Shalamar -

Shalamar was an American soul-funk vocal trio from N.Y.C. that debuted with an album on Don Cornelius’ Soul Train imprint in 1977, followed by 10 further albums on parent-label Solar between 1978 and 1990. Co-founder Jody Watley left the group in 1983 and scored several solo hits in the late 1980s.

Members: Gary Mumford (lead vocals, 1976-77), Jody Watley (1976-83), Jeffrey Daniel (1976-83), Gerald Brown (1976-77), Howard Hewett (1977-86), Delisa Davis (1983-91), Micki Free (1983-91), Sidney Justin (1986-91)

Background

Shalamar was initially a studio-based project assembled by the team behind Soul Train, producer/show creator Don Cornelius and talent coordinator Dick Griffey. In March 1977, the project yielded the dance recording “Uptown Festival,” a near nine-minute disco medley of 10 Motown classics. It was recorded the prior year at Ike and Tina Turner‘s Bolic Sound studio in Inglewood, performed by session singers with instrumentation by members of Motown houseband the Funk Brothers (Eddie “Bongo” Brown, Jack Ashford) and the prolific team of Mike Lewis and Laurin Rinder.

The four-minute radio edit, “Uptown Festival (Part 1),” reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100, prompting Griffey to assemble a vocal group to perform the track on Soul Train. He hired Jody Watley (b. 1959, Chicago), Jeffrey Daniel (b. 1957), and Gary Mumford, all dancing regulars on the show.

Uptown Festival

Shalamar released their debut album, Uptown Festival, on April 12, 1977, on Soul Train Records.

Uptown Festival divides between the title medley and a looser set of separate tracks. “Uptown Festival” runs as a continuous dance-floor sequence, pushing ten familiar themes through a steady four-square pulse, while “Inky Dinky Wang Dang Doo” carries a more playful kick. Elsewhere the record settles into a stiffer, less animated mode, with “Ooo Baby Baby” and the surrounding material moving at a smoother pace but with less lift. The album’s strongest identity stays with the medley format and its rapid handoff from one song fragment to the next.

The title suite interpolates ten classic Motown numbers: “Going to a Go-Go,” “I Can’t Help Myself,” “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “It’s the Same Old Song,” “The Tears of a Clown,” “Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart,” “This Old Heart of Mine,” “Baby Love,” and “He Was Really Sayin’ Somethin’.”

A1. “Inky Dinky Wang Dang Doo” (4:04) – Norma Toney, Andre Williams
A2. “Beautiful Night” (5:20) – Jimmy Thomas
A3. “Uptown Festival” (8:52)

B1. “High on Life” (3:42) – Don Cornelius
B2. “Ooo Baby Baby” (3:48) – Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore
B3. “You Know” (3:59) – Don Cornelius
B4. “Forever Came Today” (5:55) – Holland–Dozier–Holland

Dick Griffey, Don Cornelius, and Simon Soussan produced Uptown Festival. The title track was recorded at Bolic Sound in Inglewood; the remaining tracks were recorded at Wally Heider Studios and the Sound Factory.

Soul Train issued “Uptown Festival (Part 1)” as the lead single in March 1977; it reached No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 10 on the R&B chart, No. 2 on the dance chart, No. 30 in the UK, and No. 20 in Australia. “Ooo Baby Baby” followed in August and reached No. 59 on the R&B chart.

Disco Gardens

Shalamar released their second album, Disco Gardens, on August 28, 1978, on Solar.

Disco Gardens introduced the first stable Shalamar lineup: Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniel, and Gerald Brown, with Brown appearing on this album only. Howard Hewett replaced Brown before the next record. Leon Sylvers III and Dick Griffey produced the album, with Sylvers also contributing arrangements and compositions. The seven-track program runs under thirty-two minutes.

Disco Gardens tightens the group’s sound around brisk rhythm work, clipped vocal exchanges, and cleaner ensemble definition. “Take That to the Bank” stretches furthest, locking its bass and keyboard figures into a firm forward push, while “Tossing, Turning and Swinging” hits with harder percussion and a sharper stride. “Shalamar Disco Gardens” keeps the pace compact and direct, and the second side eases into softer contours without dropping the album’s underlying pulse. The set holds together through quick motion, bright surfaces, and a clearer group presence than the debut.

