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[Music]

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Right

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[Music]

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All right.

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He's ready, he's ready, he's ready, Let's

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go. Dr Scott Brown has been on this

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campus talking about funk music, Dayton

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funk for at least three times, is it four?

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Three,

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at least three

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and I think we can finally say we're

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going to see very soon

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his book

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on funk and R&B bands in Dayton, Ohio

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which we're looking forward to.

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I really appreciate his being here. He

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teaches African American studies and

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does a million other things at UCLA. He

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came a long way and he came by

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by Rochester, New York to deal with some

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family business and we're really

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grateful that he's arrived today. Let's

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give him a warm welcome.

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[Music]
Thank you.

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Here in Dayton, I kind of feel like an

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adopted

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family member from

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having gone back and forth

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for so long.

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Today I'd

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like to

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just

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give thanks that

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the work that's been done by so many

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people.

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Those of you here, UD

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Sharon Gratto,

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David Webb,

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all the folks in the community.

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When I

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first talked about writing a book on

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Dayton, Ohio,

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when I came to Los Angeles in 2001,

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the person interviewing me thought I was

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joking

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when I said that

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the city that had the largest per capita

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number of bands,

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Black bands that had signed to major

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recording labels.

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The person interviewing me thought that

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I was

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cracking a joke

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and then when I

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proceeded to list the groups with a

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serious look on my face,

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that's when I think they caught on and I

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wasn't

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Joking, I guess, so to speak.

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So to see

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things like

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or phrases like Dayton funk become

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not a household name just yet but it's

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something that doesn't

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elicit the kind of curiosity

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that was the case

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some

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15 or so years ago once I started

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seriously researching the topic. I've

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interviewed about

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160

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individual people for this project over

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the course of 15 years.

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It's funny, I was on the Joe Madison show,

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[Music]

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radio

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Commentator,

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and he was complaining that it took him

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two years. He's got an autobiography

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coming out so

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it's gonna be a really important book.

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It's out now I believe.

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and

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he said, can you believe it took me two

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years?

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I said well you know you're just one

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person.

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Imagine though

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having to interview a hundred and fifty

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or sixty people.

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Try to match that up with archival

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research, try to balance out the story so

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you try your best to get an accounting

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of the past that does not involve you.

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Maybe because I always joke, I

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know you all are talking behind my back,

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I know what you're saying.

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When is he gonna get that book done.

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I'm not, it’s okay,

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it's okay.

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Well today I'm going to talk about, what

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I tend to do with events like this is I

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tend to push myself probably more than I

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should

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by using them as opportunities to force

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myself to write about something that I

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haven't already written about so I

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haven't written the section yet on Slave

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so

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when

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Professor Gratto asked me

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what I wanted to present on, I said okay

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I haven't written on Slave yet I just

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finished Heatwave.

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Let me know

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and so

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be careful what you ask for.

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More on the story. Growing up and playing

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in bands as a teenager,

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in my hometown Rochester, New York,

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one of my favorite groups

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of all time was the group Slave.

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If you were of the era that I

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was in in terms of learning how to play

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bass,

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one of the first songs that one learned

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how to play

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was a song called

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“Slide”

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that came out

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in

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1977.

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and

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It's

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a

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deceptively easy sounding bass line

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so this is what I heard in this room in

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1977

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which had a lot to do with me wanting to

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play the bass.

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All right.

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Let me start by saying that the album

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called Just a Touch of Love. The title of

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this talk is “Just a touch of love: Slave

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and sonic messages of upliftment.”

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Let me start by saying that Just a 

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Touch of Love was Slave’s fourth album.

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It appeared in 1979.

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and though I see it as a watershed

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in the

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trajectory of the group

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and in the unfolding of its unique

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contribution to funk which it spells

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f u n

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g k

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got the p funk and they have their own

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take on what the funk is.

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The album appeared in 1979.

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I can also though

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come back here anytime

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and give an equally engaging and

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detailed talk

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on each of the six, first six albums by

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Slave

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that I find to be

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very important.

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The first one is self-titled or eponymous

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Slave. Second one is called Hardness of

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The World.

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The Hardness of the World was given that

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title

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because the record label Atlantic

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Records

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thought that

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the original title may be a bit

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too provocative and that is, “The World's

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on Hard”

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which is still a song on the album but

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they call the album The Hardness of the

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World.

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The

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third album, “The Concept,” very important

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album

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and the fourth one is what I'm speaking

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about today or at least using as a

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framework for talking about Slave, Just a 

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Touch of Love. The fifth one is probably

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the height of the band's commercial

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success,

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in a sense of having an album that's

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going to do as well as it did and have as

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much to offer and that is Stone Jam and

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then

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really the last I think of the

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strongest

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run of Slave and that's the sixth album

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Show Time. So I can come here and do a

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lecture on any of these albums.

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Listening to

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a number of the different presenters

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earlier,

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it's obvious that there's still an open

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question as to

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who are the main

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templates.

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What artists are the main contributors

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that set the mold

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for the direction of funk? Some people

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like

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to use theological notions like the holy

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Trinity.

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Right, they'll say James Brown,

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George Clinton,

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and Sly Stone.

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Some people like to evoke

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a what is that,

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Mount, Mount Funkmore,

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as an idea about this being but I

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would argue

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that

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neither the trinity

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nor the Funkmore

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is going to suffice

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and I'm going to argue for a much more

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flexible concept

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based on whatever trajectory one is

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looking at

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so

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I think James Brown

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as people have noted over the course of

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the conference is sort of

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not going anywhere when you're dealing

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with the ingredients for fun.

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Neither is Sly Stone and I think once

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you get past those two

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there's going to be lots of interchange

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and interplay based on the group that

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one's talking about so for the

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case of Slave

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I will argue five fingers of funk.

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James Brown

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Sly and the Family Stone

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Parliament Funkadelic

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the Ohio Players.

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All right,

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and five Earth, Wind & Fire.

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Now

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you can also add in there

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someone if you're looking at specific

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dynamics within the group.

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You could talk about

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Ernie Eisley, you could talk about Jimi

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Hendrix, you could talk about the basis

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with Grand Funk Railroad. They're going

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to be many veins that are going to get

256
00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:26,560
you to this particular instrumentalist

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but as far as the group model,

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those are the paths that I see that

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explain a number of the tendencies that

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Slave

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00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:37,279
Absorbed.

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I have reasons for all of them.

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James Brown and Sly Stone, I don't need to

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00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,480
go over again.

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00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:44,560
Parliament Funkadelic

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brings really the satirical element to

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funk, that is the

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meta narrative the story within the

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story, the cartoon, the album art, the

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Characters,  “Sir Nose D Voidoffunk,” the

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transposer on the voice to give that

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character a special

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sound.

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That's what p-funk offers, the satirical

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Element.

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Earth, Wind & Fire

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00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,839
brings

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00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:20,079
notions of upliftment and spirituality.

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00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:24,240
So when you hear groups that

280
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in the big band funk era,

281
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imagine a kind of utopian driven

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alternative.

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00:11:30,079 --> 00:11:34,880
Be coming from Egypt

284
00:11:32,399 --> 00:11:37,279
or wherever they locate

285
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this alternative

286
00:11:37,279 --> 00:11:41,839
that one should strive for, a lot of

287
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those trends pull from Earth, Wind &

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Fire.

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Then finally the Ohio Players in

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this case of Slave, it's not only direct

291
00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:54,800
mentorship which I'm talking about but

292
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it's also the blues and jazz elements

293
00:11:54,800 --> 00:12:00,639
that is very specific to Dayton so if

294
00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:03,040
you ever look at an Ohio Player's

295
00:12:00,639 --> 00:12:04,240
concert, let's say Don Kirshner's rock

296
00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:05,680
concert,

297
00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:08,079
you'll notice

298
00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:09,200
that the frontline horns are the front

299
00:12:08,079 --> 00:12:10,880
line,

300
00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:13,360
not the vocalist.

301
00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:15,680
It's going to be

302
00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,680
Satch on one side

303
00:12:15,680 --> 00:12:20,000
Merv in the middle

304
00:12:17,680 --> 00:12:21,839
and Ralph Middlebrook's Peewee on the

305
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,320
other side.

306
00:12:21,839 --> 00:12:26,079
Those three will be front, the two lead

307
00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:28,079
singers will be on either side of the

308
00:12:26,079 --> 00:12:30,320
stage.

309
00:12:28,079 --> 00:12:32,480
Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner on one

310
00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,639
Chuck Willis on the other.

311
00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:36,880
Diamond will be on the drums and singing.

312
00:12:34,639 --> 00:12:38,720
Billy Beck will be singing but the front

313
00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:41,360
line the first thing you see center

314
00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:45,120
stage is a horn section and that comes

315
00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:46,800
out of the hard bop jazz tradition

316
00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:50,160
that the Ohio Players are heavily

317
00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:53,519
influenced by, the Jazz Crusaders,

318
00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:55,760
that situate the horns right up front

319
00:12:53,519 --> 00:12:56,800
which is different

320
00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,800
from

321
00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:01,760
James Brown's horn section which is

322
00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:03,360
Phenomenal, jazzy but it's in the back.

323
00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:07,040
You don't come up front until you're

324
00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:09,440
Called, may see you all right, if you're

325
00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:12,000
not called and if you do anything wrong

326
00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:13,920
not only will you

327
00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,920
possibly lose your job, you might get

328
00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:19,040
fined

329
00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:21,600
so that democratic ethos also of Sly and

330
00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:23,839
the Family Stone in a self-contained band,

331
00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:28,720
also with this different approach but

332
00:13:23,839 --> 00:13:28,720
just to love, Just a Touch of Love LP

333
00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:34,720
is going to extend

334
00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:37,600
a love centered

335
00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:41,040
concept that includes

336
00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:42,639
both male and female vocal sounds

337
00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:45,639
because of some of the additions to the

338
00:13:42,639 --> 00:13:45,639
group.

339
00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:52,240
I'm going to make a distinction here

340
00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:52,240
between

341
00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:58,480
what I'm going to argue is

342
00:13:55,040 --> 00:14:01,279
Slave’s recorded sound

343
00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:03,199
in its first three albums being much

344
00:14:01,279 --> 00:14:06,240
closer to its

345
00:14:03,199 --> 00:14:09,920
live sound.

346
00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,920
Just a Touch of Love represents

347
00:14:10,079 --> 00:14:14,839
a point at which

348
00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,800
the engineering and production

349
00:14:14,839 --> 00:14:17,600
mastery

350
00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,240
of

351
00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:22,880
the engineer producer Jimmy Douglas

352
00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:25,839
and virtuoso genius who I'll talk about,

353
00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:29,120
Steve Washington, the fearless leader

354
00:14:25,839 --> 00:14:31,760
coming together to actually create a

355
00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:35,440
sound product

356
00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:38,000
that is very much a work of art as a

357
00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:40,399
studio product.

358
00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:42,480
You're hard pressed to find a group to

359
00:14:40,399 --> 00:14:45,800
sound that way because of all the things

360
00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:45,800
that are happening.

361
00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:50,320
The first

362
00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:56,480
demo

363
00:14:52,639 --> 00:14:58,880
that Slave would do actually

364
00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:02,480
was

365
00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:04,399
a result of them working through a sound

366
00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:08,160
that came out of

367
00:15:04,399 --> 00:15:08,160
a set of jam sessions.

368
00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:13,360
Let me talk a little bit about the

369
00:15:10,079 --> 00:15:15,680
difference between studio and their

370
00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:18,560
live sound.

371
00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:21,120
Slave's first serious studio foray was

372
00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:25,360
playing a song that really contains the

373
00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:27,440
rawness of their jam session side.

