Shalamar

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Genre: Dance/Disco

Shalamar's fans didn't just want to buy their albums. They wanted to BE them - traveling the globe, singing, dancing, closing down clubs, shopping, even stopping to ride some dolphins along the way. It takes one-of-a-kind chemistry to effect that kind of ardor, and it can't be manufactured (as the beginning and end of their story proves). Effervescent but never bubblegum, Shalamar had the priceless ability to make absolutely anyone feel young at heart.

Don Cornelius plucked dancers Jody Watley (Chicago) and Jeffrey Daniel ( Los Angeles ) straight outta "The Soul Train Line" to join studio singer Gary Mumford, who was later replaced by Gerald Brown (who sang the hit "Take That To The Bank"). However, the real magic happened when Akron, Ohio-native Howard Hewett took over as lead singer just in time for their third album, Big Fun.

Internal issues and creative differences made the making of Shalamar's seventh SOLAR album, The Look (1983), problematic. Dance music was being overtaken by high-energy new wave. Shalamar didn't miss a beat, though, clocking in with Dead Giveaway, where blister-popping funk guitar mingles with a groove doing the Valley Girl bop! This potent concoction (promoted with a video that made it onto then-emerging MTV) went to #10 R&B and #22 pop. However, after an overseas promotional tour for The Look, Jody & Jeffrey abandoned ship, bringing the classic incarnation of Shalamar to a close.