Disco Dessert 10/11/18 - "Uptown Festival" from Shalamar...

"Uptown Festival" was the first single and title track to the debut album from disco/soul act Shalamar. Conceived by Soul Train host Don Cornelius and agent Dick Griffey, the first two singles released until that moniker had used full studio musicians and singers, so nobody but them really knew who sung on it. "Uptown Festival" was a medley of Motown classics set to a disco beat, years before Stars On 45 would take the concept into a #1 hit. These are the songs and the original artists covered that make up the medley...

"Going To A Go-Go" from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" from the Four Tops
"Uptight (Everything's Alright)" from Stevie Wonder
"Stop! In The Name Of Love" from Diana Ross & The Supremes
"It's The Same Old Song" from the Four Tops
"The Tears Of A Clown" from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
"Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart" from Diana Ross & The Supremes
"This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)" from The Isley Brothers
"Baby Love" from Diana Ross & The Supremes
"He Was Really Saying Somethin'" from the Velvelettes

Combined into a free-flowing nearly nine minute club remix, the resulting single spent four weeks at #2 on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks chart, while an edited version climbed to #10 on their R&B chart and #25 on the pop Hot 100 in 1977. Because of the success of this (and follow-up minor hit cover of "Ooh Baby Baby" which hit #59 R&B) on the Soul Train label, a proper trio was hired with Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel who were dancers on Soul Train, along with Gary Mumford, who would start a revolving door of singers until Howard Hewett joined in 1979, who would help them score a #1 dance hit with "The Second Time Around". These days, Watley and Hewett/Daniels have competing touring versions of Shalamar.