374
00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:29,680
As I said, the first three albums leaned

375
00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:31,360
heavily on their live sound. When it came

376
00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:34,720
to recording,

377
00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:38,000
a key dimension of Slave’s sound where its

378
00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:39,519
producers and engineers really

379
00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:43,680
deferred to

380
00:15:39,519 --> 00:15:45,440
some of their more instinctive impulses.

381
00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:48,079
Let me say this again, in the most

382
00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:50,720
unequivocal terms, Steve Washington, the

383
00:15:48,079 --> 00:15:52,959
fearless leader of Slave known as the

384
00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:57,199
fearless leader, the leader of Slave, is

385
00:15:52,959 --> 00:15:57,199
as much of a musical genius as Prince.

386
00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,399
I can back it up.

387
00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,680
Prince was an incredible

388
00:16:01,399 --> 00:16:05,519
multi-instrumentalist and vocalist,

389
00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:08,399
Songwriter, producer who became an

390
00:16:05,519 --> 00:16:09,279
extraordinary performer as well

391
00:16:08,399 --> 00:16:12,079
so

392
00:16:09,279 --> 00:16:15,839
not only could Prince play everything,

393
00:16:12,079 --> 00:16:18,240
he actually grew to become a spectacular

394
00:16:15,839 --> 00:16:20,839
performer through hard work.

395
00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:23,839
How they do it,

396
00:16:20,839 --> 00:16:25,560
by committing himself to doing so. He was

397
00:16:23,839 --> 00:16:29,360
not a good performer if you look at the

398
00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:31,519
1979 appearance on Bandstand.

399
00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,880
You'll see that he's very stiff, doesn't

400
00:16:31,519 --> 00:16:34,480
move much,

401
00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:38,000
kind of awkward,

402
00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:39,600
drops his guitar off of his strap, I mean

403
00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:42,720
it's quite

404
00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:45,519
an unimpressive live performance. By the

405
00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:47,600
time you get to the early 80s,

406
00:16:45,519 --> 00:16:50,880
and “Little Red Corvette” comes out he's

407
00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:52,240
doing splits and heels

408
00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:53,519
and

409
00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:56,079
really

410
00:16:53,519 --> 00:16:58,800
someone who makes the stage an

411
00:16:56,079 --> 00:16:58,800
instrument

412
00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:02,880
of his vision.

413
00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:05,400
Steve Washington doesn't

414
00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:08,480
instrumentalize the stage, he

415
00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:12,400
instrumentalizes the studio board.

416
00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:15,280
He becomes a profoundly experimental and

417
00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:19,439
dynamic engineer that's not as

418
00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:21,600
flamboyant, not as visual, not as open to

419
00:17:19,439 --> 00:17:26,000
the casual,

420
00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:28,240
consumer of music but the engineer

421
00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:30,640
who twists those knobs,

422
00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,559
who creates those effects,

423
00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:35,360
has so much to do with what we

424
00:17:32,559 --> 00:17:38,080
appreciate and what we feel in sound and

425
00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:41,840
I'll show you some of these changes

426
00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,840
in sonic examples.

427
00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:46,640
So

428
00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:49,679
I argue that he's as much of a musical

429
00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:53,280
genius as the best of them.

430
00:17:49,679 --> 00:17:53,280
Atlantic Records who

431
00:17:53,919 --> 00:17:58,000
through a

432
00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:01,360
Black subsidiary,

433
00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:06,080
Cotillion Records, Slave was signed to,

434
00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:08,799
also furnished its own dynamic engineer

435
00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:10,320
an evolving producer, very young Jimmy

436
00:18:08,799 --> 00:18:15,840
Douglas

437
00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:15,840
who was perfectly matched with Slave

438
00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:20,320
in the sense that

439
00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:25,520
he had experience in working

440
00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:29,760
with

441
00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:32,720
rock and roll artists before he

442
00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:34,720
began to record with Slave.

443
00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:38,720
He recorded

444
00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:39,919
a long extensive guitar solo by Jimmy

445
00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:42,799
Page

446
00:18:39,919 --> 00:18:46,400
using all kinds of effects, you can hear

447
00:18:42,799 --> 00:18:47,840
what's going to happen with Drac.

448
00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:50,400
If you listen to what he did with Jimmy

449
00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:51,760
Page and his attitude is funny because

450
00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,200
he was interviewed saying, were you

451
00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:55,919
intimidated

452
00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:57,840
by working with Page? He said well my

453
00:18:55,919 --> 00:18:59,919
attitude was he can't play better than

454
00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:02,880
Jimi Hendrix so

455
00:18:59,919 --> 00:19:05,120
why should I be afraid

456
00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,120
and

457
00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:10,320
the

458
00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:12,320
label

459
00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:14,000
listened

460
00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,200
to

461
00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,120
and

462
00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,799
collected

463
00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:21,200
resources

464
00:19:18,799 --> 00:19:23,360
from that first album.

465
00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,640
Self-titled Slave which had this

466
00:19:23,360 --> 00:19:26,720
unexpected

467
00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,880
monster hit that I played earlier called

468
00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:32,080
“Slide”

469
00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:33,360
but the rest of the album really

470
00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,440
shows you

471
00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:38,640
that the group has

472
00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:41,440
much more rock leanings

473
00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:43,520
than popular music

474
00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:46,880
at the time

475
00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,679
would be open for a Black man

476
00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:49,280
to

477
00:19:47,679 --> 00:19:53,440
do and also

478
00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:56,320
Slave mixed hard rock elements

479
00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:59,360
like distorted guitars right along some

480
00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:02,400
of the classic hallmarks of funk bands.

481
00:19:59,360 --> 00:20:02,400
You rarely hear

482
00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:08,080
rock guitars right alongside horn

483
00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:10,960
sections. Now the Ohio Players

484
00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:14,080
were able to do that to a degree but

485
00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:17,679
Slave took it up another notch in terms

486
00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:21,440
of this contrast that radio didn't have

487
00:20:17,679 --> 00:20:23,039
much of a space for.

488
00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,480
Some of the issues that we talk about

489
00:20:23,039 --> 00:20:27,280
with respect to

490
00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:30,159
the captivity of artists

491
00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:34,640
that are confined to sounding or playing

492
00:20:30,159 --> 00:20:38,799
a certain way is also due to the 1970s

493
00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:38,799
heavy segregation of radio.

494
00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:44,080
Black radio stations played this kind of

495
00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:45,039
music; if you wanted a

496
00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:49,039
rock

497
00:20:45,039 --> 00:20:50,480
catalog, you went over to another station.

498
00:20:49,039 --> 00:20:54,480
So

499
00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:56,159
that was a hard boundary

500
00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,520
commercially

501
00:20:56,159 --> 00:20:58,720
to cross

502
00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:01,679
and

503
00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:03,760
not just for some of the pioneers.

504
00:21:01,679 --> 00:21:06,080
When we think about Black rock groups,

505
00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:08,480
think about the incredible group known

506
00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:11,840
as Mother's Finest.

507
00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:14,480
Anybody heard of Mother's Finest?

508
00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:16,320
You better check them out if you haven't.

509
00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:18,240
They're dynamite.

510
00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:23,440
They didn't get any support from the

511
00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:23,440
label and got very little radio play

512
00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:28,799
when one thinks about

513
00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:30,320
their capacity as great artists. So let's

514
00:21:28,799 --> 00:21:33,200
listen to something else other than

515
00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:35,200
“Slide” on the Slave album. You can see

516
00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:39,720
this is a song called

517
00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:39,720
“Screw Your Wig on Tight.”

518
00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:49,700
[Music]

519
00:21:57,340 --> 00:22:00,530
[Music]

520
00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:08,279
oh

521
00:22:04,420 --> 00:22:08,279
[Music]

522
00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:17,080
That makes sense.

523
00:22:20,930 --> 00:22:34,209
[Music]

524
00:22:37,039 --> 00:22:41,679
The song that they did their demo of was

525
00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:43,440
another song that came out of those jam

526
00:22:41,679 --> 00:22:45,580
sessions that I talked about called

527
00:22:43,440 --> 00:23:06,559
“Separated.”

528
00:22:45,580 --> 00:23:09,140
[Music]

529
00:23:06,559 --> 00:23:24,720
It

530
00:23:09,140 --> 00:23:26,320
[Music]

531
00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:29,840
So you see,

532
00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:32,720
it's not as easily

533
00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:34,960
serving the interest of one's

534
00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:37,200
agony of defeat

535
00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:40,480
on the dance floor

536
00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:42,559
in the way that “Slide” does its tempo

537
00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:45,520
and the kind of free-wheeling nature

538
00:23:42,559 --> 00:23:46,960
sounds like a jam session, right? That is

539
00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:49,039
closer to

540
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:52,159
the Slave

541
00:23:49,039 --> 00:23:54,240
that was formed when a group of mostly

542
00:23:52,159 --> 00:23:56,960
high school age musicians came together

543
00:23:54,240 --> 00:24:00,159
to form a new band called Slave.

544
00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:02,559
They expressly chose to eschew the

545
00:24:00,159 --> 00:24:06,799
showband model

546
00:24:02,559 --> 00:24:10,159
and its incumbent lengthy stint

547
00:24:06,799 --> 00:24:12,240
as a showband performing in regional

548
00:24:10,159 --> 00:24:15,120
nightclub circuits.

549
00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:16,880
They viewed career pathways of their

550
00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:19,919
musical elders

551
00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:23,440
as constrained by the limitations of

552
00:24:19,919 --> 00:24:26,400
local stages and constant travel through

553
00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:29,919
the web of bars and concert halls

554
00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:33,520
catering primarily to Black audiences.

555
00:24:29,919 --> 00:24:37,039
Relatedly this brewing Slave revolt

556
00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:38,640
contested the jukebox-like confines of

557
00:24:37,039 --> 00:24:41,360
the Chitlin Circuit

558
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:44,880
which obliged bands to keep audiences

559
00:24:41,360 --> 00:24:47,520
engaged by playing chart-topping hits

560
00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:49,279
and cover songs by other artists.

561
00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:51,600
Ironically

562
00:24:49,279 --> 00:24:55,279
this group of young musicians arrived at

563
00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:58,559
these conclusions in part due to having

564
00:24:55,279 --> 00:25:02,240
very close links to the very group who

565
00:24:58,559 --> 00:25:03,679
set the showband to superstar model in

566
00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:05,360
Dayton

567
00:25:03,679 --> 00:25:09,760
as a

568
00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:11,840
Pathway, that is the Ohio Players.

569
00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:14,640
There are certainly other show bands

570
00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:18,159
like the Moroccos that had gotten on

571
00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:20,000
Motown but as far as mega band, superband

572
00:25:18,159 --> 00:25:21,679
status,

573
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:24,960
the Ohio Players

574
00:25:21,679 --> 00:25:26,880
were the breakout group.

575
00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:29,440
The leader of the newly formed band,

576
00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:30,400
Steve Washington, actually was not from

577
00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:34,159
Dayton.

578
00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:38,320
He's from East Orange, New Jersey

579
00:25:34,159 --> 00:25:38,320
in the same vein as

580
00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,559
other

581
00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:44,640
artists from Dayton though like Julie

582
00:25:42,559 --> 00:25:46,559
Morrison and Roger Troutman, Washington

583
00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,679
had already mastered multiple

584
00:25:46,559 --> 00:25:50,799
instruments

585
00:25:47,679 --> 00:25:53,039
and have already begun gigging on a

586
00:25:50,799 --> 00:25:55,039
professional level

587
00:25:53,039 --> 00:25:58,960
in New Jersey with a show band called

588
00:25:55,039 --> 00:26:01,120
the Williams Brothers. Stevie's talent

589
00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:03,440
and experience led him to seriously

590
00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:04,480
consider going straight into the music

591
00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,960
business

592
00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:08,840
and he was considering doing so without

593
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,960
even completing high

594
00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:12,720
school. Quote “I didn't want to finish

595
00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:14,559
high school,” Washington remembered. “I just

596
00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,880
wanted to play music.”

