Tis The Season with Shalamar RightOn Magazine January 1982




Shalamar with the OG's Howard Hewett, Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniels. Remember going into 7-11 for Icee's and Right On, it keep you in the know of black artists.


Jody slaying as usual, Jeffrey with the fro and Howard giving you Al B. Sure, Debarge swag



(page 30)
Shalamar and I just keep running into each other. Jeffrey Daniel spent a whole morning in my office recently and Jody and Howard, and I attend a lot of the same social functions, so during all of our socializing we made plans to do a cover story.
A few days later, following a long photo session (as you know we strive for perfection), it's time for the interview at Solar Records. As usual, pretty Jody is the first to appear. "Is it always this way?" I ask, "Yes, usually" she admits in her quiet manner.
Just then Jeffrey walks in the door asking for Howard. Howard is usually the second to show up for appointments so Jeffrey was surprised not to find him there. "But I'm not always late" he protests.
"Yes, you are," I tell him. "Why?' "Well because my legs are the longest and it takes more time for me to get in and out of cars," he quickly makes up an excuse.
"He's so hyperactive it seems he'd be here early, Jody remarks.
"No, the reason why is I do so many things in one day," he explains. "That's what it is, I try to cram in a lot of things."
"I do too," Jody kids him."No today, I went to Pasadena and back put film in the shop to be developed, and…" his voice trailed off as Jody merrily bursts into laughter.
"Have you a new source of transportation now that you're more successful?" I ask him.
"Yep, a new skateboard. I always have ridden skateboards, unicycles and skates. I don't go out that much anymore, but I used to skateboard down Hollywood Boulevard. I'd take my skateboard with me to the movies and lay it across the armrests so I could use it to hold my refreshments. I have memberships to skateboard parks and used o go riding all the time. On the streets I get recognized, so I can't do it as much."
I kept hearing noise outside the doorway and felt I recognized the voices. Leon Sylvers peeped his head in to say hello through the doorway. William Shelby of Dynasty was somewhere around, and I later met Reggie Calloway of Midnight Star. Linda Carriere of Dynasty called on the phone and photos of of The Sylvers, Lakeside, and Carrie Lucas hang on the walls, I was excited to be within the record company, as all their artists have been to visit me at Right On!
It reminded me to tell Jeffrey how much everyone at our offices enjoyed having him visit one morning. "You probably created a good impression because you brought me flowers. That's a sign of good manners." I tease him.
"I'll tell you why I brought them," he says. "I know why you brought them; you don't want me to be angry with you for anything."
"That's not why," Jeffrey protests. "It was because that was my first invitation to come talk to you at your office. I was very happy to come." "Why?" "For the same reason you're enjoying your visit at Solar. I have always


(page 31)
liked reading Right On! ever since I used to dance on Soul Train. Shalamar's been around the world and has gold records, but visiting Right On! was even more special to me."
"Me too," Jody chimes in. "I have all the old Right On!'s to prove I care. I entered the Miss Right On! contest when I was in 8th grade." "Don't use the old picture," warns latecomer Howard. "We don't want to shock anyone," he laughs. "I guess I take Right On! for granted," I surmise. "That's because you're there everyday," they chorus. "You can't see the forest for the trees," Howard adds.
"Who is the go between when the group has arguments," I wonder. "We don't have arguments," Jeffrey explains affectionately at his two favorite people. "Majority always rules. Like sometimes if I want to wear my hair one way and they want it another way, I have to go along with them. That happened with the photo session for the 'Friends' album which will come out in January," "What did you want to do?" Jody starts laughing, Jeffrey seriously says, "I have been wearing my hair sort of in dreadlocks except they didn't really dread. As you see,


