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Shalamar and been replaced by singer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.