597
00:26:14,559 --> 00:26:18,960
The solution to this dilemma began out

598
00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,840
of Washington

599
00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:22,400


600
00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:24,960
opening up in a concert in New Jersey

601
00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:27,840
for the Ohio Players.

602
00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:29,860
He developed a close bond with members

603
00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:31,120
of the Dayton based super group

604
00:26:29,860 --> 00:26:32,960
[Music]

605
00:26:31,120 --> 00:26:35,919
the Ohio Players.

606
00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:38,000
A member known as Ralph Peewee

607
00:26:35,919 --> 00:26:40,080
Middlebrooks

608
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,240
in a very special

609
00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,840
and I think

610
00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:47,840
one of the

611
00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:51,520
very very special stories of mentorship

612
00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,520
that just came out of

613
00:26:51,679 --> 00:26:58,159
the kinship forged

614
00:26:55,039 --> 00:27:00,240
between an elder who's mastered a craft

615
00:26:58,159 --> 00:27:02,480
and a young person.

616
00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:04,880
The Ohio Players took on Stephen

617
00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:07,039
Washington as an understudy.

618
00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:08,640
He was working as a

619
00:27:07,039 --> 00:27:10,640
roadie

620
00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:12,400
and studio assistant

621
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:14,400
or basically any assignment that was

622
00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:16,799
given to him.

623
00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:19,919
He relocated to Dayton,

624
00:27:16,799 --> 00:27:23,120
living in the home of his adopted uncle

625
00:27:19,919 --> 00:27:25,440
Trumpeter, Ralph Peewee Middlebury.

626
00:27:23,120 --> 00:27:28,000
While working with the Ohio Players

627
00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:30,399
recording and touring,

628
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:32,000
the deal was

629
00:27:30,399 --> 00:27:33,600
he could do this

630
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:36,000
provided

631
00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:38,559
that he completed his studies. So he came

632
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:41,279
to Dayton and he transferred to Colonel

633
00:27:38,559 --> 00:27:41,279
White High School

634
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:46,080
while working with the Ohio Players

635
00:27:44,399 --> 00:27:49,120
and he graduated from Colonel White High

636
00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:51,440
School in 1975.

637
00:27:49,120 --> 00:27:54,399
Washington then

638
00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:56,159
after graduating, joined forces with the

639
00:27:54,399 --> 00:27:58,240
guitarist

640
00:27:56,159 --> 00:28:00,880
Mark “Drac” Hicks

641
00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:01,919
who was 16 years old

642
00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:06,000
and an

643
00:28:01,919 --> 00:28:07,919
older drummer named Tim Dozier

644
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:10,399
who's 24

645
00:28:07,919 --> 00:28:12,320
and he was really as far as the group

646
00:28:10,399 --> 00:28:14,960
that's going to be formed, the older

647
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:17,760
person in the band who

648
00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:19,760
who could drive vehicles and

649
00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:21,279
cart equipment around.

650
00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:23,279
They worked together briefly in a group

651
00:28:21,279 --> 00:28:25,679
called Black Satin Soul.

652
00:28:23,279 --> 00:28:27,440
Drac Hicks brought Washington, Dozier

653
00:28:25,679 --> 00:28:29,039
along to meet up with three former

654
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:32,640
members of a group called the Young

655
00:28:29,039 --> 00:28:35,039
Mystics comprised of Mark Adams, who was

656
00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:38,320
16 years old,

657
00:28:35,039 --> 00:28:41,200
Thomas Lockett who was 17 years old

658
00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:43,760
and Floyd Miller.

659
00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:46,880
All of whom were from the Westwood

660
00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:49,600
residence park neighborhood.

661
00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:51,679
Now if Ohio is an epicenter, a funk

662
00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:54,240
Epicenter, then Dayton, Ohio is an

663
00:28:51,679 --> 00:28:56,960
epicenter within an epicenter right?

664
00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:58,880
and then, Westwood residence park is an

665
00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,240
epicenter within an epicenter of an

666
00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:04,240
epicenter

667
00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:05,360
because so many musicians come from that

668
00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:06,559
area

669
00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:08,720
of town.

670
00:29:06,559 --> 00:29:10,960
If I have to just base

671
00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:12,480
the canvassing, the surveys that I've

672
00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:13,760
done show

673
00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:15,919
something was happening in that

674
00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:17,679
neighborhood that was infectious.

675
00:29:15,919 --> 00:29:20,399
Something happened in Dayton that was

676
00:29:17,679 --> 00:29:22,080
infectious, something happened in Ohio

677
00:29:20,399 --> 00:29:27,240
that was infectious

678
00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:27,240
and so there we get aspects of the story.

679
00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:32,320
So after arranging a rehearsal

680
00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:38,240
where the groups

681
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:40,320
met after talking it over at lunch,

682
00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:42,320
the two groups Black Satin Soul and

683
00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:43,440
former members of the Young Mystics came

684
00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,960
together

685
00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:49,679
and formed

686
00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:52,720
a band. The new ensemble of six

687
00:29:49,679 --> 00:29:55,039
assembled

688
00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:58,159
in Tim Dozier's family basement for

689
00:29:55,039 --> 00:30:00,720
periods of time and also moved over to

690
00:29:58,159 --> 00:30:03,200
the Hicks’ family's garage sometime in

691
00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:05,520
the fall of 1975.

692
00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:07,760
Drac's father, Mr. Roosevelt Hicks, was a

693
00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:09,679
dedicated supporter of this newly formed

694
00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,840
band and remained

695
00:30:09,679 --> 00:30:13,520
unyielding in investing time, energy and

696
00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:15,440
resources to the group.

697
00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:17,039
The musical chemistry between them

698
00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:19,840
flowed instantly

699
00:30:17,039 --> 00:30:22,000
as if they were playing on autopilot.

700
00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:24,799
Straight away these early jam sessions

701
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:25,679
foretold magic to come. Quote, “We had no

702
00:30:24,799 --> 00:30:27,760
name,

703
00:30:25,679 --> 00:30:30,320
we knew we had a formula.

704
00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:32,399
We knew that when we first got together,”

705
00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:34,240
Floyd Miller recalled, “When we started

706
00:30:32,399 --> 00:30:36,559
strumming those instruments, it was

707
00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:39,600
something that came over us. We created

708
00:30:36,559 --> 00:30:42,080
our first original song. We knew we had

709
00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:44,399
something to offer the people.”

710
00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:45,679
In the quest to brand this musical

711
00:30:44,399 --> 00:30:49,440
brotherhood,

712
00:30:45,679 --> 00:30:51,840
they initially called themselves

713
00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:51,840
Congress

714
00:30:54,559 --> 00:30:59,519
because

715
00:30:55,679 --> 00:31:00,880
it was a coming together of two

716
00:30:59,519 --> 00:31:04,399
entities.

717
00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:06,240
I guess you have to set it in the house.

718
00:31:04,399 --> 00:31:08,000
These days we don't know how well that

719
00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:10,000
will work out

720
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:11,519
but that was

721
00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,720
the initial

722
00:31:11,519 --> 00:31:15,840
name

723
00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,840
for the group.

724
00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:21,600
Shortly thereafter the band added

725
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:24,080
additional members: keyboardist Carter “CB”

726
00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:25,840
Bradley and vocalist

727
00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:28,320
Danny Webster

728
00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,840
and Orion “Bimmy” 

729
00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:31,519
Wilhoite.

730
00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:33,600
Orion Wilhoite.

731
00:31:31,519 --> 00:31:37,120
I may be pronouncing his name Orion or

732
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:39,279
Orion Bimmy Wilhoite. I'm maybe 

733
00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:40,960
mispronouncing his name.

734
00:31:39,279 --> 00:31:43,519
Pardon me?

735
00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,960
Orion Wilhoite, thank you.

736
00:31:43,519 --> 00:31:48,240
Well

737
00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:48,240
even with those additions

738
00:31:48,799 --> 00:31:54,240
needless to say

739
00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:54,240
the name Congress didn't stick.

740
00:31:55,039 --> 00:31:57,840
and

741
00:31:55,760 --> 00:32:01,519
The new group continued to search for a

742
00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:04,320
moniker that matched the big

743
00:32:01,519 --> 00:32:07,360
provocative fusion

744
00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:09,519
of rock and funk elements

745
00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:13,679
that regularly

746
00:32:09,519 --> 00:32:17,840
blasted out of the Hicks’ family's garage

747
00:32:13,679 --> 00:32:20,640
and made passer-bys stop

748
00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:22,799
in front of their driveway just to

749
00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:25,200
listen.

750
00:32:22,799 --> 00:32:26,840
The band had not yet performed in public.

751
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:29,600
This is a different

752
00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:31,760
trajectory from

753
00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:35,200
virtually all of the groups that we've

754
00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:38,880
seen before. The Ohio Players were a

755
00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:40,840
local force of nature long before

756
00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,399
they became

757
00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:43,519
signed

758
00:32:42,399 --> 00:32:45,679
to

759
00:32:43,519 --> 00:32:47,760
Compass,

760
00:32:45,679 --> 00:32:49,519
Capital Records and then Westbound

761
00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:52,000
Records and then of course they become

762
00:32:49,519 --> 00:32:54,880
iconic with Mercury Records

763
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:58,080
but they were a local band long before

764
00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:59,760
that. Before the group Sun was Sun and

765
00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,120
came out, they were the Over Night Low

766
00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:04,799
showband

767
00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:08,000
that played all over the area and were

768
00:33:04,799 --> 00:33:10,080
an entity before Lakeside came out.

769
00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:12,399
When they were the nomads in the young

770
00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:15,440
underground,

771
00:33:12,399 --> 00:33:19,760
they were a prominent local

772
00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:22,880
working show band. This was precisely

773
00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:25,600
what the young people that formed Slave

774
00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:28,080
did not want to do.

775
00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:30,960
They did not want to

776
00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:31,770
go on the road and tour, they wanted to

777
00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,039
stay in

778
00:33:31,770 --> 00:33:36,320
[Music]

779
00:33:33,039 --> 00:33:40,880
what we call, they wanted to woodshed

780
00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:40,880
and just develop original material.

781
00:33:43,679 --> 00:33:47,840
Now

782
00:33:45,519 --> 00:33:50,720
they were looking for a new name that

783
00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:54,640
would capture this bold

784
00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:54,640
sound that they were developing.

785
00:33:56,640 --> 00:34:01,679
One day in the fall of 1975,

786
00:34:00,559 --> 00:34:04,480
the group

787
00:34:01,679 --> 00:34:08,480
got together to discuss business matters

788
00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:11,679
and the question of what name

789
00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:14,320
would be appropriate came up yet again.

790
00:34:11,679 --> 00:34:19,320
They were looking for a word or phrase

791
00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:19,320
that could help build a group identity.

792
00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:23,679
Floyd Miller

793
00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:27,200
who,

794
00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:28,800
trombonist also multi-instrumentalist,

795
00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:33,960
percussionist

796
00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:33,960
and great vocalist and songwriter

797
00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:39,280
came to practice wearing a t-shirt

798
00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:40,560
that had the word

799
00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:42,320
slave

800
00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:46,800
written on the front

801
00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:46,800
and master written on the back.

