| Muse | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 4, 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1976–1979 | |||
| Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:36 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Tom Moulton | |||
| Grace Jones chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Muse | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Billboard | Favorable [3] |
| The Quietus | Favorable [4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [5] |
Muse is the third studio album by Jamaican singer and songwriter Grace Jones, released on September 4, 1979, by Island Records.
Muse was the last album of Jones's disco trilogy recorded with producer Tom Moulton, which began in 1977 with debut Portfolio . As in the case of two previous records, the first side of the album is a continuous medley of four songs, joined by a narrative about someone who has sinned. The second side, however, consists of disco songs with no lyrical relation to one another. All album art, including the cover image, is by Richard Bernstein.
The album features a re-recorded version "I'll Find My Way to You", which Jones released three years prior to Muse. It was originally featured in a 1976 Italian movie Quelli della calibro 38 (international title: Colt 38 Special Squad ) in which she played a club singer. The original version along with a song called "Again and Again" were included on a single produced by composer Stelvio Cipriani. Icelandic keyboardist Thor Baldursson who arranged most of the album and also sang duet with Grace on the track "Suffer" had previously worked in Munich, Germany with disco stars such as Silver Convention, Boney M., Donna Summer, Amanda Lear, and Giorgio Moroder.
Muse was released in the year of the "anti-disco backlash" and both the album and its sole single, "On Your Knees", were largely overlooked by the record buying public at the time. It is generally believed to be Grace Jones' "lost album". Muse remains her lowest-charting studio album in the United States and the only studio album not to produce any charting single. For many years, Muse was the only Grace Jones studio album that had not been re-released on CD. Gold Legion, a record company that specializes in re-issuing classic disco albums on CD, finally released it on the format in November 2011, remastered, but with no bonus tracks. It was first released on CD in the UK in 2015, along with Portfolio and Fame , as part of the Disco boxed set of Jones' first three "disco" era albums.
Note: Tracks from side A are a non-stop medley, with the total playing time 20:26.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sinning" | Grace Jones, Pierre Papadiamandis | 5:06 |
| 2. | "Suffer" | Tom Moulton, Thor Baldursson | 4:17 |
| 3. | "Repentance (Forgive Me)" | Jones, Papadiamandis | 3:50 |
| 4. | "Saved" | Jack Robinson, David Christie, Vivienne Savoie Robinson | 7:13 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Atlantic City Gambler" | Duke Williams, Moulton | 5:46 |
| 6. | "I'll Find My Way to You" | Stelvio Cipriani, Hal Sharp | 5:14 |
| 7. | "Don't Mess with the Messer" | Jones, Papadiamandis | 4:50 |
| 8. | "On Your Knees" | D.C. LaRue, Jerry Corbetta | 6:30 |
The original version of "I'll Find My Way to You" was released on a single with "Again and Again" as the B-side in 1976 and promoted an Italian movie Quelli della calibro 38 ( Colt 38 Special Squad ). The song did not chart.
The first, and internationally the only single promoting Muse, was "On Your Knees", released shortly before album's premiere. The single was not a commercial success and did not chart. Its B-side was "Don't Mess with the Messer". Some German 7" feature the alternate title "Sugar and Spice" for "Don't Mess with the Messer".
| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [6] | 38 |
| US Billboard 200 [7] | 156 |
| Region | Year | Format(s) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 1979 | LP/Cassette | Island |
| USA | 2011 | CD | Gold Legion |
| USA | 2014 | CD | Island |
| USA | 2018 | CD | Island/UMG |
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.
"Le Freak" is a 1978 funk-disco song by American R&B band Chic. It was the band's third single and first Billboard Hot 100 and R&B number-one hit song. Along with the tracks "I Want Your Love" and "Chic Cheer", "Le Freak" scored number one on the disco charts for seven weeks. The single achieved sales of 7 million and also scored number seven in the UK Singles Chart.
Nightclubbing is the fifth studio album by Jamaican singer and songwriter 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.
"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.
Island Life is the first greatest hits album by Jamaican singer and songwriter Grace Jones, released in December 1985, summing up the first nine years of her musical career. The album sits among Jones' best-selling works.
Modern Times is the sixth album by Jefferson Starship and was released in 1981. Grace Slick appeared on this album after a three-year absence. She returned near the end of the recording sessions, providing background vocals on some tracks as well as lead vocals on the single "Stranger" as a duet with lead singer Mickey Thomas. "Stranger" had previously been performed live by Jefferson Starship as early as December 1979, and the first studio version was made for Modern Times. Although not appearing in the band picture on the gatefold cover, Slick is listed on the back cover of the LP with the credit "Introducing Grace Slick" and her picture is on the lyric sleeve with the note "Grace Slick courtesy of Grace Slick." She joined the band officially for the 1981 tour. This was the first Jefferson Starship album to have promotional music videos. It was also the first album to feature a charting single on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, which had premiered earlier in the year. The single "Find Your Way Back" reached No. 3 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
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 Jamaican singer and songwriter Grace Jones. It was released on 7 June 1978 by Island Records.
Warm Leatherette is the fourth studio album by Jamaican singer and songwriter 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.
Inside Story is the eighth studio album by Jamaican singer and songwriter Grace Jones, released in November 1986, her first with the Manhattan Records label. The album spawned the hit single "I'm Not Perfect ".
The Ultimate Collection is a 3-CD anthology of recordings recorded by Jamaican singer and songwriter Grace Jones, released on October 6, 2006 by Universal.
"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 elements of funk and R&B music. 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.
What Mattered Most is the debut studio album by American country music artist Ty Herndon, issued in 1995 on Epic Records. The album's title track, which was Herndon's debut single, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts in mid-1995. Other singles from the album were, in order, "I Want My Goodbye Back," "Heart Half Empty" and "In Your Face." Doug Johnson produced the entire album, with additional production from Ed Seay on "Heart Half Empty".
"Everybody Dance" is a song by American band Chic. The disco song, which features Norma Jean Wright on lead vocals and Luther Vandross, Diva Gray, Robin Clark and David Lasley on background vocals, was released as the second single from the band's self-titled debut album Chic (1977). According to guitarist Nile Rodgers, it was the first song specifically written for Chic, and, due to its historical status and popularity, is usually played as the opening song of the band's live set. It was later heavily sampled by British group Steps on their song "Stomp" and echoed by the Manic Street Preachers on their single "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love".
"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.
"Open My Heart" is a song by Yolanda Adams released in 2000. The song gained Adams great popularity in the secular audiences. Being the most groundbreaking single of her career, she won several awards for this song. "Open My Heart" helped her 1999 album Mountain High...Valley Low gain multi-platinum status and reach charts heights not often attained by artists of the gospel genre.
"Do or Die" is a single by Grace Jones, released in 1978, promoting her album Fame.
"On Your Knees" is a 1979 single by the Jamaican singer Grace Jones.
"Disco Heaven" is a song from former Frankie Goes to Hollywood singer Holly Johnson, which was released in 1999 as the second single from his third studio album Soulstream. The song, written and produced by Johnson, reached No. 85 in the UK Singles Chart.
"Get on Up" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their third album, The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995). The song was released as the third and final single for the album in 1996. "Get on Up" contains the sample of the 1981 song from Quincy Jones featuring Toots Thielemans' "Velas". Produced by Mr. Dalvin and written by Mr. Dalvin and K-Ci & JoJo, it is the only Jodeci single to date that was not produced or written by group leader DeVante Swing. It was also the last Jodeci single released in 18 years before the group returned in 2014 with the single "Nobody Wins". The group performed the song when they guest starred in a season one episode of the UPN sitcom Moesha.