(page 32)
it's like that now, I only combed it for the photo session." "but your hair wasn't even combed when you first arrived; it was braided. I was so afraid to ask you to unbraid it that I didn't know what to do," I confessed. Jody chuckles with me sympathetically having been through this before."
"Oh well, I just came in from the airport; I ha been back home to attend a wedding in Michigan for Shalamar's drummer and that's why it was like that." Jeffrey says.
"Jody, were you the main objector to the way he wanted to wear his hair?" "Yes, well, no." "It was majority rules," Jeffrey hastens to add. "Do you get hurt feelings, Jeffrey?" I ask him. "Sometimes. If you believe in something…" "We all go through that," Jody says. "Jody takes it the hardest. If it's choreography or whatever, and Howard and I don't want to go for it, she'll pout for a second. She'll get quiet on us," Jeffrey smiles at his dance partner.
"She seems so reasonable," I say glancing at the 21 year old female lead vocalist. "She usually is," Jeffrey agrees. "Reasonable?" Howard questions. "Huh!" "Yes, she pouts," Jeffrey went on. "But Howard and I knock her out of it."
"Usually the three of us think along the same lines," Howard mentions. "When we first got together, it was a meant to be situation. Jeffrey and I being the two male elements of the group had to feel each other out at first, but everything worked out." "Yeah, I got tired of him beating me up," Jeffrey laughs.
"Jeffrey," I remind him. "Remember the time we talked about your feelings on being original? Why don't you go into more details for the readers."
"Oh, yes, look at me now." The two-thirds of Shalamar look him over from head to toe. He's wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and an odd looking cap. "I like anything that's odd and interesting; I don't wear designer clothing. You know what? That's why I dance the way I do. I don't like to do anything anyone else does. It would hurt me to dance one way throughout a whole song. It would give me a pain in my chest."
"Are you doing anything new with your dancing these days?" "Yep" "It's getting worse" Jody murmurs innocently.

"That's cold" Howard exclaims. "I'm trying to stretch out; I don't want to do the same things I've been doing. I create a lot of new steps in discos, that have nice sized dance floors. "Speaking of dancing, do you ever visit Soul Train?" "Yes, we all go down there," says Jeffrey who seldom misses a taping if he can help it." "How does Don Cornelius treat you now that you're all famous?" "Same as always." He lowers his voice perfectly matching Don's. "Hey, Jeff" Jody chuckles delightedly.
"What did you with the photo I gave you of the two of you onstage at Soul Train?" "It's hanging up on display. After all if it weren't for Don, there'd be no Shalamar. It brought me out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. This sounds awful, but I quit high school so I could get to Los Angeles to be on Soul Train, Don Cornelius and Dick Griffey put together Soul Train Records, and through that company Shalamar was formed. I have a lot of respect for Don and Dick because they're two successful black businessmen. They know a lot."
The two other Shalamar members bob their heads in agreement. I look at Howard a little more closely, noticing how much he's changed since joining the group. "That's what everyone says; I don't know why." Howard explains, his shirt unbuttoned exposing a sexy hairy chest. "The boy's got some money in his pocket!" Jeffrey teases.
"I remember the first time I came to Right On! for a photo session. I wasn't even ready for it," he shakes his head remembering how he looked. "I remember my wife Rainy was pregnant at the time." "That's the baby I see all the time now?" I exclaim in amazement.
"She's not a baby anymore -- that was at least two and a half years ago. Now, I have another little girl, little Rainy Daze, who is 6 months old. I wasn't able to be at the hospital for her birth since we were on tour, but I helped deliver my first. She was born in 36 minutes. Four or five years later I'd like to have a boy." "Does your wife travel with you?" "She and my older daughter like it. They hang pretty tough." "Does your wife get lonely and expect a call every night when you're apart?"
The happily married man's eyes crinkle with laughter as he reveals, "Let's out it this way. She gets a call every night."
"How does it feel to have so many fans in love with you after your gold album "Three For Love?"
Howard says "It feels good, I praise the Lord for it. If they weren't running after us, something would be wrong."


