V is for Vanity 6

Way back in the early 80’s, rock/pop superstar Prince was beginning to spread his influence by assembling and working with new acts. The singer succesfully produced several musical acts such as The Time, Sheila E, Carmen Electra, and this group…



V is for Vanity Six

I first thought of talking about Vanity Six when I was at Cherry’s on the Bay in Fire Island this past weekend. I was dancing to a great set of music by superstar deejay Susan Levine when an updated version of Apollonia 6’s song, ‘Sex Shooter,’ came on. Of course, Apollonia 6 was really Vanity Six revamped after lead singer Vanity (nude model and onetime Prince girlfriend Denise Matthews) left the group to pursue a short-lived solo career. This happened prior to the filming of Prince’s classic, semi-autobiographical film, ‘Purple Rain,’ in which the lead singer of the group would be his love interest.

Matthews was replaced by actress and model Patricia Kotero, dubbed Apollonia by the singer, and the group recorded one album in addition to their appearance in the film, but that’s another story for another time.

Vanity Six also made their one record, an eponymous album of sexy R&B dance tunes that made a few waves on the music scene. Their biggest hit was a song called ‘Nasty Girl’ and it was a hypnotic blend of raw sensuality and funk. Check it out:





Though personally I listened to the whole album a lot when it was out there, there’s really only one other song that I remember, a more fluffy tune and the group's first single called ‘He’s So Dull.’ Check this one out:



So there you have it: Vanity 6, a short lived Prince assembled girl group whose biggest claim to fame, besides ‘Nasty Girl’ was the lingerie they wore on stage. On a side note, Matthews became a holy roller not long after her singing career sputtered and she hasn't been heard from since. I hope some of you remember the group and at least one of the songs. In the meantime, here’s Apollonia 6’s ‘Sex Shooter’:




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