Shalamar performing "Circumstantial Evidence" on Late Show

[mdominance]

Poor Micki! He had to have been frustrated. He just couldn't rock the way he wanted to with Shalamar (lol).

[jeff1966ize]

I love the old Shalamar but I love this one as well. This Album is one of my all time favorites.

[etelehs]

@MACRADIO23 LOL your so right

[npgfunk]

Funny that Micki badmouths Prince today but he damn sure was ripping him off back in the time of this clip

[SAINT808]

@npgfunk RIGHT!

[SuavecitoBro2]

The worse record that Antonio LA Reid and Babyface have produced ever.

[MickiFreeFan4Life]

Micki Free is an incredible guitarist you should really check out his latest works.

[HUSTLEMAN2]

Miki Free and the Band are rockin' this!They should've just renamed themselves and kept kickin'! Hey Miki...GET FREE !

[MickiFreeFan4Life]

@HUSTLEMAN2 U aint never lied!!!

[720upstairs]

This Shalamar was great, I liked them. I had a very open mind about them but I think what they shouldv'e done was introduce Mickey Free and Delissa Davis better in the earlier albums instead of having Howard Hewett lead every song and video release. I think some saw them as strangers when they came out. Jody and Howard made off with most of the fanbase.

[VintageSoundsNumber1]

Come on Sidney !!! Shake that big Jehry curl !

[PAYBACKiszaB2]

they had a JESSE JOHNSON feel to their style and also THE TIME style too!

[EXTENDED91]

I love the Jeffrey-Jody-Howard-Shalamar..

I like the Howard-Delisa-Mickie-Shalamar.­.

but I HATE the Mickie-Delisa-Sidney-Shalamar.­.

let's be honest, Howard Hewett (hew-E-tt!!) made the group what it is.

[PAYBACKiszaB2]

@EXTENDED91 Well I of course like the originals but I love this group too, I think they had a nice imination of THE TIME going to their style and I love everything that was THE TIME styled!!!!

[kimmie1979]

You know that new chick in Shalamar, Mickey Free? B**** fine like a mutha...Mickey Free is not a girl.

[realityspeaking]

This isn't Shalamar. Stop the BS. I don't have time to watch fake videos. Take this down. Thanks.

[Maygusta]

@realityspeaking This was Shalamar after Howard Hewitt left the group. I love Micki Free look him up you will see what he has done, over the years since he left the group.

[josephjmg18]

They just look like a whole other group. They could of chose more resembling replacements. subscribe to my channel.

[Argee11]

Game... Blouses

[bigphat200]

Micky Free was keeping it together. and still plays today

[jijigod]

Lets advertise prince!! Huh? This sucks

Get your own style jerk!

[cat3375]

I like the original members as well. What are these people doing?

[agthang]

wow.. they musta done drugs.. I love shalamar though.. oh and jeffrey daniel is an amazing dancer

[kittytr99]

Damn, Sydney was fine as hell!

[idealementlourd]

Too bad!!!

[myrabradwell40]

They worked!!!!

[myrabradwell40]

very good performance

[swazia73]

it seem like that in the 80s either mike or prince or

[calvin60616]

UGHHHHHHHHH. I'm sorry but I hated the new Shalamar. I like the original members HOWARD, JODY, and JEFFERY.

[Joy77]

This is a funky little ditty right here!

I just noticed, the blonde guy on keys was with Shiela E's band. Kent or something,

Mikki is a real showman. But I could never really hear Delisa's voice. Good performance tho.

[EXTENDED91]

Ken Grey was his name ;-)

[Joy77]

Yeah that it. Thanks.

[pkrishnametal]

hahaha..mickey free from shalamar..dave chappelle rocks

[Maygusta]

Although this a nice video, I like the video Games, this is the video he chose to put on his bio.

[mazaratialbum]

whoever this musicencyclopedie guy is, he is wrong...this wasn't a top 10 hit at all...it made it to number 30 on the r&b charts...look it up if you want, it is a good song, but i don't want anyone thinking falsely about the charting of this song....the song "games" their second single, did make it to number 11 though...this album was considered a disappointment....peace

[MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

Thanks for the correct information. I read many false imformation about the chartings of this song in various books. Thanks for the info. I agree about how people considered this album was a disappointed because of the line-up here.

[8biminiroad]

I knew in my heart of hearts I remembered a version of this group that had got Minneapolised out. Everyone I asked about it said 'you crazay' but here it is thanks.

