Grace Jones' Nightclubbing (1981)

Nightclubbing... nightclubbing...

We're what's happening...

Whichever one has The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow and Send in the Clowns.

So, none of them then, R2? ;)

The bonus tracks are really great too:

R4 / R5 - never heard those bonus tracks before, they're great.

OP: I can't decide between Nightclubbing and Warm Leatherette. They feel inextricably linked. She never eclipsed the one two punch of those groundbreaking albums.

Nightclubbing goes quite well with Broken English as a back-to-back listening experience.

I preferred her late 80’s albums Inside Story and Bulletproof Heart. Her early 80’s stuff sounds so dated.

There's a deluxe release with bonus material including B-sides and remixes.

[Quote] I preferred her late 80’s albums Inside Story and Bulletproof Heart. Her early 80’s stuff sounds so dated.

Did you come of age in the late 1980s?

I like what Fran Liebowitz said about Warhol: "By the 80s, the downtown club scene was dead. Andy didn't know that".

There was a great 2 disc set called "The Compass Point Sessions" covering this period, with extended versions of many of the tracks.

I don't think these albums have dated at all. If anything they still sound futuristic. Sly & Robbie drum & bass stretching to infinity, impassive and cool Grace vocals on top. Ultimate chill music.

“Art Groupie” is my favorite song.

It’s an album I feel goes hand in hand with Marianne’s “Broken English”.

I love the sound on those Compass Point recordings - spacious, is the word that comes to mind. Slightly sinister.

[quote]I preferred her late 80’s albums Inside Story and Bulletproof Heart. Her early 80’s stuff sounds so dated.

That's an interesting read because I think the complete opposite is true. Her early 80s work is what really defined her persona and sound and it still feels so bold and fresh. Whereas, much of her late 80s work, while still enjoyable, sounds much more dated to my ears.

So much music from the late 80s sounds dated now.

The most dated 80s music to me is that mid-late stuff. I find a lot of the early stuff, while of its time, doesn't quite have that dated feeling. The production is often pretty stellar.

Her early 80’s albums albums sound like they were leftover songs from the 70’s. Her late 80’s albums actually finally gave her a then-current sound.

Nonsense. Did you like your own comment?

Her actual 70s albums were just straightforward disco. They're enjoyable enough in their own way, but not all that unique. The Compass Point albums were a great leap forward.

Grace’s highest charting song in America was “I’m Not Perfect” from Inside Story. Looks like most of America agrees that her late 80’s stuff was her best.

Silly. Grace Jones' most enduring song is "Pull Up to the Bumper." "Slave to the Rhythm" is more remembered than "I'm Not Perfect" too.

"Nightclubbing" peaked at #32. "Inside Story" peaked at #81...

"Bulletproof Heart" didn't even chart in most territories...

It's a pity they haven't remastered and added additional tracks to Living My Life, yet. It'd be great to get a copy of the single version of "Living My Life". They put a version of it on the Compass Point compilation mentioned above (which was my introduction to Grace so I'm very fond of it), but it's not the version you see in the video. I like the video version, there is more anger in the vocals.

It's strange that none of her many official (and unofficial?) compilations feature the song from Vamp.

"Nightclubbing" is an Iggy Pop song.

A few of her songs are written by famous musicians. "Love Is A Drug" is from Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry and Andy Mackay

Grace is perfect:

Do or Die

Vamp is such a fun movie.

Slave to the Rhythm

I also like the Compass Point Sessions mentioned upthread.

She's playing the Hollywood Bowl in September. Jealous of you Angelenos! Wish she'd do a proper US tour.

(She also has some upcoming UK and European dates including headlining and curating some festival called Meltdown. Wonder if she has any new material. Probably not.)

WARM!

Leatherette.

WARM!

Leatherette.

"Pull Up To The Bumper" is a stone-cold classic, it will ignite the dance floor no matter the crowd -- modern rock, disco, house, new wave, hip-hop, funk, etc. Yeah, so the "Nightclubbing" LP is epic. It was an identifying record for queers coming of age in my midwestern city. These days I probably listen to "Warm Leatherette" more.

That documentary of her was quite a slog. She just isn't interesting enough to warrant 90 min.

And even better than Mariah for Xmas...

I wonder if part of the reason "Living My Life" wasn't included on the album has anything to do with legal reasons? It's sounds an awful lot like Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft's "Als wär's das letzte Mal" that came out only the year before...

