Grace Jones: A One Man Show / A Musical Entertainment For Television

November 2, 2018 9:37 PM

A lively performance set from the archives: Grace Jones - A One Man Show (full video on Vimeo; Discogs), which partly captures live performances of Jones' A One Man Show tour which was filmed at London's Drury Lane Theatre and at the Savoy Theater in New York City in 1981. Of the ten songs, six were live, and the other four are studio music videos, capturing some of the the classic Sly & Robbie era tracks. The film was directed by Jean-Paul Goude, who included a photo montage intro of some of the most famous [slightly NSFW] images of Jones from the late 1970s and early 1980s, including the "tiger in a cage" portrait and the "arabesque" photo, which he also created.

Separate videos on YouTube, with additional notes:

1. Nightclubbing ** (intro snippet) / Warm Leatherette *
2. Walking In The Rain **
3. Feel Up **
4. La Vie En Rose ***
5. Demolition Man **
6. Pull Up To The Bumper **
7. Private Life *
8. My Jamaican Guy ****
9. Living My Life *****
10. Libertango / I've Seen That Face Before **

* From Warm Leatherette (1980), Grace's first work with the reggae production duo of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare
** From Nightclubbing (1981), where Jones again collaborated with Sly & Robbie and the remainder of the Compass Point team
*** From Portfolio (1977)
**** Later featured on Living My Life (1982)
***** Later featured on Living My Life single (1983)

Bonus video: Grace Jones "My Jamaican Guy" w/Sly&Robbie, Coati Mundi Live in Kingston, Jamaica

Bonus official album on YouTube: Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions (Discogs)

posted by filthy light thief (10 comments total)

Fabulous! Earlier this year, I saw Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami, which includes footage of her backstage at shows and in Jamaica. I don't know if it's available via streaming yet, but if it is, it's a solid addition to the Grace Jones canon.
posted by rmd1023 at 4:35 AM on November 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

I love Grace.
posted by james33 at 5:31 AM on November 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Wish you could hear the parody Moist Towelette
posted by otherchaz at 6:23 AM on November 3, 2018

I picked this out in a video rental store when I must have been about 6 or 7 (so 1982-3). My dad had a pretty liberal policy about letting me rent anything from the Music section. It blew my mind completely and permanently. I'd probably seen at least "Demolition Man" on MTV, because I distinctly recall the marching army of Graces as my first (terrifying) exposure to her. What a legend.
posted by mykescipark at 8:38 AM on November 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

The highpoint of the show (if not human achievement in general) for me, is during La Vie En Rose when Grace gets ultra-romantic: 'When he takes me in his arms, and whispers low to me, EVERYTHING IS LOVELY.'
posted by robself at 9:08 AM on November 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Oh, but otherchaz: we can. (slightly nsfw, features the cover of Killer Pussy's Bikini Wax)
posted by gusandrews at 10:19 AM on November 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Lifelong Grace Jones fan. I first heard "Pull up to the Bumper" when I was a naive teenager and this is why I was able to have this sudden epiphany when I was in my thirties: "oh. She might not be singing about parallel parking. "
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:30 PM on November 3, 2018

Demolition man also implanted itself deeply in my brain, still hum it to myself and remember Grace's head bobbing like an android, laser beam stare. Excellent stuff.
posted by Meatbomb at 2:39 PM on November 3, 2018

It’s still so bizarre to me that she and Dolph Lundgren were in a relationship.
posted by gucci mane at 12:30 PM on November 4, 2018

This was the nudge I needed to get a Grace Jones album from iTunes. Thanks!
posted by Slothrop at 4:02 AM on November 5, 2018