Shalamar – Uptown Festival (VG/VG+) – LP, AU 1977

Uptown Festival is an LP by Shalamar from 1977 released on the Soul Train label.

About this album

Uptown Festival is Shalamar’s debut album and an early marker of the soul-disco crossover that would define their rise. Released in 1977, it centres on the title track, a medley built around Sister Sledge’s “Love Don’t You Go Through No Changes On Me” and the Jackson 5’s “Dancing Machine”, which became a major hit and gave the group immediate visibility. The album also shows the trio’s sweet harmonies and nimble, club-ready approach across polished funk and soul material. As an early statement from a group that would go on to become a significant name in late-70s R&B and dance music, it captures their commercial ambitions at the outset.