Grace Jones, a style icon and multifaceted artist, is a
Jamaican singer, model, and actress, celebrated for her androgynous image and
her bold and experimental music.
Born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, on May 19, 1948, to
Marjorie Williams and Robert W. Jones, a local politician and Apostolic pastor,
Grace moved with her family to Lyncourt, near Syracuse, New York, at the age of
thirteen. After
completing high school, she enrolled at Onondaga Community College, choosing
Spanish as her major.
At 18, her
career took a decisive turn when she signed a contract as a model with
Wilhelmina Models, moving to Paris in 1970. Her unique figure and charisma
quickly made her a muse for designers like Yves St. Laurent, Claude Montana,
and Kenzo Takada, who wanted her on their runways. Grace graced the covers of
prestigious magazines like Elle, Vogue, and Stern, working with legendary
photographers such as Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Hans Feurer. She was also
a model for Azzedine Alaïa, helping to promote his line with her magnetic
presence.
In 1975,
Grace Jones embarked on her musical career by signing a contract with Island
Records. Under the guidance of record producer Tom Moulton at Sigma Sound
Studios in Philadelphia, the album Portfolio was born,
released in 1977. The album included three songs from Broadway musicals:
"Send in the Clowns" from Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night
Music, "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line, and
"Tomorrow" from Annie. The second side
of the album opened with an extraordinary seven-minute reinterpretation of
Édith Piaf's "La Vie en rose".
1981 was the year of Nightclubbing, an album
that included covers of songs by Flash and the Pan ("Walking in the
Rain"), Bill Withers ("Use Me"), Iggy Pop/David Bowie
("Nightclubbing"), and Ástor Piazzolla ("I've Seen That Face
Before (Libertango)"). The latter, a reworking of Piazzolla's 1974
instrumental Argentine tango composition "Libertango", stood out for
its beguine arrangement and lyrics written by Grace Jones herself, along with
Barry Reynolds, Dennis Wilkey, and Nathalie Delon. The lyrics painted the dark
and ambiguous side of Parisian nightlife, with some phrases recited in French. The single, the second extracted from
the album, was a huge commercial success, selling 146,800 copies in France
alone and reaching the Top 20 in five European countries.
After two
reggae-inspired albums, produced with the Compass Point All Stars, in 1982
Grace Jones recorded Living My Life in Nassau, Bahamas.
Her career
was further enriched by her foray into the world of cinema. In 1984, she played
Zula the Amazon in "Conan the Destroyer," earning a Saturn Award
nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The following year, she was May Day,
the fearsome bodyguard of the villain Max Zorin in the fourteenth James Bond
film, "A View to a Kill."
After her
film successes, Grace returned to the studio to work on Slave to the
Rhythm, her last recording for Island. The album, a concept album with
different interpretations of the title track, was written by Bruce Woolley,
Simon Darlow, Stephen Lipson, and Trevor Horn, and produced by the latter two. Originally
intended as a follow-up to "Relax" for Frankie Goes to Hollywood, the
project was then entrusted to Grace Jones. Slave to the Rhythm achieved great success in
German-speaking countries and the Netherlands, entering the Top 10. In November
1985, it reached number 12 on the UK album chart, becoming Jones' second most
successful album. The music video for the title track earned her an MTV Video
Music Award nomination.
Album
1977 - Portfolio
1978 - Fame
1979 - Muse
1980 - Warm Leatherette
1981 - Nightclubbing
1982 - Living My Life
1985 - Slave To The Rhythm
1986 - Inside Story
1989 - Bulletproof Heart
2008 - Hurricane
2011 - Hurricane Dub
Singles
1975 - I Need A Man
1976 - Sorry
1976 - I'll Find My Way To You
1977 - La Vie En Rose
1977 - Tomorrow
1978 - Do Or Die
1978 - Fame
1978 - Run Baby Run (feat. Amanda Lear)
1978 - Comme Un Oi-seau Qui S'envole
1978 - Am I Ever Gonna Fall In LOve In N.Y. City
1979 - On Your Knees
1980 - Private Life
1980 - The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game
1980 - A Rolling Stone
1980 - Breakdown
1980 - Warm Leatherette
1980 - Love Is The Drug
1980 - Pars
1980 - Bullshit
1981 - Pull Up To The Bumper
1981 - Walking In The Rain
1981 - Feel Up
1981 - Demolition Man
1981 - I've Seen That Face Before (Libetango)
1981 - Use Me
1982 - The Apple Stretching
1982 - Nipple To The Bottle
1982 - My Jamaican Guy
1982 - Unlimited Capacity For Love
1983 - Cry Now, Laugh Later
1983 - Living My Life
1985 - Slave To The Rhythm
1985 - Jones The Rhythm
1986 - I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect For You)
1986 - Crush
1986 - Party Girl
1989 - Love On Top Of Love (Killer Kiss)
1989 - Amado Mio
1992 - 7 Day Weekend
1993 - Sex Drive
1993 - Evilmainya
1996 - Love Bites
2008 - Corporate Cannibal
2009 - Well Well Well
2010 - Love You To Life
Ciancio DJ © Copyright - 2024 by Antonio Stanzani