802
00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:53,919
Suddenly after seeing this,

803
00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:56,159
band leader Steve Washington blurted out

804
00:34:53,919 --> 00:34:58,480
“Slave”

805
00:34:56,159 --> 00:35:00,640
as if to say that's it.

806
00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:04,720
While his eyes panned the t-shirt that

807
00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:04,720
Miller happened to be wearing that day.

808
00:35:05,119 --> 00:35:09,680
Now in

809
00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:12,160
anticipation of the likely consequences

810
00:35:09,680 --> 00:35:13,920
of this choice, the group almost

811
00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:17,599
immediately talked about their own

812
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:19,280
definition of slave as a band concept.

813
00:35:17,599 --> 00:35:22,180
We started working on the concept

814
00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:23,359
Wilhoite recalled, what does slave mean.

815
00:35:22,180 --> 00:35:25,359
[Music]

816
00:35:23,359 --> 00:35:27,680
What does it really mean besides the

817
00:35:25,359 --> 00:35:28,880
negative sense of the word,

818
00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:31,440
bondage.

819
00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:33,520
He went on to explain the band's

820
00:35:31,440 --> 00:35:35,119
spiritual,

821
00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:37,599
environmental

822
00:35:35,119 --> 00:35:41,520
and humanistic way of thinking about the

823
00:35:37,599 --> 00:35:44,079
Term. Quote, “Everybody on this planet” he said,

824
00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:48,400
“everybody, doesn't matter who you are,

825
00:35:44,079 --> 00:35:48,400
what color you are, what nationality.

826
00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:55,280
We are all responsible for each other

827
00:35:52,240 --> 00:35:57,599
and for the upkeep and taking care of

828
00:35:55,280 --> 00:36:00,480
the environment of this planet.

829
00:35:57,599 --> 00:36:02,400
Everybody on this planet is a slave to

830
00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:05,040
the universe

831
00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:09,040
and to each other.”

832
00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:09,040
Officially the band conjoined.

833
00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:14,079
Slave’s conception.

834
00:36:11,839 --> 00:36:17,119
This conception of

835
00:36:14,079 --> 00:36:19,280
of Slave as

836
00:36:17,119 --> 00:36:22,480
an expression of humanity, shared

837
00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:26,119
dependency on the planet and universe

838
00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:26,119
but mind you

839
00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:29,200
this was

840
00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:31,920
77-78.

841
00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:34,640
[Music]

842
00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:37,359
Just a Touch of Love came out

843
00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:38,839
in 79

844
00:36:37,359 --> 00:36:41,599
so what

845
00:36:38,839 --> 00:36:44,640
happened between

846
00:36:41,599 --> 00:36:47,359
77 and 79

847
00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:50,800
that is going to alter the way Slave is

848
00:36:47,359 --> 00:36:54,800
conceived and also shape the way

849
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:59,520
this album Just a Touch of Love is going

850
00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:59,520
to be presented, interpreted and imagined.

851
00:37:00,079 --> 00:37:03,680
In a

852
00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:06,000
1978

853
00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:11,200
article that corresponded

854
00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:11,200
with Slave’s album Hardness of the World,

855
00:37:12,079 --> 00:37:16,320
saxophonist

856
00:37:13,839 --> 00:37:19,280
Thomas Lockett conceded that the name

857
00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:23,040
Slave as he said, was provocative,

858
00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:25,119
but we thought of the average white band

859
00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:28,880
and how at first people felt their name

860
00:37:25,119 --> 00:37:28,880
was too bold, he says.

861
00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:34,839
And how

862
00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:37,440
names like

863
00:37:34,839 --> 00:37:38,480
Yes and Who

864
00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:40,160
so

865
00:37:38,480 --> 00:37:42,400
why not Slave,

866
00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:44,320
he asked.

867
00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:45,920
Lock it even

868
00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:48,000
further

869
00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:50,880
than the explanation on The Hardness of

870
00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:53,440
the World album. Push for disconnecting

871
00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:56,800
the name

872
00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:59,119
from Black culture and history stating,

873
00:37:56,800 --> 00:38:01,760
quote, “We never have any objections to

874
00:37:59,119 --> 00:38:04,480
Slave because we don't have the same

875
00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:07,040
connotation that would be, could be given

876
00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:08,000
to the name. It certainly has nothing to

877
00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:10,880
do

878
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:13,040
with our heritage and if you really

879
00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:18,560
think about everyone in the world as a

880
00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:20,400
slave to something or somebody,” right?

881
00:38:18,560 --> 00:38:23,040
But again

882
00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:26,000
this was

883
00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:28,960
1978.

884
00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:32,280
Just a Touch of Love came out

885
00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:32,280
in 79.

886
00:38:33,079 --> 00:38:39,440
1978 was still on the cusp

887
00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:42,720
of a dramatic shift

888
00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:44,480
in Black and popular consciousness

889
00:38:42,720 --> 00:38:45,839
around the cultural meaning of

890
00:38:44,480 --> 00:38:47,839
enslavement

891
00:38:45,839 --> 00:38:51,040
away from

892
00:38:47,839 --> 00:38:52,480
a generalized sense of shame,

893
00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:53,920
obfuscation

894
00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:56,960
[Music]

895
00:38:53,920 --> 00:39:00,160
or a self-indictment or culturally

896
00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:02,800
vacuous or empty space

897
00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,800
that makes

898
00:39:03,119 --> 00:39:09,119
Black school children cringe out of

899
00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:11,119
embarrassment and parents likewise

900
00:39:09,119 --> 00:39:14,480
when being asked to talk about their

901
00:39:11,119 --> 00:39:16,880
ancestry that which there was a shift

902
00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:18,880
by 1979.

903
00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:19,920
And I think I'm gonna give you a visual

904
00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:20,800
hint

905
00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:23,359
at

906
00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:26,480
what that shift might be. Is that okay?

907
00:39:23,359 --> 00:39:28,800
Did I show you something? Yeah, all right.

908
00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:32,160
Let's see if I can find here.

909
00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:32,160
I might show you this,

910
00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:35,680
one second,

911
00:39:37,119 --> 00:39:40,000
right

912
00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:42,400
all right now I'm going to press the

913
00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:44,960
button for you to see the Slave album

914
00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:47,280
cover for Just a Touch of Love.

915
00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:51,440
I apologize for the price tag for the

916
00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:51,440
album being actually on the picture.

917
00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:57,839
All right.

918
00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:08,079
Can you see that?

919
00:40:05,040 --> 00:40:11,119
All right, anybody have an idea what may

920
00:40:08,079 --> 00:40:14,880
have inspired that image?

921
00:40:11,119 --> 00:40:14,880
Fatherhood, that's important.

922
00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:18,480
I think I heard it.

923
00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,160
Roots.

924
00:40:20,240 --> 00:40:25,200
All right, very good, that

925
00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:28,079
that is the foundation for this shift,

926
00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:28,079
believe it or not.

927
00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:32,960
The major responsibility, even though

928
00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:35,440
during the late 70s,

929
00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:37,680
there were currents of a coming change

930
00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:40,000
from scholars and historical researchers

931
00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:42,720
on the subject, leading to new

932
00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:45,359
perspectives that emphasize

933
00:40:42,720 --> 00:40:48,560
enslaved people

934
00:40:45,359 --> 00:40:50,880
and enslaved Africans that is,

935
00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:53,599
being unyielding in their commitment to

936
00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:55,680
family, community and culture

937
00:40:53,599 --> 00:40:58,079
throughout the diaspora but the major

938
00:40:55,680 --> 00:41:00,720
responsibility for this shift

939
00:40:58,079 --> 00:41:06,240
was the lasting impact of

940
00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:08,480
the Roots book and subsequent miniseries.

941
00:41:06,240 --> 00:41:10,000
The television miniseries based on the

942
00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:12,720
book

943
00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:14,240
created an entirely different

944
00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:16,480
concept

945
00:41:14,240 --> 00:41:18,960
of Black heritage

946
00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:22,079
of enslavement in ways that we probably

947
00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:22,079
take for granted now.

948
00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:27,680
Audiences saw Roots and saw images of a

949
00:41:26,079 --> 00:41:30,720
tenacious people

950
00:41:27,680 --> 00:41:34,240
determined to maintain the bonds between

951
00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:36,960
them in spite of hardship, brutality,

952
00:41:34,240 --> 00:41:39,440
forced separation and dispersal.

953
00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:43,119
Enslaved Africans and Roots deployed

954
00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:47,359
their will and spirit to be free

955
00:41:43,119 --> 00:41:47,359
and the cornerstone of that freedom

956
00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:50,800
was the ability

957
00:41:49,839 --> 00:41:53,200
to

958
00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:54,240
love one another

959
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:57,520
because

960
00:41:54,240 --> 00:42:01,040
that real relationship of love,

961
00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:01,040
commitment and attachment

962
00:42:01,359 --> 00:42:05,119
was disrupted

963
00:42:04,079 --> 00:42:07,359
by

964
00:42:05,119 --> 00:42:10,800
forces that would take control over

965
00:42:07,359 --> 00:42:13,599
their very bodies and being together.

966
00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:16,319
Just a Touch of Love

967
00:42:13,599 --> 00:42:19,920
just a little bit

968
00:42:16,319 --> 00:42:21,839
had revolutionary potential in a system

969
00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:25,119
of subjugation

970
00:42:21,839 --> 00:42:27,520
aimed at reducing human beings to

971
00:42:25,119 --> 00:42:29,200
perpetual servitude.

972
00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:31,920
No doubt this

973
00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:34,079
cultural shift is evident in the album

974
00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:36,960
cover. If you

975
00:42:34,079 --> 00:42:39,200
have seen Roots or read the book,

976
00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:41,040
Alex Haley talks about a ritual; this is

977
00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:44,560
part of his interest

978
00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:47,040
in tracing his roots is because over the

979
00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:48,480
course of generations when a newborn

980
00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:51,760
child

981
00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:55,920
was born they had a family ritual of

982
00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:58,160
holding the child up to the stars.

983
00:42:55,920 --> 00:42:59,680
If you look at the series you'll see

984
00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:01,680
each

985
00:42:59,680 --> 00:43:04,880
segment

986
00:43:01,680 --> 00:43:06,800
has that ritual; it's sort of like the

987
00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:09,200
iconic

988
00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:10,880
motion that goes with Roots of holding a

989
00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:12,800
child up.

990
00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:15,520
And so

991
00:43:12,800 --> 00:43:18,240
Slave here

992
00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:21,040
is very different

993
00:43:18,240 --> 00:43:24,319
from Thomas Lockett's sense

994
00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:27,839
of how he wanted to describe it

995
00:43:24,319 --> 00:43:27,839
just one year earlier.

996
00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:36,560
The invocation of Slave as a positive

997
00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:38,839
and shared aspect of the human condition

998
00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:41,599
resonated with the influence of

999
00:43:38,839 --> 00:43:44,720
artists in terms of the emphasis on

1000
00:43:41,599 --> 00:43:48,040
positivity such as Earth, Wind & Fire

1001
00:43:44,720 --> 00:43:49,839
and artists associated with the idea of

1002
00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:52,800
ascension

1003
00:43:49,839 --> 00:43:56,240
and upliftment

1004
00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:57,440
through musical messages. So Earth, Wind

1005
00:43:56,240 --> 00:43:59,839
& Fire,

1006
00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:02,000
if you take an artist like Sun Ra,

1007
00:43:59,839 --> 00:44:04,000
Sun Ra said they asked Sun Ra,

1008
00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:06,160
said the world was in chaos, why do

1009
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:08,720
we have all these political problems.

