Up until now, I only knew of less than a handful of their songs but i've started listening to them a lot lately and damn Shalamar is the ish! I don't where i've been. I love pretty much all their songs i've heard.

So far I've purchased the "Three for Love" album and I'm really enjoying it.

What album should I get next? What are their must have albums/songs?

Thx in advance.

Friends...their best.

yanowha said:

Friends...their best.

Agreed! If their was one band/group that needed to be properly anthologized, it would be SHALAMAR. Three For Love, Friends, and The Look is essential though.

The Howard, Jody, & Jeffrey lineup only has 5 albums. Jody & Jeffrey join on the 2nd album, and Howard on the 3rd one Big Fun. The debut album is just session singers.

Friends is their masterpiece.A strong album from start to finish.

The 12" Collection

The Ultimate Best of!!

http://www.amazon.com/Ult...B004E0H7PS

19 hits on disk one and a second disk with 13 12''mixes.

Cinnamon234 said:

I was pretty obessed with them 5 years ago and when Jody did those behind the scenes drama videos on them that didn't help . Pretty much everything you need is mention in this thread already. But yes shalamar was the shit

sextonseven said:

The 12" Collection

I agree this is agreat place to start. After that, you gotta go for Look and Heartbreak which are both great albums. 2 of my faves by them. Then you have to get Friends!

I Can Make You Feel Good and A Night to Remember off Friends is my personal recommendation.

The only "semi-clunker" in the catalog (for me anyway) was 1981's "Go For It".

Nobody talks much about that one. "Sweeter As The Days Go By" is great, but the rest of it kinda laid there.

JamFanHot said:

The only "semi-clunker" in the catalog (for me anyway) was 1981's "Go For It".

Nobody talks much about that one. "Sweeter As The Days Go By" is great, but the rest of it kinda laid there.

1981 was a strange year for Solar Records.The Whispers also released an album that year ('This Kinda Lovin') which was very weak and uninspired,and sold poorly.Like the Shalamar album,no one really talks about it.There must have been drama/changes going on at the label,during that time.

^^ I should add that...the title track to that Whispers album is EXCELLENT.But the rest of the album sounds like rejected leftovers.

SoulAlive said:

^^ I should add that...the title track to that Whispers album is EXCELLENT.But the rest of the album sounds like rejected leftovers.

I think you're right about 1981 SOLAR. I remember also Lakeside's album from '81 (Keep On Movin Straight Ahead) ....NOT released on SOLAR & that was was a turkey too.

Musta been sumthn political with Griffey & money at the time....

Go for It is the fifth album by American R&B group Shalamar, released in 1981 on the SOLAR label. The album features the 'classic' Shalamar line-up (Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewett and Jody Watley).

Daniel has confirmed that Go For It and Friends were recorded at the same time. For distribution purposes, SOLAR was in the process of leaving RCA and joining WEA, but still owed a final Shalamar album to RCA: Go for It was that album, while Friends became the first to be delivered to WEA. Go for It received indifferent promotion from RCA, and the garish cover-art was also the subject of negative comment.

"I Don't Wanna Be the Last to Know" is a classic track!

JamFanHot said:

SoulAlive said:

^^ I should add that...the title track to that Whispers album is EXCELLENT.But the rest of the album sounds like rejected leftovers.

I think you're right about 1981 SOLAR. I remember also Lakeside's album from '81 (Keep On Movin Straight Ahead) ....NOT released on SOLAR & that was was a turkey too.

Musta been sumthn political with Griffey & money at the time....

Both groups recovered a year later.Shalamar's Friends and The Whispers' Love Is Where You Find It were a return to form.

getxxxx said:

Go for It is the fifth album by American R&B group Shalamar, released in 1981 on the SOLAR label. The album features the 'classic' Shalamar line-up (Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewett and Jody Watley).

Daniel has confirmed that Go For It and Friends were recorded at the same time. For distribution purposes, SOLAR was in the process of leaving RCA and joining WEA, but still owed a final Shalamar album to RCA: Go for It was that album, while Friends became the first to be delivered to WEA. Go for It received indifferent promotion from RCA, and the garish cover-art was also the subject of negative comment.

Thanks for the info.I knew there was something odd going on in '81.

SoulAlive said:Friends is their masterpiece.A strong album from start to finish.

Absolutely! "I Don't Wanna be the Last to Know" is my favorite.

uPtoWnNY said:

SoulAlive said:Friends is their masterpiece.A strong album from start to finish.

Absolutely! "I Don't Wanna be the Last to Know" is my favorite.

the cool thing about this album is...even the 'album tracks' (not just the singles) are superb...."Help Me" is an excellent slow jam."Don't Try To Change Me" is another highlight.This album could have easily had four or five singles.