"Did the songs give your fans romantic ideas about you?" "You should read some of the fan mail. The part I wrote in "For The Lover In You" was dedicated to all the lovers out there, my wife in particular.
"Hey, enough of that," Jeffrey broke in. "The theme of this issue is Christmas, remember?" We can't forget what we're here for." I ask Jeffrey if he likes celebrating Christmas. "Yeah" "I'll bet you like getting presents" "No," he contradicts me. "I like giving presents, I break myself financially. I like to surprise people and make them happy. Jody and I always used to bring the Soul Train dancers together for the holidays and cook for them. This Christmas I think I'll be at Jody's new house raiding the refrigerator since she says she'll be cooking a lot." "You know what? I'd like to see how many people would enjoy Christmas if they didn't get presents. It's so crazy, Christmas is supposed to be the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. What does it matter if we get presents or not; it's not our birthday." Jody agrees. "We shouldn't wait for a holiday to come up to express love and show people we appreciate them. That's how we were taught in our household anyway."
Howard concludes, "We have a special message to give to our fans this season. First of all, they're not going to be called fans anymore; they've supported us to the point that we now consider them our friends. We want to remain friends with them.
And what better people to spend your holiday season with than your friends?




Carolyn Griffey Loser In USA Shalamar Trademark Challenge





The  USA government trademark and patent office snatched the wig and edges of Carolyn Griffey the Jody Watley wanna be who started flexing muscles posting taunts and threats for all Shalamar and Jody fans to see all across the web with her her besties Vijay Bhucar, Howard Hewitt, Jeffrey Daniels  "Shalamar" gang. The Griffey girl said she was "fighting for the truth" in her initiated "trademark wars"  and baby the truth was told, Miss Thing had no papers, no last will and testament from Death Rows Dick Griffey like old boy Hewitt went on shady ass Tom Joyner show bragging about.





Griffey, Hewett and Jeffrey Daniels also dropped a diss single called "The Real Thing" as if they was "the real Shalamar"  singing about a they got a brand name *rolls eyes* at the collective shade. Black grandmas and pops,aunties and uncles, old schoolers far and wide know darn well there was many Shalamars but the one with the hits that my Grannie will always hold dear is Jody, Jeffrey and Howard. My Grannie put me on them and other old school acts, I love me some Teddy Pendergrass and Al Green when I was coming up and we was at her house on the weekends.
I stans hard for the catwalk music queen Jody Watley since her petticoats and ankles boots rocker soul style girl turned me out. Jody made it cool to be different while my azz was navigating the mean streets of Compton. We all wanted to be and dress like Jody but dance like Janet and Michael on them steps like drill team.

Carolyn Griffey or Baldwin or whatever her  real name is files had nothing but Google Images, Youtube screen-saves and statements from some people that was on the old and gone Solar label hear-say according to the public records. I was surprised to read that Carolyn chick try to say Jody was never really in Shalamar just a singer for hire or something like that, say what now? The bish had her challenge terminated and dismissed.

Chile I'm happy for Miss Jody that she won the so called one sided "war" against her while none of us knew this was still going on for so long *sips a quiet tea*
Meanwhile, the Griffey step-daughter (what kind of ghetto ratchet mess is it when you not even the biological child and the daddy supposedly left it all to the step child not the wife or biollogical ones?) Gurl bye, no receipts. Carolyn Griffey will still be looking for her papers while Geraldo is still trying the find the body of Jimmy Hoffa.







Miss Jody mic drop statement but all she really had to say was "God don't like ugly." Go head Miss Jody!!

https://jodywatley.net/2018/02/21/jody-watley-prevails-in-shalamar-trademark-registration-challenge/




False Ads Still Plague Jody Watley in UK

False ad, bait and switch, the first with old photo with Jody and then the other with Griffey as if they are the same. So shady
We all know the tea that Mis Jody Watley secured the Shalamar trademark several years back, to get some control over the shady misuse of her likeness in the form of old photo's and video to help bamboozle old british fans clueless in drinking the ale of nostalgia and promoters and the goon squad of Hewett, Daniels and Griffey to make an extra dollar. Welp it seems like they are still at their old tricks while Miss Jody has seemingly decided to let it be. From an outsider the other three (Griffey who challenged Watley's registration and the USPTO still lists as pending, Jeffrey Daniels and Howard Hewett come off as desperate and bitter af. If you ever want to waste time, just listen to one of their interviews that they started doing after Jody's registration and how she's been marketing her new group. Shalamar Reloaded (which Miss Jody apparently registered as a name) after the growing popularity because us fans definitely know who's who in this group Hey Nate and Rosero! While Daniels is still trying to ride the wave of a forgotten dance move that Mister Jackson won an Emmy for over 30 years ago with some mega watt hits to back them up; and let's not forget my Aunt Terri's favorite group as a kid the Jackson 5.

