Although the group had been around since the late '70s, Shalamar didn't really gel until vocalist Howard Hewett joined original members Jeffrey Daniel and Jody Watley.
While Friends' predecessor, Three for Love, offered more hits, Friends is a sometimes-cautious though fulfilling continuation of the style.
The biggest hit and leadoff track, "A Night to Remember," successfully mixes a subtle flash and a bittersweet melody that made the track an instant classic.
As disco was long gone at this point, Friends represents the production style inherent in Solar and a fair amount of R&B of the time.
"I Don't Wanna Be the Last to Know" coasts on the same smooth sound of their 1981 hit, "The Lover in You." At this point, the separate skills of the trio were beginning to supersede the act.
Hewett ably handles the hooky and insinuating ballad "I Just Stopped by Because I Had To." The textbook Solar style and Leon F.
Sylvers III's production on "There It Is" get back to the trio harmonies and aesthetic.
Friends is not only an assured Shalamar, a fact that was a given with this version of the group, it's also a great representation of the Solar sound and early-'80s R&B.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don't Try to Change MeWilliam Bryant, Robyrda Stiger | Shalamar | Play | 04:10 | 9 MB | 25 MB |
| 2 | Help MeNidra Beard, Joey Gallo | Shalamar | Play | 05:10 | 11 MB | 32 MB |
| 3 | On Top of the WorldDana Meyers, Richard Randolph | Shalamar | Play | 04:06 | 9 MB | 24 MB |
| 4 | I Don't Wanna Be the Last to KnowNidra Beard, William Shelby, Kevin Spencer | Shalamar | Play | 03:58 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 5 | FriendsGlen Barbee, Nidra Beard, William Shelby | Shalamar | Play | 05:00 | 11 MB | 33 MB |
| 6 | Playing to WinFoster Sylvers, Jody Watley | Shalamar | Play | 04:17 | 9 MB | 26 MB |
| 7 | There It IsNidra Beard, Dana Meyers, Charmaine Sylvers | Shalamar | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 8 | I Can Make You Feel GoodHoward Hewett, R. Jackson, William Shelby | Shalamar | Play | 04:22 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 9 | Night To Remember | Shalamar | Play | 05:10 | 11 MB | 33 MB |
| 10 | I Just Stopped By Because | Shalamar | Play | 04:06 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 11 | There It Is (12'' Mix) | Shalamar | Play | 06:17 | 14 MB | 42 MB |
| 12 | Night To Remember (12'' Mix) | Shalamar | Play | 05:31 | 12 MB | 37 MB |
| 56 mins | 129 MB | |||||
| 56 mins | 358 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glen Barbee | Composer |
| 2 | Nidra Beard | Composer |
| 3 | William Bryant | Composer, Keyboards |
| 4 | Tom Cartwright | Reissue Producer |
| 5 | Jeffrey Daniel | Vocals (Background) |
| 6 | Gene Dozier | Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements |
| 7 | Joey Gallo | Composer, Keyboards, Rhythm Arrangements |
| 8 | Ed Greene | Drums |
| 9 | Howard Hewett | Composer, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 10 | James Ingram | Bass, Keyboards |
| 11 | R. Jackson | Composer |
| 12 | Dana Meyers | Composer, Vocal Arrangement |
| 13 | Wayne Milstein | Percussion |
| 14 | Michael Nash | Keyboards |
| 15 | Wardell Potts, Jr. | Drums |
| 16 | Richard Randolph | Composer, Guitar |
| 17 | Ernest Redd | Guitar |
| 18 | Dave Schultz | Mastering |
| 19 | Shalamar | Primary Artist, Vocal Arrangement |
| 20 | William Shelby | Composer, Keyboards |
| 21 | Stephen Shockley | Composer |
| 22 | Rick Smith | Keyboards |
| 23 | Kevin Spencer | Composer, Keyboards |
| 24 | Robyrda Stiger | Composer |
| 25 | Charmaine Sylvers | Composer |
| 26 | Foster Sylvers | Composer, Rhythm Arrangements |
| 27 | Leon Sylvers III | Bass, Percussion, Rhythm Arrangements, Vocal Arrangement |
| 28 | Patricia Sylvers | Keyboards |
| 29 | Ricky Sylvers | Guitar |
| 30 | Richard Torres | Liner Notes |
| 31 | Jody Watley | Composer, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 32 | Benjamin F. Wright | Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |