Sex Cymbal | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 1991 | |||
Recorded | 1990–1991 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 59:49 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Producer |
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Sheila E. chronology | ||||
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Singles from Sex Cymbal | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Ebony | favorable [2] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [3] |
People | mixed [4] |
Robert Christgau | [5] |
Sex Cymbal is the fourth solo album by American singer and drummer Sheila E., released in April 1991 by Warner Bros. Records, four years after her previous album. It is the first Sheila E. album that does not feature any input from her mentor Prince.
In 1990 Sheila went into the studio to record the album with her brother Peter Michael. She and Michael produced the whole album together and a few songs feature co-production from David Gamson and J.P. Charles.[ citation needed ]
Sex Cymbal produced three singles, "Sex Cymbal", "Droppin' Like Flies", and "Cry Baby". The title track, which includes an intro with a brief sample of Sheila's 1984 single "The Glamorous Life", was released as the lead single, and it reached the top 40 of the US R&B and Dance charts. The second single, "Droppin' Like Flies", was a top 40 Dance hit but stalled at number 77 on the R&B charts. The third and final single from the album, "Cry Baby", failed to chart.[ citation needed ]
The album is a departure from her previous album Sheila E. , which was notable for its Latin influence and mixing many styles of music such as jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and salsa. It has a very prominent house- and dance-focused sound that was popular in the late 1980s and the early 1990s.[ citation needed ]
Produced and arranged by Sheila E. and Peter Michael except where noted.
Chart (1991) | Peak position |
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Australian Albums (ARIA) [6] | 117 |
US Billboard 200 [7] | 146 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [8] | 56 |
Sheila Escovedo, known under the stage name Sheila E., is an American singer and drummer. She began her career in the mid-1970s as a percussionist for the George Duke Band. After separating from the group in 1983, Sheila began a solo career, starting with the release of her debut album in 1984, which included her biggest hit song, "The Glamorous Life". She also saw a hit with the single "A Love Bizarre". She is sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Percussion".
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