Big Fun (Shalamar album)

Last updated
Big Fun
Shalamarbigfun.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 30, 1979
Recorded1979
StudioStudio Masters (Los Angeles)
Jack Clement Studios (Nashville)
Genre Pop, disco, R&B
Length37:07
Label SOLAR
Producer Leon Sylvers III
Shalamar chronology
Disco Gardens
(1978)
Big Fun
(1979)
Three for Love
(1980)

Big Fun is the third album by the American musical group Shalamar, released in 1979 through SOLAR Records. [1] Big Fun was produced by Leon Sylvers III and is the first album to feature what is considered the 'classic' Shalamar line-up (Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewett and Jody Watley), with Hewett having replaced Gerald Brown. The album features the group's most successful hit on the Hot 100 pop chart, "The Second Time Around".

Contents

Big Fun has been certified Gold in the United States for sales of over 500,000. It peaked at #4 on the R&B chart and #23 on the Billboard chart (Shalamar's highest-placing album on this chart). In the UK it reached #45.

In 2002, Big Fun was re-released by Sanctuary Records in the United Kingdom in a two-for-one CD format with Shalamar's following album Three for Love .

The song "I Owe You One" was sampled in Raw Man's "Beautiful", and Le Knight Club's "Mosquito".

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

The New York Times called the album "a very eclectic blend of pop hooks and light disco with funk trimmings." [2] AllMusic rated the album four out of five stars. [3] Writer Colin Larkin rated it three out of five. [4]

The album sold 625,000+ units as of July 1982. Its single "The Second Time Around" sold around 1.8 million units. [5]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Right Time for Us" Leon Sylvers III, Dick Griffey 5:53
2."Take Me to the River" Renaldo Benson, Lawrence Payton 4:57
3."Right in the Socket"Kevin Spencer, Leon Sylvers III, Dick Griffey 6:51
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."The Second Time Around" Leon Sylvers III, William Shelby 7:05
5."I Owe You One"Joey Gallo, Leon Sylvers III 5:11
6."Let's Find the Time for Love"Kevin Spencer, Leon Sylvers III 4:36
7."Girl"Kossi Gardner5:24

Personnel

Shalamar

Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewett: lead and backing vocals

Musical Personnel

Charts

Single

YearSingleChartPosition
1979I Owe You One Hot Soul Singles 60
1980 The Second Time Around Billboard Hot 100 8
1980 The Second Time Around Hot Soul Singles 1
1980Right in the Socket Hot Soul Singles 22

References

  1. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 628, 629.
  2. Holden, Stephen (23 Mar 1980). "Solar Could Be the Motown of the 80's". The New York Times. p. D25.
  3. Henderson, Alex. "Shalamar – Big Fun". AllMusic . Retrieved December 25, 2014.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2002). "Shalamar". The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music. p. 395. ISBN   9781852279479 . Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  5. Gayle, Stephen (July 1982). "Solar Empire Strikes Gold". Black Enterprise. p. 40. Retrieved December 14, 2017 via Google Books.
  6. "Shalamar, TLP" . Billboard . Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  7. "Shalamar, BLP" . Billboard . Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  8. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1980". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  9. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1980". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2021.