Slave (band)

For other uses, see Slave (disambiguation).
Slave
Origin Dayton, Ohio, United States
Genres R&B, boogie, disco, soul, funk
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, producer, musician
Years active 1975–1996
Labels Cotillion, Atco, Ichiban
Website Steve Washington
Steve Arrington
Mark L. "The Hansolor" Adams - Bassplayer.com

Slave was an Ohio funk band popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Trumpeter Steve Washington, born in New Jersey, attended athletically acclaimed East Orange High School, and was one of the first users of the "electric trumpet". He and Mark Hicks ("Drac") formed the group in Dayton, Ohio in 1975.

Career

Trombonist Floyd Miller teamed with Tom Lockett Jr. (tenor & alto sax), Carter Bradley (keyboards), Mark Adams (bass), Mark Hicks (lead and rhythm guitar, background vocals), Danny Webster (rhythm and lead guitar, lead and background vocals), Orion Wilhoite (keyboards) and Tim Dozier (drums). Drummer/percussionist Steve Arrington, along with vocalists Starleana Young, then Curt Jones and keyboardist Ray Turner 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.

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 and brother Sam Carter on keyboards. Young, Washington, Jones and Lockett departed to form Aurra in 1981. Slave added Roger Parker, Delbert Taylor, Jr., and Kevin Johnson as replacements. Arrington himself left in 1982 after the Showtime album. The band continued on, though much less successfully, into the mid 1990s.

They moved to Atlantic Records for one LP (New Plateau) in 1984, then switched to the Atlanta-based Ichiban Records the following year, releasing Unchained at Last in late 1985. Despite scoring a couple of minor hits on the R&B chart from this album the following year and another minor hit from their 1987 follow-up album, Make Believe, Slave could not recapture the commercial success they had enjoyed in their heyday. Rhino issued Stellar Fungk: The Best of Slave Featuring Steve Arrington, an anthology of their finest cuts, in 1994.

Bass player Mark Leslie Adams Sr., a native of Dayton, died Saturday, March 5, 2011 at age 51 in Columbus, Ohio.[1]

Guitar player Mark ("Drac") Hicks, a native of Dayton, died on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at the age of 52 in Dayton, Ohio.[1]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications Record label
US
[2]
US
R&B

[2]
CAN
[3]
1977 Slave 22 6
  • RIAA: Gold [4]
Cotillion
The Hardness of the World 67 31
1978 The Concept 78 11 95
1979 Just a Touch of Love 92 11
1980 Stone Jam 53 5
  • RIAA: Gold [4]
1981 Show Time 46 7
1982 Visions of the Lite 177 46
1983 Bad Enuff 168 30
1984 New Plateau
1985 Unchained at Last 56 Ichiban
1987 Make Believe 44
1988 88
1990 Rebirth
1992 The Funk Strikes Back
1995 Masters of the Fungk
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

Year Album Peak chart positions Record label
US
R&B

[2]
1984 Best of Slave Cotillion
1994 Stellar Fungk: The Best of Slave 44 Rhino
1997 Slide and Other Hits
1998 From the Archives T.F.L.
2001 Greatest Hits Goldenlane
2003 Party Lights: More of the Best Rhino
2006 The Definitive Groove Collection
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

Year Single Peak chart Positions
US
[2]
US
R&B

[2]
US
Dan

[2]
CAN
[3]
UK
[5]
1977 "Slide" 32 1 58
1978 "The Party Song" 110 22
"Baby Sinister" 74
"Stellar Fungk" 14
"Just Freak" 110 64
1979 "Just a Touch of Love" 9 26 64
1980 "Foxy Lady (Funky Lady)" 55
"Sizzlin' Hot" 57
"Watching You" 78 6 23
1981 "Feel My Love" 62
"Snap Shot" 91 6 21
"Party Lites"
"Wait for Me" 103 20
1982 "Intro (Come to Blow Ya Mind)" 81
1983 "Do You Like It... (Girl)" 73
"Be My Babe"
"Shake It Up" 22
"Steppin' Out" 73
1984 "Ooohh" 41
"The Word Is Out"
1986 "Jazzy Lady"
"Thrill Me" 84
"All We Need Is Time" 85
1987 "Juicy-O" 83
"I Like Your Style"
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

  1. 1 2 Dayton Daily News
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "US Charts > Slave". Billboard. Retrieved 2011-07-10.
  3. 1 2 "CAN Charts > Slave". RPM. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
  4. 1 2 "US Certifications > Slave". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
  5. "UK Charts > Slave". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2015-02-22.
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