Slave - Stone Jam - 1980. The best Funk album ever made?

I seem to get the best joy out of listening to music when I am cleaning the house. At this moment in time, I am listening to an album that I have not heard from front to finish in at least 19 years.

Wow, time doesn't stand still, does it?

Well, the album that got me all fired up to do a spot of Spring cleaning around the house was the soul/funk album called "Stone Jam" by the group called Slave

Slave as a group was originally formed by Trumpeter Steve Washington and Guitarist Mark Hicks (Drac) who formed the group in DAYTON, OHIO during the year of 1975.

However, I was a touch too young to be buying albums in 1975.

However, when 1980 reached I was spending my pocket money on the best albums that I hear through either radio or via going to nightclubs to hear these brilliant sounds mostly coming from the USA, but also hearing tracks that were coming out of Jamaica, Brazil, and Japan.

What got me into Slave was the title track "Just a Touch of Love" - which had been a monster hit for the group a year earlier.

That track was to be found on the album of the same name called "Just a Touch of Love" which was released in 1979. However, the group Slave did have a monster hit even before "Just a Touch of Love". 

The song is called "Slide" released in 1977, and released on the album called  Slave. It reached number 1 in the USA Rnb charts for that year and also reached number 32 in the USA pop charts.

I was pondering on getting this album ("Just a Touch of Love" - 1979) after sourcing it out at a specialist record store here in Ipswich at the time. 

I listened to it but felt that for the price that they were asking for in 1979 which was £15.00 at the time (which was an extremely lot of money at the time for an import Usa album).

Plus I felt that the album wasn't that strong overall I felt better to leave it.

However, their next album release was  Stone Jam. I did that same.

I sourced the album at the same record store. Listened to each track individually. Say like 40 seconds of each track on the album. And with each track that I listened to everyone seemed like a winner.

As soon as I got the album home. I played the album from start to finish with no interruptions. And yes my instinct had guided me well as this was a brilliant, brilliant album.

The two things that got me shaken up about this album were the bass players' sound. And vocal delivery of Starleana Young and Steve Washington.

Brilliant blended and worked in the right order to achieve brilliance on tracks from the album such as Feel My Love and Starting All Over especially.

Slave - Starting all over

This was to be Slaves' 5th album release and was their most successful USA Rnb music release.

It was released during the year 1980 on Cotillion Records. It was produced by Jimmy Douglass and Steve Washington members of the Slave band themselves.

The album was listed on the Billboard 200, Billboard's 1981 Year-End Chart, and was certified Gold by the RIAA.  Such was its impact.

The biggest track from the album was  "Watching You" - which to was the track put them on an international pedigree especially over here in the Uk. Some fans state that  "Just a Touch of Love" was the single.

But I have to disagree and state that the album "Stone Jam" was the one.

Slave - Watching you

Other notable singles on this album that deserve higher recognition are  "Stone Jam" and "Dreaming"

The band had expanded from what it was originally in 1975 to include worthy musicians and vocalists such as Starleana Young, Steve Arrington, Curt Jones, and Ray Turner.

By joining the band they gave the band a more melodic sound instead of the raw Funk/rock sound that they were originally famed for. 

In fact, more emphasis seems to be given to  Steve Arrington and Starleana Young in regard to taking on the lead vocals for the group.

In fact here were the contributors to this classic album that is - STONE JAM

Performers

• Mark Antone Adams – assistant producer, bass guitar
• Steve Arrington – drums, percussion, vocals
• Charles Carter – assistant producer, saxophone
• Bill-Dog Dooley – assistant engineer
• Jimmy Douglass – arranger, engineer, mixing, producer, vocals
• Bob Heimall – art direction, design
• Mark Hicks – guitar
• Bill Inglot – remastering
• Jennifer Ivory – Assistant Executive Producer
• Curt Jones – guitar, vocals
• Tom Lockett – assistant engineer, saxophone, vocals
• Randy Mason – assistant engineer
• David McLees – reissue producer
• Floyd Miller – horn, percussion, trombone, vocals
• Ray Turner – keyboards
• Rickey Vincent – liner notes
• Steve Washington – arranger, assistant engineer, executive producer, mixing, producer, trumpet, vocals
• Danny Webster – guitar, vocals
• Starleana Young – vocals

