Prince was given a "run for his money" when he worked with Sheila E.
The late ‘Purple Rain’ hitmaker – who tragically passed away in April 2016 – worked closely with the American percussionist in the 1980s, and although the music legend could play "a little bit of something" his ability on the drums did not rival the 59-year-old artist.
Speaking about her collaboration with Prince, Sheila – whose full name is Sheila Escovedo – to Essence.com, she said: "He played a little bit of something. But I gave him a run for his money, so there was no competition there. Other things maybe, but not drums, no. No, he could play though. He had certain rhythms he could play that were really cool, that were different than what I would choose to play. Which made it so dope, absolutely."
The pair worked closely on Sheila’s 1984 single ‘The Glamorous Life’, which was penned by Prince, and saw them record the track within one week, although they endured late nights to ensure the track was completed.
She explained: "We recorded at Sunset Sound [studios], I think we recorded the record in a week. It was basically staying up the whole week, getting it done and turning it in. It happened fast.
"When we were going to go into the studio, he had been listening to songs and tapes that I recorded. And it was really cool because I think that was what he loved. He would just [say]: ‘Here’s the room, go play, do whatever. I’ll come back and see what you’ve done.’
"At Sunset Sound, I think we had two studios. We were always in the studio together, either in the same room or back and forth in two studios. That’s what we did. We kept going back and forth to who was doing what. That was kind of the process of that record."
Prince was given a ‘run for his money’ working with Sheila E
