THE INFLUENCE OF PRINCE

The world is still reeling from the shocking loss of the musical genius, Prince. He was a consistent creative force with an inimitable talent and boundless energy. With an impressive body of work that ranged from politically charged anthems, tender love ballads, funky dance tunes and raunchy sex ditties, it's no surprise that other artists were attracted to his material.

Here are some of the amazing covers of songs written by the Purple One or they were created by him for that specific performer. There is even a hit song by Stevie Nicks that was inspired simply by his presence in the recording studio.

"When You Were Mine" - Cyndi Lauper (1983) mp3

"Sugar Walls" - Sheena Easton (1984) mp3

"Do Me Baby" - Meli'sa Morgan (1985) mp3







"Yo Mister" - Patti Labelle (1989) mp3

"Nothing Compares 2 U" - Sinéad O’Connor (1990) mp3

"Round and Round" - Tevin Campbell (1990) mp3

"I Wanna Be Your Lover" - Corinne Bailey Rae (2011) mp3

ADELE MEETS BOND

It doesn't appear that Adele, one of the biggest (and most unlikely) pop stars currently on the planet will be releasing a new CD anytime soon but there is a new song just out to help ease the wait.

"Skyfall", is title of the latest 007 movie (due out in the U.S.on November 9th) and Adele has been given the honor of performing the theme song of the same name for this movie. The tune (written by Adele and her producer, Paul Epworth) fits perfectly in the tradition of the previous James Bond theme songs yet still feels quite fresh and modern. Let's be honest - most of these songs tend to land more on the cheesy side but I think this is one of the better tracks created for this long-running series which is celebrating it's fiftieth year since the release of the first film, "Dr. No".

Have a listen:

"Skyfall" - Adele (2012)

Here are a few of some other classic Bond theme songs that I luv:

"Live and Let Die" - Paul McCartney & Wings (1973)

"Nobody Does It Better" (From "The Spy Who Loved Me") - Carly Simon (1977)

"For Your Eyes Only" - Sheena Easton (1981)

TAKE TWO: SHEENA EASTON

The beautiful, Scottish pop vocalist, Sheena Easton was actually one of the first reality stars after she auditioned for a BBC program called "The Big Time". The documentary followed the then twenty year old aspiring singer as she attempted to achieve a music career. A year after the first episode aired in 1980, Easton was offered a contract with EMI Records while the camera crews continued to follow her as she recorded her first single.

The first single, "Modern Girl" had been released before the show aired but didn't have much impact but after her follow-up single, "9 To 5" (renamed "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" here in the U.S. so not to be confused with Dolly Parton's recent hit featuring the same title) hit the U.K. top ten, the song was re-released and also reached the top ten. This officially launched the new artist as an international music star with a string of hit songs including singing the theme for the 1981 James Bond film, "For Your Eyes Only".

Easton moved away from the sweet girl-next-door image to a much sexier one after she recorded the notorious Prince song, "Sugar Walls" as well as a duet with the artist on, "U Got The Look". Her last major hit was the r&b tune,  "The Lover In Me" (written and produced by Babyface and L.A. Reid) released in 1988.

Sheena Easton has recorded sixteen studio albums, had fifteen U.S. top-forty hits and won two Grammy Awards. She currently lives in Las Vegas while she continues to act and perform.

Here are two of my favorite songs by Sheena Easton:

"Almost Over You" - Sheena Easton (1983)

"The Lover In Me" - Sheena Easton (1988)