Nightclubbing
Encyclopedia
Nightclubbing is the fifth studio album by Grace Jones
, released in 1981. It is the second of three post-disco albums that Jones made at Compass Point Studios
in the Bahamas and became Jones' commercial breakthrough and also formed the basis of her groundbreaking concept tour A One Man Show
. It claimed the number one slot on NME Album of the Year
.
The lead-off single for the album was "Demolition Man" written by Sting for Jones and also included on The Police's album Ghost in the Machine later in the year. The second single "Pull Up to the Bumper
" was a hit and became one of Jones' best-known songs. It originally made #53 in the UK Singles Chart
in June 1981, and a 1985 re-release following the success of the Island Life
compilation backed with "La Vie En Rose" reached #12.
The third single from Nightclubbing in 1981 was "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)
" which melded Ástor Piazzolla
's Argentine tango classic with a reggae beat, and lyrics partly sung in French. The title track is a cover of an Iggy Pop
song, which was co-written by David Bowie
and the fourth single release, "Walking in the Rain
", was originally recorded by Australian New Wave band Flash and the Pan
and included on their eponymous 1979 debut album
. Nightclubbing closes with the ballad "I've Done It Again" written by Barry Reynolds, with whom Jones would go on to compose most of the material for 1982's Living My Life
.
The album reached number #35 on the UK Album Chart in May 1981, #9 on Billboards R&B Albums chart and #32 on Pop Albums, and this in combination with an entirely new androgynous image created by Jean-Paul Goude
brought Jones from being a former disco diva with a loyal cult following but dropping sales figures to an international star with mainstream chart success, and resulted in Island Records
re-releasing her 1980 album Warm Leatherette
worldwide.
The liner notes of the 2006 Universal Music compilation The Grace Jones Story
state "A double deluxe CD edition of Nightclubbing is being released in May 2006 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her keynote work", the bonus disc most likely including the original 1981 7" and 12" mixes that were left off the 1998 compilation Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions
, namely "Walking In The Rain" (2 different 12" mixes + one 7" edit), "Pull Up To The Bumper" (3 different 12" mixes and also a 7" dub version performed by the Compass Point Allstars called "Peanut Butter"), "Feel Up" (2 different 12" mixes), "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)" (12" Mix) plus the Spanish language 7" version of the latter entitled "Esta Cara Me Es Conocida".
The double deluxe edition CD edition of "Nightclubbing" was not released in 2006, and was later set to be released in 2009 to coincide with Island Records 50th Anniversary. Release is now delayed indefinitely, but 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of the album's original release; meanwhile Universal Music Group re-released the album on vinyl in January 2010.
The strong rhythm section
which features on many of the tracks was provided by Robbie Shakespeare on bass and Sly Dunbar
on drums. The two were later successful as a duo in their own right.
, Johnny Fever destroys the poster from this album in the radio station hallway as a favour to Venus Flytrap
.
Single
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
, released in 1981. It is the second of three post-disco albums that Jones made at Compass Point Studios
Compass Point Studios
Compass Point Studios were founded in 1977 by Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records.In the late 1970s and mid-1980s, many musical artists from across the world came to the Bahamas to record music at its facilities. Many producers, including Chris Blackwell himself, used the studio to produce...
in the Bahamas and became Jones' commercial breakthrough and also formed the basis of her groundbreaking concept tour A One Man Show
A One Man Show
A One Man Show is a music documentary featuring American singer Grace Jones, filmed in 1981–1982. The film was first released in 1982 to promote the album Living My Life and was re-issued on VHS and laserdisc by Island Records, PolyGram and Spectrum Music through the 1980s and early 1990s...
. It claimed the number one slot on NME Album of the Year
NME album of the year
Every December, British music magazine NME compiles a list of what it considers the best albums of the year. It was started in 1974. The list is usually published in one of the issues sold before Christmas – in 2006 it was published in the issue for December the 9th...
.
The lead-off single for the album was "Demolition Man" written by Sting for Jones and also included on The Police's album Ghost in the Machine later in the year. The second single "Pull Up to the Bumper
Pull Up to the Bumper
"Pull Up to the Bumper" was the second single released by Grace Jones from her critically acclaimed 1981 album Nightclubbing and has since come to be one of Jones' signature tunes. The song was co-written by Jones herself, Sly Dunbar, Dana Mano and Robbie Shakespeare.Upon its release, the song...