 Here at those tracks that were made for the album that is Stone Jam

1. "Let's Spend Some Time" (Mark Adams/Jimmy Douglass/Mark Hicks/Jennifer Ivory/Curt Jones/Ray Turner/Steve Washington/Starleana Young) – 4:38
2. "Feel My Love" (Adams/Steve Arrington/Hicks/Jones/Turner/Washington/Danny Webster) – 4:33
3. "Starting Over" (Adams/Hicks/Jones/Floyd Miller/Turner/Young) – 4:27
4. "Sizzlin' Hot" (Adams/Arrington/Miller/Turner/Washington/Webster) – 5:
5. "Watching You" (Adams/Arrington/Turner/Washington/Webster) – 4:41
6. "Dreamin'" (Adams/Arrington/Jones/Miller/Turner/Washington) – 4:20
7. "Never Get Away" (Adams/Arrington/Hicks/Jones/Turner/Webster) – 5:09
8. "Stone Jam" (Adams/Hicks/Jones/Turner/Washington/Webster/Young) – 6:43

It is my opinion humble that this was  Slave's best album release. Many people argue the point that  "Showtime" that their  6th album was even better, but I beg to disagree.

"Stone Jam" the album is packed with tight jams delivered by  Mark Adams' that band's bass player  - giving us those rumbling bass lines.

Danny Webster who played lead and rhythm guitar provided chunky funk riffs for  Steve Arrington who was the band's drummer to provide a solid backbeat to the tunes: finally, the sophisticated keyboard tones played by Ray Turner added another glorious layer to this Slave sound.  

And finally, it all completed with the addition of the lead and backing vocals of Steve Washington, Starleanna Young, and Steve Arrington. This rounded out this project just right.

Slave, as mentioned above, went on to make the album that is "Showtime" another stellar album in its own right, and many people who love  Slave just as much or even more than myself, state that the "Showtime" album was the best that the group ever did.

I am still standing by my choice and opting for  "Stone Jam" in which you encounter exquisite ballads right through to Hard Funk tracks. Everything is here that shows you the musicianship of  Slave at their peak

My only regret about  Slave at this moment in time within their careers was leaving the band of  Starleana Young and Steve Arrington.

I believe that their inclusion within the band gave the band another direction that they could add to their musicianship. But that is just my opinion.

Slave went on to make another 10 albums would you believe? I went to buy another 5 albums of their albums as they came out. The hits were still coming out of those albums but they didn't hit me as hard as they did when I first heard  "Stone Jam" as those years ago in the year 1980.

Here is the  Slave Interview - Please click on the start button to hear the interview

It was in the year 2011, that we "fans" of the group were to learn of a double tragedy in the form of the death of:

1. Mark Leslie Adams Sr - died on Saturday, March 5, 2011, at age 51 in Columbus, Ohio.
2. Mark (Drac) Hicks - died on Tuesday, June 14, 2011, at the age of 52 in Dayton, Ohio

Both are hugely important to the group and the sound of  Slave. However, it was the Bass playing and sound that was achieved by Mark Adams that inspired many people across the world to take up playing the Bass guitar as an instrument in its own right.

Here is another Interview in regards to the band that is Slave via  STEVE ARRINGTON - Please click on the start button to hear the interview.

STEVE ARRINGTON OF SLAVE - INTERVIEW PART 1

STEVE ARRINGTON OF SLAVE - INTERVIEW PART 2

STEVE ARRINGTON OF SLAVE - INTERVIEW PART 3

The group that was/is Slave is still about would you believe and have reformed. They even have a website which is - The New website for the newly formed Slave band

Well were you a Slave fan back in the day? Did you ever go and see them live, What were they like as I never got a chance to see them live? A big regret of mine.

Please tell your stories of seeing them live. What about your favorite Slave single?

Have you one? Please let me know.

 Some fresh and yet Sad news about SLAVE.

THE DEATH OF DANNY WEBSTER (Vocalist &Guitarist of Slave)

Please click on the link below to take you there and read for yourself.

 Danny Webster vocalist and guitarist of Slave dies

Well, that's all folks for me now anyway.

Please CONTACT ME here if you want to discuss anything mentioned in this article.

Dj Mistri and the Electric Soul Show © www.electricsoulshow.com