When a Man Loves a Woman (Jody Watley song)

Last updated
"When a Man Loves a Woman"
Jody-Watley-When-A-Man-Loves-366230.jpg
Single by Jody Watley
from the album Intimacy
Released1994
Genre
Label MCA
Songwriter(s)
  • Larry Campbell
  • Jody Watley
Producer(s)
Jody Watley singles chronology
"Your Love Keeps Working on Me"
(1993)		"When a Man Loves a Woman"
(1994)		"Ecstasy"
(1994)
Music video
"When a Man Loves a Woman" on YouTube

"When a Man Loves a Woman" is a song by American singer-songwriter Jody Watley, released in 1994 by MCA Records as the final single from her fourth album, Intimacy (1993). The song was co-written by Watley with Larry Campbell, and peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard R&B Singles Chart and number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. It became Watley's first top-40 hit in the UK since "Friends" in 1989 and also became a number-one UK club hit. The accompanying music video was directed by Watley herself, marking her debut as a director. [3]

Contents

Critical reception

Upon the release, Larry Flick from Billboard magazine complimented "When a Man Loves a Woman" as a "clever and unusual single." He explained, "Watley waxes poetic and philosophical about relationships, chatting over an insinuating, midtempo hip-hop groove. Track in enhanced by soft singing at the chorus and several imaginative, format-stretching remixes. Already building a base at urban radio, the time is right for this gem at top 40." [2] Bill Speed and John Martinucci from the Gavin Report described the song as "a monologue observing key elements of an unconditional relationship between a man and a woman." [4]

Andy Beevers from Music Week gave it four out of five and named it Pick of the Week in the category of Dance, adding that "this features Watley's softly spoken monologue over a mellow swing rhythm. Excellent house remixes by BBG have taken the track to the top of the RM Club Chart and are going to generate significant demand." [1] Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "...and with this late great soul singer she shares the social conscience reflected by her lyrics. 'When a Man Loves a Woman' carries out the message of the reality of Aids, which he won't bring home to you by some other love he's made." [5] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update described it as a "mumbling slinky swayer (not the Percy Sledge classic) about the ways a new man should treat a woman" and "sultrily muttered instructions about the right ways to treat the one you love without giving them AIDS". [6] [7]

Track listings

  1. Album version
  2. Remix version
  3. D.J.'s club Mix
  4. Instrumental version
  1. "When a Man Loves a Woman" (radio mix)
  2. "When a Man Loves a Man" (BBG Deep mix edit)
  3. "When a Woman Loves a Woman" (BBG Deep mix edit)
  4. "Ecstasy" (B.Y.C. 12-inch)

Charts

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United States1994
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
 MCA
United KingdomMay 9, 1994
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Beevers, Andy (May 7, 1994). "Market Preview: Dance - Pick of the Week" (PDF). Music Week . p. 17. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Flick, Larry (February 26, 1994). "Single Reviews: Pop" (PDF). Billboard . p. 53. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  3. ↑ Flick, Larry (March 5, 1994). "Dance Trax: Crystal Waters Show New Maturity On 'Storyteller'" (PDF). Billboard . p. 29. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  4. ↑ Speed, Bill; Martinucci, John (January 14, 1994). "Gavin Urban — New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report . Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  5. ↑ "New Releases: Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 11, no. 2. January 8, 1994. p. 8. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  6. ↑ Hamilton, James (April 9, 1994). "DJ directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  7. ↑ Hamilton, James (May 14, 1994). "DJ directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . May 21, 1994. p. 28. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  9. ↑ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). April 30, 1994. p. 8. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Hot Dance Music: Maxi-Singles Sales" (PDF). Billboard . March 19, 1994. p. 35. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  11. ↑ "The RM Club Chart of the Year" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). December 24, 1994. p. 10. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Billboard R&B Singles - 1994". Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Single Releases". Music Week . May 7, 1994. p. 25.
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