" was a hit and became one of Jones' best-known songs. It originally made #53 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in June 1981, and a 1985 re-release following the success of the Island Life
Island Life
Island Life was Grace Jones' 1985 compilation album, featuring songs from her Island Records albums Portfolio, Fame, Warm Leatherette, Nightclubbing, Living My Life, and Slave to the Rhythm. No tracks from Muse were included...
compilation backed with "La Vie En Rose" reached #12.
The third single from Nightclubbing in 1981 was "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)
I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)
"I've Seen That Face Before " is the third single from Grace Jones' album Nightclubbing. The song juxtaposes "Libertango", an Argentine tango classic, written by bandoneonist Ástor Piazzolla and first recorded by the composer himself in 1974, against a reggae arrangement and new lyrics penned by...
" which melded Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...
's Argentine tango classic with a reggae beat, and lyrics partly sung in French. The title track is a cover of an Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
song, which was co-written by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and the fourth single release, "Walking in the Rain
Walking in the Rain
"Walking in the Rain" was the third single from Grace Jones' 1981 album Nightclubbing. The song was originally composed and recorded by Australian band Flash and the Pan and included on their eponymous debut album....
", was originally recorded by Australian New Wave band Flash and the Pan
Flash and the Pan
Flash and the Pan was an Australian New Wave musical group initiated during the late 1970s by Harry Vanda and George Young, both former members of The Easybeats...
and included on their eponymous 1979 debut album
Flash and the Pan (album)
Flash and the Pan was Flash and the Pan's 1979 debut album release. The album covers differed between the Australian release and UK release . The track "And The Band Played On " — about the sinking of the Titanic — was released as a UK single, reaching No...
. Nightclubbing closes with the ballad "I've Done It Again" written by Barry Reynolds, with whom Jones would go on to compose most of the material for 1982's Living My Life
Living My Life (album)
-Charts:AlbumSingle...
.
The album reached number #35 on the UK Album Chart in May 1981, #9 on Billboards R&B Albums chart and #32 on Pop Albums, and this in combination with an entirely new androgynous image created by Jean-Paul Goude
Jean-Paul Goude
Jean-Paul Goude is a French graphic designer, illustrator, photographer and advertising film director. He created several well-known campaigns for brands such as Perrier, Citroën and Chanel....
brought Jones from being a former disco diva with a loyal cult following but dropping sales figures to an international star with mainstream chart success, and resulted in Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
re-releasing her 1980 album Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
"Warm Leatherette" is a song by Daniel Miller.-Overview:"Warm Leatherette" was released as the B-side to "T.V.O.D.", the only single by Miller's musical project The Normal. It was the very first release on his Mute Records label, and an early example of the then-burgeoning industrial music genre....
worldwide.
The liner notes of the 2006 Universal Music compilation The Grace Jones Story
The Grace Jones Story
The Grace Jones Story is the 2006 anthology of Grace Jones' career spanning from 1977 to 1993. The Grace Jones Story is Island Records/Universal Music's first attempt to create a comprehensive documentation of Jones' recording career; starting in 1977 with her debut album Portfolio, and ending with...
state "A double deluxe CD edition of Nightclubbing is being released in May 2006 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her keynote work", the bonus disc most likely including the original 1981 7" and 12" mixes that were left off the 1998 compilation Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions
Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions
Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions is a two disc anthology of recordings by Grace Jones released by Island Records in 1998.Grace Jones recorded three albums with Sly & Robbie in the legendary Compass Point Studios, Bahamas during the period of 1980-1982; Warm Leatherette, Nightclubbing and...
, namely "Walking In The Rain" (2 different 12" mixes + one 7" edit), "Pull Up To The Bumper" (3 different 12" mixes and also a 7" dub version performed by the Compass Point Allstars called "Peanut Butter"), "Feel Up" (2 different 12" mixes), "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)" (12" Mix) plus the Spanish language 7" version of the latter entitled "Esta Cara Me Es Conocida".
The double deluxe edition CD edition of "Nightclubbing" was not released in 2006, and was later set to be released in 2009 to coincide with Island Records 50th Anniversary. Release is now delayed indefinitely, but 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of the album's original release; meanwhile Universal Music Group re-released the album on vinyl in January 2010.
The strong rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
which features on many of the tracks was provided by Robbie Shakespeare on bass and Sly Dunbar
Sly Dunbar
Lowell "Sly" Fillmore Dunbar is a drummer.-Biography:Dunbar, whose nickname was reportedly given for his passion for Sly & the Family Stone, launched his musical career while still in his adolescence, playing with a local group, The Yardbrooms, at the age of fifteen...
on drums. The two were later successful as a duo in their own right.