A1. “Tossing, Turning and Swinging” (5:47) – Ricky Sylvers, Edmund Sylvers, James Sylvers, Leon Sylvers III
A2. “Shalamar Disco Gardens” (3:44) – Jeffrey Daniel
A3. “Take That to the Bank” (6:14) – Kevin Spencer, Leon Sylvers III

B1. “Stay Close to Love” (3:49) – Leon Sylvers III, Herman Brown
B2. “Leave It All Up to Love” (3:46) – Wayne Bell, Merlin Bell, Malcolm Anthony
B3. “Lovely Lady” (5:36) – Kossi Gardner
B4. “Cindy, Cindy” (2:56) – Wayne Bell, Merlin Bell, Malcolm Anthony

Leon Sylvers III and Dick Griffey produced Disco Gardens. The album was recorded in 1977–78 at Studio Masters and Star Track, both in Los Angeles.

Solar issued “Take That to the Bank” as a single; it reached No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 11 on the R&B chart, and No. 20 in the UK. Solar also issued “Stay Close to Love” as a single.

Big Fun

Shalamar released their third album, Big Fun, on August 30, 1979, on Solar.

Big Fun introduced the trio of Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniel, and Howard Hewett, the lineup that defined the group through 1983. Hewett replaced Gerald Brown and took the lead tenor role. Leon Sylvers III produced the record and played bass and percussion throughout. The supporting ensemble included several keyboardists, guitarists, drummers, percussionists, and a string section of cellos and violins.

Big Fun sharpens the trio’s balance between fast-moving floor tracks and slower late-night pieces. “Right in the Socket” drives with an insistent rhythmic frame, “Take Me to the River” adds a more playful snap, and “The Right Time for Us” opens with a broad mid-tempo glide that gives the lead voice more room. On the slower side, “Let’s Find the Time for Love” eases into a softer sweep, while “The Second Time Around” carries the album’s most polished long-form build. The record keeps its momentum through dense arrangement, quick transitions, and a bright, layered surface.

A1. “The Right Time for Us” (5:53) – Leon Sylvers III, Dick Griffey
A2. “Take Me to the River” (4:57) – Renaldo Benson, Lawrence Payton
A3. “Right in the Socket” (6:51) – Kevin Spencer, Leon Sylvers III, Dick Griffey

B1. “The Second Time Around” (7:05) – Leon Sylvers III, William Shelby
B2. “I Owe You One” (5:11) – Joey Gallo, Leon Sylvers III
B3. “Let’s Find the Time for Love” (4:36) – Kevin Spencer, Leon Sylvers III
B4. “Girl” (5:24) – Kossi Gardner

Leon Sylvers III produced Big Fun. The album was recorded in 1979 at Studio Masters in Los Angeles and Jack Clement Studios in Nashville.

Solar lifted “The Second Time Around” as the first single in August 1979. It reached No. 1 on the soul chart, No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 on the dance chart, No. 45 in the UK, and No. 6 in New Zealand.

“I Owe You One” followed later in 1979 as the second single and reached No. 60 on the soul chart and No. 13 in the UK.

In March 1980, Solar released “Right in the Socket” as the third single. It reached No. 22 on the soul chart, No. 11 on the dance chart, and No. 44 in the UK.

Three for Love

Shalamar released their fourth album, Three for Love, on December 15, 1980, on Solar.

Three for Love continues with the Watley-Daniel-Hewett trio under Leon Sylvers III’s production. The personnel narrows from Big Fun: Leon Sylvers III handles bass and percussion; Foster Sylvers adds bass; Wardell Potts Jr. plays drums; Stephen Shockley, Richard Randolph, Ernest Reed, and Ricky Sylvers share guitar duties; Kevin Spencer, Joey Gallo, James Sylvers, Michael Nash, and Ricky Smith contribute keyboards. All eight tracks are original compositions.