1010
00:44:06,160 --> 00:44:10,800
Sun Ra said because artists, musicians

1011
00:44:08,720 --> 00:44:12,880
have to play for money

1012
00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:14,000
and if they have to play for money then

1013
00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:18,160
they are

1014
00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:21,119
cutting short that line of contact

1015
00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:22,480
with the creator of the universe

1016
00:44:21,119 --> 00:44:24,240
and therefore that's why we have all

1017
00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:26,160
these wars and all this chaos on the

1018
00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:28,240
planet.

1019
00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:30,480
That's how serious certain artists

1020
00:44:28,240 --> 00:44:32,960
believed in this idea of

1021
00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:34,720
both the sonic vibration in terms of the

1022
00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:37,359
instrumentation

1023
00:44:34,720 --> 00:44:40,079
and the messaging

1024
00:44:37,359 --> 00:44:42,319
is supposed to elevate people beyond

1025
00:44:40,079 --> 00:44:44,640
their normative practices.

1026
00:44:42,319 --> 00:44:48,880
So this is not just the

1027
00:44:44,640 --> 00:44:50,480
utopian musings of naivete.

1028
00:44:48,880 --> 00:44:53,040
These are artists that believe that they

1029
00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:56,000
are invoking new realities

1030
00:44:53,040 --> 00:44:58,560
and the sounds that they exhibit.

1031
00:44:56,000 --> 00:45:00,640
And Just a Touch of Love sits right in

1032
00:44:58,560 --> 00:45:02,240
the middle of this very interesting

1033
00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:04,079
moment with Slave.

1034
00:45:02,240 --> 00:45:06,240
Slave was intentional about bringing

1035
00:45:04,079 --> 00:45:07,599
together a seemingly counterintuitive

1036
00:45:06,240 --> 00:45:10,480
blend

1037
00:45:07,599 --> 00:45:14,000
of instrumental sounds.

1038
00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:16,010
This was a big loud

1039
00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:17,520
rock band

1040
00:45:16,010 --> 00:45:18,880
[Music]

1041
00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:20,960
and

1042
00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:23,440
by this time, they have an album called

1043
00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:24,720
Just a Touch of Love so what was really

1044
00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:26,720
going on,

1045
00:45:24,720 --> 00:45:28,079
to get to the variety of sounds that

1046
00:45:26,720 --> 00:45:29,680
happened.

1047
00:45:28,079 --> 00:45:31,920
Horn sections

1048
00:45:29,680 --> 00:45:34,800
as I said are going right alongside with

1049
00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:37,040
rock guitars earlier

1050
00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:37,040
and

1051
00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:43,920
guitars and Slave’s music had no problem

1052
00:45:41,359 --> 00:45:46,319
with volume relative to vocals if you

1053
00:45:43,920 --> 00:45:48,240
listen to those other songs that I played,

1054
00:45:46,319 --> 00:45:50,800
sometimes it's hard to really even make

1055
00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:53,599
out what lead singer Danny Webster is

1056
00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:56,160
saying because the music is so loud

1057
00:45:53,599 --> 00:45:58,400
underneath him.

1058
00:45:56,160 --> 00:45:58,400
So

1059
00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:04,640
these are some of the styles

1060
00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:05,359
that were very very bothersome

1061
00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:09,359
to

1062
00:46:05,359 --> 00:46:12,800
the record label Atlantic. Thomas Lockett,

1063
00:46:09,359 --> 00:46:15,839
when I interviewed him, found no

1064
00:46:12,800 --> 00:46:15,839
problem with

1065
00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:20,000
showing the irony, both the name of the

1066
00:46:18,319 --> 00:46:21,040
group and the label to which they were

1067
00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:25,319
signed.

1068
00:46:21,040 --> 00:46:25,319
Slaves over the Atlantic.

1069
00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:34,720
The inclusion of rock as a facet of

1070
00:46:32,720 --> 00:46:36,240
Slave’s initial sound was tied to a

1071
00:46:34,720 --> 00:46:38,560
commitment to doing original

1072
00:46:36,240 --> 00:46:40,319
compositions and a determination to

1073
00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:43,359
differentiate themselves from other

1074
00:46:40,319 --> 00:46:44,720
groups. The band soon found out though

1075
00:46:43,359 --> 00:46:47,839
after their

1076
00:46:44,720 --> 00:46:47,839
third album,

1077
00:46:48,319 --> 00:46:52,720
that their style

1078
00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:55,119
and the inclusion of some of their own

1079
00:46:52,720 --> 00:46:59,119
own songs with cover tunes

1080
00:46:55,119 --> 00:47:00,960
would be a source of some conflict.

1081
00:46:59,119 --> 00:47:03,359
Now let me turn to,

1082
00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:06,160
if you can just, we can go back to

1083
00:47:03,359 --> 00:47:08,640
this. Let me turn to what

1084
00:47:06,160 --> 00:47:12,160
the songs sound like

1085
00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:13,920
on the Just a Touch of Love album so you

1086
00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:16,240
can hear also

1087
00:47:13,920 --> 00:47:19,119
how the group shifts first and then I'll

1088
00:47:16,240 --> 00:47:19,119
talk about why.

1089
00:47:19,920 --> 00:47:23,319
All right so

1090
00:47:24,480 --> 00:47:29,440
what you'll find is that Slave from

1091
00:47:27,520 --> 00:47:32,000
their third album Onward has all these

1092
00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:34,400
new additional members: Steve Washington

1093
00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:37,040
and Jimmy Douglas pressuring,

1094
00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:39,680
feeling the pressure from the label to

1095
00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:42,240
have more of a mainstream sound,

1096
00:47:39,680 --> 00:47:46,559
brings in star Starleana Young.

1097
00:47:42,240 --> 00:47:49,119
Phenomenal vocalist for Slave and

1098
00:47:46,559 --> 00:47:50,960
she sounds with Slave like Jody Watley

1099
00:47:49,119 --> 00:47:53,440
sounds with Shalamar.

1100
00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:55,440
She has a raspiness

1101
00:47:53,440 --> 00:47:58,319
in her voice that sounds like Kathy

1102
00:47:55,440 --> 00:48:00,559
Sledge and it just works so beautifully

1103
00:47:58,319 --> 00:48:02,880
with the group.

1104
00:48:00,559 --> 00:48:04,240
They also bring in Kirk Jones

1105
00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:07,839
who's a

1106
00:48:04,240 --> 00:48:10,079
a singer who has a very high natural.

1107
00:48:07,839 --> 00:48:12,559
They also move a drummer that they

1108
00:48:10,079 --> 00:48:15,119
brought in

1109
00:48:12,559 --> 00:48:18,280
on the Concept album

1110
00:48:15,119 --> 00:48:21,280
and find out that this drummer's very

1111
00:48:18,280 --> 00:48:22,800
experimental approach

1112
00:48:21,280 --> 00:48:25,200
to singing

1113
00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:28,240
is a winning hand. They find this out on

1114
00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:31,359
this next song, that's Steve Arrington.

1115
00:48:28,240 --> 00:48:31,359
They also add

1116
00:48:31,520 --> 00:48:36,640
saxophonist,

1117
00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:39,000
Berkeley trained musician Cedell Carter.

1118
00:48:36,640 --> 00:48:43,119
They also bring in

1119
00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:45,920
extraordinary virtuoso pianist

1120
00:48:43,119 --> 00:48:46,800
Ray Turner. Carter Bradley moves

1121
00:48:45,920 --> 00:48:47,680
out.

1122
00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:49,760
So

1123
00:48:47,680 --> 00:48:51,200
they now are

1124
00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:52,640
amped up

1125
00:48:51,200 --> 00:48:54,480
for a much

1126
00:48:52,640 --> 00:48:59,359
bigger palette

1127
00:48:54,480 --> 00:49:01,760
of recorded sounds than the jam sessions

1128
00:48:59,359 --> 00:49:02,640
that produce them

1129
00:49:01,760 --> 00:49:04,720
would give.

1130
00:49:02,640 --> 00:49:07,720
And let's hear how Just a Touch of Love

1131
00:49:04,720 --> 00:49:07,720
sounds.

1132
00:49:11,710 --> 00:49:28,480
[Music]

1133
00:49:24,559 --> 00:49:28,480
Look how balanced and clean it is.

1134
00:49:28,720 --> 00:49:31,839
It's pretty.

1135
00:49:31,970 --> 00:49:35,200
[Music]

1136
00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:43,620
[Music]

1137
00:49:41,119 --> 00:50:04,399
This is gonna be

1138
00:49:43,620 --> 00:50:04,399
This is the lead vocalist, Steve Arrington.

1139
00:50:05,119 --> 00:50:09,650
a little bit

1140
00:50:06,559 --> 00:50:37,839
just a little bit

1141
00:50:09,650 --> 00:50:39,760
[Music]

1142
00:50:37,839 --> 00:50:40,880
Okay so I'll come back to that part in a

1143
00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:44,079
second.

1144
00:50:40,880 --> 00:50:47,119
So you already hear and this is the

1145
00:50:44,079 --> 00:50:48,640
first big hit single that the group is

1146
00:50:47,119 --> 00:50:50,800
going to have

1147
00:50:48,640 --> 00:50:52,240
and three albums since “Slide”

1148
00:50:50,800 --> 00:50:54,800
so

1149
00:50:52,240 --> 00:50:56,880
The Hardness of the World, great album, didn't

1150
00:50:54,800 --> 00:50:59,680
yield that kind of single neither did

1151
00:50:56,880 --> 00:51:02,319
the Concept though Slave fans like me

1152
00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:04,319
love those albums but the reality is

1153
00:51:02,319 --> 00:51:05,440
they did not

1154
00:51:04,319 --> 00:51:07,760
produce

1155
00:51:05,440 --> 00:51:08,720
the kind of enthusiasm from the buying

1156
00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:11,040
public

1157
00:51:08,720 --> 00:51:11,040
as

1158
00:51:12,960 --> 00:51:16,000
Allen, head of Cotillion

1159
00:51:15,119 --> 00:51:18,319
and

1160
00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:20,079
others in the Atlantic family wanted. So

1161
00:51:18,319 --> 00:51:21,119
they put pressure on the group and that

1162
00:51:20,079 --> 00:51:23,680
pressure

1163
00:51:21,119 --> 00:51:25,200
was answered by those editions that I

1164
00:51:23,680 --> 00:51:27,760
mentioned.

1165
00:51:25,200 --> 00:51:30,240
So if you think back to those songs that

1166
00:51:27,760 --> 00:51:34,000
had that jam session feel,

1167
00:51:30,240 --> 00:51:36,160
they could stay on that forever. When Ray

1168
00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:38,800
Turner, who I interviewed, talked about

1169
00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:41,440
the song “Just a Touch of Love” he said it

1170
00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:42,640
was really just a groove, it didn't go

1171
00:51:41,440 --> 00:51:46,160
anywhere.

1172
00:51:42,640 --> 00:51:47,760
So just think about now the inclusion of

1173
00:51:46,160 --> 00:51:51,520
a trained

1174
00:51:47,760 --> 00:51:52,720
classical, trained jazz musician and what

1175
00:51:51,520 --> 00:51:54,559
does he do

1176
00:51:52,720 --> 00:51:59,000
to make this song

1177
00:51:54,559 --> 00:51:59,000
go somewhere. Here's the bridge.

1178
00:51:59,430 --> 00:52:03,510
[Music]

1179
00:52:07,030 --> 00:52:16,640
[Music]

1180
00:52:14,400 --> 00:52:18,800
What he did was he added a chord

1181
00:52:16,640 --> 00:52:21,359
progression that's very popular among

1182
00:52:18,800 --> 00:52:24,400
jazz pianists, that being

1183
00:52:21,359 --> 00:52:26,880
a 2-5-1 change.

