Really enjoyed chatting with Mike this year, in our 3 part interview series. Here’s the Best Of with other featured guests as well including Lisa Stansfield, George Benson, renowned remix producer DJ Joey Negro, Bootsy Collins and more.
Have a listen :
Doing music I love and continuing to defy odds and boundaries imposed by others often this very business is what’s important to me and most of all to enjoy it all as much as possible in the process .. everything else is always just a bonus.
To you I say – keep exploring and growing .. that’s the beauty and blessing of life.
Like A Holiday
Written by Jody Watley (Jody Watley Music BMI) and Rodney Lee (Dream Planet Music BMI)
Produced by Jody Watley and Rodney Lee
Additional Remix and Production: Alex Di Cio’
UPC: 193483256238
Genres: Ambient / R&B/Soul / Electronica / Holiday
Label: Avitone Recordings
Jody Watley, singer/songwriter/producer/businesswoman and Best New Artist Grammy winner is one of the architects of 21st century pop. From her groundbreaking marriage of rap & R&B (1987’s “Friends,” a collaboration with hip-hop legends Eric B. & Rakim) to her vision-forward marriage of high fashion, street fashion and music in the ‘80s (long before it became the norm), to her fusion of jazz and underground club culture with keen pop instincts, and the ease with which she crossed and still crosses genre, Jody Watley forged the template that is now everybody’s playbook.
Since her days as an original member of the group Shalamar, Watley’s entire career is about looking forward, drawing inspiration from personal heroes and iconoclasts who were and are always ten steps ahead of the pack. The Chicago native’s eclectic, hits-filled repertoire – R&B, hip-hop, House, jazz, pop, drum & bass, ambient, spoken-word, disco, soul – spans decades and is built on a positive vision and a strong taste for artistic and aesthetic risk.
2018 was another banner year for Watley ranking as one of the Top 60 Female Artists of All Time; the year produced three diverse hit singles including the jazz makeover of the Bob Marley classic “Waiting In Vain” an American Top 10 Smooth Jazz release.
U.K, radio embraced the music of the new branch of her vast musical tree Jody Watley & SRL (Soul Revolution Love) with two Top 5 UK Soul Chart Singles. (“The Mood” Alex Di Cio’ Mix and the Number 3 The Passion also remixed by Di Cio’).
SRL is Nate Allen Smith and Rosero McCoy along with a squad of dancers and musicians.\
On the heels of the announcement by AGMP concerts that Jody Watley will do her first UK Tour in over two decades in April 2019, up close and personal: 17th Glasgow (Oran Mor), 18th (Manchester Gorilla) and 19th London (Under The Bridge).
Jody Watley closes out 2018 with the lyrically timely holiday release “Like A Holiday” Alex Di Cio’ Remix. Watley describes the single as the soothing feeling of a warm beverage by the fire, and then I’ll be back with more up-tempo burners in 2019 to coincide with the tour.”
Review of “The Passion” Jody Watley & SRL. “Nothing has diminished the brilliant light of Jody Watley. Brian Power cranks it up a few more lumens on his remix of “The Passion,” the forthcoming remix of the single by Jody Watley & SRL, Jody’s group project. The official track isn’t out until September 28 but Jody shared an ad hoc teaser video right now…” Read the full review and inspirational background of Brian Power: 5Chicago.com