The Belle of St. Mark

"The Belle of St. Mark" is a song recorded by singer/percussionist Sheila E. The song was released in November 1984 in the United States and in the Netherlands,^[3] and in February 1985 in other markets. It peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1984, and No. 68 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles Charts in January 1985. It reached the top 10 in the Netherlands and New Zealand as well as the top 20 in Australia, the UK and Ireland, and was an NME "Single of the Week".^[4]

"The Belle of St. Mark"
U.S. 7" single
Single by Sheila E.
from the album The Glamorous Life
B-side	"Too Sexy"
Released	November 1984 (U.S.) November 3, 1984 (Netherlands) February 3, 1985 (Ireland and New Zealand)
Recorded	March 1984
Genre	Dance-pop
Length	5:12 (Album Version) 3:38 (7" Single) 7:43 (12" Single)
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Prince, Jesse Johnson, Sheila E.^[1]^[2]
Producer(s)	Sheila E., Prince (as The Starr ★ Company)
Sheila E. singles chronology
"The Glamorous Life" (1984) "The Belle of St. Mark" (1984) "Oliver's House" (1985)

Background

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.

Track listing

 

Cover art for the German, UK and Dutch releases of "The Belle of St. Mark"

7" vinyl

Side one

1. "The Belle of St. Mark" – 3:38

Side two

1. "Too Sexy" – 5:03

12" vinyl

Side one

1. "The Belle of St. Mark" (dance remix) – 7:43

Side two

1. "Too Sexy" – 5:05

Personnel

Credits sourced from Duane Tudahl^[5]

• Sheila E. - lead and backing vocals, sleigh bells, bongos
• Prince - Oberheim OB-8, Yamaha DX7, Linn LM-1
• Jill Jones - backing vocals

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1984–1985)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[6]	16
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[7]	65
Ireland^[8]	18
Netherlands^[3]	8
New Zealand^[9]	5
UK^[10]	18
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[11]	34
U.S. Hot Black Singles^[12]	68

Year-end charts

Chart (1985)	Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[13]	90

References

1. ACE Database (ASCAP), Work ID: 320305111
2. Tudahl, Duane (2018). Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 (Expanded Edition). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538116432.
3. MegaCharts (November 3, 1990). "Dutch Singles Chart". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
4. Parsons, Tony (1985) "Single of the Week", NME, February 2, 1985, p. 14
5. Tudahl, Duane (2018). Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 (Expanded Edition). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538116432.
6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9636." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
8. Irish Recorded Music Associationa. "The Irish Charts". IRMA. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
9. MegaCharts (April 7, 1990). "New Zealand Singles Chart". New Zealand Charts. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
10. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 175. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
11. "Allmusic – Sheila E. – Billboard singles". Retrieved December 20, 2008.
12. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 522.
13. "Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report. Retrieved January 23, 2023 – via Imgur.