Sheila E. – “A Love Bizarre”:
Funk, Fantasy, and a Prince-Powered Groove
Released in November 1985 as the second single from Romance 1600, “A Love Bizarre” isn’t just a career-defining track for Sheila E. — it’s a 12-minute odyssey of flirtation, funk, and late-night seduction. Written and produced by Prince and Sheila E., it blurred the lines between jam session and pop single, between live chemistry and studio precision.
It doesn’t just play — it unfolds, like a secret whispered in rhythm and glitter.
Prince and Sheila: A Creative Fusion
By the time of Romance 1600, Sheila E. was more than a protégé — she was Prince’s percussionist, co-writer, and full-fledged creative partner. On “A Love Bizarre,” their synergy crackles. Prince handles guitar, bass, keyboards, drum machine, and co-lead vocals, while Sheila E. takes the spotlight with vocals, percussion, and an unmistakable stage presence.
The groove feels spontaneous, but it’s meticulously crafted — the sound of two artists finishing each other’s musical sentences.
Lyrics from the Limousine Lounge
The lyrics drip with suggestion and surrealism: “The moon up above, it shines on our love — it’s bizarre.” But beneath the celestial metaphors are decadent, sensual moments, like: “It gets kinda rough in the back of our limousine.”
It’s not a love song in the traditional sense — it’s a mood, a fantasy threaded through slinky bass and elastic rhythm. Romantic? Yes. Safe? Not quite.
Two Versions, One Vibe
The album version of “A Love Bizarre” sprawls for 12 minutes and 16 seconds, stretching into a cinematic funk jam. But even the 3:46 single edit retained the magnetic pulse that made it club-ready and radio-friendly. Despite the shorter runtime, it held onto its signature groove, contagious chorus, and slithering synths.
Visuals with Attitude
The music video, lifted from the film Krush Groove, features Sheila E. performing “A Love Bizarre” live on stage — all high-energy charisma, drumstick twirls, and crowd command. Prince appears just off-screen, his presence felt more than seen. It’s a glimpse into the Minneapolis Sound live, all tension and glitter and grit.
Chart Performance and Cross-Format Heat
“A Love Bizarre” was a true crossover success for Sheila E., climbing to No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and reaching No. 2 on the Hot Black Singles chart (now known as the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart). It peaked just outside the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 11, proving its mainstream appeal. Internationally, the song saw significant airplay and sales, charting at No. 4 in West Germany, No. 7 in the Netherlands, and No. 9 in Belgium. Although it only reached No. 76 in the UK, it played a vital role in boosting the visibility of the Romance 1600 album and cemented Sheila E.’s reputation as a multifaceted performer with global reach.
Still Spinning, Still Strange
Decades later, “A Love Bizarre” continues to dazzle — performed live by Sheila E., sampled by artists like 112, and revisited in retrospectives of Prince’s extended musical universe. It’s frequently hailed as Sheila’s second-biggest hit, after “The Glamorous Life,” but in terms of artistic daring, it may be her boldest.
It’s not just a love song. It’s a funk ritual, a pop hallucination, and a testament to musical chemistry that burned as bright as it was brief. And it still sounds like no one else.