Friday, June 12, 2015

"Just a Touch of Love" By Slave

Dayton, Ohio-bred funk/R&B band Slave scored their second top ten R&B hit in 1979 with the sexy funk track “Just a Touch of Love.” Mark “The Hansolor” Adam’s slinky, sinuous bass line really makes this song. The talented late bassist had a gift for coming up with great bass lines that were at once catchy and super-funky. And Steve Arrington's lead vocal performance is packed with sensual soul. Additionally, Starleana Young’s lush background vocals help heighten the track’s strong seductive vibe. 

"Just a Touch of Love" is the title track from Slave's fourth studio album, released in 1979. The song peaked at #9 on the U.S. R&B singles chart and #26 on the U.S. club chart. And it climbed to #64 on the UK singles chart. It’s one of the band's most recognized tracks and has been sampled by many artists, including Del La Soul (“Keepin’ The Faith); Mariah Carey (“I’ve Been Thinking About You”); En Vogue (“Ooh Boy”); 2Pac, featuring Dwayne Wiggins and Silky (“Raise Off These Nuts”); Jurassic 5, featuring Nelly Furtado (“Thin Line”); and Kriss Kross, featuring Super Cat (“Alright”).

R&B star Keith Sweat recorded a solid cover of the song in 1997, which was included on his compilation album Just a Touch.

The lineup for Slave when they released the LP Just a Touch of Love was the following: Steve Arrington (vocals, drums), Mark Adams (bass), Danny Webster (guitar, vocals), Starleana Young (vocals), Steve Washington (trumpet, vocals, percussion), Mark “Drac” Hicks (guitar, vocals), Raye Turner (keyboards), Floyd Miller (trombone), Tom Lockett, Jr. (tenor and alto sax) and Curt Jones (vocals).

“Just a Touch of Love” was written by Arrington, Adams, Hicks, Turner, Young and Webster.



The song "Just A Touch of Love" at Amazon

Related blog entry: Slave Burned Up The Charts And Filled Dance Floors With Hit "Slide"

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