SHALAMAR - A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Estrena: 1982

Llistes: Regne Unit: #5 EUA: #44

"A Night to Remember" va ser llançada el 1982 com el segon senzill del seu àlbum "Friends". Va ser escrita per Dana Meyers, Charmaine Sylvers i Nidra Beard. Dana Meyers formava part de l'equip de producció de Leon Sylvers, Charmaine és germana de Leon de la banda familiar The Sylvers, i Nidra Beard estava associada al grup Dynasty, que compartia la mateixa discogràfica que Shalamar.

"A Night To Remember" destaca com un dels èxits significatius de Shalamar, marcant un període d'èxit per al grup del 1977 al 1984. Inicialment, Shalamar va començar com una sel·lecció de músics d'estudi sense un grup de interpretació definit. Soul Train Records, associada al programa de televisió, els va signar. Quan va arribar el moment de formar un grup de veritat, Don Cornelius, el fundador de Soul Train, va unir Jeffrey Daniel i Jody Watley, dos dels seus millors ballarins, amb Gary Mumford, que inicialment era el cantant principal. Més tard, Gerald Brown i després Howard Hewett van substituir Mumford.

Tot i que Jeffrey Daniel es conformava amb ballar, Jody Watley aspirava a cantar i escriure cançons. "A Night To Remember" és una de les poques cançons on ella pren la veu principal, mostrant el seu talent vocal. Finalment, el 1983, Watley va deixar el grup per seguir una exitosa carrera en solitari, guanyant el Premi Grammy a la Millor Artista Novel el 1988.

Al videoclip de "A Night To Remember", creat per ser emès a BET després del llançament de la cadena el 1980, Shalamar va representar una història amb Jody Watley i Howard Hewett gaudint d'una cita romàntica. Jeffrey Daniel va interpretar el paper del cambrer / majordom en el vídeo. La pròpia cançó gira al voltant de Watley i Hewett celebrant el seu amor en una nit memorable. Mentre fan un brindis, la lletra parla dels amors perduts de les seves ex-parelles, plantejant doncs que la nit encara serà més especial.

"A Night To Remember" es va convertir en un èxit destacat al Regne Unit, arribant al lloc 5 de les llistes. Quan Shalamar va rebre una invitació per interpretar la cançó al popular programa Top Of The Pops, van tenir un repte ja que no podia fer el viatge tot el grup. Com a solució creativa, Jeffrey Daniel va suggerir fer una rutina de ball en solitari amb la cançó, la qual va ser acceptada ja que les actuacions al programa eren habitualment en playback.

Daniel, conegut per la seva habilitat excepcional amb el ball, va oferir una actuació inoblidable, incorporant popping, locking i un fascinant moonwalk (aleshores conegut com a "backslide") on semblava lliscar sense esforç per l'escenari. Aquesta rutina va fer història a Top Of The Pops i va introduir aquests moviments de ball a l'audiència del Regne Unit. L’èxit de Daniel va continuar, ja que va tornar al programa unes setmanes després per a una altra rutina en solitari amb la mateixa cançó. Tot i que Michael Jackson va popularitzar el moonwalk un any més tard al programa especial del 25è aniversari de Motown, va reconèixer Jeffrey Daniel com la seva inspiració, qui era present a l'audiència d’aquella destacada actuació. 

SHALAMAR - A NIGHT TO REMEMBER 

Released: 1982

Charted:  UK: #5   US: #44 

"A Night to Remember" was released in 1982 as the second single from their album "Friends." It was written by Dana Meyers, Charmaine Sylvers, and Nidra Beard. Dana Meyers was part of Leon Sylvers' production team, Charmaine is Leon's sister from the family band The Sylvers, and Nidra Beard was associated with the group Dynasty, which shared the same record label as Shalamar.

"A Night To Remember" stands out as one of Shalamar's significant hits, marking a period of success for the group from 1977 to 1984. Originally, Shalamar started as a collection of studio musicians without a dedicated performing group. Soul Train Records, associated with the TV show, signed them. When it came time to form an actual performing group, Don Cornelius, the founder of Soul Train, paired Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley, two of his top dancers, with Gary Mumford, who initially sang lead. Later, Gerald Brown and then Howard Hewett replaced Mumford.

While Jeffrey Daniel was content with dancing, Jody Watley aspired to sing and write songs. "A Night To Remember" is one of the few songs where she takes the lead vocal, showcasing her vocal talent. Eventually, in 1983, Watley left the group to pursue a successful solo career, earning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1988.

In the music video for "A Night To Remember," created for airing on BET after the network's launch in 1980, Shalamar depicted a narrative with Jody Watley and Howard Hewett enjoying a romantic date. Jeffrey Daniel played the role of their bartender/butler in the video. The song itself revolves around Watley and Hewett celebrating their love on a memorable night. As they raise a toast, the lyrics acknowledge their ex-partners who abandoned the idea of love, making the night even more special.

"A Night To Remember" became a significant hit in the UK, reaching #5 on the charts. When Shalamar received an invitation to perform the song on the popular Top Of The Pops show, there was a challenge as the full group couldn't make the trip. In a creative solution, Jeffrey Daniel suggested doing a solo dance routine to the song, which was accepted since performances on the show were typically lip-synched.

Daniel, renowned for his exceptional dancing skills, delivered an unforgettable performance, incorporating popping, locking, and a mesmerizing moonwalk (then known as a "backslide") where he seemed to glide effortlessly across the stage. This routine made history on Top Of The Pops and introduced these dance moves to the UK audience. Daniel's success continued, as he returned to the show a few weeks later for another solo routine to the same song. Although Michael Jackson famously performed the moonwalk a year later on the Motown 25th anniversary TV special, he credited Jeffrey Daniel as his inspiration, who was present in the audience that night.