The Belle of St. Mark

"The Belle of St. Mark"
U.S. 7-inch single
Single by Sheila E.
from the album The Glamorous Life
B-side"Too Sexy"
ReleasedOctober 1984 (1984-10)[1]
Recorded
  • c. February 10, 1984 (instruments)
  • April 1–4, 1984 (Sheila E's vocals)[2]
StudioSunset Sound Recorders (Hollywood, California)
Length
  • 5:12 (album version)
  • 3:38 (7-inch version)
  • 7:43 (12-inch version)
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
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)
Alternative cover
Artwork used for the German, UK, and Dutch releases

"The Belle of St. Mark" is a song by singer-songwriter Sheila E. The song was released in October 1984 in the United States. and peaked at No. 34 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as No. 68 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart. Worldwide, it reached the top 10 in Belgium, the Netherlands, and New Zealand as well as the top 20 in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. NME named the song the "Single of the Week" on February 2, 1985.[5]

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

7-inch vinyl

A. "The Belle of St. Mark" – 3:38
B. "Too Sexy" – 5:03

12-inch vinyl

A. "The Belle of St. Mark" (dance remix) – 7:43
B. "Too Sexy" – 5:05

Personnel

Personnel are sourced from Duane Tudahl.[6]

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "The Belle of St. Mark"
Chart (1984–1985) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 5
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 65
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 18
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 5
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[1] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 18
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 34
US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[15] 68

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "The Belle of St. Mark"
Chart (1984) Position
Belgium (Ultratop)[16] 76
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[17] 33
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18] 45
Chart (1985) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[19] 90

References

  1. ^ a b "Sheila E. – The Belle of St. Mark" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  2. ^ "The Belle of St. Mark". Princevault.com.
  3. ^ ACE Database (ASCAP), Work ID: 320305111
  4. ^ Tudahl, Duane (2018). Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 (Expanded Edition). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538116432.
  5. ^ Parsons, Tony (1985) "Single of the Week", NME, February 2, 1985, p. 14
  6. ^ Tudahl, Duane (2018). Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 (Expanded Edition). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538116432.
  7. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. ^ "Sheila E. – The Belle of St. Mark" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  9. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9636." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  10. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Belle of St Marc". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  11. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 47, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  12. ^ "Sheila E. – The Belle of St. Mark". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  14. ^ "Sheila E. Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  15. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. December 8, 1984. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  16. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1984" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  17. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  18. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  19. ^ "Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report. Retrieved January 23, 2023 – via Imgur.
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