Uptown Festival / Disco Gardens by Shalamar - DeepRiffs

COMPILATION

Originally the brainchild of a soul music producer/executive, Shalamar's debut album Uptown Festival was a trite, tedious exercise in pungent disco-soul that was a painful listen from start to finish. Thankfully, producer/creator Dick Griffey went back to square one and replaced the session singers found on Uptown Festival with a trio of performers that brought much more to the table: vocal ability, presence, and the sense that Shalamar wasn't just another in a long line of anonymous studio acts put together by a producer using session musicians. While it would take until their next album, Big Fun, to really make a splash, some of the tracks on Disco Gardens are worthy of a listen by R&B enthusiasts including "Tossing, Turning and Swinging" and the infectious " "Take That to the Bank." While Disco Gardens is at least palatable, the best was certainly yet to come for the trio.
© Rob Theakston /TiVo

1. Inky Dinky Wang Dang Doo

Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Vocals: Jody Watley
Jeffrey Daniel
Gary Mumford; Performer
Executive Producer: Dick Griffey
Donald Cornelius; Production
Mixing Engineer: John Arrias
Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Simon Soussan; Production
Recording: Sergio Reyes
Greg Hanks
Mic Litz
Steve Hirsch
Peter Granet
Steve Maslow; Production

2. Beautiful Night

Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Vocals: Jody Watley
Jeffrey Daniel
Gary Mumford; Performer
Executive Producer: Dick Griffey
Donald Cornelius; Production
Mixing Engineer: John Arrias
Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Simon Soussan; Production
Recording: Sergio Reyes
Greg Hanks
Mic Litz
Steve Hirsch
Peter Granet
Steve Maslow; Production

3. Uptown Festival (Medley)

Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Vocals: Jody Watley
Jeffrey Daniel
Gary Mumford; Performer
Executive Producer: Dick Griffey
Donald Cornelius; Production
Mixing Engineer: John Arrias
Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Simon Soussan; Production
Recording: Sergio Reyes
Greg Hanks
Mic Litz
Steve Hirsch
Peter Granet
Steve Maslow; Production

4. High On Life

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Jody Watley
Jeffrey Daniel
Gary Mumford; Performer
Executive Producer: Dick Griffey
Donald Cornelius; Production
Mixing Engineer: John Arrias
Steve Hodge; Production
Recording: Sergio Reyes
Greg Hanks
Mic Litz
Steve Hirsch
Peter Granet
Steve Maslow; Production

5. Ooh Baby Baby

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Jody Watley
Jeffrey Daniel
Gary Mumford; Performer
Executive Producer: Dick Griffey
Donald Cornelius; Production
Mixing Engineer: John Arrias
Steve Hodge; Production
Recording: Sergio Reyes
Greg Hanks
Mic Litz
Steve Hirsch
Peter Granet
Steve Maslow; Production

6. You Know

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Jody Watley
Jeffrey Daniel
Gary Mumford; Performer
Mixing Engineer: John Arrias
Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Dick Griffey
Donald Cornelius; Production
Recording: Sergio Reyes
Greg Hanks
Mic Litz
Steve Hirsch
Peter Granet
Steve Maslow; Production

7. Forever Came Today

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Jody Watley
Jeffrey Daniel
Gary Mumford; Performer
Mixing Engineer: John Arrias
Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Dick Griffey
Donald Cornelius; Production
Recording: Sergio Reyes
Greg Hanks
Mic Litz
Steve Hirsch
Peter Granet
Steve Maslow; Production

8. Tossing, Turning and Swinging

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Jeffrey Daniel
Gerald Brown
Jody Watley; Performer
Arranger: Leon Sylvers Iii
Gene Page
Dick Griffey; Composer
Composer: Edmund Sylvers
James Sylvers
Leon Sylvers Iii; Composer
Horn Arrangement: Larry Farrow; Composer
Strings Arrangement: Larry Farrow; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Wally Traugott; Production
Mixing Engineer: Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Leon Sylvers Iii
Dick Griffey; Production
Recording: Don Blake
Brian Levi; Production

9. Shalamar Disco Gardens

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Jeffrey Daniel
Gerald Brown
Jody Watley; Performer
Arranger: Leon Sylvers Iii
Gene Page
Dick Griffey; Composer
Composer: Jeffrey Daniel
Leon Sylvers Iii; Composer
Horn Arrangement: The Wizard; Composer
Strings Arrangement: The Wizard; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Wally Traugott; Production
Mixing Engineer: Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Leon Sylvers Iii
Dick Griffey; Production
Recording: Don Blake
Brian Levi; Production

