Jungle Jezebel
VANITY “Skin on Skin” (Motown 6167 ML) Another Princely plaything laid bare on disposable vinyl dedicated to him who made her “dreams come true.”
Vanity flirts coyly with aural orgasm on the title track, “Skin on Skin,” but she does not make out. She admits being “Gun Shy” — Ouch — that is the name of a song too, with little guitar funk touches and little boy wet dream lyrics. The LP opens promisingly enough with “Under the Influence,” none too demanding but acceptable disco fodder. "Manhunt” is next, the first of three tracks, literally about animal instincts ("when I catch you we’ll monkey around.”). Then, briefly it might be Madonna — all breathy vocals, mixed with some early eighties English synthesiser sounds. Back then Vanity mould have made a classy Coconut for Kid Creole.
The flipside begins like “Delirious” from Prince’s spunky “1999.” Seconds later, however, we are on safari again: “Our hearts beat like the rhythm of the drum. This jungle instinct is inside everyone.” You Tarzan, me Jane isn’t
going to set anyone aquiver. The production and Vanity’s voice is smooth enough but if Prince really wants his photogenic protege to have a hit then he should show some heart and pen It, rather than just going along for the ride as executive producer “The Buck.”
Judging by Vanity’s “Gone With the Wind” poses on the sleeve it may be too late — she probably has the same celluloid call as one of her predecessors and now a “Falcon Crest” star, Apollonia.
-JANETTA MACKAY
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Bibliographic details
Press, 24 July 1986, Page 22
Word Count
255Jungle Jezebel Press, 24 July 1986, Page 22
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