this time, Prince and Matthews began a romantic relationship. With Matthews' arrival, Jamie Shoop bowed out of the group. Prince suggested that Matthews use the stage name "Vagina" (pronounced "Vageena"); she refused and renamed herself "Vanity" instead. Some versions of the story suggest that it was Prince himself who coined the name "Vanity," as he said that looking at Matthews was like looking in a mirror at the female version of himself. With the new trio finalized, Prince renamed the group Vanity 6 (the number representing the group's breast count). He provided the group, now dressed in lingerie and high heels, with provocative songs (although within the album credits, group members were sometimes given sole writing credits). Their first single, "He's so Dull" did not do much on the charts, but did appear in the film National Lampoon's Vacation. The second single "Nasty Girl" was a hit on both the U.S. R&B chart and U.S. Dance chart (where it hit number one), and it also made an appearance on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. The song was featured in the film Beverly Hills Cop, although it was not included on the soundtrack. The third single, "Drive Me Wild," was another minor hit. Music videos were shot for all three singles. The one and only released Vanity 6 album was eventually certified gold. The group opened up on the Triple Threat Tour, between 1982 and 1983, which also featured The Time and Prince, as the headliner. The fact that The Time played behind a curtain while Vanity 6 performed caused a rift between the bands and friction within those friendships. To the other group members' dismay, Prince chose Vanity to pose with him for a Richard Avedon photograph used on the cover of an issue of Rolling Stone magazine. The issue also contained a two-page Avedon photo of Vanity 6. In 1983, Vanity recorded a demo for a new song, "Sex Shooter," and started reading for her lead role in Purple Rain opposite Prince. Prior to the shooting of the movie, later in 1983, Vanity abruptly decided to leave the Prince camp and relinquish her role in the film. Many reasons were given for her sudden split, including money, the end of their romantic relationship, and, most importantly, Vanity having been offered a lucrative solo deal from Motown Records. Vanity was replaced in Purple Rain by Patty Kotero, who would later use the stage name Apollonia. She also inherited the lead role in Vanity 6, which was renamed Apollonia 6, alongside Bennett and Moonsie. The new trio recorded one album in 1984 that went on to outsell the Vanity 6 album, mainly on the strength of Apollonia’s newfound fame, thanks to her movie role and its popularity. In the years since the group’s breakup, Matthews renounced her Vanity persona and music and became a born again Christian.
Contents |
Discography
Albums
- 1982 Vanity 6
Singles
- 1982 "Nasty Girl"
- 1982 "He's So Dull"
- 1982 "Drive Me Wild"
Miscellaneous
- Members of the group (Bennett in particular) also provided backing vocals on Prince's albums.
- "17 Days," the B-side to Prince's "When Doves Cry," was originally to be recorded by Vanity 6 for their second album. The demo version of the song ended up being released by Prince, and Bennett’s background vocals are still on the recording.
- "Sex Shooter," also planned for the second album, was released by Apollonia 6.
- In 1982, Vanity 6’s "Nasty Girl" was knocked out of number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart by Prince's "1999".
- "Nasty Girl" was featured in the 1983 film Private School, starring Phoebe Cates.
- "Nasty Girl" was featured in the 1984 box office hit Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy, and can be heard in the scene where Axel, Taggart, and Rosewood are in a strip club when the two suspects enter with shotguns to rob the establishment.
- "Nasty Girl" was used by Beyoncé on her Dangerously in Love World Tour and Verizon Ladies First Tour as a dance break after the song "Naughty Girl."
- "Nasty Girl" was used as a sample for Japanese rapper, Twigy's song "Righ' Now."
- Vanity was briefly engaged to Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe in the 1980s.
- In 2007 Matthews published a tell-all book entitled Vanity Made Me Do It.
- A number of songs were in fact intended for the Vanity 6 follow up album including Sheila E.'s massive hit and signature tune "The Glamorous Life".
- Susan is said to be the topic of the "Raspberry Beret" B-side "She's Always in My Hair".
- A widely bootlegged track called "Vibrator" was also recorded by the group. The song covers the lack of satisfaction Vanity seems to have in her relationship with a man whom she used to be quite fond of. The lyrics are blatant sexually charged lines but the songs most notorious segment features a spoken skit with the voices of Jill Jones playing a store clerk who attempts to steal Vanity's vibrator while suggesting she run to the storage room with it to find the correct replacement batteries for it; and the voice of Prince (often mistaken by fans as the voice of Morris Day) a second clerk who eventually furnishes the batteries which Vanity installs and voices a rather realistic orgasm at the end of the song.
