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Grace
Jones was one of the more unforgettable characters to emerge from New York
City's hedonistic Studio 54 disco scene during the late '70s. Born May 19,
1952, in Kingston, Jamaica, Jones studied theater at Syracuse University
before launching a career as a model. Jones' statuesque and flamboyant
look proved to be a hit in the New York City nightclub scene, which led to
a recording contract with Island Records in 1977. While such disco-based
albums as 1977's Portfolio, 1978's Fame, and 1979's Muse failed to break
the singer commercially, Jones soon amassed a substantial following
amongst gay men with her sexually charged live show, leading to her title
at the time of "Queen of the Gay Discos."
But with the dawn of the '80s came a massive anti-disco movement across
the U.S., leading to Jones focusing on more new wave and
experimental-based work resulting in two of her best-known and strongest
releases -- 1980's Warm Leatherette and 1981's Nightclubbing -- both
produced by the noted reggae team of Sly & Robbie (the latter release
spawned one of Jones' biggest hits, "Pull Up to the Bumper," as well as
covers of Iggy Pop's
"Nightclubbing" and the Police's "Demolition Man").
It was also around this time that Jones changed her look to suit the times
by replacing her S&M look of the '70s with a detached, androgynous image.
Jones' sixth solo release overall, Living My Life, followed in 1982, while
the singer took a break from recording to focus on film work and landed
roles in such movies as Conan the Destroyer and the James Bond flick A
View to a Kill. Jones' romantic life also provided tabloid fodder at the
time when she was linked with Rocky IV star Dolph Lundgren).
Jones eventually returned back to her recording
career, enlisting super-producer Trevor Horn
(Frankie Goes
to Hollywood) to oversee 1985's Slave to the Rhythm, which turned out
to be a somewhat autobiographical work (the same
year, a ten-track compilation was issued as well,
Island Life). Jones' penchant
for working with big-name producers continued on
1986's Inside
 Story; with production chores
handled by Chic's Nile Rodgers, the album spawned
one of Jones' last successful singles, "I'm Not
Perfect (But I'm Perfect for You)." After 1989's
Bulletproof Heart, Jones seemed to turn her back on
her recording
career (although 1993 saw the
release of a new single, "Sex Drive"), as she again focused primarily on
movies, including a role in Eddie Murphy's hit 1992 comedy Boomerang. The
double-disc set Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions (a collection of
26 tracks that Jones recorded with Sly & Robbie during their early '80s
union) was released in 1998, which was followed up four years later with
Island Life, Vol. 2. On June 23rd 2004 Amazing Grace Jones performed for a
sold out audience at New York's infamous Crobar for
The Underground Network & Soul Groove Records. The show was incredibly
intense. ~ Greg Prato. All Music Guide
 ALBUM REVIEW -
NIGHT CLUBBING
By all means a phenomenal pop
album that hit number nine on the black albums chart and crossed over
to penetrate the pop charts at number 32, Nightclubbing saw
Grace Jones working once again with reggae kings Sly Dunbar and Robbie
Shakespeare twisting the knobs. Nightclubbing also continues
Jones' tradition of picking excellent songs to reinterpret. This time
out, the Police's "Demolition Man," Bill Withers' "Use Me," and Iggy
Pop's "Nightclubbing" receive radical reinterpretations;
"Nightclubbing" is glacial in both tempo and lack of warmth, while
both "Use Me" and "Demolition Man" fit perfectly into Jones' lyrical
scheme. Speaking of a lyrical scheme, "Pull Up to the Bumper" (number
five black singles, number two club play) is so riddled with naughty
double entendres — or is it just about parallel parking? — that it
renders Musique's "In the Bush" as daring as Paul Anka's "Puppy Love."
Drive it in between what, Grace? It's not just lyrics that make
the song stick out; jingling spirals of rhythm guitar and a
simplistic, squelching, mid-tempo rhythm make the song effective, even
without considering Jones' presence. Sly & Robbie provide ideal
backdrops for Jones yet again, casting a brisk but not bristly sheen
over buoyant structures. Never before and never since has a precisely
chipped block of ore been so seductive. |