Lisa Stansfield's "Affection" wasn't included on the LP of the same name.

r40. Nice find.

The original Warm Leatherette by The Normal. I used to throw shapes to this at indie nights when I was a teenager.

Cheers, R42. I'm finding I really like that song too.

I love all these albums.

Nightclubbing is my favorite. But I love the direction she went on Living My Life, especially on My Jamaican Guy.

I love her A One Man Show feature.

For me as a little gayling, the mix of commercial promo videos and live concert performances was the most artistic thing ever.

Warm Leatherette + Private Life is a great 1-2 punch of tracks. The album has a harder sound, and some of that French funky sound like Gainsbourg and Bryan Ferry did in the late 70s. It sounds like a rock n roll album. It was STUNNING when Grace Jones dropped these couple albums . And they were very important to young me.

The crunching sounds of My Jamaican Guy.

Let's be honest I enjoy all her albums. I played Inside Story and Hurricane to death and went to see her touring. She's a glamazon and a battle-axe. That's what I adore.

Thanks for sharing that R46, I've been meaning to watch it for awhile now, so when I get a moment will sit down for it!

[quote]I preferred her late 80’s albums Inside Story and Bulletproof Heart. Her early 80’s stuff sounds so dated.

I like the entire Inside Story album, though Pull Up to eh Bumper and Slave to the Rhythm are probably her 2 best tracks of her entire career.

I think Bulletproof Heart is kind of underrated. Driving Satisfaction with the James Bond - esque opening sequence (the motor sounds sounding like gun shots). Love On Top Of Love, the cool On My Way, the tribal Seduction Surrender, the angry Kicked Around, the cheesy soul ballad Paper Plan, the soul pop Bulletproof Heart, the sweet power ballads Dream and Someone To Love, and the Amado Mio cover.

All great songs, however a bit dated because of the C&C Music Factory treatment.

The only track I don't like is the way too preachy Crack Attack.

R51 you’re fucked up. No taste.

Love on top of love and crack attack are the only salvageable tracks off Bulletproof Heart

[quote] I like the entire Inside Story album

I like "Inside Story" as well. Mostly because it is evocative of good memories for me. But the Compass Point recordings are the ones I enjoy the most.

Anyone see Grace in Seattle or Oakland this past week? How's she holding up?

Saw her at the Hollywood Bowl. She is BEYOND fabulous!!!

[quote] "Whichever one has The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow and Send in the Clowns."

That's "Portfolio", R2, though it's not from the period the OP is discussing. My favorite Grace Jones song is from that album as well: her cover of "La Vie en Rose".

R63, I wasn't sure if Enlightened was brought up in this thread yet. It's one of the best character studies I've ever seen. Amy Jellicoe is one conflicted chick!

I love her cover of “I’ve Done it Again” written by Marianne Faithfull and a track on NIGHTCLUBBING. It’s a beautiful song and shows another, softer side of Grace that’s just as compelling as her more widely known aggressive style.

This live performance of I’ve Done it Again is somehow even better than the studio track. Not to mention those cheekbones and that Armani suit!!

Saw her in Oakland R54 Her lower register is still incredible. Some of the higher notes are not quite there, but that happens to all singers. She looked amazing as well.

My friends and I couldn't decide if she was drunk or high (friends who saw her in LA thought she was high). Her banter between songs seemed a little messier than other times I've seen her and the overall vibe of the show was a bit chaotic.

My favorite part was Williams Blood/Amazing Grace. I've recently revived Williams Blood (and the stellar Aeroplane remix) and can't stop playing it.

R60 - nice! I saw her previous two Hollywood Bowl shows. I think that was 2009 and 2015. Even by 2015 some of that upper register was fading, but her presence was still undeniable, though, I was struck by a new vulnerability (by Grace standards) that hadn't been there in 2009. In 2009 she was in VERY fine voice and had all sorts of incredible costumes designed by an Oscar winning costume designer whose name escapes me.

I also love those three early 80s Island albums and agree with the posters who say that they still sound fresh today. A lot of 80s music sounds very dated but they don't. Also love the Marianne Faithfull albums from around the same time - Broken English and the two follow-ups, particularly A Child's Adventure. Grace and Marianne might not have the greatest voices but Grace's cool iciness and Marianne's whiskey and cigarettes croak suits their music to a T.