Shalamar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shalamar | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Origin | United States |
| Genres | Disco, pop, soul |
| Years active | 1977-1991; 2005 |
| Labels | SOLAR Records, various others |
| Website | Official website |
| Former members | |
| Jody Watley Jeffrey Daniel Howard Hewett Gary Mumford Gerald Brown Delisa Davis Micki Free Sydney Justin Carolyn Griffey |
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Shalamar, IPA: [ˈʃæləmɑːr], was an American music group of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey.[1][2] They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius.[3] Regarded as fashion icons and trendsetters[citation needed], they helped to introduce 'body-popping' to the United Kingdom.[3]. The name "Shalamar" was picked by Griffey in order to give the group an identity[4].
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[edit] Career
Their first hit was the 1975 Motown-inspired production "Uptown Festival," the success of which inspired Griffey to replace his session singers with vocalists Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniel and Howard Hewett (the latter replacing short-time members Gary Mumford and, later, Gerald Brown) in 1979.[2]
The group was joined up with producer Leon Sylvers III in 1979, signed with Griffey's SOLAR Records and scored a U.S. million seller with "The Second Time Around".
In the UK the group had a string of hits with songs such as "Take That To The Bank" (1978), "I Owe You One" (1980) and 1982's "I Can Make You Feel Good", "A Night to Remember", "There It Is" and "Friends".[1] The album of the same title Friends was also a big seller in the UK in 1982 crossing the genres of pop, disco and soul. The band's record sales in the UK increased dramatically[citation needed] when Daniel demonstrated his body-popping dancing skills on BBC Television's music programme, Top of the Pops, premiering the Moonwalk on television for the first time. Michael Jackson was a fan of the group, in particular, Daniel and his dance moves, after watching him for years on Soul Train.[citation needed] Jackson and Daniel met after, Jackson took his then 12 year old sister Janet to see Shalamar perform at Disneyland. Daniel went on to teach Jackson the Moonwalk and choreographed Jackson's "Bad" and "Smooth Criminal" videos[citation needed].
The group took a knock when both Watley and Daniel left the band over artistic arguments with the SOLAR record label, shortly after the release of their next album, The Look, in 1983.[1][2] Nonetheless, the album yielded a number of UK hit singles including "Disappearing Act", "Dead Giveaway" and "Over And Over". The album itself moved Shalamar into a more new wave/synthpop direction, with rock guitars to the fore. But The Look generally was not the success that Friends had been the previous year.
With a mid 1980s line-up change with Delisa Davis and Micki Free, Shalamar returned to the U.S. Top 20 in 1984 with "Dancing In The Sheets" from the Footloose soundtrack, peaking at #17, and they won a Grammy for "Don't Get Stopped in Beverly Hills" from Beverly Hills Cop in 1986.[1][2]
But when Hewett left for a solo career in 1986, and was replaced by Sydney Justin, the band faded into temporary obscurity.[1][2] The group recorded 1987's Circumstantial Evidence, which was a commercial disappointment, and faded away soon after the release of 1990's Wake Up.[2]
Jody Watley, launched her own successful solo career in 1987 winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist and releasing hit singles including "Looking For a New Love" and "Friends" featuring Eric B & Rakim. She rejoined with Hewett and Daniel, plus LL Cool J, on Babyface's 1996 million-selling single "This Is for the Lover in You"; a cover of a hit single from Shalamar's 1980 album Three for Love.[1][5] Watley was also one of the few American singers to perform on the original Band Aid record recorded by mostly British singers in November 1984. Micki Free was mentioned on Chappelle's Show, under Charlie Murphy's 'True Hollywood Stories' when playing basketball with Prince.
Shalamar reformed in 2005, for the UK television series, Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, with original members Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewett, and with new singer Carolyn Griffey (long time friend and fan of the original band, and daughter of Shalamar founder and Solar Record boss Dick Griffey). Carolyn's mother is the soul star Carrie Lucas for whom Jody Watley sang backing vocals. They reached the grand final on 22 May 2005, ultimately losing out to Shakin' Stevens.
Shalamar has scored a total of three gold albums in the U.S.; with Big Fun, Three for Love (which eventually went platinum) and Friends.[1]
Also in 1980, the band made a promotion of "The Second Time Around" for the radio station KJR in Seattle, called "The Sonics Came To Play"; dedicated to the Seattle SuperSonics who had won the NBA Championship, the previous year.
Shalamar was most recently featured in a segment of TV One's series "Unsung," in which Watley, Daniel and Hewett shared their stories about the success, egos, and breakup of the group. During the interview, Daniel revealed that he played a major role in teaching Michael Jackson the "Moonwalk" dance, and that the dance was originally called the "backslide." It was also revealed that Watley was trying to make a comeback in the music scene.
[edit] Band Members
- Jody Watley
- Jeffrey Daniel
- Howard Hewett
- Gary Mumford
- Gerald Brown
- Delisa Davis
- Micki Free
- Sydney Justin
- Carolyn Griffey
[edit] Discography
[edit] See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- List of disco artists
- List of 80's R&B bands and artists
- List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Roberts, David (1998). Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd.. p. 385. ISBN 0-85112-072-5.
- ^ a b c d e f "Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=SHALAMAR&sql=11:gifpxqr5ld0e~T1. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 493. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=mTM_9JTeoMIC&pg=PA506&dq=shalamar&lr=&as_brr=3&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 37. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
