| "I Need a Man" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Grace Jones | ||||
| from the album Portfolio | ||||
| B-side | "Again and Again" | |||
| Released | 1975 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:22 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Tom Moulton | |||
| Grace Jones singles chronology | ||||
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"I Need a Man" is the debut single by Grace Jones, released in 1975 through Beam Junction. It was re-released in 1977, and reached number 83 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the US Dance Club Songs chart.
"I Need a Man" was the debut single for Grace Jones, originally recorded and released in France for the label Orfeus while Jones was still working as a fashion model. It is a disco and funk song. [1] Its initial release passed fairly unnoticed. The track was later re-mixed and released in the U.S. on the minor disco label Beam Junction before Jones signed with Island Records and included it on her 1977 debut album Portfolio . "I Need a Man" then became a modest hit, reaching number 1 spot on the Billboard dance chart. It also contributed to Jones' growing popularity among gay scene. [2]
According to Jones, the original writer of the song, Paul Slade, was an "anonymous, hardworking session guy" who had been writing English lyrics for French singers who wanted to sing in English. [3] Jones claimed to have helped write the words for "I Need a Man" but was not credited as co-writer. [3]
The original mix of "I Need a Man", together with its B-side, "Again and Again", remain unreleased on CD.
The music video for the song was made using the chroma key technique and presents Jones wearing a white, knee-length plain dress, dancing to the track.
| Chart (1976–1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [8] | 19 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [9] | 83 |
| US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [10] | 1 |
The twelve-inch single is a type of vinyl gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a "single" or a few related sound tracks on each surface, compared to LPs which have several songs on each side. It is named for its 12-inch (300 mm) diameter that was intended for LPs. This technical adaptation allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the mastering engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality. This record type, which is claimed to have been accidentally discovered by Tom Moulton, is commonly used in disco and dance music genres, where DJs use them to play in clubs. They are played at either 33+1⁄3 or 45 rpm. The conventional 7-inch single usually holds three or four minutes of music at full volume. The 12-inch LP sacrifices volume for extended playing time.
Grace Beverly Jones is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for fashion houses such as Yves St. Laurent and Kenzo, and appearing on the covers of Elle and Vogue. She notably worked with photographers such as Jean-Paul Goude, Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, and Hans Feurer, and became known for her distinctive androgynous appearance and bold features.
"I Can't Help Myself" is a 1965 song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label.
Machine was an American funk, disco and rock group, formed in New York City and originally active from 1977 to 1981. The band reached its biggest success with the single "There but for the Grace of God Go I", which became a disco hit in 1979.
Pattie Brooks is an American singer most frequently associated with the disco era.
From October 26, 1974 until August 28, 1976, Billboard's Disco Action section published weekly single retail sales charts from various local regions along with Top Audience Response Records in their magazine. Billboard debuted its first national chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales in their issue dated March 16, 1985. This record type is most commonly used in disco and dance music genres where DJs use them to play in discos or dance clubs because of the exclusive extended remixes that are often only made available on this format, but Billboard's 12-inch Single Sales chart ranks releases by artists from all styles of music that release maxi-singles.
"The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" is a 1966 song written by Smokey Robinson. It was a hit single in 1967 for the American girl group The Marvelettes for the Motown label, from their self-titled album released that same year.
Nightclubbing is the fifth studio album by Jamaican singer Grace Jones, released on 11 May 1981 by Island Records. Recorded at Compass Point Studios with producers Alex Sadkin and Island Records' president Chris Blackwell, as well as a team of session musicians rooted by rhythm section Sly and Robbie, the album marked her second foray into a new wave style that blends a variety of genres, including reggae, R&B, dub and funk. The album has cover versions of songs by Bill Withers, Iggy Pop, Astor Piazzolla, and others, and original songs, three of which were co-written by Jones.
Barry Blue is an English singer, producer, and songwriter. As an artist, he is best known for his hit songs "Dancin' " and "Do You Wanna Dance".
"Turn the Beat Around" is a disco song written by Gerald Jackson and Peter Jackson, and performed by American actress and singer Vicki Sue Robinson in 1976, originally appearing on her debut album, Never Gonna Let You Go (1976). Released as a single, the song went to #10 on the Billboard pop charts, and #73 on the Billboard soul chart. The song earned Robinson a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The track also went to number one on the Billboard disco chart for four weeks. "Turn the Beat Around" is considered a disco classic and is featured on many compilation albums.
"La Vie en rose" is the signature song of popular French singer Édith Piaf, written in 1945, popularized in 1946, and released as a single in 1947. The song became very popular in the United States in 1950, when seven versions reached the Billboard charts. These recordings were made by Tony Martin, Paul Weston, Bing Crosby, Ralph Flanagan, Victor Young, Dean Martin, and Louis Armstrong.
Portfolio is the debut studio album by Jamaican singer and songwriter Grace Jones, released in 1977 by Island Records. It spawned her first big hit, "La Vie en rose".
Fame is the second studio album by Grace Jones, released on 7 June 1978 by Island Records.
Muse is the third studio album by Jamaican singer and songwriter Grace Jones, released on September 4, 1979, by Island Records.
Warm Leatherette is the fourth studio album by Jamaican singer Grace Jones, released on 9 May 1980 by Island Records. The album features contributions from the reggae production duo Sly and Robbie and is a departure from Jones's earlier disco sound, moving towards a new wave-reggae direction.
"Pull Up to the Bumper" is a 1981 song by Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress Grace Jones, released by Island Records as the third single from her fifth album, Nightclubbing (1981). Sonically, it is an uptempo electro-disco, post-punk, dance-pop and reggae-disco song with dub production, "pulsing drums and chic new-wave licks", as well as being described as a hybrid of funk and R&B. Its lyrics were written by Jones alone, while she, along with Kookoo Baya and Dana Manno, are credited as its composers. The song's instrumental part was originally recorded in 1980 during the Warm Leatherette sessions; however, it did not make the album as Chris Blackwell found its sound not fitting in the rest of the material. It was completed for the 1981 critically acclaimed Nightclubbing album and became its third single in June 1981. The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart and number 53 on the UK Singles Chart. When re-released in 1986, it peaked at number 12 in the UK. The track has come to be one of Jones' signature tunes and her first transatlantic hit.
Gonzalez were a British R&B and funk band. They became well known as a backing band for touring R&B, funk, and soul stars. Their eponymous album was released in 1974 and they recorded a total of six albums before disbanding in 1986. They are best known for their 1979 single success with their worldwide disco hit "Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet."
"Sorry" is a song by Jamaican singer and actress Grace Jones, released in 1976 with "That's the Trouble" as a Double A-Side single.
"Do or Die" is a single by Grace Jones, released in 1978, promoting her album Fame.
"What I Did for Love" is a song from the musical A Chorus Line with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban. It was quickly recognized for its show-business potential outside Broadway and was picked up by popular singers to include in their performances in their club and television appearances. Both female and male singers have made it an inclusion in their recorded albums to great effect. The Daily Telegraph described it as a "big anthem".
...the breezy disco funk of "I Need a Man"...
