Private Life (song)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Your private life drama, baby, leave me out."--Private Life (1979) by The Pretenders |
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"Private Life" (1979) is a song written by Chrissie Hynde, included on The Pretenders' eponymous 1979 debut album. The following year the track was covered by Grace Jones on her first post-disco album Warm Leatherette, recorded at the Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas with among others Sly and Robbie. In the liner notes to Island Records' 1998 compilation Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions Hynde is quoted as saying; - Like all the other London punks, I wanted to do reggae, and I wrote "Private Life". When I first heard Grace's version I thought 'Now that's how it's supposed to sound!' In fact it was one of the highpoints of my career - what with Sly and Robbie being the masters, and Grace Jones with her scorching delivery. Someone told me it was Chris Blackwell's idea - thanks Chris!
"Private Life" was released as the third single from the Warm Leatherette album but it became the single that marked a new era in Jones' career as she left her disco persona behind her and began exploring genres like reggae, rock and new wave, combined with an entirely different image and it in fact became Grace Jones' first ever chart entry in the U.K., peaking at #17. The single's B-side was a non-album track; "She's Lost Control", originally recorded by Joy Division. Both tracks were remixed and re-edited for the 7" single and both of these mixes have yet to be released on CD. In The Netherlands the B-side was the French language "Pars" from the Warm Leatherette album. In Germany, "La Vie En Rose" was re-issued as a follow-up single to "Private Life" whereas the UK and the Netherlands preferred "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game".
Video
The original video for this song presented the famous Grace Jones mask for the first time. The entire video shows Grace's face in close-up, her taking the mask off and on and off again, singing straight into the camera and it is filmed in one take without any cuts. [1] The song was later also featured in Jones' A One Man Show, then as an on-stage performance.
Remix version
Following the release of the compilation Island Life in 1985 the song was remixed and re-issued as a single in the U.K. (Island Records IS 273), then with "My Jamaican Guy" as the B-side.
See also