I've also noticed the dragging of Jody in their interviews. Jeffrey Daniel saying "Oh, Jody saw what Howard and I were doing and decided to start her own Shalamar. She's suing us.." Where's the receipts? Jeffrey has also shaded Jody by stating "..Jody had a career." While the diva continues to tour and release quality choons and that clown is just dick riding Michael, Howard and the cross Griffey bosses daughter who collects her percentage. Jody's receipts, Open Letter

Just read Jody's Open Letter and back track to the trademark, she never planned to start a group but since the trademark called for it. to her credit the diva has always been up front in marketing her group, and invested her coins in new music and videos. The Daniels dude, with his fake accent and constant namedropping of being the teacher to Michael Jackson (since his death) is as believable as Steve Harvey's mustache. They all reak sour grapes on Jody.


Old photo's with Jody Watley

The thirst is real






Now in a new twist Howard Hewett and Carolyn Griffey are ditching Jeffrey Daniel for Micki Free for a concert in Detroit at Chene Park in August. These hoes ain't loyal. The shade of it all. We also peeped that some configuaration of them will be releasing a single in October while they go trying to recapture the glory years of the Friends album, labeled their biggest tour yet while making sure to throw shade on Jody in the bio..and by the way when did Shalamar sell 25 million albums? Trump fake facts ya heard. People will beleive anything these days.

Using an old video, bait and switch. Caroyln Griffety in not Miss Jody and they keep talking about how great they are for the past 15 years, but keep going back to old ish with my girl peep the A Night to Remember video  https://prestonguildhall.co.uk/shows/shalamar/
Yet and still Miss Jody is the one who usually gets dragged by bitter old fans and old disco disco deejays. I got blocked on Facebook for pointing out some of this.




Jody Watley Calls Out Howard Hewett, Jeffrey Daniel and Unsung on Lies

Miss Jody Watley had time for it all. Never known to be one from shying away from speaking her mind, she did that and more in response to the recent airing of the Howard Hewett Unsung episode. They tried it with the shade on Miss Jody again and she was not here for it with no fuks given came for all the scalps and edges with a mack load of receipts.

My mouth is still on the floor soaking up all the tea she brought including the recent friendly email exchanges with Howard and Jeffrey but yet The one they call "The Voice" has been on airwaves plugging airtime using it to bash Jody and the flat out lie as if they never talked. That Dick Griffey man saying to Howard "Your vacation is finished, you'll sing what I tell you, when I tell you and with who, and my daughter will fly business class" I was gagging while reading the Griffey dude demand the only woman they could sing with in Shalamar since 2001 was his daughter. While him and Jeffrey do the struggle backslide to coach and still follows orders long after ole boy is six feet under! Chyle Howard and Jeffrey's balls got chopped off with a jagged knife.

It didn't stop there, she took all of us back to the 90's and the whole she won't do a reunion with us mess and took time to show how she was being harrassed by bitter fans who blindly take Hewett's mouth as a prayer book. Whoe knew they did a song together and was negotiating for an album?!! Back up old school heads, Miss Jody Watley is about the business and not here for the foolishness. She also reminded everyone why she is who she is, not Unsung, not bitter, not mad. The same crooner who let some chick do his time by saying I do needs to get over it and that dancer dude still jocking Mike's nuts over the "moonwalk." Note to him, Michael won the Emmy in 1983 for the Motown 25th,  let it go boo boo.

Those geeezers need to give it up and just keep on giving their coins to the wanna be, who will never be Jody. Them Brits are guillible af how they was pulling that fake shit off before Jody got the trademark and pulled them thirsty garden tools out of the closet. Some people will do anything for a busted penny. Them fools could have done what Jody did, research that shit instead they went for the kool-aid.