[luckyc120]

maybe that is why they did do so well music encyclopedia u no???? because maybe babyface and la reid wasnt meant to write their music..leon sylvers was..am i right??? and personally i like delissa better than karyn...in this group anyways

[MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

You hit some good points. Plus you have to remember when Howard left the group, the group had trouble finding a new musical direction; Hip-Hop and New Jack Swing had became the new sound of Black Music during that period, and it seemed that the group had tried to mix all types of music together and the songs LA and Face wrote they had Mikki sing lead. I heard some songs that Sidney sung and he has a nice voice. I love this song, but they should have recorded more A.C. material instead.

[rialdo]

PRINCE?????????????????

[dbookin]

This is Shalamar but after Jody Howard and Jeffrey left group

[CooperativeExtension]

I agree with Martley1, ? to Jodie, can we get forgive, makeup and get back to making some really good music?

Judimac

[strongman388]

I was wrong!

[strongman388]

Was he married to Terri Copley. She was an actress in a sitcom called She's got it Maid!

[Flightgrrl]

I love me some Micki Free! *sigh*

[bigphat200]

Micki Free received the native American music award a few years back and still sounds great today.

[jijigod]

Aint nothing like the real thing baby, leave Prince alone!

You realy look cheap, and so silly ! Trickey Mickey!

[martley1]

I'm sorry but THIS ISN'T The Shalamar that graced the UK charts in 1982 / 83 so many times. This lot sound like a cheap 'Prince' backing band from 1986. Very poor indeed and shouldn't be allowed to use the name Shalamar.

[chaliceofchange]

This is so tragic. A good thing has become a mere shadow of it's glory. Mikki can realy play though. Denise the female you can hardly hear her. Oh Jody we need you back!!

[MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

Singer Karyn White had auditioned to replace Jody, but was turned down because her voice wasn't commercial enough.

[ack4me2]

sorry but this ain't Shalamar.

no freaking way.......

[lepoetress]

Yes, they were the lineup after Howard Hewitt left. Howard tried to keep the group going, but he eventually went solo.

[GDK1]

I ran into Sydney Justin at LAX about 5 years ago and he was a really nice dude. Very personable and humble.

He's currently the front man of "The Sound of the Miracles" which is a "Smokey Robinson & The Miracles" revue group.

[heylad]

Cool, man. Thanks for the info.

[tmewarp5]

@GDK1 I know I'm two years late, but I too met Sydney Justin. And your right....he really is a nice dude. very humble.

[murdawg187]

fake ass Prince.

[JamalService2000]

Ok so this wasn't their shining moment, but fuck it I enjoyed this video

[a6foot6]

I might be way off base but, this performance reminds me of the Isley brothers back in the early 70's. Their albums were great, but their live performances were at times awful. Although Micky Free comes off as effeminate, you've got to remember they all were dressing like that back then. With the ruffles and the leather and women's high heeled boots. It's funny how someone's hadicapp become a fad. Prince wore the boots becsuse he was short. . That album was pretty good and so is the video

[bigphat200]

I agree and Micki Free, one of the greatest performers on this plant, is still singing today He received the Native American Music Award in 2006

[Joy77]

Forgot to mention, the blonde guy on keyboards is Ken Gray, who used to be with Sheila E.

[JellyBean2144]

That is Ken Gray? Wow. He was one of my music teachers back in the day. I knew about the Sheila E. gig, but not Shalamar. Thanks for the info.

[Joy77]

Ok OK, they may not be what the orignals were. You can't replace the magic of Daniel, Hewett & Watley. EVER! But I like Free. He tried his best in that line-up. He is a great guitarist too. But maybe not a frontman. I also like the lyrics. They're just having fun and poking fun at that lifestyle. He's Native American (Miki Free).

[bigphat200]

Micki Free, one of the greatest performers on this plant, is still singing today He received the Native American Music Award in 2006

[esharpcool]

Well I tell you,if Mickey Free come to Pensacola,Fla again with shalamar;break some more guitar strings,esharpcool knows a trick.

[citybirdbase]

I personally liked the album. I don't make it my business to critisize someone who has more talent in one fingure than what I have in my whole body. I do say that the record label should have brought these peeps out under a different name. It was kind of a play on our intelligence, us Shalamar fans that is .

[2Faded247]

Damn that Chick is Fine...Wait hold up, That's not a chick, thats Micki Free

[jes102]

This song had disappointing record/album sales.

