Full Of Fire

Album: Three For Love (1980)
Charted: 55
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Just as Al Green was full of fire in 1975, Shalamar was burning hot in 1980 with this disco track. The song is a duet between Howard Hewett and Jody Watley, with them trading verses about finding a lover who lights their fires. It's not clear if they're singing to each other or each singing about a different person, but during performances they didn't sing their lines to each other.
  • Shalamar was in the middle of a strident run of hits when they released "Full Of Fire" as the first single from their fourth album, Three For Love. It was their second album with Howard Hewett, who joined original members Jody Watley and Jeffrey Daniel. In 1980 - the same year the album was released - Watley had her first child, but she continued to keep up a hectic pace with the group.
  • The song was written by group member Jody Watley along with Richard Randolph and Joey Gallo. Randolph was a member of the group Dynasty, which like Shalamar, was produced by Leon Sylvers and recorded for SOLAR Records. Joey Gallo was a keyboard player who also worked on tracks for Gladys Knight and Atlantic Starr.
  • "Full Of Fire" is one of just two songs Jody Watley co-wrote with Shalamar, the other being "Work It Out" from the same album. Watley proved she was a major talent by launching a solo career that earned her the Best New Artist Grammy Award in 1988, but with Shalamar, she didn't get a chance to shine. She was brought into the group because she was such a popular dancer on Soul Train, but she had ambitions beyond singing backup and dancing. She felt marginalized in Shalamar, and left the group in 1983 while they were still churning out hits. As the group waned in the late '80s, Watley became a star.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"

Mike Scott of The Waterboys - "Fisherman's Blues"They're Playing My Song

Armed with a childhood spent devouring books, Mike Scott's heart was stolen by the punk rock scene of 1977. Not surprisingly, he would go on to become the most literate of rockers.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Boy Bands

Boy BandsFact or Fiction

From NKOTB to 1D, how well do you know your boy bands?

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

Wolfgang Van Halen

Wolfgang Van HalenSongwriter Interviews

Wolfgang Van Halen breaks down the songs on his debut album, Mammoth WVH, and names the definitive Van Halen songs from the Sammy and Dave eras.

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.