For a generation of R&B fans, Forever My Lady is forever. This year Jodeci will celebrate their landmark debut album, released in 1991 at the height of the new jack swing era, with a new expanded vinyl reissue for its 35th anniversary.
The 2LP set will feature the original Forever My Lady tracklist plus five bonus tracks, including “Forever My Lady – Live From Uptown MTV Unplugged/1993,” the Swing Mob radio mix of “I’m Still Waiting” (as heard in the song’s music video), the radio remix of “Come And Talk To Me,” a previously unreleased a cappella version of “Stay,” and the hip hop version of the Fried Green Tomatoes soundtrack favorite “Cherish.”
Forever My Lady established Jodeci as hit-makers on the vanguard of R&B. The group’s pioneering mixture of traditional gospel-rooted vocals and synthetic production—spearheaded by Jodeci member DeVante Swing and young R&B peer Al B. Sure—became a dominating force at R&B radio. The forward-thinking sound was mirrored by the Charlotte quartet’s adoption of hip hop wardrobe and styling, which contributed to their status as game-changers.
Forever My Lady debuted atop the Billboard R&B chart, went 3x Platinum, and sent four singles to the Billboard Hot 100, including “Forever My Lady,” “Stay,” “I’m Still Waiting,” and the album’s biggest hit, “Come And Talk To Me.” In addition to its commercial success, Forever My Lady was a critical sensation. Critics praised the album for its innovative approach and masterful execution, including Entertainment Weekly’s Arion Berger, who called it a “forceful and assured debut,” “sophisticated beyond the band members’ years.”
“I was impressed with the fact that they were so young, but they knew who they were musically,” recording engineer Paul Logus later told Okayplayer. “They were so damn good at what they did. It was just unbelievable. The thing that blew me away instantly about DeVante was how musical he was and what a virtuoso he was with whatever he picked up.”
Listen to the 35th anniversary edition of Jodeci’s Forever My Lady here.