Three for Love moves with greater assurance, splitting its weight between firm dance cuts and slow-burn ballads. “Full of Fire” and “Make That Move” push hardest, both built around shared lead lines, brisk rhythmic pressure, and a strong sense of group interplay. “Somewhere There’s a Love” softens the pace with wider spacing, a solo trumpet accent, and small rhythmic shifts, while “This Is for the Lover in You” settles into a slower, more sustained line. “Work It Out,” “Attention to My Baby,” and “Pop Along Kid” keep the set varied without breaking its steady pulse.

A1. “Full of Fire” (6:20) – Jody Watley, Joey Gallo, Richard Randolph
A2. “Attention to My Baby” (4:32) – William Shelby, Kevin Spencer, Wardell Potts
A3. “Somewhere There’s a Love” (4:23) – Otis Stokes, William Shelby, Ernest Reed
A4. “Some Things Never Change” (4:55) – William Shelby, Dana Meyers

B1. “Make That Move” (6:15) – Kevin Spencer, William Shelby, Ricky Smith
B2. “This Is for the Lover in You” (5:04) – Howard Hewett, Dana Meyers
B3. “Work It Out” (4:24) – Jody Watley, Nidra Beard
B4. “Pop Along Kid” (4:48) – Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewett, Nidra Beard

Leon Sylvers III produced Three for Love. The album was recorded between 1978 and 1980 at Studio Masters and Larrabee Sound in Los Angeles, and Aura Sound in Orlando, Florida.

Solar lifted “Full of Fire” as a single in 1981. It reached No. 24 on the soul chart, No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 15 on the dance chart, and No. 30 in New Zealand.

“Make That Move” followed and reached No. 6 on the soul chart and No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100.

On May 25, 1981, Solar released “This Is for the Lover in You,” backed with “Some Things Never Change.” It reached No. 17 on the R&B chart.

Go for It

Shalamar released their fifth album, Go for It, on August 28, 1981, on Solar.

Go for It and Friends were recorded concurrently at Studio Masters in Los Angeles and share much of the same instrumental personnel. Jeffrey Daniel wrote four of the eight tracks, his largest single-album writing contribution to the group. Howard Hewett co-wrote one track with James Ingram, and Jody Watley co-wrote another with Glen Barbee. The record served as Solar’s final album for RCA before the label moved distribution to WEA.

Go for It leans on strings, fluid bass movement, and a smoother upper-register sheen. The title track stands tallest, built around a supple low-end line and a fuller orchestral frame, while “You’ve Got Me Running” cuts in with a tenser edge and tighter phrasing. “Talk to Me” stretches into a relaxed, polished flow with a softer rhythmic bed, but “Good Feelings” and “The Final Analysis” move more cautiously and leave a flatter impression. The album works best when the arrangements stay active and the instrumental layers keep shifting underneath the vocals.

A1. “Go for It” (5:29) – Jeffrey Daniel
A2. “Appeal” (5:20) – Jeffrey Daniel
A3. “The Final Analysis” (3:23) – Jeffrey Daniel
A4. “You’ve Got Me Running” (3:57) – Howard Hewett, James Ingram

B1. “Sweeter as the Days Go By” (3:47) – Linda Carriere, Ricky Smith
B2. “Talk to Me” (6:14) – Glen Barbee, Jody Watley
B3. “Good Feelings” (4:20) – William Shelby, Howard Hewett, Wardell Potts Jr.
B4. “Rocker” (6:57) – Jeffrey Daniel

Leon Sylvers III produced Go for It. The album was recorded between 1979 and 1980 at Studio Masters in Los Angeles.

Solar issued “Sweeter as the Days Go By” as the album’s sole single in 1981 (b/w “The Final Analysis”); it reached No. 19 on the soul chart. “Talk to Me” also saw single release (b/w “Appeal”).

Friends

Shalamar released their sixth album, Friends, on January 29, 1982, on Solar.

Friends was the first Shalamar album released through WEA distribution. The Watley-Daniel-Hewett trio again worked under Leon Sylvers III’s production. Wardell Potts Jr. played drums; Foster Sylvers and Leon Sylvers III shared bass duties; Sylvers III also handled percussion and keyboards. The ten-track program runs just under forty-five minutes.

