Friends (Shalamar album)

Friends
Friends
Studio album by Shalamar
Released	January 29, 1982
Recorded	1981
Studio	Studio Masters; Larrabee Sound; The Record Plant; Kendun Recorders; (Los Angeles)
Genre	Urban; soul; R&B; post-disco;
Length	44:55
Label	SOLAR
Producer	Leon Sylvers III
Shalamar chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
BBC	favorable^[2]
Robert Christgau	B−^[3]

Friends is the sixth album by American R&B group Shalamar, released in 1982 on the SOLAR label. The album, which features the 'classic' Shalamar line-up (Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewett and Jody Watley), topped the R&B chart and peaked at #35 on the Billboard chart. It has been certified Gold in the United States for sales over 500,000. It would eventually go Platinum. In the United Kingdom Friends gained impetus from a now-legendary demonstration of body-popping by Daniel during a performance of "A Night to Remember" on the BBC programme Top of the Pops. It reached #6 on the UK Albums Chart and produced four top 20 singles.

In 2002, Friends was re-released by Sanctuary Records in the United Kingdom in a double-CD package with Shalamar's previous album Go for It.

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"A Night to Remember"	Dana Meyers, Charmaine Sylvers, Nidra Beard	5:08
2.	"Don't Try to Change Me"	William Bryant, Tina Scott, Roberta Stiger	4:10
3.	"Help Me"	Joey Gallo, Leon Sylvers III, Jody Watley, Nidra Beard	5:10
4.	"On Top of the World"	Dana Meyers, Richard Randolph	4:06
5.	"I Don't Wanna Be the Last to Know"	Kevin Spencer, William Shelby, Linda Carriere, Nidra Beard	4:02

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Friends"	William Shelby, Glen Barbee, Nidra Beard	5:00
7.	"Playing to Win"	Jody Watley, Ralph E. Clayborne, Charmaine Sylvers	4:24
8.	"I Just Stopped By Because I Had To"	Stephen Shockley, Joey Gallo, Leon Sylvers III, Nidra Beard	4:08
9.	"There It Is"	Nidra Beard, Dana Meyers, Charmaine Sylvers	4:27
10.	"I Can Make You Feel Good"	William Shelby, Howard Hewett, Renwick Jackson	4:20

Personnel

Shalamar

Jeffrey Daniel - lead & backing vocals
Howard Hewett - lead & backing vocals
Jody Watley - lead & backing vocals

Musical Personnel

Leon Sylvers III - bass, percussion, keyboards
Wardell Potts, Jr. - drums
Foster Sylvers - bass
Joey Gallo - keyboards
Kevin Spencer - keyboards
James Ingram - bass, keyboards
Ricky Sylvers - guitar
Ed Green - drums
Ernest "Pepper" Reed - guitar
Richard Randolph - guitar
Michael Nash - keyboards
William Shelby - keyboards
Wayne Milstein - percussion

Reception

In The Boston Phoenix, Mike Freedberg wrote that the album "presents [Howard] Hewitt again and again overmatched by roseate fugues, overmatching lyrics so glib they vanish. He doesn't know whether to drive ahead or scat back--but neither would a Shalamar fan. Hewitt's stabs at sincerity fit into the I-can't-manage atmosphere that has all but replaced the buoyant bravado of soul, funk, and disco from today's black-teen music."^[4]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[5]	32
UK Albums (OCC)^[6]	6
US Billboard 200^[7]	35
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[8]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1982)	Position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[9]	96
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[10]	10

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions^[11]^[12]
Year	Single	UK Pop	US Pop	US R&B	US Dance
1982	"I Can Make You Feel Good"	7	102	33	-
	"A Night To Remember"	5	44	8	15
	"There It Is"	5	-	-	-
	"Friends"	12	-	-	-

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[13]	Platinum	300,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[14]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Elias, Jason. "Shalamar – Friends". AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
^ Easlea, Daryl. "Shalamar – Friends". BBC Music. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
^ Christgau, Robert. "Shalamar – Friends". Robert Christgau. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
^ Freedberg, Mike (April 13, 1982). "Know-nothing soul". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Shalamar – Friends" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
^ "Shalamar | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
^ "Shalamar, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
^ "Shalamar, BLP". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1982". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
^ "Shalamar US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
^ "Shalamar full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
^ "British album certifications – Shalamar – Friends". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
^ "American album certifications – Shalamar – Friends". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

External links

Shalamar-Friends at Discogs

[allmusic-1] Elias, Jason. "Shalamar – Friends". AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2014.

[bbc-2] Easlea, Daryl. "Shalamar – Friends". BBC Music. Retrieved December 27, 2014.

[christgau-3] Christgau, Robert. "Shalamar – Friends". Robert Christgau. Retrieved December 27, 2014.

[4] Freedberg, Mike (April 13, 1982). "Know-nothing soul". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved August 18, 2024.

[ac_Netherlands_Shalamar-5] "Dutchcharts.nl – Shalamar – Friends" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

[ac_UK_Shalamar-6] "Shalamar | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

[7] "Shalamar, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

[8] "Shalamar, BLP". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

[9] "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1982". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

[10] "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

[allmusic_singles-11] "Shalamar US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-25.

[12] "Shalamar full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 9, 2023.

[United_KingdomShalamarFriendsalbumCertRef-13] "British album certifications – Shalamar – Friends". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

[United_StatesShalamarFriendsalbumCertRef-14] "American album certifications – Shalamar – Friends". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 14, 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

v t e Shalamar
Howard Hewett Jeffrey Daniel Carolyn Griffey Jody Watley Gary Mumford Gerald Brown Delisa Davis Micki Free Sidney Justin
Studio albums	Uptown Festival Disco Gardens Big Fun Three for Love Go for It Friends The Look Heartbreak Circumstantial Evidence Wake Up
Singles	"Uptown Festival" "Ooh Baby, Baby" "The Second Time Around" "This Is for the Lover in You" "A Night to Remember" "I Can Make You Feel Good" "There It Is" "Dancing in the Sheets"
Related articles	Discography Soul Train Records SOLAR Records