I detest this version of Shalamar.

It reminds of Alien vs Predator franchise LMAO ;0)

= i.e 'If it ain't broke don't try to fix it '

[herculeshernandez]

I didn't like this song when I was a kid, and I still don't watching it now... this was def. no Hewett/Watley-era Shalamar, by any stretch of the imagination. But I used to laugh my ass off at the part that goes "Your friends said I took her to Burger King? You know I'm a McDonalds man, baby!" or something like that.

[Azone01]

Those are'nt Babyface's lyrics at all. I dunno who wrote this song, but the "Burger King....McDonalds" line fits in well with the group's status. I know Micki did his own thing after Shalamar broke away, but what happened to Sidney Justin and Delissa Davis (She was fyne and a great keyboardest, but where did she go?)

[citybirdbase]

I know her sister, Andrea. She frequents Dallas, but still lives and works in L.A. .

[MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

Babyface and LA Reid co-wrote and produced this song in 1987

[MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

Mikki said first of all, I don't even eat Burger King. You Know I'm a McDonalds man. I also laughed at the video when Sydney was holding the ladies undergarments and when Delissa punched him in the face. This song was a top ten R&B hit for them.

[mazaratialbum]

this is one of those lost hits....i mean "really" lost...i can't think of any radio station that play plays this song anymore...i used to like it though...peace

[luckyc120]

was there a music video for this???if so do u have it and can u upload it if u do?

[MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

They did a video for this song, but unfortantely I don't have the video for this song.

[soulchildsacomin]

"Games" was actually in the top ten R&B (well, it just missed the top ten and it was Shalamar's last charting single).

[MUSICENCYLOPEDIA]

Thank for the info. It seemed like they were trying to combine New Jack Swing and Rock together. When Jody left, Karyn White had auditioned but was turned down

[UltraPOPDJ]

You were kinda right the first time. To me it was a top tener, it reached #7 on the "Radio and Records" Urban chart, the same chart Walt "Baby" Love used for "The Countdown".

[shasta3683]

Rod Davis, Prince ain't got shit on you man...

[zebbie2000]

This is the pseudo-Shalamar band with NO original members and the lead singer - that new "Girl" Micki Free LOL (I miss Chapelle Show Baaadd!!!!) man she is fine as hell LMAO!!!!..... but it wasn't a girl it was Micki Free. I HATE YOU CHARLIE MURPHY!

[jaymatic23]

micki free is a great guitar player, but is not a frontman.

[PaulKerseysStepSon]

Ahhhhh yes, it's the "we-all-want-to-look-and-sound­-like-Prince" period of the late 80's early 90's that so many bands tried to pull off... but failed. LOL. Shalamar pretty much tanked after Howard and Jody Watley left... Does any body even remember MICKI FREE anyway? LOL

[zebbie2000]

Charlie Murphy (from Chapelle Show) apparently remembered "her" see my other comment. This is too funny I'd forgotten about this.

[timejam85]

Not thaaaat bad for a live performance.. but Shalamar isn't Shalamar without Howard Hewett.. when people talk about Shalamar.. I think of Howard, Jody & Jeffrey.. i dont think of micki, delissa and justin! LOL

[ariesespo]

I agree, This is not Shalamar. The balls of them to keep the name after Hewitt left. Terrible song and bad lyrics

[timejam85]

Well, you are right, but I wouldn't say the song is bad.. this Lself titled LP was produced by LA & Babyface.. the next LP that came out was a bad one.. fortunately it was the last one by this combo. btw.. do u have the lyrics of this song?

[ariesespo]

I have them yeah...I'm bitter because I know Hewitt through my job and he is a real cool guy. Wait till I tell him this vid is up here when I see him again.

[timejam85]

Howard's surname is Hewett.. two times "E" - it's cool u know him.. I'd give anything to once meet this man.. have u got the time to write down the lyrics for me? I am searching for them for months now..

[ariesespo]

Where are you from? I'll have him sign something for you when I see him again. He's on my Myspace page (His real profile. Let me see if I can dig up the lyrics

[timejam85]

Thanks for the lyrics. I live in Germany.. so this maybe a problem? I don't know.. :-S

Howard Hewett is my idol.. this man's voice is like a God's voice.

