Slave (band)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Slave
Origin Dayton, Ohio, USA
Genre(s) R&B, soul, funk
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, producer, musician
Years active 1975 - 1996
Label(s) Cotillion, Atco, Ichiban
Website Steve Arrington
Mark L. "The Hansolor" Adams @ Bassplayer.com

Slave was an Ohio funk band popular in the 1970s and early 1980s. Trumpeter Steve Washington and Mark Hicks (Drac) formed the group in Dayton, Ohio in 1975.

Contents

[edit] Career

Trombonist Floyd Miller teamed with Tom Lockett Jr. (sax, keyboards), Charter Bradley (bass), Mark Adams (lead and rhythm guitar), Mark Hicks (lead and rhythm guitar, lead and background vocals), Danny Webster, Orion Wilhoite (sax), and Tim Dozier (drums). Vocalists Steve Arrington, Starleana Young, then Curt Jones came aboard in 1978, with Arrington ultimately becoming lead vocalist. Their first big hit was the single "Slide" in 1977 for Cotillion Records, where they remained until 1984. Their best work was usually based on bass licks and the band's general arrangements emphasis on the rhythm section and soaring lead vocals.

Other Top Ten R&B hits were "Just a Touch of Love" in 1979, "Watching You" in 1980, and "Snap Shot" in 1981. They added Charles Carter on sax. Young, Washington, Jones and Lockett departed to form Aurra in 1981. Slave added Roger Parker, Sam Carter, Delburt Taylor, and Kevin Johnson as replacements. Arrington himself left in 1982 after the Showtime album. They continued on, though much less successfully, into the late 1980s.

They moved to Atlantic Records for one LP in 1984, then switched to the Atlanta-based Ichiban Records in 1986. Their most recent release was The Funk Strikes Back in 1992. Rhino issued Stellar Fungk: The Best of Slave Featuring Steve Arrington, an anthology of their finest cuts, in 1994.

 Audio samples:
  • "Watching you" (1980)
    "Watching You" from the album Stone Jam, which hit the Pop charts at the 78th place and 6th on Black singles chart, and is a good example for Ohio funk.
  • Problems playing the files? See media help.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

Year Title Chart positions Album
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks
1977 "Slide" #1 Slave
1977 "The Party Song" #22 The Hardness of the World
1977 "Baby Sinister" #74 The Hardness of the World
1978 "Stellar Fungk" #14 The Concept
1980 "Just A Touch of Love" #9 Just A Touch of Love
1980 "Sizzlin' Hot" #57 Stone Jam
1981 "Watching You" #6 Stone Jam
1981 "Snap Shot" #6 Show Time
1982 "Wait For Me" #20 Show Time
1983 "Shake It Up" #22 Bad Enuff
1984 "Ooohh" #41 New Plateau
1984 "Steppin Out" #73 Bad Enuff
1986 "All We Need Is Time" #85 Unchained At Last
1986 "Thrill Me" #84 Rebirth
1987 "Juicy-O" #83 Make Believe

[edit] Albums

Year Album Chart positions Label
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums US Billboard 200
1977 Slave #6 #22 Cotillion
1977 The Hardness of the World #31 #67 Cotillion
1978 The Concept #11 #78 Cotillion
1979 Just a Touch of Love #11 #92 Cotillion
1980 Stone Jam #5 #53 Cotillion
1981 Show Time #7 #46 Cotillion
1982 Visions of the Lite #46 #177 Cotillion
1983 Bad Enuff #30 #168 Cotillion
1984 New Plateau Did not chart Did not chart Cotillion
1985 Unchained At Last #56 Did not chart Ichiban
1987 Make Believe #44 Did not chart Ichiban
1988 Slave 88 Did not chart Did not chart Ichiban
1991 Rebirth Did not chart Did not chart Ichiban
1992 Funk Strikes Back Did not chart Did not chart Ichiban
1994 Stellar Fungk: The Best Of Slave #44 Did not chart Ichiban
1995 Masters of The Fungk Did not chart Did not chart Ichiban

[edit] External links

This article on a United States R&B/soul music band, group, or collective is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
This article on a United States band or other musical ensemble is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
Languages