Slave was an American Ohio-based funk band popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist Steve Washington,[1] born in New Jersey, attended East Orange High School, and was one of the first users of the "electric trumpet". He and Trombonist Floyd Miller formed the group in Dayton, Ohio, in 1975.[2]
Slave | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Dayton, Ohio, United States |
| Genres | Funk, R&B, soul, boogie, disco |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, producer, musician |
| Years active | 1975–1996 |
| Labels | Cotillion, Atco, Ichiban |
| Members |
|
| Website | Steve Arrington Mark L. "The Hansolor" Adams – Bassplayer.com |
History
editDuring late 1975 and spring of 1976, trombonist Floyd Miller teamed with trumpeter Steve Washington to form Slave. The original line-up included Tom Lockett Jr. (tenor and alto sax), Carter Bradley (keyboards), Mark Adams (bass), Mark "Drac" Hicks (lead and rhythm guitar, background vocals), Danny Webster (rhythm and lead guitar, lead and background vocals), Orion "Bimmy" Wilhoite (alto and tenor sax), and Tim "Tiny" Dozier (drums). They scored their first big hit with the single "Slide" in 1977 for Cotillion Records,[3] which is the label they remained with until 1984. In 1978 Slave's sound changed slightly when drummer/percussionist Steve Arrington, along with vocalists Starleana Young, Curt Jones,and keyboardist Ray Turner joined the band. Arrington ultimately replaced Miller and Webster as lead vocalist.
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. Starleana Young, Steve Washington, Curt Jones and Lockett departed to form Aurra in 1981. Slave added Roger Parker, Delbert Taylor Jr., and Kevin Johnson as replacements. Arrington left in 1982 after the Showtime album to start his own band Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame in which Charles and Sam Carter would also play. The band continued on, though not as successfully, into the mid-1990s.[2]
The group 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.[3]
Deaths
editBass player Mark Leslie Adams Sr., a native of Dayton, died on March 5, 2011, at age 51 in Columbus, Ohio.[4]
Guitar player Mark ("Drac") Hicks, a native of Dayton, died on June 14, 2011, at the age of 52 in Dayton, Ohio.[4]
Singer and guitarist Danny Webster, a native of Dayton, died on September 10, 2020, at the age of 61 in Dayton, Ohio.[5]
Saxophone player Orion Wilhoite, a native of Dayton, died on March 20, 2020, at the age of 63 in Dayton, Ohio.
Drummer Roger Parker, a native of Dayton, died March 5, 2023, at the age of 67 in Dayton, Ohio
Keyboardist Carter Bradley, a native of Dayton, died February 21, 2023, at the age of 73.
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Record label | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [6] |
US R&B [6] |
CAN [7] | ||||||||||||
| 1977 | Slave | 22 | 6 | — |
|
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 | — |
| |||||||||
| 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 releases that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
edit| Year | Album | Peak | Record label | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B [6] | ||||||||||||||
| 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 releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||||||
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart Positions | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [9] |
US R&B [9] |
US Dan [9] |
CAN [7] |
UK [10] | ||||||||||
| 1977 | "Slide" | 32 | 1 | — | 58 | — | Slave | |||||||
| 1978 | "The Party Song" | 110 | 22 | — | — | — | The Hardness of the World | |||||||
| "Baby Sinister" | — | 74 | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Stellar Fungk" | — | 14 | — | — | — | The Concept | ||||||||
| "Just Freak" | 110 | 64 | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1979 | "Just a Touch of Love" | — | 9 | 26 | — | 64 | Just a Touch of Love | |||||||
| 1980 | "Foxy Lady (Funky Lady)" | — | 55 | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Sizzlin' Hot" | — | 57 | — | — | — | Stone Jam | ||||||||
| "Watching You" | 78 | 6 | 23 | — | — | |||||||||
| 1981 | "Feel My Love" | — | 62 | — | — | |||||||||
| "Snap Shot" | 91 | 6 | 21 | — | — | Show Time | ||||||||
| "Party Lites" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Wait for Me" | 103 | 20 | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1982 | "Intro (Come to Blow Ya Mind)" | — | 81 | — | — | — | Visions of the Lite | |||||||
| 1983 | "Do You Like It... (Girl)" | — | 73 | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Be My Babe" | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "Shake It Up" | — | 22 | — | — | — | Bad Enuff | ||||||||
| "Steppin' Out" | — | 73 | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1984 | "Ooohh" | — | 41 | — | — | — | New Plateau | |||||||
| "The Word Is Out" | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1986 | "Jazzy Lady" | — | — | — | — | — | Unchained at Last | |||||||
| "Thrill Me" | — | 84 | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "All We Need Is Time" | — | 85 | — | — | — | |||||||||
| 1987 | "Juicy-O" | — | 83 | — | — | — | Make Believe | |||||||
| "I Like Your Style" | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Steve Washington – Vibes and Scribes". Vibesnscribes.com. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
- ^ a b Rizik, Chris. "Slave Biography". SoulTracks. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
- ^ a b Wynn, Ron. "Slave - Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Dayton Daily News.
- ^ "Obituary for Daniel Webster". House of Wheat Funeral Home, Inc. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c "US Charts > Slave". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 20, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
- ^ a b "CAN Charts > Slave". RPM. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
- ^ a b "US Certifications > Slave". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Slave Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
- ^ "UK Charts > Slave". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2015.