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Biography
Other uses|Shalimar (disambiguation)!ShalimarInfobox musical artist | | name = Shalamar| image = Jwbackstage 83.jpg|200px|Shalamar, 1983| caption = Shalamar, back stage in 1983. Left to right , Howard Hewett , Jody Watley , and Jeffrey Daniel .| image_size =| background = group_or_band| alias =| origin = Los Angeles , California , United States | genre = Disco , Post-disco , R& B , boogie (genre)|boogie , Soul music|soul | years_active = 1975–1991; 2005–present| label = SOLAR Records | associated_acts =| website = http://www.shalamar.org Official website| current_members = Jeffrey Daniel Howard Hewett Carolyn Griffey | past_members = Jody Watley Gary Mumford Gerald Brown Delisa Davis Micki Free Sydney Justin Shalamar IPA-en|'?æl?m?r| is an United States|American music musical ensemble|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 .cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 1998 | title= Guinness Rockopedia | edition= 1st | publisher= Guinness Publishing Ltd. | location= London | page= 385 | isbn= 0-85112-072-5 They went on to be an influential dance music|dance trio (music)|trio , masterminded by Soul Train television producer|producer Don Cornelius .cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 493 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 . Their collective name 'Shalamar' was picked by Griffey. http://books.google.com/books? id=mTM_9JTeoMIC& pg=PA506& dq=shalamar& lr=& as_brr=3& ie=ISO-8859-1& output=html Books.google.com
Career
Their first hit record|hit was the 1975 Motown Records|Motown -inspired record producer|production "Uptown Festival," and released on Soul Train Records the success of which inspired Griffey and Don Cornelius to replace session musician|session singers with popular Soul Train dancers Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel to join original Shalamar lead singer Gary Mumford. 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". After conflicts over lack of payment from Dick Griffey and Solar Records , Brown would leave the group.Unsung Shalamar:Jody Watley Unfiltered Featuring Gerald Brown http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=zDWhuwbYtIM | access date Oct. 20, 2011 Brown was replaced by Howard Hewett in 1979.cite web |first= |last= |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p4478|pure_url=yes |title=Biography by Ron Wynn |accessdate=20 Oct 2011
The group was joined up with record producer|producer Leon Sylvers III in 1979, signed with Griffey's SOLAR Records and scored a United States|US million seller with " The Second Time Around (Shalamar song)|The Second Time Around ."
In the United Kingdom|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 (Shalamar song)|A Night to Remember ", "There It Is" and "Friends". The album of the same title Friends (Shalamar album)|Friends was also a big seller in the UK in 1982 crossing the genres of popular music|pop , disco and soul music|soul . The band's record sales in the UK increased when Daniel demonstrated his Popping|body-popping dancing skills on BBC Television 's music programme, Top of the Pops , premiering the Moonwalk (dance)|Moonwalk on television for the first time. Michael Jackson was a fan (person)|fan of the group, in particular, Daniel and his dance moves, after watching him on Soul Train .Citation needed|date=September 2009 Jackson and Daniel met after, and Jackson took his then 12 year old sister Janet Jackson|Janet to see Shalamar perform at Disneyland. Daniel co-choreographed Jackson's " Bad (Michael Jackson song)|Bad " and " Smooth Criminal " music video|videos .Citation needed|date=November 2009 The "classic" lineup of Shalamar (Hewett, Watley, and Daniel) scored a total of three Music recording sales certification|gold albums in the US with Big Fun , Three for Love (which eventually went music recording sales certification|platinum ) and Friends .
The group took a knock when Watley and Daniel separately left the band over conflicts within the group and other issues. 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 (Shalamar album)|The Look , in 1983. Nonetheless, the album yielded a number of UK hit single (music)|single s including "Disappearing Act", "Dead Giveaway" and " Over and Over (Shalamar song)|Over and Over ". The album itself moved Shalamar into a more New Wave music|new wave / synthpop direction, with rock guitar s 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 US Top 20 in 1984 with "Dancing in the Sheets" from the Footloose (soundtrack)|Footloose soundtrack , peaking at #17, and they won a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media|Grammy for "Don't Get Stopped in Beverly Hills" from Beverly Hills Cop in Grammy Awards of 1984|1984 .
After Hewett left for a solo (music)|solo career in 1985 and was replaced by Sydney Justin, the band faded into temporary obscurity. The group recorded 1987's Circumstantial Evidence (Shalamar album)|Circumstantial Evidence , which was a commercial disappointment, and faded away soon after the release of 1990s Wake Up (Shalamar album)|Wake Up .
Jody Watley launched her own influential solo career in 1987, winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist USA Today (Feb. 16, 1996), Best Bets: Albums Jody Watley Greatest Hits, "Few singers fired up the disco like Jody Watley who set trends and standards for fashion and music in the late 80s.." USA Today Life SectionBooker, Kristin http://www.fashionstylebeauty.com/2009/07/daily-style-icon-jody-watley.html "Daily Style Icon: Jody Watley" (Oct. 20, 2011). Retrieved Oct.20, 2011.Jones IV, James T. (July 17, 1995) "Jody Watley's High Voltage Rebound" " who introduced high fashion to music video." Life Section. USA Today.cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5796|pure_url=yes |title=((( Jody Watley > Charts & Awards > Grammy Awards ))) |publisher=allmusic |date=1959-01-30 |accessdate=2010-05-12 Her hits include " Looking for a New Love ," " Real Love (Jody Watley song)|Real Love ," and " Friends (Jody Watley song)|Friends " featuring Eric B & Rakim (noted to be the first Pop/R& B crossover single to include a rapper with the customized 16 bar verse, later becoming a popular formula in commercial music).Hess, Mickey (2007) Icons of Hip Hop : An Encyclopedia Of The Movement, Music, Culture Vol. 1. Jody Watley, Eric B. and Rakim 'Friends' p. 154 Greenwood Press ISBN 0-313-33903-1, ISBN 978-0-313-33903-5William Jelani (2007) To The Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip-Hop Aesthetic, Jody Watley Eric B and Rakim "Friends" p. 142 NYU Press 2007, ISBN 0-8147-1670-9, ISBN 978-0-8147-1670-0Along with Janet Jackson and Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna , Watley ranks as one of MTV Video Music Awards most-nominated female artists. Watley was also one of the few United States|American singers to perform on the original Band Aid (band)|Band Aid gramophone record|record sound recording and reproduction|recorded by mostly United Kingdom|British singers in November 1984.
Reunions
In 1996, Watley rejoined with Hewett and Daniel, plus LL Cool J , on Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds|Babyface 's million-selling single " This Is for the Lover in You "; a cover version|cover of a hit single from Shalamar's 1980 album Three for Love .cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 37 A music video was shot in which the three former members of Shalamar were digitally reunited on screen."This Is for the Lover in You," YouTube link http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=R0QtanYBHA0 | access date Dec. 4, 2011 Hewett, Watley, and Daniel subsequently joined Babyface and LL Cool J to perform the song on the UK's Top of the Pops in 1998. Billed as Shalamar, it marked the classic trio's first and only live performance together since 1983.Unsung Shalamar: Jody Watley Unfiltered Epilogue Part 7, "Reunions" http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Q3AUli4KQ90 | access date Dec. 4, 2011
Shalamar reformed in 2005, for the UK television program|television series , Hit Me, Baby, One More Time , with original member Daniel and Hewett, and with new member Carolyn Griffey (a long time friend and fan (person)|fan of the original band, and daughter of Shalamar founder and Solar Record boss Dick Griffey). Carolyn's mother is Carrie Lucas for whom Watley sang backing vocals. They reached the grand final of Hit Me, Baby, One More Time in May 2005, ultimately losing out to Shakin' Stevens .
Shalamar was featured in a segment of TV One (US TV network)|TV One 's series Unsung (TV series)|Unsung , in which Watley, Daniel and Hewett shared their stories about the creation of the group, the lack of payment and royalties from Solar Records, success, egos, and the breakup of the classic lineup. Dick Griffey, Micki Free, Delisa Davis, and Sydney Justin were also interviewed for the episode.
In October 2009, the reformed Shalamar of Hewett, Daniel and Griffey, performed as a part of "The Ultimate Boogie Nights Disco Concert Series", at IndigO2 within The O2 (London)|O2 Arena Entertainment Avenue in London . http://gtvone.com/2009/11/03/shalamar-a-shadow-of-their-former-selves/, Shalamar at IndigO2 http://www.funkjunkiez.biz/index.php? option=com_eventlist& view=details& id=178:shalamarindigo2& Itemid=57 Funk Junkiez Shalamar at IndigO2 This prompted their return to the UK in April 2010 for a tour. Hewett, Griffey and Daniel, returned to IndigO2 in October 2011. http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx? EventId=130696940& EditorialProduct=Entertainment, Shalamar at IndigO2
Discography
main|Shalamar discography
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 (S-Z)
List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand
List of performers on Top of the Pops
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.shalamar.org Official Shalamar website
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5403
http://www.jodywatley.net Official Jody Watley Website
http://www.jeffreydaniel.com Official Jeffrey Daniel website
Category:American dance music groups Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups Category:Disco groups Category:American boogie musicians Category:American soul musical groups Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles, California Category:Musical groups established in 1975 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1990 Category:SOLAR Records artists
