Legendary Jody Watley, has achieved a new monumental milestone for her latest dance release, “Everlasting” The Remixes.
The collection soars to the #2 position on the iTunes Top Dance Albums Chart this week.
This remarkable achievement marks an extraordinary day for the music icon, solidifying her enduring influence in the world of music.
Expressing her gratitude, Jody Watley stated, “I just want to thank everyone supporting this collection!”
At the forefront of this electrifying remix collection is the legendary Quentin Harris, whose BSF Re-Production infuses the track with his distinctive musical flair.
While Jody Watley has graced the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Charts with numerous contemporary dance singles across decades, this achievement marks her first appearance at #2 on the US iTunes Dance Album Chart since her critically acclaimed “Midnight Lounge” release soared to #1 in the Top Dance/Electronica Albums category in 2003.
Joining Quentin Harris on the remixes for “Everlasting,” are esteemed talents from around the globe, each bringing their unique interpretation to the mix. French newcomer Slowz delivers an electro-pop rework, while NYC’s The Illustrious Blacks & Amara Jaguar present a soulful deep house rendition.
Additionally, UK’s John “J-C” Carr offers a funky rave-up, and Gianpeiero XP injects anthemic Italo-house vibes into the mix.
Crafted by Jody and her longtime collaborator Rodney Lee, with additional production by Italy‘s renowned DJ and remix producer Alex Di Ció, “Everlasting” has garnered widespread acclaim, achieving Top 5 sales rankings in various countries including the USA, UK, and Italy.
Adding to her impressive catalog, Avitone Recordings, founded independently by Jody in 1995, continues to uphold its commitment to delivering quality music with this latest release.
UB spoke to the legend in 2009, for our Black Music Month Interview Series, and Jody shared the story of “Avitone” & “Midnight Lounge,” “Well Avitone is my label, I started it in 1995. As it would turn out with the shifting of the music industry. Now more then ever, it’s very okara for artists to be doing their own labels. But I started it in 95?, I was inspired by Prince actually. When he left Warner, he started NPG. Actually our very first release, I went to the same distributor as Prince, Bellmark. So I been doing this for awhile.”
Jody went on to say; “The entrepreneur side, through the years leading up to the deal with ADA. We licensed my music, all of my music to different companies around the world. For instance in 2003, when I released “Midnight Lounge” it was licensed to Shanachie. Licensed means, I still own all of my masters. So with ADA and that distribution, it’s just really huge. Because it’s very difficult to get distribution deals. I don’t know how many women (laughs) who are doing that. It wasn’t quit as exciting as winning the Grammy, but it was close on a different level. Because it’s a huge business accomplishment, I just look forward to continuing to grow the label. So we’re really excited about that. Some people thought, oh she’s signed to Avitone and they got distribution. I’m like no Avitone is my label and we got global distribution! I read about Jay-Z taking his company to Sony. And P. Diddy, or Diddy, or Puffy (laughs), Sean Combs taking his to Warner. It’s the same thing, but there aren’t that many women making those types of moves. That will be the next big significant chapter, besides me being an artist. Again the aspect of ownership and entrepreneurship is very important to me.”
