Paris Opera House - Official Jody Watley Website

Released #OTD April 27, 1987

“Still A Thrill”

Written by: Jody Watley & Andre Cymone

Produced by Andre Cymone, David Z.

Billboard Charts #3 Hot R&B, #8 Dance, #56 Hot 100

The first artist or entity allowed to film a music video in the Paris Opera House, thank you to director Brian Grant.

“I wanted to showcase my power register in the vocal range, initially a concept to present to Grace Jones as a possible duet that didn’t come to fruition. Andre slayed this groove and then I came up with the title, theme melody and lyrics, it was magic and an instant if not underrated funk jam. It was a hit but faltered somewhat on the pop side because it was so different from ‘Looking For A N ew Love’. It was important to me at this time to showcase as well that black girls could be different, edgy, and international.I loved those Duran Duran videos shot on location.

The theme of the video was ‘Paris By Night, it always makes me smile when people tell me they have made it a point to travel to Paris and go to the Opera House and take photo’s on the grand entrance staircase. There is no choreography or choreographer to show me what to do, no stylist to tell me what was cool to wear. All the dancing is freestyle and created in the moment with Tyrone Proctor who I’d known from my Soul Train days as a teenager. Another fact that distinguishes me from other artists at that time – no team of dancers, high style and singular focus. I didn’t want to be like anyone else and was clear of my vision of who I am.”

Watch Jody Watley ‘Still A Thrill” Full Video on Youtube: Here

Hear thoughts on collaborator & producer Andre Cymone:

The gears below the Paris Opera House (Le Palais Garnier)

Being the first artist or entity at all to be allowed to film a video in the then called Opera de Paris (Palais Garnier) in Paris, France for my video “Still A Thrill” in 1989 is something that was quietly monumental at the time – and probably beyond my devoted fans few know this. When most “urban” artists were primarily relegated to basic in studio videos. I thought about the significance as Beyonce made headlines with her video filmed at the prestigious Louvre museum another landmark in Paris. As one of my fans noted..”if you released this today, you would have broken the internet..it was ahead of the times.” I agree.

Directed by Brian Grant, the 2nd of 3 videos we filmed together – I sashayed all over the streets of Paris (thank you to my former label for supporting my vision) – I worked the historic setting with no choreography or rehearsals. There’s also a scene in one of the night shots on the streets of Paris where graffiti notes “Gay Color, Say Cool Say What?” that makes it’s own statement and my support of the LGBTQ community without batting a cat-eyed eyelash that I’ve never been asked about.

This included the basement so to speak working the gears with Tyrone “The Bone” Procter, former ST alum like me – freestyle, waacking, just making it up as we went along. I styled myself (a bit of Jean Paul Gaultier mixed in) as well as Tyrone (in a Jean Paul Gaultier T-shirt). It was about the edgy style against the opulent setting and getting in the music. Creating art outside the box especially for a black girl at the time dealing with industry politics among other things – quietly opening doors and raising the bar for myself and others to follow has always been important to me – before social media.

You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing-that’s usually how artists make a mark.

Classic.

Paris By Night was the theme and concept of the video – totally enjoyed collaborating and working with Brian Grant.