Today’s SOTD is the second straight Throwback Weekend selection that is entirely new to me. I have never heard ‘Oh Sheila’ and I have never heard of Ready for the World, the R&B band behind it.
This was the third single and biggest hit by the Michigan-based group, though they reached the top ten again the following year with ‘Love You Down.’
‘Oh Sheila’ owes at least some of its success to the fact that many listeners mistook it for a Prince song. Between the sound of the music and production, Melvin Riley Jr.’s vocals, and the supposed namecheck of Sheila E. in the title, I see why people drew that conclusion.
However, the titular Sheila was not based on anybody specific, and while the band drew inspiration from Prince, they did not collaborate with him.
Like they always say –
What’s good for the goose
Is always good for the gander
Oh, Sheila
[Verse 1]
Oh, baby, love me right
Let me love you ’til we get it right
Why can’t you let the others be?
‘Cause with you is where I got to be
Oh, suga, where you been?
Hangin’ out with your male friends?
Listen, somebody’s gonna hurt you
The way you love to keep hurting me
[Chorus]
And we sing
Oh, oh, Sheila
Let me love you ’til the morning comes
(See the sun)
Oh, oh, Sheila
You know I want to be the only one
[Verse 2]
Oh, baby, understand
That I want to be the only man
But it seems as though it’s getting too hard
And I think I’ll start to have my own fun
Oh, baby, it’s plain to see
That you’re qualified to fill your needs
You think you’ve pulled one over on me
Well, honey, baby, just you wait and see
[Chorus]
And we sing
Oh, oh, Sheila
Let me love you ’til the morning comes
(The sun is set)
Oh, oh, Sheila
You know I want to be the only one
(For her)
[Bridge]
Oh, baby, it’s one, two, three
I love you, baby, honestly
Uh, I want to di-dal-di-da-li
A di-da-li-da-loo
Oh, oh, Sheila
Uh, uh, uh
Oh, Sheila
Oh, oh, Sheila
Uh, uh, uh
Oh, Sheila
[Verse 3]
Oh, baby, love me right
Let me love you ’til we get it right
Oh, why can’t you let the others be?
‘Cause with you is where I got to be – yeah
Oh, baby, understand
That I want to be the only man
You think you’ve pulled one over on me
Well, honey, baby, just you wait and see
[Chorus]
And we sing – oh
Oh, Sheila
Oh, oh, Sheila
Let me love you ’til the morning comes (Oh, Sheila)
(The sun is set)
Oh, oh, Sheila
You know I want to be the only one (Oh, Sheila)
Oh, oh, Sheila
Let me love you till the morning comes (Oh, Sheila)
Oh, oh, Sheila
You know I want to be the only one (Oh, Sheila)
Here we go – uh
Meet Me In Montauk 
I remember the song but, like many, assumed it was either written or performed by Prince.
The only reason I remember this one is because I was still collecting all the #1 singles back then. I still have the 45. Don’t think I’ve listened to it in the past 35-40 years.