Jody Watley - Off The Hook 1998

Atlantic Records 7567-84091-2

Jody Watley got her start as a dancer on the hit TV show Soul Train at the age of fourteen. From 1977 to 1984, she was a singer in the R&B group Shalamar with Howard Hewett and Jeffrey Daniel. In late 1986, Watley released her first single off her debut solo album called "Looking For A New Love", which became a hit followed in 1989 by Real Love from her second album Larger Than Life. After 1990 she lost the interest of the music scene, possibly due to her dance fitness video and tv ads?

Jody spent most of 1997 recording her sixth studio album, Flower, and was back on the scene in early 1998 with Off The Hook and If I'm Not In Love. Off The Hook fared well, propelled by remixes from Masters At Work and Soul Solution, the track reached #1 on the US dance chart, making it her first #1 in nine years. In the UK it was the Booker T mixes that created the fuss and are still of interest now.

Big Beat Records was absorbed into its parent label, Atlantic Records, which then shelved the albums U.S. release. Flower was, however, released in Canada, Great Britain and Japan. The critically-acclaimed release was championed by many UK magazines, including Blues and Soul, and Echoes magazine among others.

• Radio Edit-US Version
• Booker T Remix
• KenLou Mix
• KenLou Dub
• Soul Solution Mix

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: Jody Watley - Off The Hook 1998.rar Filesize: 39.32 MB

Soul II Soul - Pleasure Dome 1997

Island Records CID 669/572 089-2

It also includes a Dream Team Mix but they spelt it differently (red tape apparently). Of course, the UK Crew will probably be well aware that the UK Garage explosion was in full effect by this time. A year earlier, Booker T remixed SIIS's 1988 Keep On Movin' for the Garage dancefloor, to full effect and here they used tried and tested Booker T again, the current favs Karl 'Tuff Enuff' Brown & Matt 'Jam' Lamont and finally the latest talent, DJ Spoony, Mikee B & Timmi Magic of the Dreem Teem.

This number, written by Beresford 'Jazzie B' Romeo and engineered by Lee Hamblin, features the vocal talents of Ray (Crazy Pictures) Simpson and that alone makes it worth a listen. The Album Version is an excellent example of classic Soul II Soul but the dancefloor didn't want slow shuffle anymore so it went to waste.

Time to put on your disco shoes, if your pacemaker's up to the challenge. Booker T revs up the BPM and turns it into a full vocal soulful house stomper. Superbly done considering the pace versus the vocal delivery, I love it. Next up, Tuff Jam. This is typical of the era. Vocal sample repeating over their UVM beat which worked the floors across the country but there ain't no soul. Dreem Teem turn out a similar effort, nothing wrong here as long as your looking for Garage and not Soul. Lastly, the Booker T Dub which absolutely tore up the 4x4 Garage events everywhere. It still does coz ain't nobody making quality UK Garage anymore. This has a serious groove and still retains a bit of that soul too?

• Album Mix
• Radio Edit
• Booker T Mix
• Tuff Jam's UVM Mix
• Dream Team Mix II
• Booker T Dub

The Download Link is here: Download
Filename: SIIS Pleasure Dome.rar Filesize: 52.48 MB