"The Belle of St. Mark" is a song recorded by singer/percussionist Sheila E. The song was released in October 1984 in the United States and in the Netherlands,[3] and in February 1985 in other markets. It peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1984, and No. 68 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles Charts in January 1985. It reached the top 10 in the Netherlands and New Zealand as well as the top 20 in Australia, the UK and Ireland, and was an NME "Single of the Week".[4]
| "The Belle of St. Mark" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 U.S. 7" single | ||||
| Single by Sheila E. | ||||
| from the album The Glamorous Life | ||||
| B-side | "Too Sexy" | |||
| Released | October 1984 | |||
| Recorded | March 1984 | |||
| Genre | Dance-pop | |||
| Length | 5:12 (album version) 3:38 (7" single) 7:43 (12" single) | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Sheila E., Prince (as The Starr ★ Company) | |||
| Sheila E. singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
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" vinyl
Side one
- "The Belle of St. Mark" – 3:38
Side two
- "Too Sexy" – 5:03
12" vinyl
Side one
- "The Belle of St. Mark" (dance remix) – 7:43
Side two
- "Too Sexy" – 5:05
Personnel
Credits sourced from Duane Tudahl[5]
- Sheila E. – lead and backing vocals, sleigh bells, bongos
- Prince – Oberheim OB-8, Yamaha DX7, Linn LM-1
- Jill Jones – backing vocals
Chart performance
Weekly charts
| Chart (1984–1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 16 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] | 65 |
| Ireland[8] | 18 |
| Netherlands[3] | 8 |
| New Zealand[9] | 5 |
| UK[10] | 18 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 34 |
| US Hot Black Singles[12] | 68 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1985) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[13] | 90 |