This weekend I made the rounds to the different great record shops around the neighborhood and found some great interesting gems. This is one called my attention upon a first hear. When Slave emerged in 1977, they were known for their tight bass-heavy funk stylings with the funk classics "Slide" and "Screw Your Wing On Tite". Their unique contribution to soul music should not be taken lightly. Just A Touch Of Love became their forth LP, released in 1979 and it was a turning point since it became clear the these Midwesterners Funk masters were determined to soften their approach. "Funky Lady (Foxy Lady), "Roots", and the hit title song which became a Paradise Garage classic were the product of lead vocalist Steve Arrington. This is was a more sleeker Slave approach but still kept it's funk roots intact. This is an excellent album and enjoyed listening from beginning to end. Indeed it was at the end that I was enraptured upon hearing the closing song "Warning". This song sounded so out of place with some amaizing robotic vocals and unpredictable hooks. This reminded me a little of Nina Haggen's early disco influenced stuff. This left field approach predicted some the most interesting dance music that was to come during the early '80s. This was a 'Warning' from Slave so I'm also featuring "Just A Touch Of Love" for some good measure. Enjoy!
Just A Touch Of Love - Slave - Cotillion
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