The album itself moved Shalamar into a more new wave/ synthpop direction, with rock guitars to the fore. Nonetheless, the album yielded a number of UK hit singles including "Disappearing Act", "Dead Giveaway" and " Over and Over". Adding to the subsequent departure was Watley's increasing frustration with SOLAR Records and Dick Griffey shortly after the release of their next album, The Look, in 1983. The group took a knock when Watley and Daniel separately left the band over conflicts within the group and other issues. The "classic" lineup of Shalamar (Hewett, Watley, and Daniel) scored a total of three gold albums in the US with Big Fun, Three for Love (which eventually went platinum) and Friends. Daniel co-choreographed Jackson's " Bad" and " Smooth Criminal" videos. Jackson and Daniel met after, and Jackson took his then 12 year old sister Janet to see Shalamar perform at Disneyland. Michael Jackson was a fan of the group, in particular, Daniel and his dance moves, after watching him on Soul Train. The band's record sales in the UK increased 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. 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. 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". The group was joined up with producer Leon Sylvers III in 1979, signed with Griffey's SOLAR Records and scored a US million seller with " The Second Time Around." Brown was replaced by Howard Hewett in 1979. After conflicts over lack of payment from Dick Griffey and Solar Records, Brown would leave the group. Gerald Brown would take over the spot vacated by Mumford in 1978 for the Disco Gardens album which featured the hit "Take That To The Bank". Their first hit was the 1975 Motown-inspired production "Uptown Festival," and released on Soul Train Records the success of which inspired Griffey and Don Cornelius to replace session singers with popular Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel to join original Shalamar lead singer Gary Mumford. Their collective name 'Shalamar' was picked by Griffey. As noted in the British Hit Singles & Albums, they were regarded as fashion icons and trendsetters, and helped to introduce 'body-popping' to the United Kingdom.
They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius. Shalamar / ˈ ʃ æ l əm ɑr / is an American music group, primarily active in the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey and show creator Don Cornelius. Left to right, Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel.
0 kommentar(er)
