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".
Big Fun | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 30, 1979 | |||
Recorded | 1979 at Studio Masters, Los Angeles, CA, Jack Clement Studios, Nashville, TN | |||
Genre | Pop, disco, R&B | |||
Length | 37:07 | |||
Label | SOLAR | |||
Producer | Leon Sylvers III | |||
Shalamar chronology | ||||
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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
editReview scores | |
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Source | Rating |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [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
editNo. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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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 |
No. | Title | Writer(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 Gardner | 5:24 |
Personnel
editShalamar
editJody Watley, Jeffrey Daniel, Howard Hewett: lead and backing vocals
Musical Personnel
edit- Kevin Spencer: keyboards, clavinet
- William Shelby: keyboards, clavinet, Fender Rhodes
- Kossi Gardner: keyboards, Fender Rhodes, Hammond organ
- "Gip" Nobels, Gene Dozier, Joey Gallo, John Barnes, Ron Artists: keyboards
- Ernest Biles, James Davis: bass
- Leon Sylvers III: bass, percussion
- Ernest Reed, Fred Rheimert, Steve Shockley: guitars
- Freeman Brown, Gerald Thompson, Wardell Potts: drums
- Greg "Popeye" Dawkins: congas
- Fred Lewis: percussion
- Christine Ermacoff, Edgar Lustgarten, Harry Shlutz, Marie Fera: cellos
- Brian Leanord, David Johnson, Jerry Vinci, Ilkka Talvi, Irma Newman, Norman Carr, Norman Leonard, Reginald Hill, Ronald Fulsom, Sheldon Sanou: violins
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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Single
editYear | Single | Chart | Position |
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1979 | I 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 |
1980 | Right in the Socket | Hot Soul Singles | 22 |
References
edit- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 628, 629.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (23 Mar 1980). "Solar Could Be the Motown of the 80's". The New York Times. p. D25.
- ^ Henderson, Alex. "Shalamar – Big Fun". AllMusic. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2002). "Shalamar". The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music. p. 395. ISBN 9781852279479. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Gayle, Stephen (July 1982). "Solar Empire Strikes Gold". Black Enterprise. p. 40. Retrieved December 14, 2017 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Shalamar, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ "Shalamar, BLP". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1980". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1980". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2021.