1184
00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:28,079
All right, that turnaround

1185
00:52:26,880 --> 00:52:30,480
and

1186
00:52:28,079 --> 00:52:33,119
when he joined the group, he realized

1187
00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:34,960
that those were the kinds of additions

1188
00:52:33,119 --> 00:52:37,359
that would transform the sound and make

1189
00:52:34,960 --> 00:52:40,640
it more radio friendly. The next song, so

1190
00:52:37,359 --> 00:52:40,640
you have “Just a Touch of Love”

1191
00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:45,200
make me shine, just a little bit, sends my

1192
00:52:44,319 --> 00:52:47,920
mind

1193
00:52:45,200 --> 00:52:49,599
so Martin Luther King talked about agape

1194
00:52:47,920 --> 00:52:53,119
love,

1195
00:52:49,599 --> 00:52:55,839
that's love for humanity. He talked about

1196
00:52:53,119 --> 00:53:00,640
eros, which is romantic love

1197
00:52:55,839 --> 00:53:06,400
and philia which is like friendship.

1198
00:53:00,640 --> 00:53:06,400
Slave throughout this album inter-weaves

1199
00:53:07,040 --> 00:53:14,079
romantic love with love for humanity

1200
00:53:10,800 --> 00:53:15,680
by talking about words like shine, send

1201
00:53:14,079 --> 00:53:19,440
my mind,

1202
00:53:15,680 --> 00:53:19,440
gives me peace of mind,

1203
00:53:19,920 --> 00:53:26,240
send fire through my spine, even giving

1204
00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:26,960
courage, just a touch of love, a little

1205
00:53:26,240 --> 00:53:28,319
bit,

1206
00:53:26,960 --> 00:53:30,240
and when they talked about it, they

1207
00:53:28,319 --> 00:53:33,440
talked about the state of the world and

1208
00:53:30,240 --> 00:53:37,440
what it needed even though it's also set

1209
00:53:33,440 --> 00:53:37,440
in the storyline of romance.

1210
00:53:37,520 --> 00:53:42,880
The next song on the album is, a song,

1211
00:53:40,559 --> 00:53:44,319
you got “Just a touch of love”, the next song

1212
00:53:42,880 --> 00:53:46,400
is called

1213
00:53:44,319 --> 00:53:48,400
“Are You Ready for Love.”

1214
00:53:46,400 --> 00:53:53,400
That's my question, are you ready for

1215
00:53:48,400 --> 00:53:53,400
love? All right then, let's play it.

1216
00:53:55,460 --> 00:54:12,240
[Music]

1217
00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:15,440
And here's some of the rock guitar but

1218
00:54:12,240 --> 00:54:15,440
let's just push back.

1219
00:54:15,470 --> 00:54:22,200
[Music]

1220
00:54:19,040 --> 00:54:22,200
The vocals.

1221
00:54:25,930 --> 00:54:50,280
[Music]

1222
00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:50,280
okay are you ready for love

1223
00:54:51,410 --> 00:54:59,119
[Music]

1224
00:54:57,119 --> 00:55:00,799
all right now

1225
00:54:59,119 --> 00:55:03,440
I'm gonna skip the third song and come

1226
00:55:00,799 --> 00:55:07,240
back to it and go to number four.

1227
00:55:03,440 --> 00:55:07,240
This is a song called, “Roots.”

1228
00:55:10,540 --> 00:55:13,590
Think back to the album cover.

1229
00:55:15,119 --> 00:55:18,319
Listen to these lyrics

1230
00:55:16,480 --> 00:55:21,799
and the political consciousness, the

1231
00:55:18,319 --> 00:55:21,799
cultural commentary.

1232
00:55:22,320 --> 00:55:41,599
[Music]

1233
00:55:38,559 --> 00:55:41,599
know why you shine

1234
00:55:43,490 --> 00:55:47,220
[Music]

1235
00:55:44,880 --> 00:55:53,839
make my way back

1236
00:55:47,220 --> 00:55:55,660
[Music]

1237
00:55:53,839 --> 00:55:59,790
is

1238
00:55:55,660 --> 00:55:59,790
[Music]

1239
00:56:05,010 --> 00:56:08,279
[Music]

1240
00:56:09,280 --> 00:56:13,240
I'm on my way

1241
00:56:13,490 --> 00:56:32,240
[Music]

1242
00:56:29,280 --> 00:56:34,880
So this is also

1243
00:56:32,240 --> 00:56:35,680
lyrically a departure

1244
00:56:34,880 --> 00:56:37,839
from

1245
00:56:35,680 --> 00:56:39,440
many of the show bands

1246
00:56:37,839 --> 00:56:41,599
that are

1247
00:56:39,440 --> 00:56:43,040
making hit records out of Dayton at the

1248
00:56:41,599 --> 00:56:45,359
time.

1249
00:56:43,040 --> 00:56:47,680
Two groups that are similar, although “Slave” 

1250
00:56:45,359 --> 00:56:49,680
probably got the harder edge, Slave and

1251
00:56:47,680 --> 00:56:52,880
another group called Sun that have

1252
00:56:49,680 --> 00:56:55,200
social commentary but for the most part,

1253
00:56:52,880 --> 00:56:56,640
I don't wanna pigeonhole people but for

1254
00:56:55,200 --> 00:56:59,520
the most part,

1255
00:56:56,640 --> 00:57:01,200
Lakeside sings about their performative

1256
00:56:59,520 --> 00:57:03,599
prowess.

1257
00:57:01,200 --> 00:57:05,839
I'm the captain of this vessel,

1258
00:57:03,599 --> 00:57:08,559
we're here to take you on a cruise. All

1259
00:57:05,839 --> 00:57:11,200
around the land, music is at hand we want

1260
00:57:08,559 --> 00:57:14,640
to play it for you, right? It's all the

1261
00:57:11,200 --> 00:57:17,359
way live, we're all the way live, right?

1262
00:57:14,640 --> 00:57:18,720
Roger Troutman, I can make you dance if

1263
00:57:17,359 --> 00:57:21,760
you want me to.

1264
00:57:18,720 --> 00:57:24,640
I got more bites to the ounce.

1265
00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:27,119
All right, so now there's a tinge of it

1266
00:57:24,640 --> 00:57:29,599
in Roger but it's still very subtle.

1267
00:57:27,119 --> 00:57:32,880
Nothing like that going right at the

1268
00:57:29,599 --> 00:57:34,880
culture and the history of enslavement

1269
00:57:32,880 --> 00:57:37,119
that really is resonating with the

1270
00:57:34,880 --> 00:57:38,400
period in that kind of way. So for the

1271
00:57:37,119 --> 00:57:41,040
most part,

1272
00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:43,760
even great show bands, great phenomenal

1273
00:57:41,040 --> 00:57:46,400
groups, one of my favorites, Heatwave’s

1274
00:57:43,760 --> 00:57:50,000
groove line “Boogie Nights” leave your

1275
00:57:46,400 --> 00:57:52,160
worries behind, rain shine don't mind

1276
00:57:50,000 --> 00:57:53,839
who we're riding on the group line, right?

1277
00:57:52,160 --> 00:57:56,559
So there's a different orientation. You

1278
00:57:53,839 --> 00:57:58,799
have also traces of it in the Ohio

1279
00:57:56,559 --> 00:58:00,559
Players but it's not dominant. Slave

1280
00:57:58,799 --> 00:58:03,440
throughout their,

1281
00:58:00,559 --> 00:58:06,799
all of their albums, have space for

1282
00:58:03,440 --> 00:58:08,559
serious social commentary and uses it at

1283
00:58:06,799 --> 00:58:10,640
the same time even when they're

1284
00:58:08,559 --> 00:58:12,319
beautifying their sound

1285
00:58:10,640 --> 00:58:13,760
in the way that they have.

1286
00:58:12,319 --> 00:58:16,000
I'm going to go through a couple others.

1287
00:58:13,760 --> 00:58:18,000
This is a beautiful ballad.

1288
00:58:16,000 --> 00:58:21,640
It was to us when it came out anyway,

1289
00:58:18,000 --> 00:58:21,640
called “Thank You.”

1290
00:58:22,900 --> 00:58:30,559
[Music]

1291
00:58:27,440 --> 00:58:30,559
Anybody remember this one?

1292
00:58:30,799 --> 00:58:36,000
Y’all act like you didn’t use

1293
00:58:33,119 --> 00:58:38,040
slow drag back in the day.

1294
00:58:36,000 --> 00:58:43,839
This is a slow drag song.

1295
00:58:38,040 --> 00:58:47,160
[Music]

1296
00:58:43,839 --> 00:58:56,120
I'm not gonna play too much.

1297
00:58:47,160 --> 00:58:56,120
[Music]

1298
00:58:58,559 --> 00:59:08,160
Thank you

1299
00:59:01,590 --> 00:59:10,200
[Music]

1300
00:59:08,160 --> 00:59:35,010
you were there

1301
00:59:10,200 --> 00:59:35,010
[Music]

1302
00:59:35,119 --> 00:59:39,040
So what they're doing here is really

1303
00:59:36,720 --> 00:59:42,319
Interesting, is

1304
00:59:39,040 --> 00:59:43,040
on one hand giving thanks

1305
00:59:42,319 --> 00:59:44,960
for

1306
00:59:43,040 --> 00:59:46,960
love in a relationship.

1307
00:59:44,960 --> 00:59:50,160
Girl I want to thank you

1308
00:59:46,960 --> 00:59:55,119
for what we got but it also is playing

1309
00:59:50,160 --> 00:59:57,599
on the gospel notion of giving thanks

1310
00:59:55,119 --> 00:59:59,839
for being for another day. Giving thanks

1311
00:59:57,599 --> 01:00:02,319
for the blessings that you have so

1312
00:59:59,839 --> 01:00:03,760
fusing these two

1313
01:00:02,319 --> 01:00:05,839
notions

1314
01:00:03,760 --> 01:00:08,160
of appreciation. There's another song on

1315
01:00:05,839 --> 01:00:11,040
the album I'm not going to play in the

1316
01:00:08,160 --> 01:00:13,119
interest of time called “Shine”

1317
01:00:11,040 --> 01:00:17,040
and it's similar in terms of talking

1318
01:00:13,119 --> 01:00:19,680
about this notion of an inner glow

1319
01:00:17,040 --> 01:00:21,680
that's going to come out. Now,

1320
01:00:19,680 --> 01:00:25,119
you notice I'm skipping.

1321
01:00:21,680 --> 01:00:29,119
I skipped song number three

1322
01:00:25,119 --> 01:00:32,319
and I skipped song number eight. Now

1323
01:00:29,119 --> 01:00:36,000
you're gonna know what kinds of tensions

1324
01:00:32,319 --> 01:00:38,799
are going on behind the scenes. So

1325
01:00:36,000 --> 01:00:41,799
there is conceptually just a touch of

1326
01:00:38,799 --> 01:00:41,799
love

1327
01:00:42,640 --> 01:00:47,760
but the label did not have love

1328
01:00:45,440 --> 01:00:50,160
for the direction that Slave was going

1329
01:00:47,760 --> 01:00:52,240
in and really

1330
01:00:50,160 --> 01:00:54,640
meddled in ways that the group was not

1331
01:00:52,240 --> 01:00:57,920
used to.

