Grace Jones may well be the most eccentric person in the world of showbiz. Grace was born on 19 May 1948 in Jamaica and is a (disco) singer, actress and model. She has the nickname: Queen of the Gay Discos.
After her transformation into the androgynous woman with the famous blockhead, Grace Jones scored monster hits such as I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango), the very ambiguous Pull Up to the Bumper ('drive it in between') and Slave to the Rhythm. For this, she worked with the crème de la crème of producers: Chris Blackwell, Alex Sadkin, the reggae duo Sly & Robbie, Trevor Horn and Nile Rodgers.
Grace Jones can be seen in Conan the Destroyer (1984), the James Bond film View To A Kill (1985) and the Eddie Murphy film Boomerang (1992).
Top 2000
In the 23rd edition of the Top 2000, Grace is listed as follows: - 1214: La Vie En Rose
Sunday Morning Classic
On 27 November 2022, we had the honour of presenting Grace as Sunday Morning Classic with her debut album Portfolio from 1977.
Portfolio is an album that came into my possession unexpectedly and surprised me. Portfolio is the well-chosen title of Grace's very first album. It is indeed an overview, a statement of what she had to offer at that moment. The record opens with a Broadway medley. Three songs from three different musicals, of which Tomorrow from the musical Annie is probably the best known. From Mrs Jones, you expect a lot, but not that she would act like a musical star. It sounds sweet, almost cute, as if she were a child star.
Then follows more robust work. La Vie En Rose is Grace Jones as Grace Jones intended, the Edith Piaf classic, in a contemporary jacket, sultry and sexy, over 7 minutes long. Her first three singles close the record. They were not hits, but you can have them, especially Trouble and I Need A Man.
The record fits perfectly in the list of classics!
Source: NPO Photo: flickr.com/people/steffmeister and Gary Friedman, Los Angeles Times
