Compass Point Studios
Related: Island Records - Chris Blackwell - reggae music - Steven Stanley
Recorded at Compass Point: Serge Gainsbourg - Gwen Guthrie - Grace Jones - Sly Dunbar
Compass Point, a Blackwell property in the Bahamas, was developed in 1977-78 with a state of the art studio facility and comfortable lodgings so that producers and artists could immerse themselves in music totally. "Nassau has no character," Blackwell explained at the time. "That's useful for a studio because you can make a record for anywhere your head imagines. If you're recording in London or Kingston, the environment is bound to influence you. Nassau's like a blank canvas...there's a high ratio of original records made there."
Description
Compass Point Studios is located in The Bahamas. It was founded in 1977 by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, and Producer of Bob Marley. Legendary rock band AC/DC recorded their multi-million selling album Back in Black here in 1980. They later went on to record their 1983 album Flick of the Switch here. Other artists such as Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones, Robert Palmer, Jimmy Buffett, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Shania Twain, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Björk, Widespread Panic, R.E.M., and U2 have recorded there. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_Point_Studios [Aug 2006]CDs
- Mick Jagger - She's The Boss [Amazon US] [FR] [DE] [UK]
Recorded at the Compass Point Studions, mixed at Power Station, N.Y.C. this album was co-produced by Nile Rodgers of Chic fame and Bill Laswell. Twelve Inch of Lucky In Love (co-produced by Francois K) is highly sought after. - Living My Life (1982) - Grace Jones [CD, Amazon US] [FR] [DE] [UK]
1. My Jamaican Guy 2. Nipple to the Bottle 3. Apple Stretching 4. Everybody Hold Still 5. Cry Now, Laugh Later 6. Inspiration 7. Unlimited Capacity for Love
This album came right between a so-so Grace Jones album ("Nightclubbing"), and a genius Grace Jones album ("Slave To The Rhythm"). This was the start of something good. i like this Sly-and-Robbie production with Grace Jones better than the previous 2 ("Warm Leatherette", "Nightclubbing") because it touches more into electronic instruments and synthesizers. The 2 before this was more a simple straight Rock/Reggae band. There are quite a few songs on here that reach classic status for me. One is the Broadway song "The Apple Stretching", a tale of New York City life in the morning. Grace Jones uses her dramatic vocals to make the song come alive. The slower and less intense (and underrated) "Inspiration" is another great one, with a sound that is sneaky and relaxed at the same time. The last track "Unlimited Capacity For Love" is another great one, and is yet another track with a more relaxed but still danceable feel. "Cry Now, Laugh Later" is a precursor to the Techno and Electronic music of today, with an awesomely heavy dance beat and a keyboard riff along with distorted vocals. Honorable mentions are the short and sweet "Everybody Hold Still", and the somewhat repetitive "Nipple To The Bottle". The worst track is the dry and repetitive "My Jamaican Guy". i simply don't see how people can like this song so much, with the phrase "My jamaican guy" being repeated over and over again. An edit of this song cutting 2 or 3 minutes off of it would make it perfect. This definitely belongs in the collection of every Grace Jones fan, especially those who favor her 80's material over her 1970's Disco. --Travis for amazon.com - Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions - Grace Jones [CD, Amazon US] [FR] [DE] [UK]
1. Private Life [Long Version] 2. Private Life [Dub Version][#] 3. Love Is the Drug [Long Version] 4. Breakdown 5. Warm Leatherette [Long Version] 6. Hunter Gets Captured by the Game [Long Version] 7. I've Done It Again 8. Pars [Long Version][#] 9. Pull Up to the Bumper 10. Use Me [Long Version][#] 11. She's Lost Control [Long Version] 12. She's Lost Control [Dub Version][#]
Disc: 2 1. Walking in the Rain 2. Cry Now, Laugh Later 3. Nightclubbing 4. Apple Stretching 5. Nipple to the Bottle [12" Version] 6. My Jamiacan Guy [12" Version] 7. Feel Up 8. I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango) [Libertango] 9. Demolition Man [Long Version] 10. Unlimited Capacity for Love 11. Ring of Fire [#][Demo Version] 12. Man Around the House [#] 13. Living My Life [7" Version] 14. Slave to the Rhythm [Hot Blooded Version] In the wake of Marianne Faithfull's disco-punk fusion on 1979's Broken English, Island label mate and disco diva Grace Jones made a similar left turn with a couple of albums of new-wave classics (the Pretenders' "Private Life," Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing"), new-wave "classics" (the Normal's "Warm Leatherette") and a soul chestnut or two ("The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game") given her uniquely growling treatment. As the funk grew stronger, she even placed a few hits on the charts, notably the 1982 "Pull Up to the Bumper." Private Life surveys this, the artiest of Jones's periods, including rare 12-inch and dub mixes. --Rickey Wright for Amazon.com
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