Who Can Define Infinity?

A belated happy birthday to Grace Jones for 19th May who, depending on varying sources, celebrated her 71st, 73rd or 75th year on this planet. Really, who cares? The fact that she's here is all that matters.

I'm of an age where I can't be certain if my first encounter with Grace Jones was her music or the infamous chat show appearance with Russell Harty in 1980, but it's almost certainly the latter. 

 

The song that I really remember making an impression on me was Living My Life, which was included on an Island Records promo cassette, free with Record Mirror circa 1982. I don't remember much about the specific magazine but I guess that it was around this time I would also have seen some of the striking imagery inextricably linked with Grace, not least her album artwork. I also recall seeing the lyrics to her cover version of The Apple Stretching in Smash Hits. The first record that I bought by Grace was the 12" single of Slave To The Rhythm, with it's unforgettable cut-up photo by Jean-Paul Goude and 12" mix by Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson, introduced by actor Ian McShane.

Only the first of these makes it onto today's random selection and even then in a dub version (although with vocals intact). And just the one cover version, not the aforementioned Melvin Van Peebles nor Joy Division nor Iggy Pop but Gordon Sumner's old band (although still very much a going concern in 1981). 

 

The eight songs don't stretch back into disco-era Miss Jones, but there are a few selections from the early 1980s, a couple of oddities from the late 1980s and 1990s and two remixes following her spectacular comeback (and to date most recent album) in 2008...as if Grace Jones ever really went away.

Still a force of nature to be cherished and never underestimated, Grace has a fair few UK festival appearances lined up in June and July, having curated last year's (pandemic delayed) Meltdown Festival. As I enthused last March, any live performance is unlikely to be anything less than spectacular.

 

1) Demolition Man (Long Version By Alex Sadkin & Chris Blackwell) (Cover of The Police) (1981)

2) Victor Should Have Been A Jazz Musician (The Jazzclubmillionminutemix By Ben Liebrand) (1987)

3) Love You To Life (Cagedbaby & Guy Williams Paradise 45 Rework) (2010)

4) Cry Now, Laugh Later (Vocal) (Remix By Steven Stanley) (1983)

5) Corporate Cannibal (Dan Donovan Remix) (2009)

6) Living My Life (Dub Version By Stephen Street) (1983)

7) Love Bites (7" Deep Into The Night Mix By The P.O.D.) (1996)

8) Nipple To The Bottle (Album Version By Alex Sadkin & Chris Blackwell) (1982)

 

Who Can Define Infinity? (44:55) (Box) (Mega)

Humble Yourself, My Children

As highlighted by Ernie Goggins at the always entertaining 27 Leggies blog on 1st February, Jamaica is currently celebrating Reggae Month. Ernie marked the occasion with music from a personal favourite, on what would have been the legendary Dennis Brown's 65th birthday. In typical fashion, I'd celebrated Dennis Brown here two weeks early.

By way of compensation and further celebration, here's more Dennis, accompanied by several other reggae legends, on a selection of cuts from 1972 to 1977. Most of the songs feature the vocal A-side paired with the version B-side, predominantly featuring The Aggrovators, for an extended rhythm. Is there a better way to roll into the weekend? Possibly, but this is pretty much guaranteed to shake you from a slumber to a slink in less than an hour.

 

1) Can You Feel It (Sufferation Every Day) (12" Version By Niney The Observer): Junior Byles (1977)

2) Skylarking / A Better Version (12" Version By Bunny Lee / King Tubby): Horace Andy ft. The Aggrovators (1976)

3) Declaration Of Rights / Dub Of Rights (12" Version By Bunny Lee) (Cover of The Abyssinians): Johnny Clarke ft. The Aggrovators (1975)

4) Jah Jah Is The Conqueror / Conqueror Dub (12" Version By Bunny Lee): Linval Thompson ft. The Aggrovators (1975)

5) Invasion (Wa Da Da) / Invasion Version (12" Version By Bunny Lee) (Cover of Burning Spear): Jackie Edwards ft. The Aggrovators (1976)

6) Wolf And Leopards (12" Version By Niney The Observer): Dennis Brown (1976)

7) Stir It Up (Album Version By Bob Marley & Chris Blackwell): Bob Marley & The Wailers (1972)

Humble Yourself, My Children (43:12)