[ariesespo]

I emailed you the lyrics

[timejam85]

Thanks for the lycs again

[VintageSoundsNumber1]

@ariesespo

Sorry, I hate critcising; I don't know Howard Hewett, so I can't speak about someone I don't know; but I've read some comments -at least a couple of comments- who said just the contrary, especially one guy in U.K. who said that he tried to get an autograph from Howard Hewett at the end of a concert , and Howard Hewett did not even consider him;...plus according to his fellow Shalamar mates (Jody Watley,especially...) he was not so nice...(perhaps he got better with time ...)

[ariesespo]

@VintageSoundsNumber1 Im not sure when this concert was or what happened. One thing about Hewitt and concerts. He didnt like performing in front of large audiences. He was always afraid he would mess up the notes. He was very anal retentive about performing songs the 'correct way' as he put it to me once. He wanted things to be perfect every time. These people might have caught him at a bad time.

[Worldb]

Boggles my mind to this day why they didn't change the name of the group after Howard Hewett left. It was a joke. They deserved their own identity to make their own way.

Folks, The Deele and Shalamar come out of the same stable so it would be easy to see how here. LA and Face had to onto something because,IIRC, this was out around the same time as The Whispers "Rock Steady". I could be wrong...

[blacksglpower]

You're right. LA & Babyface had produced The Whispers' top ten hit "Rock Steady" a few months earlier, and since this reincarnation of Shalarmar was leaning towards the Rock/New Jack Swing vibe, they came up with this track. Plus this was the first single they recorded without Howard he had left a year earlier.

[Worldb]

This isn't New Jack at all. This is from right in that "transistion" area between the dominant Prince sound and Teddy Riley's New Jack Swing. The whole deal is just about to change in a few months because Keith Sweat's "I Want Her" was getting ready to come out. A whole new sound. This is just some imitation Prince WITHOUT the raincoats.

[trebleclef1916]

Man that was lame then....and worst now ! LOL! Micki was cool but NOT A LEAD SINGER!!!!!! LOL

[nickdr316]

But I was just being a flirt, that's how musicians are! lol

[marcusrob02]

Good grief, this is a lousy performance LOL...vocals are horrible, terrible coordination, etc..and before I saw this performance, I was pretty defensive of this incarnation of the group...guess now I see why so many folks didnt "feel it" lol

[marcusrob02]

And just for the record, I personally always felt Howard Hewitt was severely overrated. He had ALRIGHT singles as a solo star, and was an OK singer, but I never really saw the obsession some had over him at all. Jody and Jeffrey, to me, were attractions with their dancing skills, and although Howard's decent at singing, I never saw anything special about him.

[marcusrob02]

BTW, somebody PLEASE post the video to "Circumstantial Evidence". I'm dying to see how the video is, and if this Micki Free guy portrayed himself as Morris or Prince, lol.

[NewSouth70]

The only thing I remember about the video to this song is that Olivia Brown who played Trudy on Miami Vice was in it.

[soulchildsacomin]

Olivia Brown was a fyne, sexy ass MF!

[marcusrob02]

The album/single recording to "Circumstantial Evidence" is DAMN good, and although the song should have charted much higher on the R&B charts, this performance makes me understand and see how these group of members basically ruined the group and how far they deviated from their origin...they look and sound like Prince knock offs, even worse than what the Bar Kays became in the 80s

[saj8]

Don't even get me started on the Bar-Kays during the mid to late 80s.

[erniejr]

Oh this is just sad. Second rate singers trying to step in the shoes of talented people. Why try to crucify themselves and be jesus...LOL

[TheycallmeMrTibbs2]

fake,s. but mikki free is one of the baddest guitarists i,ve ever heard.

[shasta3683]

( Rod Davis) go my man...

[reggeasoul]

rubbish where is my man going with his chitty white boots, singer needs singing lessons, as for the women sorry they all need to go home and sit down, this is awful,there is nothing good about this mess.

[lordzagan]

Micki Free is not a girl!

[harvsoul]

Even though they did have talent, they had NO RIGHT to be calling themselves SHALAMAR, not after Howard Hewitt left.

[qududeil]

PITIFUL!!!

[poohbear9174]

The Pits! Dick Griffey should have retired the name Shalamar....because this is NOT the Shalamar I remember nor the singer who recorded "2nd time around" etc.

[ijebuman02]

should have just killed off the group after howard left

[jes102]

ijebuman02:)

Only 1977-1983 applies here!

Thxs 4 postingxxx!

[saj8]

The moment Howard Hewett left that group, it was a wrap. This song and Games(even though it was good) was just the coda.

