The Quietus’ editors John Doran and Luke Turner head back to the early 80s via 1998 as they discuss Grace Jones’ Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions, a wonderful compilation of material taken from the imperial phase of albums recorded at Nassau’s Compass Point Studios between 1980 and 1982. Warm Leatherette, Nightclubbing and Living My Life feature some of the most incredible cover versions we’ve ever heard of songs by the likes of Iggy Pop, The Normal, Bryan Ferry, Chrissie Hynde, Joy Division and Mr Sting, alongside her own material, all recorded with musicians Sly and Robbie, Wally Badarou, Barry Reynolds, Mikey Chung and Uziah Thompson. Your hosts discuss how they first got into Grace Jones – John back in the day when she was involved in the post-Duran Duran Arcadia project, and Luke via a formative moment in his emerging fluid sexuality when she appeared alongside Roger Moore in Bond film A View To A Kill. They’re thus late converts to this magnificent period of work, and like true late converts, all the more zealous in their enthusiasm for it. John and Luke praise The Compass Point Sessions as being one of those compilations that proves Alan Partridge right when he said that the best Beatles album is The Best Of The Beatles, as this compendium isn’t just made up of album tracks, but extended versions, 7” and rare cuts that show the evolution of Jones as an artist, and helped de-programme John from a rock mindset of the album being the “platonic ideal” of music. You’ll excuse them a digression on why The Smiths never recorded a great album, before they get stuck into what makes Grace Jones in this period so great, from the musicianship of Sly and Robbie, the influence of Chris Blackwell of Island Records, the connections between Jones, Nico and Marianne Faithfull, why ‘Pull Up To The Bumper’ “bends the word ‘euphemism’ beyond breaking point”, which song we’d love to have covered in the Compass Point style, and ask if Jones has really had the respect she deserves. The Quietus couldn’t do this chat without remembering the time when John interviewed Grace Jones only to have her call him “Mr Liverpool”, be utterly outrageous, gave him her address, invited him round, and was overly interested in what he was having for his tea. Most pertinently, Grace Jones is the artist who proves that pop and supposedly ‘difficult’ music aren’t as far apart as some might like to claim. Plus! There’s chat about their favourite pieces of municipal street maintenance equipment and the seeming never-ending rain of 2024.
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