Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame, Vol.1

Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame, Vol.1 is the debut album by Steve Arrington and his band. By 1982, Arrington had been in Slave for almost five years and was ready to go solo. He formed his band simply called "Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame" and went to work on their debut album. Released in 1983, the album reached number 12 on the Top Soul Albums charts in 1983.

Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame, Vol.1
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 7, 1983
Recorded1982–1983 Atlantic Studios, Boogie Hotel & Port Jefferson, New York City, New York
GenreR&B, funk
LabelAtlantic Records
ProducerSteve Arrington Jimmy Douglass Charles Carter
Steve Arrington chronology
Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame, Vol.1
(1983)
Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame: Positive Power
(1984)

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic      [1]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[2]

Reviewing the album in Record, Vince Aletti called Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame, Vol. 1 "not just the best funk debut of the year so far, but an album appealing and original enough that even veterans will find it hard to beat." He picked "Nobody Can Be You" as the highlight for its unexpectedly introspective lyrics and tight instrumental production, but said that the entire album is full of fresh songs which eschew funk cliches and benefit from Arrington's unpredictable vocals, commenting that, "Arrington's singing keeps you on edge, alert to its changing coloration, its swift kicks and cool caresses, often delivered when you least expect them."[3]

Track listing

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  1. "Nobody Can Be You" - (Steve Arrington, Charles Carter) 5:16
  2. "You Meet My Approval" - (Arrington, C. Carter) 5:30
  3. "Last Nite/Nite Before" - (Arrington, Sam Carter) 4:45
  4. "Strange (Soft & Hard)" - (Arrington) 4:27
  5. "Speak With Your Body" - (Arrington, C. Carter) 5:22
  6. "Weak At The Knees" - (Arrington, Buddy Hankerson, C. Carter, Roger Parker) 5:21
  7. "Beddie-Biey" - (Arrington, Hankerson, Victor Godsey) 4:04
  8. "Way Out" - (Arrington, S. Carter) 4:22

Personnel

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  • Steve Arrington - lead and backing vocals, bass, drums, rhythm guitar, keyboards
  • Charles Carter - keyboards, saxophone, backing vocals
  • Bruce Victor Godsey - flute, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Buddy Hankerson - bass, backing vocals
  • Roger Parker - drums, backing vocals
  • Kevin Eubanks - bass, guitar
  • Gary Jackson - percussion, backing vocals
  • Arthur Rhames - guitar
  • Sam Carter - keyboards, African calls

Charts

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Chart (1983) Peak
position
Billboard Pop Albums[4] 101
Billboard Top Soul Albums[4] 12

Singles

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Year Single Chart positions[5]
US
R&B
US
Dance
1982 "Way Out" 68 49
1983 "Nobody Can Be You" 18 23
"Weak At The Knees" 33

Samples & covers

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References

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  1. ^ Ripol, Vince. Steve Arrington: Steve Arrington's Hall Of Fame, Vol.1 > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "A". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved August 16, 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ Aletti, Vince (June 1983). "Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame: I review". Record. 2 (8): 22.
  4. ^ a b "Steve Arrington US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  5. ^ "Steve Arrington US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
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