me again, just combining and revising earlier thread posts...



SLAVE
one of the Greatest of the funk bands, Slave had an impressive run in the late '70s and early '80s. In fact,(IMHO)Slave's sound got Rawer at a time when most other funk bands were getting slick and smoothing out their sound! Steve Washington( Trumpet) formed the group in Dayton,Ohio in 1975. Floyd Miller teamed with Mark Adams, Mark "Drac" Hicks, Danny Webster,Tom Lockett Jr, Charlie Bradley, Orion Wilhoite, and Tim Dozier. it became a collective,as Vocalists Steve Arrington, Curt Jones and Starleana Young came aboard in 1978, as alternating lead vocalists.

Their first big hit was the thumping single "Slide" in 1977. They were adept at churning, Monster Bass-driven rhythms coupled with soulful vocals and hard-edged Rock soloing.
Other Top Ten R&B hits were "Just a Touch of Love" in 1979, "Watching You" in 1980, and "Snap Shot" in 1981.

When Jones,Young, Washington, and Lockett departed to form Aurra in late '79, and Arrington left in the early '80s, They added Delburt Taylor, Sam Carter, Kevin Johnson, and Roger Parker and continued on, into the late '80s. They moved to Atlantic in 1984, then switched to Ichiban in 1986,and recorded sporadically after that, but these albums were all just a shadow of their former sound.


AURRA / DEJA


In the early eighties, while the monster Funk collective Slave was still going strong, its different sections began to peel off - Steve Washington and singers Curtis Jones and Starleana Young formed Aurra in 1980
In addition to the core of Washington, Young, and Jones, Aurra's membership at various times included, Steve Arrington, Mark Adams, Charles "Cedell" Carter, Philip Field, Buddy "Hanks" Henderson, Jennifer Ivory, Tom Lockett, William Young, and Mike Young.
Their 1980 debut Aurra, went by unnoticed, but their second album — 1981's Send Your Love had the R&B hit "Are You Single"

- many listeners first assumed it was Slave - similar sound, featuring some of the same players , but an interesting difference - instead of Slave Bassman Mark Adams, This time it was Steve Washington on the low end,and he proceeded to do everything on the bass that Mark used to be known for - All the trademark Slave pops, slides and growls, but this time, thumped by Steve.
1982's A Little Love which yielded the song "What's On Your Mind", and 1983's Live and Let Live — were also released on Salsoul . Around the time Live and Let Live came out, financial matters began to cause turmoil within the group. Washington left and offered to sell Aurra's trademark to Young and Jones but he ended up keeping the name — allegedly after Young and Jones failed to follow through on the offer — and recorded an Aurra album with new members , including former Bride of Funkenstein Sheila Horne and (Chaka Khan sibling) Mark Stevens. because of the legal protestations of Young and Jones, the record was never released.

Young and Jones recorded a fifth Aurra album after leaving Salsoul, .Released on Next Plateau, 1985's Like I Like It, though ignored in the US, gave Aurra their first UK hit.

After further legal hassles, Young and Jones continued under the name Déjà and scored two chart hits in 1987 with "That's Where You'll Find Me" and "You and Me Tonight", Young split from Jones in 1988 and went solo; she released an album in 1991 and also did background vocal work for her husband, Kool & the Gang's J.T. Taylor. Jones continued with Mysti Day and released a second album under the Déjà name.

STEVE ARRINGTON
Politics within the group led to Steve's Arrington's departure from Slave in 1983, and he formed a new group, "Steve Arrington's Hall Of Fame",and released their album of the same name on Atlantic Records in 1983.


The album contained the hit tune 'Way Out', and also the serious Funk Jams " Nobody Can Be You But You", Week At The Knees, 'You Meet My Approval' and 'Last Night / Night Before'.
'Positive Power' followed in 1984, and later had his greatest success with the 1985 album, "Dancin' in the Key of Life". It included a Top Ten R&B hit in the title track and Top 20 single with "Feel So Real." Arrington experienced a religious conversion in 1986. He subsequently left pop music, and is now a minister at his own church in Kettering, OH .




[Edited 9/21/04 13:46pm]

I'm going to say the same thing I said last time on your thread: All of this is killing!

"Stone Jam" is my favorite album by Slave. I really like "Week At The Knees" by Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame. I love "Make Up Your Mind" by Aurra. I can't remember Deja though.

Once again, great thread, pictures, and info.

You know, I once wished that somebody would put out a Slave/Steve Arrington GH compilation. And my wish came true! Yay!

Odyssey's "Inside Out" sounds like a Steve Arrington track is it?


