Wednesday, August 5, 1998

Jody to Tour Japan and UK Jody is gearing up for a tour of Osaka and Tokyo Japan next month. Jody is of course very big in that part of the world and has a huge following not only in Japan, but also in countries like Singapore and Thailand. Jody will also be touring the UK following her Japan tour to promote "Flower", which was released in Europe. Listen Up will keep fans posted on the latest regarding her tour dates in these two regions. And for those who may still be out of the loop on the situation with the album "Flower", Atlantic Records has released the project in Canada, Japan and some European countries. However, the album is being "placed on hold" here in the U.S., and most likely will not be released domestically. "IF I'm Not In Love" Blasting Dance Charts For the week of August 8, 1998 the Atlantic Promo for "If I'm Not In Love" is at the #2 position on the Billboard Dance Chart, just behind Janet's "Go Deep" which holds the top spot. This is just another indication that Jody is still very big in the dance world. But it's also a testament to the awesome mix master Lenny Bertoldo who did the remix for the second "Flower" release. The single is available in stores and contains the album version and club edit version. "If I'm Not In Love" is written by D. Thomas and produced by Phild Galdston. Divine Management for a Divine Lady Just a little scoop for the curious, Jody has started her own management company. "Divine" is Jody's own personal management outfit, which she debuted with the release of her current project. If you are able to get a hold of the current CD single here in the U.S. or an import of the album, you can check out the little cherub insignia on the back of the CD jacket. It kinda matches the little cherub tatoo on her right arm. Part of that "Love" theme she's got going on. Jody Appears In This Month's Issue of Seventeen Magazine Still making the media rounds, Jody appears in this month's issue of Seventeen Magazine with an exclusive interview that should answer some questions. Thanks to Seventeen Magazine for the great photo of Jody which we've incorporated into our own design for the "Larger Than Life FanClub" website.

Fans Discuss the Release of "Flower" Everyone is speculating as to why Atlantic Records did not release "Flower" in the U.S. And many people are fustrated with the move by the record label to halt the project. But no one is more frustrated than the U.S. fans who waited over a year to be able to purchase the new Jody album. These fans are now having to purchase the album as an import, which means having to pay more and having to hunt for a retailer that actually sells imports. The online fanclub has made the CD available via Internet order, but not all Jody fans have computers, let alone even know about the online fanclub. So again, frustration is the game of the day. So the fans can only speculate as to why. Some feel that Atlantic Records did not do a good enough job in promoting the first single. They feel that the first single should have been released with all the remixes (w/Rakim and Soul Solution) right from the start, which would have driven sales even more in the beginning. This would have allowed "Off The Hook" to peak at higher than the number 73 spot it achieved on Billboard Pop. Others feel it was the song itself. They believe Jody and Atlantic should have released a much more upbeat song as the lead-off single. After hearing samples from the album, a lot of people are saying that "Baby Tonight" or "You'll Never Find A Love" should have been a first choice. And then there are some who feel Jody may have discouraged some of her more mature fans from buying her material because of her nude Playboy spread. And from an insider at Atlantic Records, they felt Jody may have made it difficult to find exactly what market they should go after (urban adult or youngsters). Whatever the case may be, the situation still remains the same-- there are no flowers blooming. At least not here in the U.S. But as Jody would put it, "just keep moving." And we predict that this is exactly what she will do. This is just another minor setback and don't be surprised if Jody returns in the near future with more jammin' material. Maybe even tip the scales in favor of some more funky hip-hop tunes. I'm sure she'll surprise us. Read Past Issues of Listen Up ! July 10, 1998 OLD FORMAT: May 20, 1998 April 27, 1998 March 26, 1998 March 3, 1998 February 9, 1998 January 27, 1998 December 1, 1997 November 3, 1997 October 1, 1997 September 6, 1997 August 17, 1997 July 25, 1997