The Whispers -- Headlights 1978

Whispers -- Headlights -- Original Solar Album BXL 1 2774 USA 1978 Collector

Arranged By [Horn & String] - Tom Tom 84
Arranged By [Rhythm] - Gene Page
Album Design] - Tim Bryant
Engineer - Steve Hodge
Mastered By - Wally Traugott
Producer - Dick Griffey
Recorded at Westlake Audio, Los Angeles
Funk / Soul


The Whispers had scored a couple Top Ten hits prior to his album, but most of their songs, in spite of their quality, floundered in the latter half of the Top 100. However, Headlights houses two singles that graced the Billboard R&B Top Ten and Top 20. "(Let's Go) All the Way" was the first release. With a modest mid-tempo groove paced by an uncanny bass rhythm and a sprightly horn section, Walter Scott and Wallace "Scotty" Scott inflict their wholesome vocal appeal which is enhanced by the group's harmonious background vocals. The beat was too funky for disco, and not funky enough for funk. Notwithstanding, it is a solid number. It sealed the Billboard R&B Top Ten. On a slower yet moderate note, "(Olivia) "Lost and Turned Out" illuminates with sensuality in spite of the song's message, which laments a young lady's life on the streets. It tipped in at number 13 on the charts after 22 weeks. "(You're A) Very Special Part of My Life" was never a release but a beautiful number it is. From Walt and Scotty's unwavering delivery to the song's soulful flow, it is reminiscent of the Natural Four's "Can This Be Real." It has become a standard on the quiet storm format. The title track is a funky selection, as is "The Planets of Life."

Sounds of Los Angeles Records (S.O.L.A.R. Records) was founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey a few years after creating (in 1975) and then shutting down (in 1977) the Soul Train Recording Co. label with "Soul Train" television show host and creator Don Cornelius. After the success of a few singles on the Soul Train imprint, Griffey & Cornelius decided (amicably) to shut down the Soul Train label as Cornelius wanted to focus his energies on the TV show, which was a monster hit and required his attention to keep it so.

Legalities taken care of, Soul Train Records closed and Griffey reorganized the company and founded the S.O.L.A.R. label in late 1977, which quickly became one of the most important Disco/Soul/Dance imprints of the late seventies to mid-eighties, and even spawned a subsidiary label Constellation Records, which had some success spinning off its parent's successes.

Griffey and Cornelius remained good friends, and as a result, S.O.L.A.R. maintained close ties to the "Soul Train" show. Not surprisingly, "Soul Train" favourite Shalamar had one of their first (and one of the label's first) hits, "Uptown Festival", as a result of appearing on "Soul Train" and thus being introduced to Griffey. Shalamar were, in fact, S.O.L.A.R.'s best selling and most influential act - scoring nearly 20 hit singles and classics such as: "Right in the Socket", "Make that Move", "A Night to Remember" and "Dead Giveaway".

The S.O.L.A.R. success story was by no means confined to one act, several other artists enjoyed success, including: Dynasty, Klymaxx, Whispers, The, Lakeside, Midnight Star, Carrie Lucas, and Deele, The, the last of which gave L.A. Reid & Babyface (LaFace Records) their start. Griffey has always believed in giving new talents the opportunity to create and develop their craft. He was the first to recognize songwriters/producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (Time, The, Flyte Tyme Productions), Reggie Calloway and Vincent Calloway, Leon Sylvers and the aforementioned Antonio 'L.A.' Reid, and Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, to name a few. The S.O.L.A.R. sound was a collective effort, with artists working on each other's sessions and artists encouraged to be creative. Leon Sylvers was the producer behind the trademark S.O.L.A.R. sound: funky, progressive dance music infused with soul and disco.

The late eighties saw the label's fortunes decline: the reasons for which are many but include A & R problems with Shalamar (primarily maintaining the group's identity while members Howard Hewett and Jody Watley were having successful solo careers of their own, on other labels) and the shifting musical directions of R&B, dance and popular music in general in the late eighties and early nineties.

Searched for Headlights after hearing Cherry Tulips by Headlights on Paste Magazine Sampler #41