Shalamar's first single, the 1977 Motown medley "Uptown Festival," featured a bevy of faceless studio musicians; once it became a hit, Griffey decided to form a performing group under the name Shalamar. Through Soul Train, Griffey found Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniel, and Gerald Brown, the three vocalists that became Shalamar; Brown was quickly replaced by Howard Hewitt in 1978.
Shalamar's string of poppy dance-soul hits began in 1979 with "Take That to the Bank"; later that year, "The Second Time Around" hit the Top Ten. Throughout the early '80s the group were favorites on the U.S. R&B scene, as well as scoring a number of British hit singles (the two biggest being "A Night To Remember" and "There It Is" in 1982). Watley and Daniel left the group in 1982 and were replaced by Delisa Davis and Micki Free in 1984; Watley went on to stardom as a solo act. Daniel released an album "Skinny Boy in 1990 and choreographed Michael Jackson's Bad and Smooth Criminal videos. He is also credited with teaching Michael the Moonwalk.
The following year Shalamar won a Grammy award for "Don't Get Stopped in Beverly Hills," which was featured in Beverly Hills Cop. Hewitt left for a solo career in 1986, signaling the end of the band's career as hit-makers. Sidney Justin replaced Hewitt and the group recorded 1987's Circumstantial Evidence, which was a commercial disappointment. The group faded away soon after the release of 1990's Wake Up.
Jeffrey, Howard Hewett and Carolyn Griffey (Solar Records Dick Griffeys daughter) reformed Shalamar in the late nineties and played two UK Arena tours in 1999 and 2003. In 2005 Shalamar appeared on the primetime TV show Hit Me Baby One More Time and have been touring globally ever since.
In October 2009, the reconstituted Shalamar of Hewett, Daniel, and Griffey, performed as a part of "The Ultimate Boogie Nights Disco Concert Series", at IndigO2, within the O2 Arena Entertainment Avenue in London. This prompted their return to the UK in April 2010 for a tour. Shalamar returned to IndigO2 in October 2011, December 2012, December 2013 and December 2014. Shalamar performed a series of eight UK tour dates in April 2015 and another tour of four UK dates in July 2015.
http://shalamar.info/
Help Me
Shalamar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Individuals can't stand alone you need someone to call your own.
And I want be the one you need but you got to open up to me cause.
It takes the two of us to make it happen.
Help me
Show me what you want me to do
Baby and I'll do it all.
Help me
€™re hurting too
I'll be there to catch you when you fall.
The lyrics in Shalamar's song Help Me are about the importance of having someone to lean on in difficult times. The opening line, "there comes a time in all of our lives when we realize," suggests that there is a point in life when individuals come to the realization that they cannot always stand alone and need someone to rely on. The second line, "individuals can't stand alone you need someone to call your own," emphasizes the importance of having a partner in life.
The chorus of the song is a plea for help and support from the perspective of one person to another. "Help me, show me what you want me to do, baby and I'll do it all," suggests a willingness to do whatever it takes to support the other person. "Help me, I know you're hurting too, I'll be there to catch you when you fall," emphasizes the importance of mutual support and the willingness to be there for each other.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a moment of realization when we all understand that we can't go through life alone.
At some point, we all come to the understanding that we need other people in our lives to support us and be there for us whenever we need them.
It's essential to have someone to call our own.
It's crucial to find a significant other or partner to share our lives with and grow together.
I would love to be that special someone in your life, but for that to happen, you need to open up to me.
I'm interested in being your partner, but we need to build a deeper connection first. You need to start opening up to me and letting me in.
Making a relationship work requires effort from both parties involved.
Building a relationship is a two-way street, and both partners need to put in the time, love, and effort to ensure its success.
Help me
I need your assistance and support to make this relationship work.
Guide me on what you require from me, and I will do my best to fulfill it.
Tell me what you need from me, and I'll work as hard as I can to meet your expectations and make you happy.
Help me
Once more, I'm reaching out to you for help and guidance to make our relationship work.
I understand you might be hesitant but know that I'll always be here for you.
I recognize that it might be difficult for you to open up and trust me, but know that I'll always support and care for you any way I can.
Contributed by Jake V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ItsNishaLaurenWest
Whoever was the engineer who created this melody omgggg so amazing
@cah8124
Another Great Leon Sylvers production!!🙌🏽🎸🎼Fire !!
@okAngelface
Howard Hewitt at the top of his game!
The mastering on the original recording was always questionable however,
Howard Hewitts desperation and hope hauntingly penetrates through the layers with undeniable perfection.
@Nostalgic-Lady
A seriously lovely analysis - captures it perfectly.
@JustinTime-pw9oy
Beautiful and timeless. I miss Shalamar and Howard at his best. But these songs bring me back to a better day every time.
@Cas82958
Beautiful strings and production. And of course classic Howard Hewitt vocals
@dianewilson1679
The melody harmonies and vocals on this tune are just perfect xx❤xx
@tgflux
A bass line to make clothes instantly dissolve...
@Nostalgic-Lady
The combination of those strings and the magnificent vocals of HH - sheer magic. Forever in my all--time top 3.
@brodocbetty4856
With there talent they should have been much bigger on the scene.