A Love Bizarre

"A Love Bizarre"
Single by Sheila E.
from the album Romance 1600
B-side	"A Love Bizarre (Part II)" "Save the People"
Released	November 1985
Recorded	January 18, 1985 (tracking) January 20, 1985 (overdubs)[1]
Studio	Cheshire Sound (Atlanta, Georgia) (tracking) 5th Floor (Cincinnati, Ohio) (overdubs)
Length	12:18 (album version) 3:46 (single version)
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Prince Sheila E.[2]
Producer(s)	Prince Sheila E.
Sheila E. singles chronology
"Sister Fate" (1985) "A Love Bizarre" (1985) "Holly Rock" (1986)
Audio
"A Love Bizarre" (album version) on YouTube
Performance video
"A Love Bizarre" at Countdown, 1986 on YouTube

"A Love Bizarre" is a song by American singer-songwriter Sheila E., written by Prince and Sheila E. The song is a duet between both singers and appears on Sheila E.'s 1985 album Romance 1600. Its album version clocks in at 12:16, but the single version is 3:46 in duration. It made its debut in the music movie Krush Groove.

The song was a hit, topping the US Billboard Dance/Disco Club Play chart, number two on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart, and number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a European hit as well, entering the top 10 in Belgium, the Netherlands, and West Germany. The German 12-inch single release is backed by the B-side "Save the People" which also served as the B-side for her previous single "Sister Fate". She performed the song as part of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band during their 2001, 2003 and 2006 tours.

Music video

The club scene from Krush Groove in which Sheila E. and her band are performing the song was used for the majority of the music video with a few scenes from the film edited in. The music video uses the song's single edit.

Formats and track listings

US 7-inch

1. "A Love Bizarre" – 3:46
2. "A Love Bizarre (Part II)" – 3:50

German 12-inch

1. "A Love Bizarre (Parts I and II)" – 7:36
2. "Save the People" – 8:28

Personnel

Personnel are adapted from Duane Tudahl and Benoît Clerc.^[3][4]

• Sheila E. – lead & backing vocals, percussion
• Prince – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, Yamaha DX7, electric guitars, bass guitar, LinnDrum
• Eddie M. – saxophone, backing vocals
• Juan Escovedo – percussion
• Steph Birnbaum, Susie Davis, & Jerome Benton – backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "A Love Bizarre" Chart (1985–1986) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[5] 14 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 9 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[7] 7 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] 9 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] 16 UK Singles (OCC)[10] 76 US Billboard Hot 100[11] 11 US Dance/Disco Club Play (Billboard)[12] 1 US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[13] 2 West Germany (GfK)[14] 4

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "A Love Bizarre" Chart (1986) Rank Belgium (Ultratop)[15] 65 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 38 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 36 US Billboard Hot 100[18] 83 US Dance/Disco Club Play (Billboard)[19] 41 US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[20] 38 West Germany (Media Control)[21] 21

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)

References

1. "A Love Bizarre". Princevault.com.
2. Ascap entry for song^{[permanent dead link]}
3. Tudahl, Duane (2021). Prince and the Parade and Sign O' The Times Era Studio Sessions 1985 and 1986. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538144527.
4. Clerc, Benoît (October 2022). Prince: All the Songs. Octopus. ISBN 9781784728816.
5. "Sheila E. – A Love Bizarre" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
6. "Sheila E. – A Love Bizarre" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
7. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 19, 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
8. "Sheila E. – A Love Bizarre" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
9. "Sheila E. – A Love Bizarre". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
11. "Sheila E. Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
12. "Sheila E. Chart History: Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
13. "Sheila E. Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Sheila E. – A Love Bizarre" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
15. "Jaaroverzichten 1986" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
16. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
17. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1986" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
18. "Number One Awards: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. December 27, 1986. p. Y-21.
19. "Number One Awards: Top Dance Club Play Singles/Albums". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. December 27, 1986. p. Y-26.
20. "Number One Awards: Top Black Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. December 27, 1986. p. Y-23.
21. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1986" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 19, 2025.