"Sugar Walls" is the second single from
Sheena Easton's 1984 album ''
A Private Heaven
''A Private Heaven'' is the fifth studio album by Scottish pop singer Sheena Easton, released on 21 September 1984 by EMI America Records. The album featured two US Top 10 hit singles: the lead single "Strut" and the controversial "Sugar Walls". " ...
''. It spent 16 weeks on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States, nine of which were in the
top 40. It reached number 9 on the Hot 100, number 3 on the
R&B chart and number 1 on the
Dance chart. The song did not chart in Easton's native UK. The music was credited to Alexander Nevermind, a pseudonym used by
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
.
"Sugar Walls" was given a special release on 13 April 2019, as a 12-inch single picture disc pressing by RT Industries (Razor & Tie), for 2019 National Record Store Day.
Background
The song title is presumed to be a euphemism for the lining of a
vagina
In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...
, and the general content was considered suggestive enough to qualify the song for the "
Filthy Fifteen".
Although Easton's
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...
for "Sugar Walls" did not in itself feature any controversial visual content, some broadcasters refused the video airplay because of the sexual imagery of the song's lyrics.
Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart and
Tipper Gore's
PMRC criticized the song when it was first released.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Popular culture
*The song is known for being covered by Rachel Lester during her infamous audition on the
fourth series of ''
The X Factor'' in 2007.
See also
*
List of number-one dance singles of 1985 (U.S.)
These are the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance/Disco Club Play and 12 Inch Singles Sales number-one hits of 1985.
See also
*1985 in music
* List of number-one dance hits (United States)
*List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
...
References
External links
*
1985 singles
Sheena Easton songs
Songs written by Prince (musician)
Obscenity controversies in music
1984 songs
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