Shalamar were born out of the US ‘Soul Train’ programme where Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniels were members of the Soul Train Gang of the mid seventies whose dancing skills dazzled audiences across America where the weekly show was beamed out to. Recording for the Soul Train label alongside the likes of Carrie Lucas and The Whispers they made a serious impact on the nations dance floors with their first release in 1977 with ‘Uptown Festival’ a medley of sixties Motown hits, and at a time when the 12” disco single ruled it became quite a collectable item at that time.
 
Realistically it wasn’t their best song and whilst it helped put the group on the map it was their work from 1979 onwards that helped to catapult Shalamar to superstar status and gave them numerous platinum records until the mid eighties. By the time ‘Big Fun’ was released in 1980 the group had a new lead singer to join Jody Watley in Howard Hewett, who was to feature prominently over the next six years and whose voice really was the sound of Shalamar.

The launch of the L.A. based Solar label (Sound Of Los Angeles Records) found the group to be their biggest selling act and whilst the label probably didn’t set out to become a dance label as such, nearly everything on Solar was tailor made for the dancefloor. Acts such as the aforementioned Whispers, Carrie Lucas, Dynasty, Lakeside, and Midnight Star, all became household names for Solar, club DJ’s, and clubber alike.

‘The Right Time For Us’ commands a tight groove with a typical late seventies groove that was just right for those insatiable dancers and Jody’s lead vocals were a perfect match. ‘Right In The Socket’ became one of their earliest hits and again was perfect for the dancefloor and this CD features the full l2” version.

‘Let’s Find Time For Love’ features both Howard and Jody on a gentle ballad which shows that the group were able to vary their style to suit the occasion and this song itself is very strong indeed. ‘The Second Time Around’ was a HUGE record and was possibly one the biggest club hits of 1979 even though it's tempo is somewhat slower than that of previous songs. The song charted on both sides of the Atlantic and the rest as they say is history. From here on the group were on a roll.

Hot on the heels came another 45 in ‘I Owe You One’ and this too stormed the clubs and attracted lots of radio plays via upfront radio jocks who had took the Solar sound into their hearts. Just as Motown had created its own identity in the sixties, and Philly International a decade later, it was Solar who had its own sound during the eighties and there was no stopping it.
 
A nice track that grows with each listen is ‘Girl’ an uptempo number that mixes neatly in and out of Sylvester and has some very neat handclaps, Hammond style organ, and trumpet work making it a great all rounder.

‘Three For Love’
 
A cracking set from the early 1980's with little change in the successful formulae used on ‘Big Fun’. Right now the name Shalamar was extremely hot on the scene with almost every club DJ using their product to fill the dancefloors. The jocks were not to be disappointed and ‘Full Of Fire’ was a sure fire winner with its memorable hook line and irresistible groove.

‘Something’s Never Change’ is my personal favourite from this CD and has a feel about it that captivates the SOLAR sound at it’s very best. I wonder how many other acts on the label used this actual backing track on their own releases. That same period saw another UK single release with ‘Make That Move’ a Jody/Howard led uptempo dance track that immediately went to the top of the dance charts where it remained for a few months.

This CD also showcases the groups other talents in tackling the more gentler songs and the listener is treated to a gorgeous ballad (Howard) in ‘This Is For The Lover In You’ which has been a firm favourite over the years and has some fabulous harmonies and piano work giving it a real edge over any competition and it is easy to see why the group have been so popular over the years.

There is a bonus track on this CD in ‘The Second Time Around’ which was a massive club hit in it’s day, and will need no elaborating on this web site.

Of course Shalamar continued to dominate the soul scene during the early eighties with virtually all of their recordings charting one way or another. As Sanctuary Music continue to re-issue the complete back catalogue of Solar product you can expect some very tasty titles very soon. For Shalamar, there are quite a few more titles to be released, which takes us to the next phase – the days of ‘Friends’

‘Three For Love’ has been issued as a single CD once before, but the clever marketing strategy used by a number of record companies recently in presenting two original albums on one CD will make this set an essential purchase.

Rating 8/10