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". "Swear", a third single, peaked at No. 80.

A Private Heaven
Studio album by Sheena Easton
Released	21 September 1984 (1984-09-21)[1]
Recorded	1983–1984
Studio	The Sound Factory (Hollywood, California)
Genre	Dance-pop[2] funk[2]
Length	39:54
Label	EMI America
Producer	Greg Mathieson
Sheena Easton chronology
Best Kept Secret (1983) A Private Heaven (1984) Todo Me Recuerda a Ti (1984)
Singles from A Private Heaven
"Strut" Released: August 1984 (US) "Hungry Eyes" Released: September 1984 (Japan) "Back in the City" Released: October 1984 (UK)[3] "Sugar Walls" Released: December 1984 (US) "Swear" Released: March 1985 (US)

The album is Easton's most successful studio album in the United States to date, peaking at No. 15 on the US Billboard 200 and selling over one million copies, earning a gold and platinum certification from the RIAA. In Canada, the album also went platinum. The tour that year featured Bruce Hornsby on keyboards in the live band.

Background and legacy

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.^[4] The sexually-charged "Strut" - co-written by Charlie Dore - became Easton's biggest solo hit in the US since 1981's "For Your Eyes Only". Easton collaborated with Prince on the 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 risqué lyrics and was one of several songs cited by Tipper Gore on her Filthy Fifteen list in her efforts to introduce mandatory warning labeling of explicit musical albums. Easton's musical association with Prince continued for the next few years, with him writing "Eternity" for her eighth studio album, No Sound But a Heart (1987) and Easton later featuring on Prince's singles "U Got the Look" in 1987 and "The Arms of Orion" in 1989.

The album also includes cover versions of Tim Scott's new wave track "Swear" and Joan Armatrading's 1976 classic "Love and Affection". Converse to the album's success in America, in the UK, it was her first studio album not to chart, and none of the singles released made the official Top 75.

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

On 23 February 2013, Edsel Records (UK) reissued Easton's A Private Heaven and its follow-up studio album Do You (1985) on two CDs remastered with bonus tracks.

On 24 November 2014, the album was included in a box set in the UK with all of her first five albums with EMI through Warner Music Group.

A 2CD deluxe edition of A Private Heaven, remastered from the original master tapes for the first time with 21 bonus tracks, including 12 previously unreleased tracks, along with 12" mixes and B-sides, was released on 25 February 2022 by Cherry Pop/RT Industries.

On 31 May 2024 RT Industries and Cherry Pop Records released a 40th Anniversary Edition of the album featuring 12" mixes and three previously unreleased tracks on a red vinyl double LP set.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	link

Cashbox magazine reviewed the album in October 1984, writing that with "Virtually unlimited talent, Sheena Easton is at her absolute best", describing the album as "dazzling" and featuring "solid, punchy, techno-pop production with dramatic ballads".

Chart performance

The album spent 35 weeks on the US Billboard album charts and reached its peak position of No. 15 in early February 1985.^[5]

Track listing

Side one

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

Side two

6. "Love and Affection" (Joan Armatrading) – 4:06
7. "Back in the City" (Greg Mathieson, Lee Ritenour, Trevor Veitch) – 3:46
8. "You Make Me Nervous" (Mark Holding, Robbie Nevil, Duncan Pain) – 3:53
9. "All by Myself" (Steve Lukather, Trevor Veitch) – 4:24
10. "Double Standard" (Steve Kipner, Ben Petterson) – 3:50

2022 2CD deluxe version bonus tracks

The 12” Mixes

1. "Strut" (Dance Mix)
2. "Sugar Walls" (Dance Mix)
3. "Swear" (Dance Mix)
4. "Strut" (Dub Mix)
5. "Sugar Walls" (Red Mix)
6. "Swear" (Dub Mix)

The B-Sides

1. "Letters from the Road"
2. "Straight Talking"
3. "Fallen Angels"

The Studio Sessions (previously unreleased)

1. "Have You Ever Been in Love"
2. "Hungry Eyes" (alternate version)
3. "Hard to Say It's Over" (alternate version)
4. "Sugar Walls" (Long 'Roman' Version)

The Instrumental Mixes (previously unreleased)

1. "Strut" (instrumental mix)
2. "Love and Affection" (instrumental mix)
3. "Hungry Eyes" (instrumental mix)
4. "All by Myself" (instrumental mix)
5. "Back in the City" (instrumental mix)
6. "Hard to Say It's Over" (instrumental mix)
7. "Straight Talking" (instrumental mix)
8. "In It to Win It" (instrumental mix)

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the A Private Heaven liner notes except where noted.^[6]

• Sheena Easton – lead and backing vocals
• Michael Boddicker – keyboards
• Greg Mathieson – keyboards, arrangements
• Michael Landau – guitars
• Lee Ritenour – guitars
• Steve Lukather – guitars (9)
• Abraham Laboriel – bass
• Carlos Vega – drums
• Lenny Castro – percussion
• Gary Herbig – saxophones
• Larry Williams – saxophones
• Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone
• Gary Grant – trumpet
• Jerry Hey – trumpet, horn arrangements
• Steve George – backing vocals
• Tom Kelly – backing vocals
• Richard Page – backing vocals
• Devo – backing vocals
• Prince – synthesizers (2), electric guitar (2), Linn LM-1 (2)^[7]

Production

• Producer – Greg Mathieson
• Recorded and Mixed by David Leonard
• Recorded at Sunset Sound Factory (Hollywood, CA).
• Mixed at Sunset Sound (Hollywood, CA).
• Mastered by Wally Traugott at Capitol Mastering (Hollywood, CA).
• Art direction – Ria Lewerke
• Logo – Sue Reilly
• Photography – Brian Aris

Charts

Chart performance for A Private Heaven

Chart (1984–1985)	Peak position
Argentina (CAPIF)[8]	5
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9]	88
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[10]	32
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[11]	26
US Billboard 200[12]	15

Certifications

Certifications for A Private Heaven

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[13]	Platinum	100,000^
United States (RIAA)[14]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Changes for Sheena" (PDF). Billboard. 22 September 1984. p. 55. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
2. Breihan, Tom (4 May 2020). "The Number Ones: Sheena Easton's "Morning Train (Nine to Five)". Stereogum. Retrieved 19 July 2023. On her 1984 album A Private Heaven, Easton jumped into funky '80s dance-pop.
3. "Music week" (PDF). p. 50.
4. Kantor, Justin. A Private Heaven at AllMusic
5. "Billboard 200: February 2, 1985". Billboard. 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
6. A Private Heaven (CD booklet). Sheena Easton. EMI America Records. 1984.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. Tudahl, Duane (2018). Prince and the Purple Rain Era Studio Sessions: 1983 and 1984 (Expanded ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538116432.
8. "Los éxitos en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). 29 April 1985. p. 26. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
9. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 100. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
10. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9670". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
11. "Charts.nz – Sheena Easton – A Private Heaven". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
12. "Sheena Easton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
13. "Canadian album certifications – Sheena Easton – A Private Heaven". Music Canada.
14. "American album certifications – Sheena Easton – A Private Heaven". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

• A Private Heaven at Discogs (list of releases)