And no, this Shalamar lineup was not trying to sound like Prince. They were trying to leech off the emerging New Jack Swing movement of the late '80s.

[marcusrob02]

But nothing in this song (or "Games") sounds anything REMOTELY like a Teddy Riley-inducing New Jack Swing track. In fact, this record came out before the movement really took off (by about six months to a year) lol.

[RLFLOWS]

Circumstantial Evidence sounds like a Jesse Johnson's Revue outtake while although Games is funky, it sounds just like Cameo. After Howard, Jody & Jeffrey left the group, Shalamar was trying to find a new identity & commercialy it wasn't going to happen.

[exceeduus77]

They did not come anywhere near the superb Shalamar of Jeffery,Howard,and Jody, who were in a class by themselves...what a bad experiment!

[jes102]

"Circumstantial Evidence"....was a flop!

"Sing. Na Na Nah. Say No No Nooooooooo!".... Thxs for postingxxx!

[titan5252]

A couple of good tracks but thisis garbage. Micki Free is such a egomaniac he sounds like a joke. No way could he sing a whole concert.

[samba1985]

Hmmm.. Circumstantial Evidence from 1987. First time I heard that song was from a Solar Compilation. I think it's produced by Babyface & L.A. Anyway I like this song a lot! Eventhough this lineup is not my favorite. Micki Free, Delisa & a football player? I mean come ON! Howard, Jeffrey & Jody were amazing, but this ain't that bad though. Is there any other 16-year old boy who likes this ?? LOL.. whatever.. Has anyone got the lyrics to this song ???

[shakeabadadown]

This sounds like a song Prince wouldn't even let The Time record. Ha!

[Megared82]

That was Howard's replacement?! LMAO! I remember that Sidney was actually supposed to join Shalamar before Howard but decided to play football instead. Not to kiss Howards butt but they seem a little lost without him.

[DaSubzeroninja]

Man, there's this new girl in Shalamar, bitch fine like a mul'fucka.

(Charlie Murphy) Micki Free is not a girl.

[shakeabadadown]

I know. I always refer to this guy as gay -ass micki free. That was the funniest skit on Chapelle Show. GAME BLOUSES!

[gsnman]

I vaguely remember seeing Shalamar's video for "Circumstantial Evidence."

When I was a little kid, I didn't even know that Howard, Jody, and Jeffrey were in the original lineup.

Actually, there was one or two guys before Howard.

I have a 1987 copy of Sidney, Delisa, and Micki on Soul Train, but the commercial edits suck!

[swazia73]

no one want to see that shit

[sstvil]

This was produced by Babyace & L.A. Reid.

[swazia73]

i nver knew that laface records

[marcusrob02]

I was shocked when I read that too some days ago! I cant even tell the Babyface sound existed in the actual recording of "Circumstantial Evidence"..it sounded so much like Prince and the comedic routine reminded me of Morris Day, lol. I GUESS you can tell a "slight" Babyface "sound" with elements of the Deele's sound in the song, but that's about it, since the Deele were a bit "Prince-sounding" anyways lol.

[Azone01]

Babyface's sound changed in 1986 when his debut lp was released. Much of The Deele's third lp sounds much like "Circumstantial Evidence" of which is kinda dated (at the time). Babyface was probally still experimenting that New Jack sound (of which he did for his debut solo lp), but not too much with his own group or Shalamar.

[dahlio]

The guy in the middle does not have a strong stage presence. He is giving nothing. He is not a lead singer.

[Azone01]

Thats Micki Free! He belongs with Prince's crew.

[cllamont]

wrong - he has never belonged to Prince's "crew". Do your homework.

[Azone01]

I didn't mean he was actually with Prince's crew! He looks like he belongs with Prince's crew so don't take it literally! Homework checked!

[cllamont]

Your post says "he belongs with Prince's crew"; not "he looks like he belongs with Prince's crew". It is that simple and that wrong.

[Megared82]

Wasn't he buds with Prince? I think he was in Mazarati (a Prince side group), wasn't he??

[samallenjones]

They are really trying to rip off Prince's sound and look here.

[cllamont]

And they arent doing a good job at it either. They were one of a few hundred groups and artists that ripped off Prince

[swazia73]

put ur shirt back on, bird boy

[memyself2k]

The group was never as good as the popular line up: Jody, Jeff, and Howard.

[swazia73]

yeah i agree, y did they replace the the group wit new people

[Azone01]

ask Howrd Hewitt!

[swazia73]

i like the late shalamar they replace all of them