"A Night to Remember" by Shalamar

       Get out your dancing shoes, friends! It’s time to dial it all the way back to ’82 for Los Angeles based Shalamar, and their classic jam “A Night to Remember”!

“When you love someone, it's natural, not demanding… and that’s one thing I’m proud to say I’ve found in you.”

Pulled from the group’s 1982 LP Friends, “A Night…” was poised to become Shalamar's third US top 40 hit, (following 1977's “Uptown Festival”, and 1980's “The Second Time Around”), however, this classic cut just missed that goal by stalling at US #44 on the almighty pop charts. Deservedly, the single scored much better on the US R&B chart at #8, and it also made a splash “across the pond”, where its UK #5 peak was Shalamar’s first Top 10.

“Celebrations and my heart could stay united… And there’s nothing in this world to come between me and you…”

A sweet and upbeat melody sung by two lovers excited about spending a memorable night together (possibly their first?), “A Night…” expertly melds the sounds of funk, soul, and pop. It successfully bridges the gap between ‘70s dance floor rhythms and the upcoming mid ‘80s electronic soul movement termed “post-disco”, populated by acts such as The Pointer Sisters, Billy Ocean, The Gap Band, and Starpoint (whose classic “Object of my Desire” was covered by this very blog in August 2014.)

However, given that Shalamar comprises of two men and one woman (Howard and Jody are the main vocalists here, with Jeffrey singing backing accompaniment), another lyrical interpretation holds that this night will be memorable for a much more... ahem... adult reason than what is initially alluded to. To support this theory, it's worth mentioning that Shalamar’s 1980 LP, which produced the R&B chart hit “This Is For The Lover In You”, was entitled “Three For Love”… Hmmm… *scratching chin pensively*

“Let's make a toast to those who helped make this occasion… They turn their back on love…  But that's what drove you straight to me.”

The song is also notable for featuring a third and final verse that comes in around the time that most first-time listeners might assume the song is wrapping up. It appears after no less than five (!!!) chorus repetitions following verse two.

So what became of the group following their mid-80s breakup? Jody, of course, enjoyed a very prominent post-Shalamar career, charting high in the late 80s with tracks like “Looking for a New Love”, “Don’t You Want Me”, and “Real Love”. She even earned the 1988 Best New Artist Grammy, despite having been a part of a successful group earlier in the decade.

Howard’s solo career was less prolific than Jody’s, but he still scored several hits on the US R&B chart, among them, a smooth quiet-storm cover of the Eagles' “I Can't Tell You Why”. Jeffrey Daniels left recording behind, becoming an in-demand choreographer in the process, and worked with such musical luminaries as Paul McCartney, LL Cool J, Michael Jackson, and Sheena Easton.

As catchy as “A Night...” is, I admit I'd completely forgotten about it until I started listening to the Rhapsody playlists created by my buddy Greg, a fellow musicologist, and a long time member of the Radio Dial family. It had been at least 25 years since I last heard Shalamar's classic on the radio, and thanks to Greg's playlist, it was a welcome delight to hear it again, and add it to my own playlist. Why don’t you give it a whirl too, and see if this classic jam catches you the way it did me on the second time around. (See what I did there?)

“So my love to you, baby, I surrender… Get ready. Tonight. Gonna make this a night to remember.”