Sex Shooter
"Sex Shooter" is a song written and produced by Prince for his protégé girl group Apollonia 6.[1] It appeared on the band's only album and was released as a single in 1984.[2] A version performed by Prince alone appears on the 2019 posthumous demo album Originals.
| "Sex Shooter" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Apollonia 6 | ||||
| from the album Apollonia 6 | ||||
| A-side | "Sex Shooter" | |||
| B-side | "In a Spanish Villa" | |||
| Released | August 31, 1984 | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Length | 3:39 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Prince (uncredited) | |||
| Producer(s) | Prince (as The Starr ★ Company) | |||
| Apollonia 6 singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song was performed by Apollonia 6 in the film Purple Rain. Despite being nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song, it charted at No. 32 on the U.S. dance chart and at No. 19 on the R&B chart, and has since become a cult favourite of Prince fans while also being received more positively by a wider audience in retrospect; Billboard ranked the song at No. 93 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[3]
To promote the song, a music video was made which features the girls rehearsing the song in a dance studio, which is also a scene from Purple Rain. The group also performed the song on music programs like TopPop. The full music video is available on the 20th anniversary DVD and Blu-ray editions of Purple Rain.
Charts
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 | US Dance | US R&B | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Sex Shooter" | 85 | 32 | 19 | Apollonia 6 |
Other versions
- Firefox released a more electropop version in 2007 which was signed to Ministry of Sound UK via 3Beat Records UK.
- T.H.E.M. Thee Human Ego Maniacs released an electroclash version as a single in 2003 off their album Bang. It was a club hit.
- Cahill featuring Nikki Belle released an electro house version of "Sex Shooter" in January 2009 via 3Beat REcords UK featuring sounds and production elements copied from the Firefox version they had signed 2 years earlier.[4]
- Shannon also released a version of the song.
- American pop/dance singer Erika Jayne has also recorded a version of the song for her dèbut album Pretty Mess.
- Indie band Of Montreal has performed a cover of the song during multiple live performances. One of which frontman Kevin Barnes performed the song as a duet with Kid Sister.
- In 2019, the demo version by Prince was released on his posthumous album Originals.
References
- "ASCAP entry". ASCAP.
- "Apollonia 6 | Music Videos, News, Photos, Tour Dates | MTV". MTV Artists. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
- "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- Granger, Scott (29 January 2009). "Cahill remix gives new edge to Apollonia 6". Edinburgh Evening News.