10. Take That To The Bank

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Whistle: Sylvers; Performer
Composer: Leon F. Sylvers
Kevin Spencer
Shelby
Leon Sylvers Iii
Spencer
Leon Sylvers
Sylvers/spencer; Composer
Lyricist: Shelby
Leon F. Sylvers; Composer

11. Stay Close to Love

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Jeffrey Daniel
Gerald Brown
Jody Watley; Performer
Arranger: Leon Sylvers Iii
Gene Page
Dick Griffey; Composer
Composer: Herman Brown
Leon Sylvers Iii; Composer
Horn Arrangement: The Wizard; Composer
Strings Arrangement: The Wizard; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Wally Traugott; Production
Mixing Engineer: Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Leon Sylvers Iii
Dick Griffey; Production
Recording: Don Blake
Brian Levi; Production

12. Leave It All Up To Love

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Jeffrey Daniel
Gerald Brown
Jody Watley; Performer
Arranger: Leon Sylvers Iii
Gene Page
Dick Griffey; Composer
Composer: Malcolm Anthony
Malcolm Bell
Wayne Bell; Composer
Horn Arrangement: Larry Farrow; Composer
Strings Arrangement: Larry Farrow; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Wally Traugott; Production
Mixing Engineer: Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Leon Sylvers Iii
Dick Griffey; Production
Recording: Don Blake
Brian Levi; Production

13. Lovely Lady

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Jeffrey Daniel
Gerald Brown
Jody Watley; Performer
Arranger: Leon Sylvers Iii
Gene Page
Dick Griffey; Composer
Composer: Kossi Gardner
Leon Sylvers Iii; Composer
Horn Arrangement: Larry Farrow; Composer
Strings Arrangement: Larry Farrow; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Wally Traugott; Production
Mixing Engineer: Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Leon Sylvers Iii
Dick Griffey; Production
Recording: Don Blake
Brian Levi; Production

14. Cindy Cindy

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Jeffrey Daniel
Gerald Brown
Jody Watley; Performer
Arranger: Leon Sylvers Iii
Gene Page
Dick Griffey; Composer
Composer: Malcolm Anthony
Merlin Bell
Wayne Bell; Composer
Horn Arrangement: The Wizard; Composer
Strings Arrangement: The Wizard; Composer
Mastering Engineer: Wally Traugott; Production
Mixing Engineer: Steve Hodge; Production
Producer: Leon Sylvers Iii
Dick Griffey; Production
Recording: Don Blake
Brian Levi; Production

15. Simon's Theme (Instrumental Version)

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Performer: Shalamar; Performer

16. Take That to the Bank (M&M Mix)

Primary Artist: Shalamar; Main Performer
Guitar: Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Vocals: Gerald Brown
Jody Watley
Jeffrey Daniel; Performer
Composer: Kevin Spencer
Leon F. Sylvers
Leon Sylvers Iii
Shelby
Sylvers/spencer
Spencer
Leon Sylvers; Composer
Lyricist: Shelby
Leon F. Sylvers; Composer
Remixing: Sergio Munzibai
John Morales; Production

Technical Specifications

Volume

1 volume only

Tracks

16 tracks available

Type

COMPILATION

Format

Digital Media

Duration

1 hour, 16 minutes and 6 seconds

Explicit

None

Coverart

Available and up to 3000x3000 px

Booklet

Not available

Max Quality

CD Quality (Lossless)

16bit / 44.1 kHz

Stereo

Audio Extension

Lossless: FLAC, M4A, WAV, WV, AIFF

Lossy: AAC, MP3, M4A, MP4, OGA, OGG, OPUS, WMA

Archive Format

Available in these formats: ZIP, TAR, RAR

Lyrics

6/16 tracks have lyrics

Synchronized Lyrics

2/16 tracks have synced lyrics

Genres

R&B, Soul, Contemporary R&B

Label

Sanctuary Records

Music Distribution Service

Warner

Country

United Kingdom

Language

English (United States)

Popularity

Release Date

Feb 24, 2002

Track Preview

Available

Delivery Charge

Free

Delivery Method

Digital download link via Email or Personal Dashboard on this site

UPC

4050538188653