Friends balances bright, quick-step singles with a strong run of slower vocal features. “A Night to Remember” opens with a light flash and a bittersweet line over a steady uptempo frame, while “There It Is” returns to tight trio interplay and a crisp, driving surface. “Don’t Try to Change Me” and “On Top of the World” keep the lighter side moving, but the ballads carry much of the weight: “I Don’t Wanna Be the Last to Know” coasts on a smooth, even pull, “Help Me” places the lead in a smoky setting, and “I Just Stopped By Because I Had To” unfolds with a more intimate, lingering pace. The title track and “Playing to Win” add further lift without breaking the album’s polished flow.

A1. “A Night to Remember” (5:08) – Nidra Beard, Dana Meyers, Charmaine Sylvers
A2. “Don’t Try to Change Me” (4:10) – William Bryant, Tina Scott, Roberta Stiger
A3. “Help Me” (5:10) – Joey Gallo, Leon Sylvers III, Jody Watley, Nidra Beard
A4. “On Top of the World” (4:06) – Dana Meyers, Richard Randolph
A5. “I Don’t Wanna Be the Last to Know” (4:02) – Kevin Spencer, William Shelby, Linda Carriere, Nidra Beard

B1. “Friends” (5:00) – William Shelby, Glen Barbee, Nidra Beard
B2. “Playing to Win” (4:24) – Jody Watley, Ralph E. Clayborne, Charmaine Sylvers
B3. “I Just Stopped By Because I Had To” (4:08) – Stephen Shockley, Joey Gallo, Leon Sylvers III, Nidra Beard
B4. “There It Is” (4:27) – Nidra Beard, Dana Meyers, Charmaine Sylvers
B5. “I Can Make You Feel Good” (4:20) – William Shelby, Howard Hewett, Renwick Jackson

Leon Sylvers III produced Friends. The album was recorded in 1981 at Studio Masters, Larrabee Sound, the Record Plant, and Kendun Recorders, all in Los Angeles.

Solar led with “I Can Make You Feel Good” in 1982. It reached No. 33 on the US soul chart, No. 7 in the UK, No. 10 in the Netherlands, and No. 18 in Ireland.

“A Night to Remember” followed as the second single and reached No. 8 on the US soul chart, No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 15 on the US dance chart, No. 5 in the UK, and No. 9 in Ireland.

“There It Is” came next, backed with “I Don’t Wanna Be the Last to Know,” and reached No. 5 in the UK and No. 6 in Ireland.

“Friends” later became a fourth UK single and reached No. 12 there. In 1984, “Deadline U.S.A.” appeared as a non-album single from the D.C. Cab soundtrack and reached No. 34 on the US R&B chart and No. 52 in the UK.

The Look

Shalamar released their seventh album, The Look, on July 11, 1983, on Solar.

The Look is the final Shalamar album to feature Watley, Daniel, and Hewett; both Watley and Daniel departed shortly before its release. Hewett remains on lead vocals throughout. Leon Sylvers III produced the album, drawing on a writing pool that includes Sylvers family members, Marquis Dair, Dana Meyers, Joey Gallo, and Hewett. The ten-track program runs just under forty-seven minutes. The album received Gold certification in the UK, and “Dead Giveaway” earned a Grammy nomination.

The Look turns toward sleeker surfaces, brighter synthetic textures, and a more uniform dance-pop finish. “Dead Giveaway” and “No Limits (The Now Club)” set the pace with glossy uptempo motion, while “Closer” opens the record with a smoother mid-tempo line and prominent keyboard color. “Over and Over” stands out among the later tracks, and “You’re the One for Me” and “The Look” keep the set moving with a softer, streamlined sheen. The album holds best on the quicker cuts, where the sharper pulse and polished top layer give the material its clearest shape.

A1. “Closer” (5:07) – Wilmer Raglin, William Zimmerman, Dana Meyers
A2. “Dead Giveaway” (5:01) – Joey Gallo, Leon Sylvers III, Marquis Dair
A3. “You Can Count on Me” (3:47) – Carrie Lucas, Ken Rarick
A4. “Right Here” (4:16) – Ricky Sylvers, Leon Sylvers III, Kevin Spencer, Vincent Brantley
A5. “No Limits (The Now Club)” (4:47) – Marquis Dair, Leon Sylvers III, Patricia Sylvers, Joey Gallo

B1. “Disappearing Act” (5:25) – Foster Sylvers, Dana Meyers, Janet Cole
B2. “Over and Over” (4:34) – Leon Sylvers III, William Shelby, Dominic Leslie
B3. “You’re the One for Me” (5:00) – Isaias Gamboa, Howard Hewett, Leon Sylvers III
B4. “You Won’t Miss Love (Until It’s Gone)” (4:06) – Wardell Potts Jr., Rickey Smith, Howard Hewett
B5. “The Look” (3:55) – Howard Hewett, Stanley Clarke

Leon Sylvers III produced The Look. The album was recorded between 1982 and 1983.

