Strut (Sheena Easton song)

"Strut" is a song recorded by Scottish singer Sheena Easton for her album A Private Heaven (1984). It was composed by singer-songwriter Charlie Dore and her longtime songwriting partner, Julian Littman.[1] Easton was sent the demo for the song by Christopher Neil, who was Easton's first producer.[2] "Strut" was released by EMI America in August 1984 as the album's lead single and peaked that November at No. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In the UK—where the single was released in November 1984—the track became the first US top-40 single by Easton to completely miss the top 100 of the UK Singles Chart.

"Strut"
Single by Sheena Easton
from the album A Private Heaven
B-side"Letters from the Road"
ReleasedAugust 1984
Recorded1984
Genre
Length3:59
Label
  • EMI
  • RT Industries
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Greg Mathieson
Sheena Easton singles chronology
"Back in the City"
(1984)		 "Strut"
(1984)		 "Sugar Walls"
(1985)

Background

While Easton had achieved success with singles over her career, The Philadelphia Inquirer asserted in 1984 that "the old Sheena Easton was running into some identity problems" due to her management not knowing whether to promote her as a rock or pop artist.[3] EMI record executive Dick Williams noted Easton's concerns with being branded as a middle of the road artist, stating, "I think she felt, as did a lot of programmers, that her image was predominantly 'pop adult' and that limited her exposure to radio and television."[4]: SE11 

After seeing the success of top 10 dance-pop single "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)", Easton wanted to keep exploring that genre and move away from her image as a ballad singer.[5][6] She recalled in a 1984 interview that both she and producer Greg Mathieson "wanted to keep it young, spiky and aggressive" for A Private Heaven, stating that Mathieson "fought in my corner to get me songs that normally wouldn't be sent to me, songs with a more adult lyric but a younger feel."[7]: SE9  Finding such material proved difficult; Easton noted that songs with a harder edge would be first offered to artists like Pat Benatar.[8] She eventually found a suitable single in "Strut", however, after being sent a demo of the song by her friend and former producer, Christopher Neil. Neil encouraged her to take the song to Mathieson, who liked it enough to produce the track.[7]: SE8 [8]

Music and lyrics

The song appears to be about the singer being upset with a man for wanting her to be like a previous lover, and about the sexism of men in general for wanting or expecting women to behave in a certain fashion ("Strut, pout/Put it out/That's what you want from women").

Reception and accolades

It was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female at the 27th Grammy Awards.[9] Like its parent album overall, the "Strut" single and accompanying video signaled Easton's shift towards a more sexually suggestive image.[10]

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[24] Gold 50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

  • In 1986 Easton, dressed as a geisha, performed "Strut" in a Japanese TV commercial for shōchū.[25]

References
  1. "Strut – Sheena Easton". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  2. The Vindicator 6 May 1985 p.21
  3. Lloyd, Jack (3 August 1984). "Here Comes Easton's Titled Tour". The Philadelphia Inquirer. pp. F34. ProQuest 1820009914. Retrieved 6 September 2022 – via ProQuest.
  4. Jeske, Lee (29 September 1984). "Sheena Easton 'Strutts' to New Heights for EMI". Cash Box. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  5. "Sheena Easton Fits in Honeymoon Time". The Globe and Mail. 8 December 1984. pp. E17. ProQuest 386515795. Retrieved 6 September 2022 – via ProQuest.
  6. Hunt, Dennis (14 October 1984). "Sheena Easton Offers Younger Sound for Fans". Kenosha News. Los Angeles Times. pp. E6. Retrieved 6 September 2022 – via NewspaperArchive.
  7. Adelson, David (29 September 1984). "Sheena Easton Talks About Sheena Easton". Cash Box. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  8. Connelly, Christopher (24 May 1985). "Easton Struts to the Top with Punchy New Tunes". Sun Sentinel. pp. 42S. ProQuest 389802953. Retrieved 6 September 2022 – via ProQuest.
  9. Hilburn, Robert (24 February 1985). "Grammy Picks: Is it Tina's Turn to Grab the Grammys?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  10. Sullivan, Jim (21 July 1989). "Easton's Formulaic Pop Singer Delivers Same Old Fluff". The Boston Globe.
  11. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide 1975–present. Mississauga: Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9628." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  14. "Sheena Easton – Strut". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  15. "SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Songs S". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  16. "Sheena Easton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  17. "Sheena Easton Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  18. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XLVII, no. 26. 1 December 1984. p. 4. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Sheena Easton – Strut" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  20. "Top 100 Singles of 1984". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  21. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles 1984" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XLVII, no. 30. 29 December 1984. p. 8. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  22. "Kent Music Report No 599 – 30 December 1985 > National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 23 January 2023 – via Imgur.
  23. "1985 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 52. 28 December 1985. p. T-21.
  24. "Canadian single certifications – Sheena Easton – Strut". Music Canada. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  25. Okabe, Marie (14 June 1986). "Ads in Japan: The Face is Familiar". Newsday. United Press International. p. 5. ProQuest 285375675. Retrieved 6 September 2022 – via ProQuest.
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