1332
01:00:54,640 --> 01:01:00,319
The song, “Foxy Lady”

1333
01:00:57,920 --> 01:01:02,000
funky lady, 

1334
01:01:00,319 --> 01:01:04,640


1335
01:01:02,000 --> 01:01:06,319
Atlantic was fighting against

1336
01:01:04,640 --> 01:01:09,280
the tendency that the group was going

1337
01:01:06,319 --> 01:01:11,440
and felt like it needed assurances

1338
01:01:09,280 --> 01:01:12,960
and

1339
01:01:11,440 --> 01:01:15,680
there are even some tensions between the

1340
01:01:12,960 --> 01:01:17,280
two producers to a certain degree.

1341
01:01:15,680 --> 01:01:19,359
Jimmy Douglas

1342
01:01:17,280 --> 01:01:21,280
and Steve Washington but it was creative

1343
01:01:19,359 --> 01:01:23,680
tension. You hear the magic that came out

1344
01:01:21,280 --> 01:01:24,640
of it but it's still

1345
01:01:23,680 --> 01:01:27,839
really

1346
01:01:24,640 --> 01:01:29,680
a fault line and one of the consequences

1347
01:01:27,839 --> 01:01:31,520
of that fault line is, 

1348
01:01:29,680 --> 01:01:34,640
the only song on the album

1349
01:01:31,520 --> 01:01:36,079
that is not written by Slave called

1350
01:01:34,640 --> 01:01:36,799
“Foxy Lady.”

1351
01:01:36,079 --> 01:01:38,559
The

1352
01:01:36,799 --> 01:01:39,359
head of Cotillion Records had worked

1353
01:01:38,559 --> 01:01:40,880
out

1354
01:01:39,359 --> 01:01:43,119
a

1355
01:01:40,880 --> 01:01:44,960
song with some other writers

1356
01:01:43,119 --> 01:01:46,240
that they had Slave play on this album

1357
01:01:44,960 --> 01:01:48,880
and you can see

1358
01:01:46,240 --> 01:01:51,280
the love concept, the spirituality, all

1359
01:01:48,880 --> 01:01:54,079
the stuff that I was talking about

1360
01:01:51,280 --> 01:01:57,480
might not really apply to “Foxy Lady.”

1361
01:01:54,079 --> 01:01:57,480
Let's see why.

1362
01:01:59,630 --> 01:02:02,749
[Music]

1363
01:02:11,130 --> 01:02:16,720
[Music]

1364
01:02:14,319 --> 01:02:21,119
She knows how to move me,

1365
01:02:16,720 --> 01:02:21,119
just something to me, every time I see that lady dance.

1366
01:02:27,680 --> 01:02:33,000
All I need is just one chance

1367
01:02:39,110 --> 01:02:46,349
[Music]

1368
01:02:48,700 --> 01:02:51,770
[Music]

1369
01:02:59,359 --> 01:03:03,599
Foxy lady, what you gonna do? Don't you know I got my eyes on you?

1370
01:03:01,920 --> 01:03:06,400
That's a little

1371
01:03:03,599 --> 01:03:08,000
different from

1372
01:03:06,400 --> 01:03:08,880
“Thank You”

1373
01:03:08,000 --> 01:03:11,039
and

1374
01:03:08,880 --> 01:03:14,400
“Are You Ready for Love” and “Just a Touch

1375
01:03:11,039 --> 01:03:17,440
of Love” so that's one obvious departure.

1376
01:03:14,400 --> 01:03:19,359
I also wonder if the final song on the

1377
01:03:17,440 --> 01:03:22,079
album,

1378
01:03:19,359 --> 01:03:24,559
is there's a whole

1379
01:03:22,079 --> 01:03:26,799
set of songs that the label did not want

1380
01:03:24,559 --> 01:03:28,480
to pursue which is what they wanted to

1381
01:03:26,799 --> 01:03:31,119
propose

1382
01:03:28,480 --> 01:03:34,240
which was much more funk oriented. I

1383
01:03:31,119 --> 01:03:36,079
wonder if this last song was the group's

1384
01:03:34,240 --> 01:03:38,880
pushback

1385
01:03:36,079 --> 01:03:40,799
and coded messages for being pushed in

1386
01:03:38,880 --> 01:03:43,280
this direction. The song is called

1387
01:03:40,799 --> 01:03:43,280
“Warning.”

1388
01:03:43,359 --> 01:03:49,559
I don't know exactly what they're saying

1389
01:03:45,119 --> 01:03:49,559
but the song is called “Warning.”

1390
01:03:51,240 --> 01:03:54,330
[Music]

1391
01:04:06,590 --> 01:04:11,100
[Music]

1392
01:04:08,160 --> 01:04:13,200
oh

1393
01:04:11,100 --> 01:04:15,050
[Music]

1394
01:04:13,200 --> 01:04:18,599
speaking

1395
01:04:15,050 --> 01:04:18,599
[Music]

1396
01:04:22,070 --> 01:04:25,289
[Applause]

1397
01:04:34,660 --> 01:04:37,739
[Music]

1398
01:04:39,820 --> 01:04:44,960
[Music]

1399
01:04:42,319 --> 01:04:47,440
So you can see that also

1400
01:04:44,960 --> 01:04:50,400
in another direction, one you keep going

1401
01:04:47,440 --> 01:04:53,039
more as I think toward disco

1402
01:04:50,400 --> 01:04:54,720
and the other going more toward the kind

1403
01:04:53,039 --> 01:04:58,240
of funk

1404
01:04:54,720 --> 01:05:00,640
that usually went with concept albums

1405
01:04:58,240 --> 01:05:02,000
like Sir Nose D Voidoffunk and that

1406
01:05:00,640 --> 01:05:03,359
kind of thing

1407
01:05:02,000 --> 01:05:04,160
so

1408
01:05:03,359 --> 01:05:06,079
this

1409
01:05:04,160 --> 01:05:08,720
album though,

1410
01:05:06,079 --> 01:05:09,920
laid out a template for what would be

1411
01:05:08,720 --> 01:05:11,839
later on,

1412
01:05:09,920 --> 01:05:13,760
the next album which is probably the

1413
01:05:11,839 --> 01:05:15,839
height of what that collective does

1414
01:05:13,760 --> 01:05:17,200
commercially and that being the album

1415
01:05:15,839 --> 01:05:19,760
Stone Jam

1416
01:05:17,200 --> 01:05:20,839
which is followed up by

1417
01:05:19,760 --> 01:05:23,440
by

1418
01:05:20,839 --> 01:05:25,839
Show Time

1419
01:05:23,440 --> 01:05:29,440
but I just want to say that the name

1420
01:05:25,839 --> 01:05:31,520
Slave and Just a Touch of Love go hand

1421
01:05:29,440 --> 01:05:33,200
in hand in this era that

1422
01:05:31,520 --> 01:05:35,440
we're looking at.

1423
01:05:33,200 --> 01:05:39,200
Slave was the result of

1424
01:05:35,440 --> 01:05:41,119
the foundations of, in many respects,

1425
01:05:39,200 --> 01:05:43,440
family here in Dayton,

1426
01:05:41,119 --> 01:05:44,640
foundational to the cultivation of

1427
01:05:43,440 --> 01:05:45,599
musicians

1428
01:05:44,640 --> 01:05:47,200
here

1429
01:05:45,599 --> 01:05:48,960
and in other cities.

1430
01:05:47,200 --> 01:05:50,640
So it was with members of the group

1431
01:05:48,960 --> 01:05:52,640
however

1432
01:05:50,640 --> 01:05:56,880
when people think about the destruction

1433
01:05:52,640 --> 01:05:58,880
of the Black family and enslavement

1434
01:05:56,880 --> 01:06:00,319
or they make the argument of the

1435
01:05:58,880 --> 01:06:02,079
destruction of the Black family

1436
01:06:00,319 --> 01:06:05,440
enslavement, what they don't take into

1437
01:06:02,079 --> 01:06:06,319
consideration are the innovations that

1438
01:06:05,440 --> 01:06:08,640
people

1439
01:06:06,319 --> 01:06:11,599
under those conditions developed

1440
01:06:08,640 --> 01:06:14,400
to maintain dignity and strong ties and

1441
01:06:11,599 --> 01:06:15,359
that is the notion of extended family.

1442
01:06:14,400 --> 01:06:18,000
So

1443
01:06:15,359 --> 01:06:19,599
most folks will find that there are

1444
01:06:18,000 --> 01:06:21,440
Black families where

1445
01:06:19,599 --> 01:06:24,160
the god son

1446
01:06:21,440 --> 01:06:27,119
or god daughter is closer to someone

1447
01:06:24,160 --> 01:06:30,160
sometimes than even a biological daughter

1448
01:06:27,119 --> 01:06:33,280
and or a son or child.

1449
01:06:30,160 --> 01:06:35,680
Uncles that are not biologically

1450
01:06:33,280 --> 01:06:36,799
Uncles, aunties that are not biological

1451
01:06:35,680 --> 01:06:40,319
Aunties.

1452
01:06:36,799 --> 01:06:43,440
So extended family

1453
01:06:40,319 --> 01:06:44,720
is something that Slave embodies in many

1454
01:06:43,440 --> 01:06:47,520
ways.

1455
01:06:44,720 --> 01:06:48,319
The way that people deeply cared

1456
01:06:47,520 --> 01:06:49,440
for,

1457
01:06:48,319 --> 01:06:50,960
sheltered

1458
01:06:49,440 --> 01:06:53,119
each other, in

1459
01:06:50,960 --> 01:06:56,000
during a time of lack of resources for

1460
01:06:53,119 --> 01:06:58,480
non-kin folk was an equally powerful

1461
01:06:56,000 --> 01:07:01,280
springboard and support network in the

1462
01:06:58,480 --> 01:07:04,240
formation of Slave as expressed through

1463
01:07:01,280 --> 01:07:05,280
the outreach of Steve Washington's uncle,

1464
01:07:04,240 --> 01:07:08,880
Ralph

1465
01:07:05,280 --> 01:07:11,039
Pee-wee Middlebrooks and Aunt Pat

1466
01:07:08,880 --> 01:07:13,440
Middlebrooks of the Ohio Players.

1467
01:07:11,039 --> 01:07:16,240
Perhaps the universe

1468
01:07:13,440 --> 01:07:17,839
that Slave initially evoked in their

1469
01:07:16,240 --> 01:07:21,520
self-definition

1470
01:07:17,839 --> 01:07:24,480
of what Slave means granted them favor

1471
01:07:21,520 --> 01:07:27,039
through the selflessness and generosity

1472
01:07:24,480 --> 01:07:29,760
of Steve Washington's parents who

1473
01:07:27,039 --> 01:07:32,079
allowed the nine-member band

1474
01:07:29,760 --> 01:07:34,000
to move into their home

1475
01:07:32,079 --> 01:07:36,400
where they lived and rehearsed while

1476
01:07:34,000 --> 01:07:39,200
transitioning to becoming a major

1477
01:07:36,400 --> 01:07:39,200
recording act.

1478
01:07:39,599 --> 01:07:45,520
The movement of artists, migration of

1479
01:07:43,200 --> 01:07:46,960
artists, in different areas,

1480
01:07:45,520 --> 01:07:49,200
are sometimes

1481
01:07:46,960 --> 01:07:51,280
the result of push forces,

1482
01:07:49,200 --> 01:07:56,000
lack of opportunity and sometimes they

1483
01:07:51,280 --> 01:07:58,000
are the pull forces of what one imagines

1484
01:07:56,000 --> 01:08:01,920
is elsewhere.