Trivia
On the American television show WKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
, Johnny Fever destroys the poster from this album in the radio station hallway as a favour to Venus Flytrap
Venus Flytrap
The Venus Flytrap , Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey—mostly insects and arachnids. Its trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces...
.
Side A
- "Walking in the RainWalking in the Rain"Walking in the Rain" was the third single from Grace Jones' 1981 album Nightclubbing. The song was originally composed and recorded by Australian band Flash and the Pan and included on their eponymous debut album....
" (Harry VandaHarry VandaHarry Vanda , is a Dutch-born Australian popular music singer, guitarist, songwriter and record producer.-Career:...
, George Young) – 4:18 - "Pull Up to the BumperPull Up to the Bumper"Pull Up to the Bumper" was the second single released by Grace Jones from her critically acclaimed 1981 album Nightclubbing and has since come to be one of Jones' signature tunes. The song was co-written by Jones herself, Sly Dunbar, Dana Mano and Robbie Shakespeare.Upon its release, the song...
" (Koo Koo Baya, Grace Jones, Dana Mano) – 4:41 - "Use MeUse Me (song)"Use Me" is a song composed and originally recorded by Bill Withers, and was included on his 1972 album Still Bill. It is his second-biggest hit in the United States, released in September 1972, and later reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
" (Bill WithersBill WithersWilliam Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
) – 5:04 - "Nightclubbing" (David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, James OsterbergIggy PopIggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
) – 5:06
Side B
- "Art Groupie" (Barry Reynolds, Grace Jones) – 2:39
- "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)"I've Seen That Face Before " is the third single from Grace Jones' album Nightclubbing. The song juxtaposes "Libertango", an Argentine tango classic, written by bandoneonist Ástor Piazzolla and first recorded by the composer himself in 1974, against a reggae arrangement and new lyrics penned by...
" (Ástor PiazzollaÁstor PiazzollaÁstor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...
, Barry Reynolds, Dennis Wilkey, Nathalie Delon) – 4:30 - "Feel Up" (Grace Jones) – 4:03
- "Demolition Man" (Sting) – 4:03
- "I've Done It Again" (Barry Reynolds) – 3:51
Personnel
- Grace JonesGrace JonesGrace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
– vocals, backing vocals - Wally BadarouWally BadarouWally Badarou is a musician from Benin.-Biography:A synthesiser specialist, Badarou was the longtime associate of the British band Level 42, known for its blend of funk, pop, soul and rock...
– keyboards - Monte Browne – rhythm guitar
- Robbie Shakespeare – bass
- Sly DunbarSly DunbarLowell "Sly" Fillmore Dunbar is a drummer.-Biography:Dunbar, whose nickname was reportedly given for his passion for Sly & the Family Stone, launched his musical career while still in his adolescence, playing with a local group, The Yardbrooms, at the age of fifteen...
– drums, syndrums - Mikey ChungMikey ChungBorn Michael Chung in 1954, Mikey "Mao" Chung is a keyboard, guitar and percussion player, arranger and record producer of Jamaican music.-Biography:...
– guitar - Masai Delon – vocals
- Tyrone DownieTyrone DownieTyrone Downie is a Jamaican keyboardist/pianist who is most known for his involvement as a member of Bob Marley and The Wailers. He studied at Kingston College and joined the wailers in the mid-1970s, making his recording début with the band on Rastaman Vibration, having previously been a member of...
– keyboards, vocals - Jack Emblow – accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
- Barry Reynolds – guitar
- Jess RodenJess RodenJess Roden is an English rock singer and guitarist.-Biography:Roden's first band was The Raiders followed by The Shakedown Sound which also included the guitarist, Kevyn Gammond, and keyboard player August Eadon ....
– vocals - Mel Speller – percussion, vocals
- Uziah "Sticky" Thompson – percussion
Singles
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Billboard Black Albums | 9 |
| 1981 | Billboard Pop Albums | 32 |
| 1981 | Sweden | 4 |
| 1981 | Netherlands | 2 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Pull Up to the Bumper" | Billboard Black Singles | 5 |
| 1981 | "Pull Up to the Bumper" | Billboard Club Play Singles | 2 |
| 1981 | "Pull Up to the Bumper" | Dutch top 40 | 20 |
| 1981 | "Pull Up to the Bumper" | Germany | 26 |
| 1981 | "I've seen that face Before (libertango)" | Germany | 16 |
| 1981 | "I've seen that face Before (libertango)"" | Dutch top 40 | 2 |