Shalamar
This group was created by Dick Griffey, booking
agent for US television’s Soul Train show,
and Simon Soussan, a veteran of Britain’s northern soul’ scene. The latter
produced Uptown Festival’, a medley of popular Tamla/Motown favourites,
which was issued on Griffey’s Solar label. Although credited to Shalamar’,
the track featured session musicians, but its success inspired Griffey to
create a performing group. Jody Watley (b. 30 January 1959, Chicago, Illinois,
USA), Jeffrey Daniels and Gerald Brown were recruited via Soul
Train in 1977, although Brown was replaced the following year by Howard
Hewitt (b. Akron, Ohio, USA). ‘The Second Time Around’ gave the trio an
R&B chart topper in 1979, but subsequent releases were better received in
the UK where lightweight soul/disco offerings, including ‘I Can Make You
Feel Good’, ‘A Night To Remember’ and ‘There It Is’, provided three
Top 10 entries in 1982. Daniels and Watley then left the group to pursue solo
careers. Their replacements, Delisa Davis and Micki Free, joined in 1984. The
group won a Grammy award for ‘Don’t Get Stopped In Beverly Hills’, a
track from Heartbeat used in the
Eddie Murphy film Beverly Hills Cop, but
Hewitts departure in 1976 eroded any newfound confidence. Sidney Justin
restored the group to a trio, continuing to score further albeit minor hit
singles. By now Shalamar’s golden, if brief period had ended; nevertheless
the Shalamar name had survived into the late 80s when Justin, along with
newcomers Micki Free and Delisa Davis recorded Circumstantial
Evidence.
Albums: Uptown Festival (1977), Disco Gardens (1978), Big Fun (1979), Three For Love (1981), Go For It (1981), Friends (1982), The Look (1982), Heartbreak (1984), Circumstantial Evidence (1987). Compilations: Greatest Hits (1982), The Greatest Hits (1986), Here It Is - The Best Of (1992).