Is there anyone who didn't love the Imperial Period of Shalamar, from 1979 - 1983? The most successful group lineup, consisting of Howard Hewett, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel had everything: the looks, the dance moves and, of course, the sound. Producer extraordinaire Leon Sylvers had the pulse of young America, and provided an breezy underpinning for the attractive alternating lead vocals of Hewett and Watley, while Daniel captured us with his steps.
After a series of successful albums, internal struggles among the members hit the boiling point in 1983. But that didn't stop them from releasing perhaps their finest (and final) album. The Look successfully combined disco, soulful balladry, and the emerging funk scene into a seamless collection of gems. And while "Dead Giveaway" was the big hit from the disc, fans found even more pleasure much, much deeper into the LP.
Is there anyone who didn't love the Imperial Period of Shalamar, from 1979 - 1983? The most successful group lineup, consisting of Howard Hewett, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel had everything: the looks, the dance moves and, of course, the sound. Producer extraordinaire Leon Sylvers had the pulse of young America, and provided an breezy underpinning for the attractive alternating lead vocals of Hewett and Watley, while Daniel captured us with his steps.
After a series of successful albums, internal struggles among the members hit the boiling point in 1983. But that didn't stop them from releasing perhaps their finest (and final) album. The Look successfully combined disco, soulful balladry, and the emerging funk scene into a seamless collection of gems. And while "Dead Giveaway" was the big hit from the disc, fans found even more pleasure much, much deeper into the LP.
That leads to our latest SoulTracks Looks Back feature. "The Look," the title cut from the album, began with a decidedly electronic funk opening, before Howard Hewett takes over with a killer lead, punctuated by staccato harmonies from the trio. The song never became a single, but it still shines decades later.
Check out "The Look" below, and get your dancing shoes out again for Shalamar.
Shalamar - "The Look"