Jesse Saunders Reimagines Sister Sledge’s ‘We Are Family’

Vanguard house producer Jesse Saunders has released a new version of Sister Sledge and Nile Rodgers’ iconic disco hit “We Are Family,” featuring vocalists Tasha LaRae, Carla Prather, Kathy Brown, and Cassandra Lucas.

In a statement, Saunders wrote that he wanted to create his own version of the song to honor Joni Sledge, who died in 2017.

“I wanted to recreate this classic because Joni Sledge was my childhood crush, writing partner, and beautiful friend,” Saunders recalled. “She passed on a few years ago and I’ve wanted to do this tribute to her since.”

Saunders released his “We Are Family” rendition on Quantize Recordings along with six remixes, all of which were released to digital streaming on Friday. Aside from Saunders’ version, the track has had a minor renaissance this past year, with Eddie Murphy covering the song in the sequel film Coming 2 America.