‘I don’t believe anything could ever sum it up (the Compass Point sound). Like nothing could sum up the Motown or Stax sound. So much goes into the fabric of those sounds: the studio itself, the engineers, the producers, the artists, the vibes of the time, and only the specific combination of elements does the job’ Wally Badarou (The Compass Point All Stars)

‘Funky Nasssau: The Compass Point Story 1980 – 1986’ is brought to you by the newly re-launched label, Strut Records. It is a unique and exciting release that tells the story of Compass Point Studios when the dots were joined between soul, reggae, punk, disco and rock to create a sound which defined an era and which became the very essence of Island Records.

During the ‘80s, Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas, set up by Island Records MD Chris Blackwell, became a magnet for artists as diverse as Roxy Music, B52’s, AC/DC, Talking Heads, Ian Dury, Grace Jones and The Rolling Stones among many others. The more experimental of the bunch, eager to inject their sound with some Nassau magic, called on the genius of Sly & Robbie, engineers Steven Stanley and Alex Sadkin, and the Compass Point All-Stars house band.

Most people would recognise the sound from hits by Grace Jones or Tom Tom Club, an unmistakeable fusion of great, often quirky song-writing, dub production techniques and low end funk, extended into spacious and unhurried 12” versions. This was vibe music which has remained timeless on dance-floors ever since. Compass Point studios and its All-Stars team spawned landmark albums such as Grace Jones’ ‘Nightclubbing’, Talking Heads’ ‘Remain In Light’ and Tom Tom Club’s eponymous debut.

For the first time, Strut presents the story of Compass Point from 1980 to 1986 bringing together acknowledged classics by artists whose sound was indelibly shaped there including Grace Jones, Ian Dury and Gwen Guthrie. The album also highlights selected lesser known tracks by French DJ Guy Cuevas and Scottish post-punk band Set The Tone who both feature on this album with highly collectible Francois Kervokian and Steve Stanley mixes of ‘Obsession’ and ‘Dance Sucker’ respectively.   Queen of trash disco and ZE Records fixture Cristina is also featured alongside her label mate Lizzy Mercier Descloux.

The album comes with extensive sleeve notes and artist interviews by David Katz, author of the official Lee Perry biography, ‘People Funny Boy’ alongside rare photos and image library for press use by Lynn Goldsmith and Alison Jarvis who were regularly in Nassau to capture the spirit of the era.

For more info check: www.strut-records.com/funkynassau