[Edited 9/21/04 13:36pm]

UptownDeb said:

It's basically the rhythm track to Slave's hit "Watching You", But it actually featured the members of Slave playing on the song...

UptownDeb said:

It sure is!

I love Slave and Weak at the Knees by Steve still kills me after all these years. My favorite Slave album is Showtime. Snapshot, Party Lites and For The Love of U all on one album.

UptownDeb said:

yup- There's actually 2 Slave/ Steve Arrington, Aurra compilations now:
and

and for Aurra, of course:
and

i remember when me and my sister was little and we'd dance to them when my father would play his records. lol when he played slave it was party time!

Oh shit you shoulda said AURRA had shit on Salsoul...
I have the song "Checking You Out".


btw, I can't find any of those Slave albums.

paligap said:

I always thought Van Halen got one of their album cover ideas from Slave:




`
[Edited 9/21/04 18:42pm]

vainandy said:

Stone Jam is my favorite Slave album , too!

My Favorite Slave Joints:

Slide
Never Get Away
Just A Touch Of Love
Coming Soon
Steal Your Heart
Just Freak
Intro (Come To Blow Ya Mind)
Thank You
For the Love of U
Are You Ready for Love
Starting Over
Dreamin'
Watching You
Party Lites
Let's Spend Some Time
Stay In My Life

Favorite Aurra:

Are You Single
Make Up Your Mind
A Little Love
One More Time
Positive
Keep Doin' It Right
Live and Let Live
Still Free

Favorite Deja:

That's Where You'll Find Me
Summer Love

Steve Arrington:

Nobody Can Be You But You
You Meet My Approval
Weak at the Knees
Way Out
Dancing In The Key Of Life

CinisterCee said:

actually, Steve Washington did another album on Salsoul called Civil Attack...It was originally supposed to be a showcase for Steve Mark "Drac" Hicks and a few other Slave alumni, but Drac bowed out of the project....




are you looking for the Slave albums on vinyl or CD?

Mr. Arrington.
The man that wanted to sing like Jimi played.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

You folks continue to amaze me, I want to join your club.

Whooo!!!

First ya'll got me to buy a best of Ohio Players, then a best of Brothers Johnson. . .THIS will be my next purchase!

THANKS!

I glad that this thread was started. I remember jammin to alot of these albums. One of my favorite songs was by Aurra I think call "Are You Single."

theAudience said:

Yup! At first, I used to wonder why the hell Arrington would do all those sliding, Dive-bombing vocal runs. Then years later, he explained the Coltrane/ Hendrix influence...and I saw what he was tryin' to do...

"Sizzlin' Hot" is the jam that gets my ass to shakin'!

CinisterCee said:

i'm sorry to keep bragging about my dad like i'm a 12 year old, but he has all of their stuff, on vinyl, well all of his stuff is on vinyl come to think of it.

Growing up in Ohio, I heard a lot of stuff from the Slave organization. I don't know if it's still in print, but I have a greatest hits collection of Slave that is not mentioned here. It was released in 2001, and it contains the following songs:

"Watching You"
"Feel My Love"
"Slide"
"Snap Shot"
"Are You Ready For Love"
"Just A Touch Of Love"
"Wait For Me"
"Starting Over"
"Never Get Away"
"Let's Spend Some Time"
"Sizzling Hot"
"Stellar Fungk"
"Stone Jam"
"Dreamin'"
"Watching You (2001 Remix)"
"Just A Touch Of Love (2001 Remix)"

I also have the Aurra Anthology, and Steve Arrington's Hall Of Fame:I. Great thread -- love all these groups!

heybaby said:

hehe, same goes for me. ...ehmmm.. but to be precise, it's ME who has all the old vinyl, not my dad

Slave & Co are just 2 damn fine, love most of their output

"Slide" by Slave (1977)


it doesn't get much funkier than that!

SLAVE are funk GODS! SLIDE is the funkiest song I've ever heard! I absolutely love "WATCHING YOU" and the way Steve Arrington's soul really comes out at the end of the song (stirs mine). Ya'll said it all!!!!! SLAVE.....


[Edited 9/22/04 12:41pm]

Supernova said:

I totally agree. Good eye.

paligap said:

Of course Slide is the shit. I always felt that Drac's solo in Slide was a huge inspiration to P's solo in "Get It Up". But Pali, u can't get with "Snapshot"?

blackguitaristz said:

Oh, I like it, but it's not in my top 15...it would probably be around 19 or 20, but that's just me...

paligap said:

Ah naw! (cying) Say it isn't so, Pali. Say it isn't!

blackguitaristz said:

Alas.......I dunno WHAT my problem is....