The shade of this picture it's deniable though Jody is still that chick, she put them all on blast

Jody Watley Open Letter  Sip the  TEA








Shalamar featuring Howard Hewett, Jeffrey Daniel and Carolyn Griffey Splash Into California Cancellation

Fresh off his his Unsung Howard Hewett or better yet Unsung Shalamar Part 2, why they keep saying Jody did no reunions when she did? The shade of it all.  Chyle Miss Jody girl call your lawyers.


Anywhoo seems the quote unquote greatest soul singer of all time and "voice" of Shalamar with the moonwalk king (is that still even a thing?) and the woman who claims to have some paperwork making Shalamar her thang Griffey couldn't pack him in at the California waterslide park "Splash Kingdom." Not a good showing in America, seems like they were trying to come for Jody and her hot ass Shalamar Reloaded who play to packed houses and rave reviws, well the Hewett,Griffey led Shalamar have bombed twice now once with the debacle up in Concord and now this.

Funny thing is they are quiet as church mouses by not mentioning the show was cancelled on their Fakebook page called "Shalamar Friends" You know they say God don't like ugly, but I guess they do in the UK because they posted some more dates there. "Due to unforeseen circumstances" like tickets not selling after it was pushed back August 13 to September 3.







Jeffrey Daniel Breaks Down Why Shalamar Split




In a shock move which their record company is still denying at the end of last week, Shalamar have broken up. Their decision to split comes as their current single “Dead Giveaway”, is on the top ten and their new album, “The Look”, is due for release. 

The news was broken when MM’s Adam Sweeting was interviewing Jeffrey Daniel, one of the members of Shalamar. (The feature appears on pages 10 and 11 of this weeks MM). 


Said Daniel: “I guess the public is due some explanation. After all, the British public has been exceptionally good to Shalamar and we do actually care about people, I do.”

Daniel blamed the breakup on friction between the three members of the band and their management and record company (both controlled by Dick Griffey). He claimed that fellow Shalamar member Howard Hewett had recently developed a “screw you guys” attitude and that the Solar record company had been “pulling Howard to the side and pumping his head with stuff and then ... neglecting Jody and myself.” 





Ebay treasure trove of tea.




As Told To Adam Sweeting For Melody Maker, July 16, 1983:
Heavy thunder brooded over Soho as I stepped with relief into the sweating street. On my way out of WEA offices, Jeffrey Daniel had touched my arm. "Hey," he said. "I'm glad this was for Melody Maker, cos they wrote the first story about us..that's what started Shalamar off over here." I wished him luck, and he smiled.
Jeffrey had just spent an hour and a quarter trying to describe why and how his personal heaven had suddenly caved in on top of his head. The day before, Shalamar had decided to end a lengthy period of personal and professional discomfort by splitting up the group. There had been friction in the recording studios, friction with their management and with Solar, their Los Angeles based record company. Worst of all, the three members had begun to turn on each other.
"I guess the public is due some explanation." said Jeffrey. "After all, the British public has been exceptionally good to Shalamar. And we actually care about people, i do."
If I'd been Jeffrey's attorney, I'd have certified him unfit to be interviewed this particular Wednesday afternoon. He was badly confused, visibly still reeling from the shock turn of events and struggling desperately to come to terms with a barrage of emotions which at times were clearly too much for him. Still, I guess our conversation - or at least his conversation - was some kind of necessary therapy. Some of the time, I'm not sure if he realised I was there.

With a new album, "The Look", finished and ready to go, and with their latest single "Dead Giveaway" hovering nicely in the top ten, times should have been extremely pleasant for Shalamar. Instead, it seems that "The Look" will serve as a bitter-tasting requiem for the good times which peaked with the success of their 1982 album "Friends" and it's impressive clutch of hits -- "A Night To Remember," "I Can Make You Feel Good," "There It Is" and the title track. So what the hell happened?
It started in 1977, when Jeffrey and his long time friend Jody Watley were regular dancers on the American "Soul Train" TV show. "Soul Train" supremo Don Cornelius formed a record company called "Soul Train Records" in partnership with Dick Griffey, and plucked Jody and Jeffrey off the dancefloor to become two-thirds of Shalamar. After Cornelius bailed out, the record company became Solar and Shalamar followed up their debut album "Uptown Festival", with "Disco Gardens" (1978) and Big Fun ('79).
The arrival of singer Howard Hewett in 1979 replacing Gerald Brown, seemed to complete the magic circle, and 1981's pair of albums "Three For Love", and "Go For It", preceded the chart busting "Friends"...but below the surface all was not well...


