by Alex Henderson
With Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniels having left Shalamar and been replaced by singer Delisa Davis and guitarist/Prince admirer Micki Free, Howard Hewett unveiled a new Shalamar lineup on Heart Break. Although the loss of Watley and Daniels was quite a loss for the group, it wasn't a fatal blow. In fact, Heart Break was good enough to indicate that there might be life after Watley and Daniels for Shalamar, mainly because the trio still had Hewett's talent and charisma to rely on. Hewett is clearly the one holding down the fort on Heart Break, which finds Shalamar continuing to incorporate new wave elements. Heart Break (which The Right Stuff reissued on CD in 1998) boasted the wildly infectious, rock-influenced hit from Footloose &Dancing in the Sheets,& and the combination of soul-pop and new wave also proved quite appealing on &My Girl Loves Me,& &Don't Get Stopped In Beverly Hills& and the George Duke-produced &Amnesia.& Also impressive is Howard and Davis' charming duet on the ballad &Whenever You Need Me.& As it turned out, Heart Break would be Hewett's last album with Shalamar, as well as the last decent Shalamar album.