Private Beach Party is a 1985 studio album by the Jamaican reggae singer Gregory Isaacs. The album continued Isaacs' working relationship with producer Augustus "Gussie" Clarke, to whom he would return in 1988 for the hugely successful "Rumours" and Red Rose for Gregory.Greene, Jo-Ann "Private Beach Party Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-04-29 Clarke employed Carlton Hines to write several of the songs on the album, and the musicians featured include Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Lloyd Parks, and Willie Lindo.
The album features duets with Carlene Davis (on "Feeling Irie") and Dennis Brown (on "Let off Supm").Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, , p. 130
Originally released by Greensleeves Records in 1985, it was released in the US by Ras Records.
Reception Allmusic's Jo-Ann Greene called the album a "masterpiece", stating "There's not a mis-step within the entire set, and every song is so high-caliber that's it's useless to try to pick favorites". Robert Christgau rated the album B+, commenting "there's a light touch to this music--Isaacs whispering and murmuring around diffident horn-section filigrees--that I'd call sexy".Christgau, Robert "Gregory Isaacs", in Christgau's Record Guide: the '80s, 1990, Pantheon Books, , reproduced at robertchristgau.com, retrieved 2011-04-29 Trouser Press described Private Beach Party as "his best album in years — a fresh, diverse package"."Grgeory Isaacs", Trouser Press, retrieved 2011-04-29 Steve Barrow & Peter Dalton selected the album as one of their recommendations in The Rough Guide to Reggae, calling the duet with Davis "outstanding".Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn., Rough Guides, , p. 287
Track listing All tracks composed by Carlton "Tetrack" Hines; except where noted "Private Beach Party" (Hines, Willie Lindo) "Wish You Were Mine" (Gregory Isaacs) "Feeling Irie" - Gregory Isaacs & Carlene Davis "Bits and Pieces" "Let Off Supm" - Gregory Isaacs & Dennis Brown "No Rushings" (Phipps) "Better Plant Some Loving" "Special to Me" (Lloyd Forest, Willie Lindo) "Got to Be in Tune" "Promise Is a Comfort"
Personnel Gregory Isaacs - vocals Lloyd Parks - bass guitar Robbie Shakespeare - bass guitar Sly Dunbar - drums Willie Stewart - drums Willie Lindo - guitar, arrangements Robert Lyn - piano, synthesizer Franklyn "Bubbler" Waul - piano, synthesizer Lloyd Forest - backing vocals David Harvey - backing vocals Carlton Hines - backing vocals Dean Fraser - horns David Madden - horns Ronald "Nambo" Robinson - horns Rass Brass - horns Junior "Chico" Chin - horns Carlene Davis - vocals Dennis Brown - vocals
References