GRACE JONES WARM LEATHERETTE 12" Vinyl LP Album

Compass Point Studios, founded in 1977 by Chris Blackwell, the visionary owner of Island Records, stands as a pivotal and iconic institution in the realm of music production, particularly during the vibrant decades of the 1970s and 1980s. Nestled in the picturesque Bahamas, just outside Nassau, this studio emerged as a tropical oasis that not only offered a breathtaking setting but also fostered a distinctive creative atmosphere that left an indelible mark on the global music scene.

The 1970s and 1980s witnessed a plethora of influential albums recorded at Compass Point Studios, spanning various genres such as rock, reggae, funk, and pop. Artists like Bob Marley, Grace Jones, Iron Maiden Talking Heads, and The Rolling Stones all left their mark on the studio, contributing to its legacy as a hub of musical innovation.

Jean-Paul Goude is a French graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, and director whose radical visual imagination reshaped fashion, advertising, and pop culture in the late 20th century. Born in 1940 in Saint-Mandé, France, Goude began his career as an art director for Esquire magazine in the 1970s, where he developed a signature style that blended surrealism, fashion, and race-charged provocation.

But it was his explosive collaboration—and personal relationship—with Grace Jones that cemented his legend. Goude didn’t just style Jones; he reconstructed her. He transformed her into an androgynous, angular, hypermodern icon through stark photography, collage-like compositions, and boldly choreographed videos. He painted her image on the Nightclubbing album cover, designing one of the most iconic visuals in pop history—Jones as a sculptural, post-human nightclub predator.

Their work together blurred the lines between fashion, art, and performance, turning Grace Jones into a living artwork and pushing the boundaries of race, gender, and power in visual culture. Goude’s aesthetic—equal parts genius and controversy—has influenced generations of artists, from Madonna to Beyoncé. Love him or critique him, Jean-Paul Goude changed how we see fame, beauty, and rebellion.