| "The Belle of St. Mark" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. 7-inch single | ||||
| Single by Sheila E. | ||||
| from the album The Glamorous Life | ||||
| B-side | "Too Sexy" | |||
| Released | October 1984 [1] | |||
| Recorded |
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| Studio | Sunset Sound Recorders (Hollywood, California) | |||
| Length |
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| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers |
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| Sheila E. singles chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
| Artwork used for the German, UK, and Dutch releases | ||||
"The Belle of St. Mark" is a song by singer-songwriter Sheila E. The song was released in October 1984 in the United States. and peaked at No. 34 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as No. 68 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. Worldwide, it reached the top 10 in Belgium, the Netherlands, and New Zealand as well as the top 20 in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
NME named the song the "Single of the Week" on February 2, 1985. [5] Jerry Smith of Music Week called the song a "rather subdued, funky track with a smooth Starr Company production". [6]
The song's lyrics tell of an androgynous "frail but passionate creature", referred to as "he" throughout, but called the feminine "Belle". The song implies the Belle is French (viz. the lyrics, "His Paris hair, it blows in the warm Parisian air / That blows whenever his Paris hair is there") but St. Mark is commonly known as a location in Venice, Italy. The writer of the song, Prince lived near St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral (Minneapolis) and grew fond of their bells, which are featured in the beginning of the song.
7-inch vinyl
12-inch vinyl
Personnel are sourced from Duane Tudahl. [7]
| Chart (1984–1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) [8] | 16 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [9] | 5 |
| Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [10] | 65 |
| Ireland (IRMA) [11] | 18 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [12] | 5 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) [1] | 8 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [13] | 5 |
| UK Singles (OCC) [14] | 18 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [15] | 34 |
| US Hot Black Singles ( Billboard ) [16] | 68 |
| Chart (1984) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop) [17] | 76 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [18] | 33 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) [19] | 45 |
| Chart (1985) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) [20] | 90 |