Vanity 6 (October 28, 1982) – TopPop Television Performance: “Nasty Girl” and “He’s So Dull”
On October 28, 1982, Vanity 6 recorded performances of“Nasty Girl” and“He’s So Dull” for the Dutch television programme TopPop at NOB Studios in Hilversum, the Netherlands. The appearance formed part of the group’s European promotion for their self-titled debut album, with the “Nasty Girl” performance first broadcast on October 30, 1982 and subsequently adopted as the song’s official promotional video.
Artist: Vanity 6
Programme: TopPop
Recording Date: October 28, 1982
First Broadcast: October 30, 1982
Location: NOB Studios, Hilversum, the Netherlands
Studio: Studio 5 / Studio 6
Performances: “Nasty Girl” / “He’s So Dull”
Country: The Netherlands
THE TOPPOP APPEARANCE
Vanity 6 visited Hilversum during the group’s European promotional activities in October 1982.
At NOB Studios, Vanity, Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie recorded performances for the weekly Dutch television programme TopPop.
The two songs documented for the appearance were:
“Nasty Girl”
“He’s So Dull”
The “Nasty Girl” performance was first transmitted on Dutch television on October 30, 1982. An edited version was subsequently selected as the official promotional video because a separate video shoot could not be arranged around the group’s promotional appearances, rehearsals and preparations for the 1999 Tour.
NASTY GIRL
“Nasty Girl” was the opening track on Vanity 6’s self-titled debut album and was released as the album’s second single.
The recording was written, composed and produced by Prince, although the original songwriting credit was assigned to Vanity.
Basic tracking took place in late March 1982 at Prince’s Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota, during the same group of sessions that produced “Bite The Beat,” “He’s So Dull” and “If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up).”
The album recording features Vanity on lead vocals, with Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie providing background vocals. Prince performed the electric piano, synthesiser, guitar, bass and drum-machine parts.
The full album version runs for approximately 5:10, while the edited single version runs for 2:55.
THE VANITY 6 ALBUM
Released in 1982, Vanity 6 was the group’s first and only studio album.
The album was recorded during March and April 1982 at Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen and Sunset Sound in Hollywood.
Prince oversaw most of the project under the name The Starr Company, writing, producing and performing much of the music while credits were distributed among members of Prince’s creative circle.
“He’s So Dull” was the principal exception, having been written by Dez Dickerson.
The album’s original track sequence was:
THE PROMOTIONAL PERFORMANCE
The TopPop presentation consists of Vanity 6 lip-syncing to an edited version of “Nasty Girl.”
Rather than documenting a live musical performance, the studio appearance was created specifically for television promotion.
The completed recording runs for approximately 3:41 and was subsequently used internationally as the official promotional film for the single.
Its direct studio presentation preserved Vanity 6’s visual identity during the period in which the group was preparing to join Prince and The Time on the 1999 Tour.
HE’S SO DULL
“He’s So Dull” was the fourth track on the Vanity 6 album.
Unlike most of the album, the song was written and produced by Dez Dickerson, with Prince participating as a musician rather than as its principal writer and producer.
The recording features:
Vanity – Lead vocals
Brenda Bennett – Vocals
Susan Moonsie – Vocals
Dez Dickerson – Guitar and drums
Prince – Instruments
The album version runs for approximately 2:32.
RECORDING HISTORY
Although the exact recording date for “He’s So Dull” has not been established, basic tracking took place in late March 1982 at Prince’s Kiowa Trail Home Studio in Chanhassen.
The song was developed during the same period as “Nasty Girl,” “Bite The Beat” and “If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up).”
“He’s So Dull” was released as the album’s first single. In some territories, it was also included on the 12-inch edition of “Nasty Girl.”
A Dutch 12-inch release brought together:
Nasty Girl – 5:10
He’s So Dull – 4:05
Drive Me Wild – 2:31
SIDE ONE
Nasty Girl
Wet Dream
Drive Me Wild
He’s So Dull
SIDE SIX
If A Girl Answers (Don’t Hang Up)
Make-Up
Bite The Beat
3 × 2 = 6
The unusual Side One / Side Six labelling formed part of the album’s Vanity 6 presentation
LATER HISTORY OF NASTY GIRL
“Nasty Girl” continued to appear in Prince-related releases after the original Vanity 6 period.
In 1996, the recording was included on the Girl 6 soundtrack, which collected music by Prince and associated artists for Spike Lee’s film.
The song also appeared as the B-side of the accompanying “Girl 6” single credited to the New Power Generation.
Prince later drew extensively upon “Nasty Girl” for“Hot Wit U (Nasty Girl Remix),” released on the 2001 album Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic.
These later appearances extended the song’s history beyond the original 1982 Vanity 6 album and single campaign.
RELEASE AND CHART HISTORY
“Nasty Girl” was released as a single on September 24, 1982.
The song reached:
No. 1 – US Billboard Dance/Disco Top 80
No. 7 – US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
No. 5 – Dutch Top 40
No. 7 – Netherlands Single Top 100
No. 11 – Belgian chart
The single remained at the top of the US Dance/Disco chart for four weeks before being replaced at No. 1 by Prince’s “1999.”
PERFORMERS
Vanity – Lead vocals
Brenda Bennett – Vocals
Susan Moonsie – Vocals
PERFORMANCES RECORDED
Performance | Television Programme | Recording Date |
Nasty Girl | TopPop | October 28, 1982 |
He’s So Dull | TopPop | October 28, 1982 |
BROADCAST HISTORY
The “Nasty Girl” performance was first broadcast by Dutch television on October 30, 1982.
The performance was later used as the song’s official promotional video and was uploaded to the official TopPop channel in September 2018. [princevault.com]
There is conflicting secondary information concerning the surviving TopPop presentation of “He’s So Dull.” The official TopPop upload describes that clip as having been recorded on January 15, 1983, while the Prince archive documentation associates “He’s So Dull” with the October 28, 1982 Hilversum session. The two dates should therefore remain separately documented until the recording history is resolved.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
The Hilversum appearance documents Vanity 6 during the brief but important promotional campaign surrounding the group’s only album.
“Nasty Girl” was the principal Prince-written selection performed for TopPop, while “He’s So Dull” represented Dez Dickerson’s songwriting and production contribution to the project.
The use of the “Nasty Girl” performance as the official promotional video gave the Dutch television recording a much longer life than its original TopPop broadcast.
It also preserved one of the most recognisable pieces of Vanity 6 footage from the period immediately before the group joined the 1999 Tour.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: Vanity 6 records performances for TopPop
Recording Date: October 28, 1982
First Broadcast: October 30, 1982
Location: NOB Studios, Hilversum, the Netherlands
Performances: “Nasty Girl” and “He’s So Dull”
Related Album: Vanity 6
Prince Connection: Writer, producer and principal musician on “Nasty Girl”; musician on “He’s So Dull”
Later Use: “Nasty Girl” performance adopted as the official promotional video
WHAT THE APPEARANCE FEATURED
• Vanity 6 recording television performances in Hilversum
• “Nasty Girl” performed for the Dutch programme TopPop
• “He’s So Dull” associated with the same promotional visit
• Vanity, Brenda Bennett and Susan Moonsie appearing together
• The “Nasty Girl” performance first broadcast on October 30, 1982
• An edited version subsequently used as the official promotional video
• Promotion for the group’s self-titled debut album
• A direct connection with Prince’s expanding Minneapolis musical circle
SOURCES Discogs, 45 World, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts, Prince Vault, Sleeveographia2.
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