A Private Heaven

A Private Heaven
Studio album by Sheena Easton
Released October 2, 1984
Recorded 1984
Genre Dance-pop
Label EMI America / One Way Records
Producer Greg Mathieson
Sheena Easton chronology
Todo Me Recuerda a Ti
(1984)		 A Private Heaven
(1984)		 Do You
(1985)

A Private Heaven, released in 1984, was the sixth album release by Scottish singer Sheena Easton. Released by EMI America, the album featured two US Top 10 hit singles: the sassy lead single "Strut" and the controversial "Sugar Walls." A third single, "Swear", reached #80.

The album is Easton's most successful album in the United States to date, reaching US #15 and selling over one million copies, earning a US RIAA Gold & Platinum certification. In Canada the album also went Platinum.

Background

The album marked a conscious effort by Easton to change her image to that of a sexy pop singer after cultivating a "sweet and innocent" image since the launch of her career five years earlier.[1] Easton collaborated with Prince on controversial track "Sugar Walls," written by Prince under the pseudonym "Alexander Nevermind". The track and its accompanying video were banned in some regions due to its sexually risque lyrics and was one of several songs cited by Tipper Gore on her Filthy Fifteen list in her efforts to introduce mandatory warning labelling of explicit musical albums.

Easton's association with Prince would continue for the next few years, though A Private Heaven remains the most successful byproduct of the collaboration. Converse to the album's success in America, in the UK it was her first album not to chart, while none of the singles released made the Official top 75.

In 2000, New York-based One Way Records released a remastered version of A Private Heaven with bonus tracks and b-sides.

On Feb 23, 2013, Edsel Records (UK) reissued Easton's "A Private Heaven" and "Do You" in 2 compact discs packages remastered with bonus tracks.

On November 24, 2014 the album was included in an Original Album Series box set in the UK with all of her first 5 albums with EMI through Warner Music Group, who now owns the rights to all of EMI's back catalogs.

Track listing

Side One

  1. "Strut" (Charlie Dore, Julian Littman), 4:05
  2. "Sugar Walls" (Alexander Nevermind) 4:01
  3. "Hungry Eyes" (Greg Matheison, Trevor Veitch) 3:42
  4. "It's Hard to Say It's Over" (Adrienne Anderson, Gino Cunico, Tom Saviano) 4:24
  5. "Swear" (Tim Scott) 3:43

Side Two

  1. "Love and Affection" (Joan Armatrading)
  2. "Back in the City" (Greg Mathieson, Lee Ritenour, Trevor Veitch) 3:46
  3. "You Make Me Nervous" (Mark Holding, Robbie Nevil, Duncan Pain) 3:53
  4. "All By Myself" (Steve Lukather, Trevor Veitch) 4:24
  5. "Double Standard" (Steve Kipner, Ben Petterson) 3:50

The CD re-issue featured the following bonus tracks:

  1. "Letters from the Road"
  2. "Straight Talkin'"
  3. "Fallen Angels"
  4. "Strut" (Dance Mix)
  5. "Sugar Walls" (Dance Mix)
  6. "Sugar Walls" (Red Mix)
  7. "Swear" (Dub Mix)

Production

Personnel

Chart performance

The album spent 35 weeks on the U.S. Billboard album charts and reached its peak position of #15 in early February 1985.[2]

Certifications

Country Certification Sales
Canada Gold 50,000
United States Gold 500,000
United States Platinum 1 million

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link

"Virtually unlimited talent, Sheena Easton is at her absolute best. A Private Heaven is solid, punchy, techno-pop production with dramatic ballads. A dazzling new album." – Cashbox Magazine, October 1984

References

  1. ↑ Kantor, Justin. A Private Heaven at AllMusic
  2. ↑ "Billboard 200: February 2, 1985". Billboard.com. Billboard. 2016. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
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