Shalamar - Friends. Top Of The Pops 1982 video free download

Great quality video singing live in the studio from Top Of The Pops 1982. Shalamar /ˈʃæləmɑr/ was an American music group, primarily of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey. They went on to be an influential dance trio, masterminded by Soul Train producer Don Cornelius. As noted in the British Hit Singles & Albums, they were regarded as fashion icons and trendsetters, and helped to introduce 'body-popping' to the United Kingdom. Their collective name 'Shalamar' was picked by Griffey.

Their first hit was the 1975 Motown-inspired production "Uptown Festival," the success of which inspired Griffey to replace his session singers with vocalists Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniel and Howard Hewett (the latter replacing short-time members Gary Mumford and, later, Gerald Brown) in 1979.

The group was joined up with producer Leon Sylvers III in 1979, signed with Griffey's SOLAR Records and scored a US million seller with "The Second Time Around".

In the UK the group had a string of hits with songs such as "Take That To The Bank" (1978), "I Owe You One" (1980) and 1982's "I Can Make You Feel Good", "A Night to Remember", "There It Is" and "Friends". The album of the same title Friends was also a big seller in the UK in 1982 crossing the genres of pop, disco and soul. The band's record sales in the UK increased when Daniel demonstrated his body-popping dancing skills on BBC Television's music programme, Top of the Pops, premiering the Moonwalk on television for the first time. Michael Jackson was a fan of the group, in particular, Daniel and his dance moves, after watching him on Soul Train. Jackson and Daniel met after, and Jackson took his then 12 year old sister Janet to see Shalamar perform at Disneyland. Daniel co-choreographed Jackson's "Bad" and "Smooth Criminal" videos.

The group took a knock when both Watley and Daniel left the band individually due to various conflicts within the group among other separate and increasing issues

With a mid 1980s line-up change with Delisa Davis and Micki Free, Shalamar returned to the US Top 20 in 1984 with "Dancing In The Sheets" from the Footloose soundtrack, peaking at No.17, and they won a Grammy for "Don't Get Stopped in Beverly Hills" from Beverly Hills Cop in 1984.

But when Hewett left for a solo career in 1985, and was replaced by Sydney Justin, the band faded into temporary obscurity. The group recorded 1987's Circumstantial Evidence, which was a commercial disappointment, and faded away soon after the release of 1990's Wake Up.

Watley launched her own solo career in 1987, winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist and releasing hit singles including "Looking For a New Love" and "Friends" featuring Eric B & Rakim. She rejoined with Hewett and Daniel, plus LL Cool J, on Babyface's 1996 million-selling single "This Is for the Lover in You"; a cover of a hit single from Shalamar's 1980 album Three for Love. Watley was also one of the few American singers to perform on the original Band Aid record recorded by mostly British singers in November 1984. Micki Free was mentioned on Chappelle's Show, under Charlie Murphy's 'True Hollywood Stories' when playing basketball with Prince.

Shalamar reformed in 2005, for the UK television series, Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, with original members Daniel and Hewett, and with new singer Carolyn Griffey (a long time friend and fan of the original band, and daughter of Shalamar founder and Solar Record boss Dick Griffey). Carolyn's mother is Carrie Lucas for whom Watley sang backing vocals. They reached the grand final of Hit Me, Baby, One More Time on 22 May 2005, ultimately losing out to Shakin' Stevens.

Shalamar scored a total of three gold albums in the US; with Big Fun, Three for Love (which eventually went platinum) and Friends.

Also in 1980, the band made a promotion of "The Second Time Around" for the radio station KJR in Seattle, called "The Sonics Came To Play"; dedicated to the Seattle SuperSonics who had won the NBA Championship, the previous year.

Shalamar was more recently featured in a segment of TV One's series Unsung, in which Watley, Daniel and Hewett shared their stories about the lack of payment and royalties from Solar Records, success, egos, and breakup of the group. During the interview, Daniel revealed that he played a major role in teaching Michael Jackson the Moonwalk dance, and that the dance was originally called the "backslide." In the interview Watley stated that she had moved on in her life and career, when asked about a possible reunion.

In October 2009, Hewett, Daniel and Griffey collectively performed as a part of "The Ultimate Boogie Nights Disco Concert Series at IndigO2 within O2 Arena Entertainment Avenue in London. This prompted their return to the UK in April 2010 for a tour. Please visit my other Channel. Keep Rockin!.

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