On the well tried Motown pattern, Solar had made Shalamar very much a product of company philosophy and regimented studio procedure. Regular producer Leon Sylvers III dominated choice of material and regularly used his own team of musicians, Dynasty. Plainly, the system worked. Equally clearly Jeffrey and Jody are not the same dance-mad kids they were in 1977. They've seen plenty and learned a lot, but their efforts to put their developing skills into practice were brushed aside.
"Well, what it was was we were fooling ourselves, you know, because Shalamar was put together by the company, so that's why...how much can you say about the situation?" Jeffrey Daniel paused, perhaps wondering how much he could say about this whole mess. "But there was always the promise that we would grow into something and in the past six years I have grown into something. Jody has grown into something. And now that we have reached that plateau, the facilities are still closed. When it's time to do a TV show and it's time to be onstage, then that's when they leave it up to Jody and myself and they want our full co-operation, full participation to help their records sell. But when it's time for us to contribute, they're not as open any more. All of a sudden you get a lot of second thoughts and a lotta reasons why it shouldn't be done."
"What I'm looking forward to in the future is just expressing what I do, you know, cos that's all I've ever wanted to do. That's why I joined the record company, so that I can make records and so that I can write records, and create music and musical concepts, so hopefully in the future I'll find those types of facilities. Of course, I resent a lot of decisions that have been made for Shalamar but I don't hold it against my record company or the other participants."


Was this the first time this kind of tension had broken out in the group I wondered?
"No" said Jeffrey, "but it's never become so prevalent.. Because if the fact that Shalamar is becoming an even bigger group, we're going to places we've never been and the snowball is accumulating as it rolls down the hill. And it's just that the people who are responsible for the snowball are getting the short end of it, while the other people continue to roll and grow and accumulate. It just makes you stop and wonder 'who am I doing this for and why am I doing it?'"



Jeffrey Daniel grew up in the housing projects of east LA - "we grew up on welfare, I've never had my father in my family" - and he owes everything he has to the street-dancing which first earned him a break on "Soul Train".
"I was only a street dancer, I was dancing on 'Soul Train' for free. The only reward we got was a box of chicken at lunchtime, okay, bu we were getting national exposure as dancers on television - everybody knew our faces and stuff snd we got popularity, and it helped a lotta other people lead to bigger things by being seen on 'Soul Train', so it was a good outlet for people who took street dancing serious."
As much as anything, it was Jeffrey's flabbergasting bodypopping dance routines which led to Shalamar being taken to enough British hearts for them to pack out Wembley Arena last year. The balance seemed to work effortlessly, with Howard as lead vocalist, and the more athletic and photogenic Jody and Jeffrey tackling the physical projections and backing vocals.
"That never bothered me," said Jeffrey, "because I accept Howard's voice and I think Howard does have a great voice. I've never tried singing more songs than him or anything like that, you know, because I feel that Howard is good at what he does. I feel I'm good at what I do. And Jody had developed into a very good vocalist over the years, and it's just sickening to see that over the last six years she's not getting any more play on our records than she does."
"Y'know, she gets her usual duet with Howard, maybe she gets to lead a song, and fine...but it's 'okay, now let's get the best material and give that to Howard, that type of attitude is what we're being given."
It's especially galling for Jeffrey that it was he who introduced Howard into Shalamar. Much of the cause of Shalamar's sudden demise stems from the fact that Howard has apparently taken steps to ingratiate himself with the group's management and record company, leaving Jeffrey and Jody outside looking in.


