Portfolio (Grace Jones album)

Portfolio is the debut studio album by Grace Jones, released in 1977 by Island Records. It spawned her first big hit, "La Vie en rose".

Portfolio
Studio album by
Grace Jones
ReleasedSeptember 6, 1977
Recorded1975–1977
GenreDisco
Length36:59
LabelIsland
ProducerTom Moulton
Grace Jones chronology
Portfolio
(1977)		 Fame
(1978)
Singles from Portfolio
  1. "I Need a Man"
    Released: 1975
  2. "Sorry"
    Released: September 1976
  3. "That's the Trouble"
    Released: 1976
  4. "La Vie en rose"
    Released: October 1977
  5. "What I Did for Love"
    Released: 1977
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[2]

Background

Having enjoyed a successful modelling career in Paris and New York in the early 1970s, Jones released a series of singles throughout 1975–1976. None of them, however, managed to succeed in mainstream charts. Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977 and found wider recognition only with her debut Island album, Portfolio.

The album was recorded and mixed in Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, and released in autumn 1977 as the first of three albums made with the legendary disco record producer Tom Moulton. Side one of the original vinyl album is a continuous disco medley covering three songs from Broadway musicals, "Send in the Clowns" by Stephen Sondheim from A Little Night Music, "What I Did for Love" from A Chorus Line and "Tomorrow" from Annie. Side two opens with Jones' very personal re-interpretation of Édith Piaf's "La Vie en rose" and continues with three new recordings, two of which were co-written by Jones herself. The Italian release would omit "Sorry" and "That's the Trouble", adding an extended, over 7-minute-long version of "I Need a Man" instead.[3] The album's artwork was designed by Richard Bernstein, an artist working for Interview, who would later contribute to Jones' two next albums' artworks and with whom the singer would re-team up for the 1986 album Inside Story.

Portfolio reached number 52 on the Black Albums Chart in the US, while climbing to number 109 on Billboard's mainstream albums chart. It garnered more attention in Europe, entering the top 10 in both Italy in early 1978 and the Netherlands in 1983.

Singles

"I Need a Man" was Jones' debut single, originally released in 1975 by the minor French label Orfeus. It failed to make any chart impact until two years later, when it was re-mixed and released via the Beam Junction label, becoming a number-one dance hit in the US and introducing Jones to club audiences, primarily gay.

The second single, "Sorry", was released a year prior to the Portfolio album, and was a modest success on the US singles chart. Its B-side track, "That's the Trouble", also received a separate A-side release. Both songs were Jones' first forays into songwriting.

"La Vie en rose" was released as a single in autumn 1977 and became the biggest hit from Portfolio, having charted in the French and Italian top 5. When re-released in 1983, it reached the top 5 in the Netherlands.

"What I Did for Love" became a top 10 dance hit in the US.

Track listing

All tracks produced by Tom Moulton.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Send in the Clowns"Stephen Sondheim7:33
2."What I Did for Love"
5:15
3."Tomorrow"
5:48
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."La Vie en rose"
7:27
5."Sorry"
  • Grace Jones
  • Pierre Papadiamandis
3:58
6."That's the Trouble"
  • Jones
  • Papadiamandis
3:36
7."I Need a Man"
  • Paul Slade
  • Papadiamandis
3:23

Notes

  • Side one's tracks are a non-stop medley, with its total playing time being 18:36.
  • Italian releases of the record feature the same tracklist as the original release, but exclude "Sorry" and "That's the Trouble".

Personnel

Charts
Chart Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 27
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[5] 8
Italian Albums (FIMI)[6] 9
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[7] 22
US Billboard 200[8] 109
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] 52

Release history
Region Year Format(s) Label
Worldwide 1977 LP, Cassette Island
UK 1986 LP
Europe 1987 CD
Worldwide 1990 Island, PolyGram

References
  1. Hamilton, Andrew. "Portfolio – Grace Jones". AllMusic. Retrieved December 28, 2006.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: J". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 27, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. "Grace Jones - Portfolio (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-05-24.
  4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. p. 160. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. "Dutchcharts.nl – Grace Jones – Portfolio" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  6. "Hit Parade Italia - ALBUM 1978". www.hitparadeitalia.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  7. "Swedishcharts.com – Grace Jones – Portfolio". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  8. "Grace Jones Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  9. "Grace Jones". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-11-11.
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