Celebrating 35 years of Jody Watley's YOU WANNA DANCE WITH ME?! & 3 Years of “Renderings”

The Jody Watley remix album YOU WANNA DANCE WITH ME? assembled remixes from the self-titled debut and the sophomore Larger Than Life was released October 26, 1989.
Remix albums were not a popular thing back in the 80s but were gaining traction as artists like Madonna (You Can Dance!), Bobby Brown (Dance!…Ya Know It!), Janet Jackson (Janet Remixed, 1995), and Paula Abdul released sets that catered to their dance loving fans.

Fans express there isn’t a single skip in the track listing and contains five of her six Billboard Top 10 HOT 100 Hits. The ballad “Everything”, another Top 10 multi chart hit, was not remixed for inclusion. The album was a continuous energetic mix.

YOU WANNA DANCE WITH ME? from the vast Jody Watley Discography peaked at number eighty six on the Billboard 200 album chart and forty eight on the Top R&B Albums chart. Watley took to social media to note she disagreed with MCA Records decision to release the remix album while still promoting her second album “Larger Than Life” still churning out hit singles such as “Real Love” “Friends” featuring Eric B & Rakim and “Everything.”


Jody Watley is a GRAMMY award winning (Best New Artist 1987) multi-platinum singer/songwriter/producer/label owner.

With a diverse music discography spanning R&B / Pop / Dance /Hip Hop / Electronic / Jazz / Adult Contemporary 80s, 90s, 00s, 10s, 20s Jody Watley is recognized as a style icon and one of the architects of 21st century Pop/R&B/Dance music and style cross branding. She is an inductee into the Women’s Songwriters Hall Of Fame, listed in Billboard as one of the Top 60 Female Artists of All Time, Top 25 Dance Artists of All Time, Top 100 Black Solo Artists Of All Time and 2017 honoree at Black Music Honors as "Crossover Music Icon".

With her latest release the internationally embraced “EVERLASTING” which reach #2 on the UK Soul Chart in February of 2024, written and produced by Watley along with longtime collaborator jazz musician and former musical director Rodney Lee with additional production and remix by Italy’s renowned Alex Di Cio a favorite of UK Soul radio and "EVERLASTING - The Remixes" reaching #2 on the iTunes Top Dance Album Charts, Watley's ongoing creative output remains relevant and strong.

As a solo artist, the Pop and R&B singer-songwriter was awarded the prestigious Best New Artist GRAMMY Award in 1987. Furthermore Jody Watley was only the third black artist in the history of the recording academy and broadcast to receive that honor. 6 Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten Singles, 7 Number 1 Dance Singles, 2 R&B Number 1’s, 15 Top 40 Singles, Top 20 Smooth Jazz / Adult Contemporary Gold and multi-platinum albums and gold singles in the USA alone; with nominations: Grammys, American Music Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Soul Train Awards and a variety of proclamations, including a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

Her vast discography also includes million selling greatest hits video compilation and #1 fitness video (a first for a black woman in the genre). Watley’s eventual fusion of jazz, and deep house music makes her a long time staple in underground club culture and dance music. From her groundbreaking marriage of rap & R&B (1989’s “Friends,” a collaboration with hip-hop legends Eric B. & Rakim pairing that is the first to crossover R&B/Hip-Hop, Pop and Dance into the Billboard Top 10 “Friends,” 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 genres, fused with cutting edge trendsetting style; Jody Watley forged the template that is now everybody’s playbook. In March of 2023 Sirius XM launched 'The Jody Watley Show' on The Groove Channel to celebrate Women's History month. The campaign "She's Got The Mic' included a massive billboard on NY's Times Square. The positive themes of the show and enlightening conversations with special guests made the show favorite on the platform.

"Everything I do has to be authentic to who I am as a person, beyond my artistry. The people who get that - really appreciate that about me." states Watley. "It's a blessing to have such longevity in my career, it's half a century (laughs) - I've been solo for 41 years as of 2023. Add to that, the 5 and a half years I spent as an original member of my former group Shalamar on their pinnacle records, 3 years as a teen on Soul Train. Fast forward - I'm still here doing what I love, my way, though I've been counted out many times. I hope to always inspire others to be true to yourself, do what's best for you, always believe in yourself, keep moving forward and keep the faith - in gratitude for life's journey!"



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