MAKIN233 – Michael Watford “Holdin’ On” (Leigh Howlett Remix)

Our next release sees us bring new life to an old classic record from 1991! The track in question is “Holdin’ On” with the legendary Michael Watford on vocals, which was his first ever release on Atlantic Records produced with Roger Sanchez and Eddie Perez, for the Jersey house Smack collective.

Fast forward to 2025 and set forward London DJ / producer Leigh Howlett.. He always loved the original record and created his own version which he started to play on his weekly House FM radio show. Matt heard the track and instantly loved it and decided to go about putting out making numerous calls and then finally making a way after getting the ok from Michael Watford’s son and the rest they say is history!

Michael Watford was trained as a gospel singer in his youth, growing up in Virginia and New Jersey. That training remained key to his music as he began releasing house records in the early 1990s. Watford earned a No. 1 single on the Billboard dance charts in 1994 with ‘So Into You’, from his first and only solo LP. Michael was one of the stand out vocalists to come out of New Jersey in the 1990′s with other huge hits such as “Luv 4-2″ and “It’s Over”.

The prolific singer contributed vocals to records by Barbara Tucker, Kerri Chandler, En Vogue, Masters At Work, Robert Owens, Jamie Lewis and more. His music has been a staple of house mixes and compilations since the ’90s, appearing in hundreds of releases by the likes of Todd Terry, Tony Humphries, Pete Tong, Defected founder Simon Dunmore, Paul “Trouble” Anderson, Roger Sanchez, as well as Masters At Work and “Little” Louie Vega solo.

Available from our Bandcamp store exclusively from Friday 5th September 2025 https://makinmoves2.bandcamp.com/album/holding-on-leigh-howlett-remix