Solar opened the campaign with “Dead Giveaway” in 1983. It reached No. 10 on the US soul chart, No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 18 on the US dance chart, No. 8 in the UK, and No. 8 in Ireland.

“Disappearing Act” followed and reached No. 18 in the UK and No. 13 in Ireland. “Over and Over” came next and reached No. 26 on the US soul chart, No. 23 in the UK, and No. 24 in Ireland.

In 1984, “You Can Count on Me” appeared as a further single and reached No. 77 on the US soul chart and No. 101 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Heartbreak

Shalamar released their eighth album, Heartbreak, on November 12, 1984, on Solar.

Heartbreak introduces Delisa Davis and Micki Free as replacements for Watley and Daniel. Howard Hewett remains the primary lead vocalist and co-produced the album with Hawk Wolinski and Bill Wolfer. The production shifts away from Leon Sylvers III’s framework toward a more synthesizer- and sequencer-led sound.

Heartbreak pushes further into programmed rhythm, sequenced detail, and a more synthetic frame. “Dancing in the Sheets” leads with the strongest lift, driving its beat through a bright, rock-edged arrangement, while “Amnesia,” a collaboration with George Duke, layers keyboards across a denser mid-tempo structure. “My Girl Loves Me” and “Don’t Get Stopped in Beverly Hills” carry the same polished hybrid of tight rhythm and pop-facing surface, and “Whenever You Need Me” slows the pace for a more intimate duet setting. The album stays centered on Howard Hewett’s voice as the arrangements grow more electronic and sharply outlined.

A1. “Amnesia” (5:32) – George Duke, Howard Hewett
A2. “Dancing in the Sheets” (4:01) – Bill Wolfer, Dean Pitchford
A3. “Whenever You Need Me” (4:53) – Delisa Davis
A4. “Heartbreak” (5:27) – Fenderella, Chuck Gentry

B1. “Don’t Get Stopped in Beverly Hills” (4:24) – Hawk Wolinski, Howard Hewett, Micki Free
B2. “My Girl Loves Me” (4:41) – Hawk Wolinski, Howard Hewett, Micki Free
B3. “Melody (An Erotic Affair)” (7:08) – Hawk Wolinski, Howard Hewett, Micki Free
B4. “Deceiver” (4:04) – Hawk Wolinski, Howard Hewett, Micki Free

Howard Hewett co-produced Heartbreak between 1983 and 1984 with Hawk Wolinski and Bill Wolfer. Hawk Wolinski programs drums and plays guitar, keyboards, and synthesizers; Bill Wolfer adds keyboards and synthesizers; William Zimmerman and Chuck Gentry handle sequencing. George Duke produced and played keyboards on “Amnesia.”

“Dancing in the Sheets” first appeared on the Footloose soundtrack before Solar issued it as the lead Heartbreak single in 1984; it reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 18 on the US soul chart, No. 9 on the US dance chart, No. 41 in the UK, No. 68 in Australia, and No. 8 in New Zealand. Solar issued “Amnesia” as a single in 1984; it reached No. 49 on the US soul chart, No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 61 in the UK.

Solar issued “My Girl Loves Me” as a single in 1985; it reached No. 22 on the US soul chart, No. 106 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 45 in the UK.

In 1985, Solar lifted “Don’t Get Stopped in Beverly Hills” as a tie-in with its appearance on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, which also featured tracks by Patti LaBelle (“New Attitude”), The System (“Rock ‘n Roll Me Again”), and the Pointer Sisters (“Neutron Dance”). Shalamar also contributed “Just One of the Guys” to the Just One of the Guys soundtrack in 1985.

Discography: