Popdose - Latest Comments in Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

JohnHughes — Sun, 17 May 2009 23:27:34 -0000

Huh? Read the comment directly below before you sling the "dummy," dummy.

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

IFS — Sun, 17 May 2009 03:27:27 -0000

YOU DUMMY. THAT WAS HOWARD HUNTSBERRY IN klique.

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

Ray — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:05:54 -0000

Shalamar is the bomb dot com! Lots of great singles and great grooves!

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

Retro_Remixes — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:14:20 -0000

Shalamar, hey ! Granted, I came to enjoy this group only I after I fell in love with Ms. Watley as the divine solo artist that she was and is. I believe all of Shalamar's albums are available on CD so anyone whose into them should be able to get all of their prime stuff.

And you can "take that to the bank !"

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

:::theroux — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:40:21 -0000

"Make That Move" was probably their best stuff. I saw Jody live last summer, and it was the only Shalamar tune to make her set list. Draw your own conclusions.

The post-Jody Shalamar was fun to look at. I vaguely recall an album cover with a lot of skin-tight white pleather pants. Hewett fans may want to google-pic that one. I just did.

I gave up on them when they unleashed "Circumstantial Evidence" on us. Weird song with cumbersome chorus...the video was an exercise in 80's excess (think: black patent leather orgy.)

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

Pete — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:26:36 -0000

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this song (and video). Thanks for sparking an interest in getting acquainted with their catalog.

I had also only seen the Chappelle/Rick James bit but not the one with Prince before, so I looked it up. Hilarious!

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

Rob — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:26:45 -0000

My mistake. For once, my pop trivia mind failed me.

A quick check of Google and Wikipedia reveals that I'm confusing 80s r&b groups with lead singers named Howard.

Howard Huntsberry was the lead singer of the lesser known group Klique. And he was the one who covered "A Woman A Lover A Friend" and then went on to "La Bamba" fame.

A bonus to make up for my grievous error: Remember that final scene in "Ghostbusters II" when the Statue of Liberty is rocking out to "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher?" That was the other Howard on the vocals, not Jackie.

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

Rob — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:16:08 -0000

Here's what redeems Shalamar and gives them the edge over all the similar 80s bands.

Not Jody Watley. But Howard Hewett, who absolutely idolized Jackie Wilson, one of my personal favorite artists.

I remember him singing a pretty decent cover of Jackie's "A Woman A Lover A Friend" on "American Bandstand" when he could have instead gone with the latest Shalamar claptrap.

And oh yes, he finally did get a chance to play Jackie Wilson for a day: You'll find him playing Wilson and performing "Lonely Teardrops" during a brief cameo in "La Bamba."

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

Hooks and Harmony — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:28:23 -0000

After the success of "Dancing in the Sheets," my hit-seeking radar found their follow-up single, "Amnesia," in the record bin and I immediately bought it.

It peaked at #74.

Dave, I hope we'll see this in "The Ass End of the 80s" once we get to the letter S.

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

Mike — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:08:54 -0000

Shalamar was definitely a mainstay in my house growing up. I had an aunt that was absolutely infatuated with Jody Watley, and that (the Shalamar fandom, not the Jody infatuation) trickled down to me. I own several Shalamar albums (not to mention much of Jody and Howard's solo work).

Check out Jeffrey Daniel doing a routine to the song "A Night To Remember", which heavily featured moonwalking...about a year before MJ's "Billie Jean" performance on "Motown 25".

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

If I can be kinda nitpicky, it should also be noted that "Dancing in the Sheets" hit only about a year or so after "Dead Giveaway". It was featured in 1984's "Footloose" movie and soundtrack.

Nice write up. I actually just got "The Look", coupled with their 1984 album "Heart Break" off of amazon.com for about $15.

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

Keilani Goggins (not Kenny) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:10:54 -0000

Loved Shalamar! If you watch the Best of Soul Train reruns, you can sometimes catch the Jeffrey Daniel/Jody Watley ones. They were always dressed alike, and doing random routines.

It's rumored that Jeffrey Daniel taught Michael how to moonwalk.

Re: Lost in the ’80s: Shalamar

JohnHughes — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:15:06 -0000

I should mention before about thirty of you smarties do, that Daniels' replacement in Shalamar was the androgynous Mickey Free, made famous to an entirely new generation as the punchline in the Chapelle's Show Prince sketch.