Slave Burned Up the Charts And Filled Dance Floors With Hit "Slide"

"Slide" is a killer track that Ohio funk band Slave dropped in 1977. The sinister groove is anchored by one of the sickest bass lines I've ever heard. The groove has a smooth funky flow with some nice quirky touches, such as a bicycle horn and a cool-ghoulish intro. Additionally, the track features a blistering guitar solo, tight horn work, and a dope slap-bass breakdown. It's just an all-around badass cut.

"Slide" is from Slave's eponymous debut album released in 1977. The track was an instant smash. It was played constantly on R&B stations and had folks rushing the dance floor at parties and clubs. The song reached #1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also performed quite well. It was certified Gold (500,000 copies sold) and climbed to #6 on Billboard's R&B albums chart and #22 on the Billboard 200.

Slave was formed in Dayton, Ohio in 1975 by trumpeter Steve Washington and guitarist/vocalist Mark "Drac" Hicks. In addition to Washington and Hicks, the band included Mark Adams (bass); Orion Wilhoite (alto and tenor sax); Floyd Miller (trombone); Tom Lockett Jr. (sax, keyboards); Tom Dozier (drums); Danny Webster (rhythm guitar, lead and background vocals); and Carter Bradley (keyboards). Drummer, percussionist and vocalist Steve Arrington and singer Starleana Young joined Slave in 1978, with Arrington eventually becoming the band's lead singer.

In addition to "Slide," some of the band's other hits included "Just a Touch of Love" (1979), "Watching You" (1980) and "Snap Shot" (1981).



Download Slide at Amazon

Related blog entry: "Just a Touch of Love" by Slave

Relate blog entry: "Stellar Fungk" by Slave