Pitchfork

Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas is kinda sorta legendary. Founded by Island Records' Chris Blackwell in the late 1970s, the room was well known for bringing bands from far and wide a little bit of smoky, laid-back island atmosphere. Snoop, Björk, and even AC/DC made the trek, setting Back in Black to tape down at Compass Point. Okay, maybe the laid back vibe didn't work for everybody.

Then there's the frequent presence of equally legendary production duo Sly and Robbie, the ace Compass Point All Stars House Band, and the fact that a peek outside yielded views like these: it all adds up to one of the finest rooms in all of music.

February 25, the recently-rejuvenated Strut Records will collect a handful of recordings from Compass Point's early 80s heyday and release them on a CD entitled Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story 1980-1986.

The compilation sports tracks from Talking Heads, Grace Jones, Tom Tom Club, Ian Dury, and even Sly Dunbar (of Sly and Robbie fame) himself, among others. Several of the tunes are found in their far dubbier 12" versions. The set will come complete with liner notes by Lee "Scratch" Perry biographer David Katz and rare photos from the studio.

Funky Nassau: The Compass Point Story 1980-1986:

01 Grace Jones: "My Jamaican Guy (12" version)"
02 Tom Tom Club: "Genius of Love (12" version)"
03 Talking Heads: "Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)"
04 Guy Cuevas: "Obsession (The Nassau Mix)"
05 Set the Tone: "Dance Sucker (Francois Kevorkian Mix)"
06 Gwen Guthrie: "Padlock (Larry Levan Mix)"
07 Bits & Pieces: "Don't Stop the Music"
08 Sly Dunbar: "River Niger"
09 Lizzy Mercier Descloux: "Sun Is Shining"
10 Cristina: "You Rented a Space"
11 Ian Dury & the Seven Seas Players: "Spasticus Autisticus (Version)"
12 Chaz Jankel ft. Laura Weymouth: "Whisper"
13 Will Powers: "Adventures in Success (Dub Copy)"