Cinnie (if I recall correctly) posted "Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent" which I've heard a gazillion times but when I checked the related videos, I found this gem and a whole cans of candy opened up so to speak...

Great album from start to finish! I also noticed it was produced by the same guys who did Grace Jones' early 80s albums. Good stuff

Gwen was an excellent, incredibly underrated artist. Island and Warner Brothers just weren't sure how to market her outside of the club scene. She had so many excellent songs/singles in her catalog that weren't promoted on radio. "Ain't Nothing Goin' on But the Rent" was from the one album she recorded on the Polydor label and even they weren't sure what to do with her. She had a number of excellent follow-up singles from the same album that went no where. I'm not sure why there hasn't been an Unsung episode dedicated to her. Unless her family has refused.

Great album:

^^^

"God Don't Like Ugly" that was a great listen. Thank you!

Gwen was like a Teena Marie or Betty Wright. She wrote, composed, arranged, produced and performed all her own shit! HIGHLY underated!

whitechocolatebrotha said:

Gwen was like a Teena Marie or Betty Wright. She wrote, composed, arranged, produced and performed all her own shit! HIGHLY underated!

Co-sign. Gwen was an amazing talent.

She helped write this gem for Ben E. King, too:

duggalolly said:

Great album:

Yes Indeed

Abdul said:

duggalolly said:

Great album:

Yes Indeed

I wish Universal would properly reissue this and her "Portrait" album on CD using the master tapes. Both have been reissued via Vinyl Masterpieces, but, of course they were vinyl rips.

kitbradley said:

Abdul said:

Yes Indeed

I wish Universal would properly reissue this and her "Portrait" album on CD using the master tapes. Both have been reissued via Vinyl Masterpieces, but, of course they were vinyl rips.

I have the reissued of both from Itunes with extra extended songs.

Have to say "Portrait" is my fave album from her. Not one skip-worthy song from start to finish. Even the hilariously sensual take on Sly Stone's "Family Affair" is good

"Oh! What A Life" is sorta heartbreaking though. Moving ballad.

Hamad said:

Cinnie (if I recall correctly)

Oh, probably.
[img:$uid]http://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/601257_10151824336875133_1731603506_n.jpg?oh=563ea2c174e158a82a9b8cc543d3bfc8&oe=5679DD1E[/img:$uid]

Yay! I'm not a Nemo after all

Hamad said:

Yay! I'm not a Nemo after all

I had a photo of me holding the Padlock EP, which is the album you REALLY want to get your hands on. All her best songs and versions of them.

Cinny said:

Hamad said:

Yay! I'm not a Nemo after all

I had a photo of me holding the Padlock EP, which is the album you REALLY want to get your hands on. All her best songs and versions of them.

I do have it via iTunes. I posted about it right before your reply

And I do agree, I thoroughly ejoyed that album. I think its her strongest

While "Good To Go Lover" was Gwen's most successful album, it's her three albums for Island Records that I absolutely adore. "Portrait" is the jewel in the crown - not only is it my favourite album of Gwen's but it's one of my favourite albums of all time. There is not a bad track on there. The ballads "Oh What A Life", "Younger Than Me" and "You're The One" are all so sublime and showcase Gwen's soulful and understated but SO effective approach. In contrast, the mid-tempo and dance tracks are relentless - the sexy "Peanut Butter" (The instrumental that this track originated from was also the basis for Grace Jones' classic "Pull Up To The Bumper") the killer groove "Hopscotch" ("Baby it's your last chance to dance" - Try not to sing along!) and the bonafide dance classics "Padlock" and the how-the-hell-wasn't-this-a-huge-hit "Seventh Heaven". Compared to the originals, it's the cover "Family Affair" that maybe doesn't hold up as well but it's far from a dud.

_

I agree that this along with the other two Island discs are crying out for the expanded treated from the master tapes. For the "Portrait" CD, Vinyl Masterpiece clearly cherry picked what had been on CD before (4 tracks had previously appeared on Gwen's Ultimate Collection) and used vinyl for the rest (Most evident on "You're The One" and "Family Affair"). They also left off the long UK Larry Levan 12" version of "Seventh Heaven".
_
I can see Universal are selling track for track on Itunes what Vinyl Masterpiece released on CD. I am guessing they didn't go back to the tapes for the tracks that were sourced from vinyl?

^^^

Wait, three Island records releases? Whats the third? I only know of the debut & "Portrait".

Hamad said:

^^^

Wait, three Island records releases? Whats the third? I only know of the debut & "Portrait".

The Eumir Deodato produced "Just for You" came out in 1985 and while not quite as good as Gwen's Compass Point disc it still has some great moments:

_

http://www.discogs.com/Gwen-Guthrie-Just-For-You/release/925418

_

I prefer this album to all the ones that came after it. It's been on CD a couple of times in Japan but appears to be out of print again.

[Edited 9/3/15 19:22pm]

Found it its on iTunes. Thank you!!

Been listening to the post-Island Records releases' samples since I posted this thread. While the production is not superior, she had some strong musical moments here & there

"Just For You" was her third and final album with Island Records and the only one on the label to be released on CD using the master tapes. There were no hits from that album but there is a Funk diddy on there called "Joy Riders" that should have been huge for her if it were released as a single.