unofficial reissue - A superior selection of dub-infused disco from one of soul’s most underrated talents. Portrait contains three Guthrie classics: Padlock, Seventh Heaven and Peanut Butter. Slinky and seductive, they are pitch-perfect examples of dance music in 1983. Guthrie singing “spread yourself all over me like peanut butter” against Wally Badarou’s bubbling synthesiser is an awe-inspiring moment.
Seventh Heaven, however, is the one; a slithery dancefloor masterpiece with keyboards and bass locked in a seemingly never-ending reverie. DJ Larry Levan’s dubby, beautifully off-kilter mix of it became a staple at the Paradise Garage, the fabled New York club where Guthrie was known as its queen.
Although Gwen Guthrie was to enjoy bigger hits, the eight tracks on Portrait represent her very best work. She only recorded intermittently until her tragic death at the age of 48 in 1999. Portrait is a fabulous way to remember her.
| A1 | Peanut Butter Prelude | 0:20 |
| A2 | Hopscotch | 8:12 |
| A3 | Seventh Heaven | 7:26 |
| A4 | Getting Hot | 4:34 |
| B1 | Getting Hot Prelude | 0:15 |
| B2 | Peanut Butter | 6:04 |
| B3 | Padlock | 6:54 |
