In 1986, the sweet-voiced, bigboned, American chanteuse Gwen Guthrie was burning up dancefloors around the globe with the anthemic and highly infectious Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent. That particular song – which smashed its way into the UK Top 5 – undoubtedly proved to be Guthrie’s finest moment in commercial terms, while its parent album, Good To Go Lover, eclipsed sales of the singer’s previous three LPs.
That said, 80s soul aficionados seeking the New Jersey-based singersongwriter’s most consistent and cohesive long player will discover that Portrait, recorded for Chris Blackwell’s Island label in 1983, is the album to buy. Like Guthrie’s eponymous 1982 debut for Island, it comprised mostly self-penned material and was helmed by ace reggae producers Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare at the legendary Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas.
There’s a raft of sensational dance tracks here, ranging from street-tough workouts such as Hopscotch and Peanut Butter, to the sublimely catchy Seventh Heaven and a fine and funky cover of Sly & The Family Stone’s Family Affair. The ballads are good too, exemplified by the lovely midtempo Younger Than Me. The inclusion of three disco-inflected Larry Levan bonus remixes makes this a highly desirable collectors’ item.
