Fame (album)

Not to be confused with The Fame or F.A.M.E. (album).
Fame
Studio album by Grace Jones
Released June 7, 1978
Recorded 1977-1978
Genre Disco
Label Island
Producer Tom Moulton
Grace Jones chronology

Portfolio
(1977)		 Fame
(1978)		 Muse
(1979)
Singles from Fame
  1. "Do or Die"
    Released: 1978
  2. "Autumn Leaves"
    Released: July 1978
  3. "Fame"
    Released: October 1978
  4. "Am I Ever Gonna Fall in Love in New York City"
    Released: December 1978
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Fame is the second studio album by Grace Jones, released in 1978 by Island Records.

Background

After a relative success with her debut release, Grace Jones and Tom Moulton delivered a rapid follow-up album to Portfolio. Fame, recorded in Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, consisted of a set of mainstream-oriented disco tracks and repeated the scheme of the previous album. Like on Portfolio, side A was a continuous medley, and side B again opened with a re-interpretation of a French classic, this time it was Jacques Prévert's "Les Feuilles mortes", sung in English as "Autumn Leaves". The album was "dedicated with love to a true Artist, Jean-Paul Goude", as Grace put it in the liner notes.[2]

The Canadian edition of the original vinyl album included another French language track, "Comme un oiseau qui s'envole", which replaced "All on a Summers Night" and, in most other territories, was issued as the B-side of the single "Do or Die". On Japanese version of the album "Comme un oiseau qui s'envole" replaced "Below the Belt", which in turn in Italy was omitted in favour of an Italian song "Anema e core". A number of songs from the album, including "Anema e core", have been performed in Italian TV show Stryx, which ran in late 1978.

The album was a hit on the North American club scene, and the "Do or Die"/"Pride"/"Fame" side reached top 10 on both the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play and Canadian Dance/Urban charts. Fame also charted respectably in Italy and Sweden which were Jones' most successful markets during the disco era. The album was issued in CD format in early 1990s, but has soon gone out of print. It was not available in any digital format until November 2011, when it received an official remastered CD release by Gold Legion, a record company that specializes in reissuing classic disco albums on CD. The re-release came with no bonus tracks.[3]

Singles

"Do or Die" was the album's lead single and became a big club hit on the U.S. and Canadian dance charts. "Autumn Leaves" was released on a single with the song "Anema e core" from Italian pressing of Fame. Although being the B-side track, "Anema e core" is strangely identified as the single's title on the cover.

"Fame" and "Am I Ever Gonna Fall in Love in New York City" also got single releases, but failed to chart.

Track listing

Note: Tracks from side A are a non-stop medley, with the total playing time 18:47.

Standard release

Side A

  1. "Do or Die" (Jack Robinson, James Bolden) – 6:47
  2. "Pride" (Jack Robinson, James Bolden) – 6:23
  3. "Fame" (Jack Robinson, Gil Slavin) – 5:37

Side B

  1. "Autumn Leaves" (Jacques Prévert, Johnny Mercer, Joseph Kosma) – 7:02
  2. "All on a Summers Night" (Jack Robinson, James Bolden) – 4:17
  3. "Am I Ever Gonna Fall in Love in New York City" (Jack Robinson, Vivienne Savoie Robinson, James Bolden) – 5:28
  4. "Below the Belt" (Grace Jones, Pierre Papadiamondis) – 4:43

Canadian release

Side A

  1. "Do or Die" (Jack Robinson, James Bolden) – 6:47
  2. "Pride" (Jack Robinson, James Bolden) – 6:23
  3. "Fame" (Jack Robinson, Gil Slavin) – 5:37

Side B

  1. "Les Feuilles mortes/Autumn Leaves" (Jacques Prévert, Johnny Mercer, Joseph Kosma) – 7:02
  2. "Comme un oiseau qui s'envole" (Jean-Claude Cosson, Gil Slavin) – 4:30
  3. "Am I Ever Gonna Fall in Love in New York City" (Jack Robinson, Vivienne Savoie Robinson, James Bolden) – 5:28
  4. "Below the Belt (La Vieille fille)" (Grace Jones, Pierre Papadiamondis) – 4:43

Italian release

Side A

  1. "Do or Die" (Jack Robinson, James Bolden) – 6:47
  2. "Pride" (Jack Robinson, James Bolden) – 6:23
  3. "Fame" (Jack Robinson, Gil Slavin) – 5:37

Side B

  1. "Autumn Leaves" (Jacques Prévert, Johnny Mercer, Joseph Kosma) – 7:02
  2. "All on a Summers Night" (Jack Robinson, James Bolden) – 4:17
  3. "Am I Ever Gonna Fall in Love in New York City" (Jack Robinson, Vivienne Savoie Robinson, James Bolden) – 5:28
  4. "Anema e core" (Tito Manlio, Salve D'Esposito) – 3:58

Personnel

Chart performance

Chart Peak
position
Canada (Dance/Urban)[4] 5
Italy[5] 15
Sweden[6] 22
United States[7] 97
United States (Top R&B/Black Albums)[7] 57

Release history

Region Year Format(s) Label
Worldwide 1978 LP, Cassette Island
Europe, Australia 1993 CD Island, Spectrum Music, Karussell
USA 2011 CD Gold Legion

References

  1. ↑ "Fame - Grace Jones". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2006-12-28.
  2. ↑ "R-1081686-1298753776.jpeg (JPEG Image, 600 × 614 pixels) - Scaled (97%)". s.dsimg.com. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
  3. ↑ "Grace Jones Fame". www.shop.goldlegion.com. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  4. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". RPM. www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
  5. ↑ "Hit Parade Italia - ALBUM 1978". www.hitparadeitalia.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2012-04-21.
  6. ↑ "Discography Grace Jones". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Grace Jones". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-11-11.

External links