1485
01:07:58,000 --> 01:08:04,880
Slave is one of these groups that

1486
01:08:01,920 --> 01:08:08,839
complicates those distinctions

1487
01:08:04,880 --> 01:08:10,400
but nevertheless in spite of those

1488
01:08:08,839 --> 01:08:12,799
challenges,

1489
01:08:10,400 --> 01:08:14,480
we have to think about the

1490
01:08:12,799 --> 01:08:16,799
tensions between

1491
01:08:14,480 --> 01:08:20,719
commercial interests,

1492
01:08:16,799 --> 01:08:23,520
space to create artistic freedom,

1493
01:08:20,719 --> 01:08:25,199
as really the backdrop for

1494
01:08:23,520 --> 01:08:27,040
the phenomenal

1495
01:08:25,199 --> 01:08:29,440
cultural product

1496
01:08:27,040 --> 01:08:31,620
known as the Just a Touch of Love

1497
01:08:29,440 --> 01:08:38,109
Album. Thank you.

1498
01:08:31,620 --> 01:08:38,109
[Applause]

1499
01:08:38,410 --> 01:08:42,239
[Music]

1500
01:08:40,480 --> 01:08:44,960
I have to tell you that we were living

1501
01:08:42,239 --> 01:08:47,920
in Germany when Roots came out. We saw it

1502
01:08:44,960 --> 01:08:51,560
dubbed over in German, wow.

1503
01:08:47,920 --> 01:08:51,560
That was pretty funny.

1504
01:08:54,319 --> 01:08:58,159
Thank you, thank you Scott. Let's give him

1505
01:08:56,560 --> 01:09:01,120
another round of applause for a great

1506
01:08:58,159 --> 01:09:03,279
presentation. Any questions, quick

1507
01:09:01,120 --> 01:09:06,279
questions? We want to stay on schedule.

1508
01:09:03,279 --> 01:09:06,279
yeah

1509
01:09:06,400 --> 01:09:10,719
Just a really quick one. You mentioned

1510
01:09:08,880 --> 01:09:13,359
I think it was Danny Webster was

1511
01:09:10,719 --> 01:09:14,960
singing something on “Slide” and you

1512
01:09:13,359 --> 01:09:16,880
could barely hear him.

1513
01:09:14,960 --> 01:09:19,279
What was he saying, was he saying sounds

1514
01:09:16,880 --> 01:09:21,440
like a vampire to me or empire to me?

1515
01:09:19,279 --> 01:09:24,159
That was Floyd Miller on the line it

1516
01:09:21,440 --> 01:09:24,960
sounds like an empire to me

1517
01:09:24,159 --> 01:09:27,839
yeah

1518
01:09:24,960 --> 01:09:29,839
that's Floyd. And what Slave would do in

1519
01:09:27,839 --> 01:09:31,600
those early phases, they actually operate

1520
01:09:29,839 --> 01:09:33,279
kind of like

1521
01:09:31,600 --> 01:09:35,520
Motown as

1522
01:09:33,279 --> 01:09:37,040
vocal rules and that they were often

1523
01:09:35,520 --> 01:09:38,080
co-leads.

1524
01:09:37,040 --> 01:09:39,679
So

1525
01:09:38,080 --> 01:09:42,600
follow me

1526
01:09:39,679 --> 01:09:43,679
come away don't worry baby.

1527
01:09:42,600 --> 01:09:44,880
[Music]

1528
01:09:43,679 --> 01:09:47,440
So they would

1529
01:09:44,880 --> 01:09:50,319
often take turns with small segments of

1530
01:09:47,440 --> 01:09:50,319
a singular verse.

1531
01:09:50,799 --> 01:09:55,040
hey

1532
01:09:52,560 --> 01:09:57,760
throughout this presentation and other

1533
01:09:55,040 --> 01:09:59,600
presentations, I've noticed the word foxy

1534
01:09:57,760 --> 01:10:02,320
lady a lot and then it makes me think

1535
01:09:59,600 --> 01:10:05,199
about foxy brown and now you hear sexy

1536
01:10:02,320 --> 01:10:07,280
lady, you know, instead of foxy lady but

1537
01:10:05,199 --> 01:10:09,440
going back to your point about the beats

1538
01:10:07,280 --> 01:10:11,920
and the music, I once heard that there

1539
01:10:09,440 --> 01:10:14,320
were certain beats that affect your body.

1540
01:10:11,920 --> 01:10:16,239
Do you know how the funk music affects

1541
01:10:14,320 --> 01:10:18,640
your body? Like I always listen to my

1542
01:10:16,239 --> 01:10:20,719
… at night to you know,

1543
01:10:18,640 --> 01:10:23,520
detoxify things.

1544
01:10:20,719 --> 01:10:25,840
Well you know I think there is a

1545
01:10:23,520 --> 01:10:25,840


1546
01:10:26,080 --> 01:10:32,080
consideration of certain kinds of chords

1547
01:10:29,440 --> 01:10:33,280
that are what we think of as happy

1548
01:10:32,080 --> 01:10:35,520
chords.

1549
01:10:33,280 --> 01:10:36,800
Many of them are major

1550
01:10:35,520 --> 01:10:40,400
chords

1551
01:10:36,800 --> 01:10:41,840
and major chord progressions

1552
01:10:40,400 --> 01:10:45,360
and

1553
01:10:41,840 --> 01:10:46,960
certain melody lines that

1554
01:10:45,360 --> 01:10:49,280
are

1555
01:10:46,960 --> 01:10:50,640
memorable and they are linked to a

1556
01:10:49,280 --> 01:10:52,000
certain field. If I can give you an

1557
01:10:50,640 --> 01:10:54,080
example,

1558
01:10:52,000 --> 01:10:56,320
I will play it for you now. There's a

1559
01:10:54,080 --> 01:10:57,600
song by

1560
01:10:56,320 --> 01:10:59,760


1561
01:10:57,600 --> 01:11:01,360
I believe it's

1562
01:10:59,760 --> 01:11:03,199
Tavares.

1563
01:11:01,360 --> 01:11:06,080
You have to check the artist, called bad

1564
01:11:03,199 --> 01:11:08,560
love is what you got, it's what you got.

1565
01:11:06,080 --> 01:11:10,560
Well the music is happy music.

1566
01:11:08,560 --> 01:11:13,280
It's a blues song. It's really

1567
01:11:10,560 --> 01:11:16,130
about somebody about to kill themselves.

1568
01:11:13,280 --> 01:11:17,280
Right, you lost everything.

1569
01:11:16,130 --> 01:11:20,159
[Music]

1570
01:11:17,280 --> 01:11:22,400
Bad love is what you got, is what you got

1571
01:11:20,159 --> 01:11:25,920
and that shows you though

1572
01:11:22,400 --> 01:11:27,760
how instrumentation can be its own

1573
01:11:25,920 --> 01:11:30,000
argument.

1574
01:11:27,760 --> 01:11:32,400
That it sometimes even overpowering of

1575
01:11:30,000 --> 01:11:32,400
the message.

1576
01:11:34,320 --> 01:11:36,640
Question,

1577
01:11:38,320 --> 01:11:41,600
because I was hoping you were

1578
01:11:40,320 --> 01:11:44,159
going to say

1579
01:11:41,600 --> 01:11:47,280
that Steve Arrington has something to do

1580
01:11:44,159 --> 01:11:49,920
with that change. Absolutely.

1581
01:11:47,280 --> 01:11:51,679
You know and I was just hoping. Oh no, I

1582
01:11:49,920 --> 01:11:53,920
appreciate you saying that. It absolutely

1583
01:11:51,679 --> 01:11:55,280
does. See Arrington has this very

1584
01:11:53,920 --> 01:11:56,719
interesting,

1585
01:11:55,280 --> 01:11:59,440
I mean he's in the tradition of

1586
01:11:56,719 --> 01:12:01,520
Sugarfoot, he's in the tradition of

1587
01:11:59,440 --> 01:12:03,920
Roger in a sense that you're dealing

1588
01:12:01,520 --> 01:12:06,719
with people who use the voice

1589
01:12:03,920 --> 01:12:10,320
and break rules with the voice

1590
01:12:06,719 --> 01:12:14,560
to make an argument with the voice. So

1591
01:12:10,320 --> 01:12:17,030
Steve Arrington sometimes sings outside

1592
01:12:14,560 --> 01:12:18,239
the chord structure, yeah

1593
01:12:17,030 --> 01:12:20,560
[Applause]

1594
01:12:18,239 --> 01:12:23,040
Right, but he always lands where he's

1595
01:12:20,560 --> 01:12:25,520
supposed to land and you don't mind

1596
01:12:23,040 --> 01:12:28,320
going there with him and his unique

1597
01:12:25,520 --> 01:12:31,280
sound. He's influenced by jazz singers

1598
01:12:28,320 --> 01:12:33,440
and he played with the Escovedos in the

1599
01:12:31,280 --> 01:12:34,960
Bay Area before he came back to Dayton and

1600
01:12:33,440 --> 01:12:37,280
played. He was with the Young

1601
01:12:34,960 --> 01:12:38,159
Mystics for a period but the point is

1602
01:12:37,280 --> 01:12:40,640
his

1603
01:12:38,159 --> 01:12:42,400
imagination of what he could do vocally

1604
01:12:40,640 --> 01:12:45,120
was something that

1605
01:12:42,400 --> 01:12:47,199
Steve Washington and others were open to

1606
01:12:45,120 --> 01:12:48,719
but they did find it to be

1607
01:12:47,199 --> 01:12:52,719
very different and you can think about

1608
01:12:48,719 --> 01:12:54,560
Sugarfoot. Wow everybody says “wow” now

1609
01:12:52,719 --> 01:12:56,960
but they weren't necessarily saying that

1610
01:12:54,560 --> 01:12:58,640
when he started doing it so that's something

1611
01:12:56,960 --> 01:13:01,040
that's characteristic about Dayton 

1612
01:12:58,640 --> 01:13:02,800
also is that pushing the sonic

1613
01:13:01,040 --> 01:13:05,120
boundaries.

1614
01:13:02,800 --> 01:13:07,280
In addition to the guitar and bass what

1615
01:13:05,120 --> 01:13:08,560
they're doing with voices is also very

1616
01:13:07,280 --> 01:13:10,480
experimental

1617
01:13:08,560 --> 01:13:12,239
and Steve Arrington has everything

1618
01:13:10,480 --> 01:13:14,640
to do. It sort of

1619
01:13:12,239 --> 01:13:17,640
takes you someplace else, right?

1620
01:13:14,640 --> 01:13:17,640
yeah

1621
01:13:26,340 --> 01:13:29,439
[Music]

1622
01:13:30,840 --> 01:13:35,280
Yes, he made “Weak at the Knees,” and he made it with his

1623
01:13:33,199 --> 01:13:37,280
own group after he left Slave. Steve

1624
01:13:35,280 --> 01:13:39,520
Arrington's Hall of Fame

1625
01:13:37,280 --> 01:13:41,679
and of course he's still here. I was

1626
01:13:39,520 --> 01:13:44,159
hoping he might even have been able to

1627
01:13:41,679 --> 01:13:45,600
come today. I sent him a message but may

1628
01:13:44,159 --> 01:13:47,120
have been, I wasn't sure if I was gonna

1629
01:13:45,600 --> 01:13:49,280
be able to make it so I probably let him

1630
01:13:47,120 --> 01:13:50,480
know a little later than I could have

1631
01:13:49,280 --> 01:13:52,960
but

1632
01:13:50,480 --> 01:13:55,280
I still hear

1633
01:13:52,960 --> 01:13:57,280
disco in those bass lines.

1634
01:13:55,280 --> 01:13:59,679
Absolutely.

1635
01:13:57,280 --> 01:14:03,560
Yes okay thank you so much, Scott. Let's

1636
01:13:59,679 --> 01:14:06,719
Give him a round of applause again, thank you.

1637
01:14:03,560 --> 01:14:06,719
[Applause]