"That's even what makes it worse, the company has even made us grow farther apart from pulling Howard to the side and pumping his head with stuff, and then, you know, neglecting Jody and myself -- that's the type of stuff that goes on. Howard's the third singer that was placed in the group so me and Jody have been through this with other singers before, and at this point we just feel that there's no reason to do it any longer. Jody and I have been there from the beginning, and in fact I put Howard in Shalamar --I'm the one who selected him for the group in the first place, and then Jody and I get less amount of consideration.
The fact is that when people you're working for and you're working with don't give you the consideration as a mutual artist or a mutual human being, then that's when you stop the ball and say 'wait a minute', why in the hell am I here?"
I've always told them, when I no longer enjoy this I will never do this for money. I would never just do it for the money. Because I could do other things for money, I can't, you know, just bullshit an audience and the public believe in what I'm doing, and it wouldn't be so important if I didn't believe in it, alright?
If I didn't have a purpose or a cause, and if I wasn't struggling for something, well then it wouldn't matter, it would just be a concept and it would all just be for fun and I'd be making money and the public would enjoy it and everything would be dandy, you know, Solar could do whatever they want to do with Shalamar.:
Jeffrey paused, trying to disentangle his whirling thoughts. "I believe in myself, you know, and after that then I believe in Jody and Howard, then after I believe in them I believe in Shalamar okay? I lost my belief in Shalamar a while back, and here recently I've lost my belief in Jeffrey, Jody and Howard being together. Now before I lose belief in myself I'd better stop things and regroup the situation."

The pressure inside Shalamar had been mounting steadily over the last few days the group had been in England. An interview with Howard appeared in Black Echoes, which contained some veiled digs at Jeffrey and Jody. Howard didn't want to do photo sessions. "Jody and I will be friends for life, okay" I've known her since she was 12 years old and we've been family friends I know her entire family. We've always been close.
"Jody and I have had serious fights. We went through a period when we weren't speaking to each other. We had a fight onstage one time, this was back in the states. We were doing a routine and she kicked me and the audience couldn't tell what was going on you know. It was really funny, but when you love people you can do that, because if we didn't love each other we would have split up the group and went our separate ways back then and we'd no longer be friends now, you know? So that's genuine love. When you love people and care about them then you don't mind fighting to get things right."

Lately, though, attitudes had changed.

"Recently there's come a day that Howard has had the attitude of 'screw you guys, piss off.'  I'm not downing Howard, I understand where Howard's coming from because actually, when I selected him to join Shalamar, I think he wanted to purse a solo career then, but I think the best thing he could have done at that moment was to join Shalamar, and that's what he did. And he did it for the money as well, you know, and I don't think he believed in it when he did it, I think he did it to earn a living. He needed work, so of course.."
And, as Shalamar's success grew, the group's earlier intimate relationship with management and with Solar became increasingly distant.

"I remember a time when Dick Griffey, who's our manager and record company president, would come down to the studio with us, when he took us off Soul Train, he'd be there in person, y'know. Once the business started rolling and the money started coming in, I guess for business reasons as well he just drifted farther and farther apart from us, and we spent less time together at that point."
So strained had relations become, claims Jeffrey, that Solar even refused to pay for eight hours of studio time which he used to record some demos.
"it's like they're saying, 'hey okay, fine, yeah you can write, yeah you can do this, but just shuddup and dance. Yeah that's nice Jeffrey, let's get back to rehearsal now.' And that's what we felt when it was time for 'Dead Giveaway' yesterday.
The group did their best to finish the video session at Camden Palace, but it was a little difficult since they couldn't talk to each other.
"I walked over to Howard" Jeffrey recalled, "and stood toe to toe to him and just looked at him. He said 'hey man, what's happenin' Then I just gave him a punch on the arm, y'know, like 'don't worry about it'. So then he came across the stage and punched me on the arm and then walked back to his side, and that was all for the entire evening. It was so strange because at that exact moment I was caught between wanting to...er...y'know, hug him or something or tell him I love him or something..."
Suddenly it all became too much, and I watched in amazement as Jeffrey's face crumpled and tears started to roll down his face.
"I know Howard's not totally responsible for what he's doing, " he sobbed, struggling to regain control. "i think if the management team doesn't pull us apart, yknow..and they're encouraging him. Because they've done it with the other lead singer like 'Jeffrey and Jody and just the kids, they're just that, you are the important thing, you are this, you are this and you are this  ..' And they make people believe this stuff, and I can understand why Howard probably feels the way he feels."

After a couple of minutes, Jeffrey was a little steadier. Obviously, you feel betrayed by Howard?
"Yeahm Jody and I both do. And even if he did decide to go back to the management, at least tell us, let us know. I can only respect his reason even if I don't like his reason. I have to respect it cos it's his decision, he's his own person."
Phew. "Crossroads", anyone? With all this brewing up, perhaps it's no surprise that recording sessions for the forthcoming album "The Look" were marred by all kinds of bitterness.

"I'm not pleased with 'The Look', and it's very impersonal to me. " said Jeffrey sharply. "in fact it's the biggest slap in my face for as long as I've been in this business. It was like 'you're gonna accept this whether you want to or not' and then 'after it's put on tape and when the record's released, you're gonna get onstage and perform this stuff, like it or not, and act like you believe in it.' Y'know, you know what your role is and get out there and do your role is so get out there and let's help make this project successful.' I
mean, how can you live like that? How can I sleep like that?

Jeffrey has taken under his wing the six LA kids who comprise the song and dance troupe Eklypse. He's trying to bring them over to England, but on the day we met they were stuck in Paris because British Immigration officials wouldn't let them in. Also, Jeffrey has his alter ego Colonel Pop to think about. The Colonel is the guy Jeffrey always wanted to be with Shalamar but wasn't allowed to, a dancer/singer/writer expressing himself in as many forms as he could find.

"Howard never wanted it to happen," he continued. "He expressed it openly in meetings, and he told me that I was just believing in my own bullshit and once you believe in your own bullshit you just get lost. He told me to my face that Eklypse and Colonel Pop and the whole thing was nothing but bullshit.


"But yet there's a 'Flashdance' with people bodypopping in it, and it helped spin off this breaker thing that's going on in New York, and Paul McCartney selected me to be in his film which was great not as a member of Shalamar, he selected me to do this dancing bit in his film which was a great privilege. This bodypopping thing is what established Shalamar over here, y'know, the appearance helped spin it off. But yet at home thet tell me it's just bullshit and forget about it."


At the moment, the future is unclear. Jeffrey says he's going to rescue Eklypse from Paris, then he's going on holiday alone for a couple of weeks to clear his head. The fate of jody and Howard remains to be seen.
"Everyone's kinda lost right now, cos everything happened so bitter at the end." says Jeffrey quietly. "The only thing that I resent is just that the hatred was allowed to accumulate. I don't mind the split because I think that's gonna allow me to do what I always wanted to do.


It's just the hatred and dislike that has grown between the certain individuals, y'know, between the company, between the group itself. That's what I really regret. And I just hope everyone finds their happiness, and I just hope the public accepts what we do in the future. I know a lot of people are gonna be disappointed, because a lot of people believe in us now."

Howard Hewett and Shalamar Friends Flop in Concord

After weeks of "California Here We Come " Get Ready" the trio of Howard Hewett, Jeffrey Daniel and Carolyn Griffey billed as "Shalamar" made it to Concord, CA appearing at the KBLX Stone Soul 2016. It was a curious choice. They went with ole boy Hewett who has not one big hit other than a gospel "Say Amen" with Jeffrey who we haven't see since he was a backing dancer for Michael Jackson and the Jody Watley on steroids wanna be who goes as "baby girl" but gives you Jack Lalanne in his 90's with a  bad wig and and enough wrinkles to make a road map from here to eternity. Why not Jody Watley who has a ton of her own hits and the hot hot Shalamar Reloaded?

I don't know the trademark law, it's not my wheelhouse but it judging from basics, it had to be infrigement to Jody Watley and a heap of old school shade from her former group mates and the old label head who says "Shalamar belongs to me". Anywho, in the shade of it all and the zeal to show Miss Jody a thing a two Karma kameloen had something else in mind. Pearls were clutched when Shalamar Reloaded tipped the teacup up by making it clear it was not the Watley group laying dying onstage up in Concord. Jeffrey Daniel doing a 'struggle moonwalk"  Chyle, guess those old blokes in the Uk don't know a good show and accept any ole nostalgia thang!