After listening to that classic Ice Cube shit I heard a sample from Steve Arrington’s ‘Weak At The Knees’ and I had to start digging in the virtual crates of the internets.
Steve Arrington – ‘Weak At The Knees’
Arrington was from Ohio where all the great Black musicians in America come from, at least all the funky drummers. Arrington was formerly a member of the band Slave who created the everlasting rollerskate jam ‘Just A Touch Of Love’ as well as ‘Slide’ and ‘Watching You’.
Slave – ‘Just A Touch Of Love’
Slave – ‘Slide’
Slave – ‘Watching You’
Arrington left Slave in the early 1980’s to form his own band Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame and the hits kept coming. Along with the heavily sampled ‘Weak At The Knees’ he had another hit with the inspirational ‘Nobody Can Be You’
Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame – ‘Nobody Can Be You’
Arrington is a musician filled with the spirit and he lets that spirit guide his artistic path. How many artists are talented enough to let angels be their influences, as opposed to D’Evils? Steve Arrington achieved his biggest success musically with his mid-1980’s efforts. Songs like ‘Feel So Real’ and the exuberant ‘Dancing In The Key Of Life’ will forever be the family reunion barbecue jams.
Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame – ‘Feel So Real’
Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame – ‘Dancing In The Key Of Life’
In the late 80’s Arrington left the music business for a religious commitment only to return to the game in 2009 with an album called ‘Pure Tang’.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
DP! I ain’t suggesting you don’t know but re: Ohio, is it common knowledge how great the (black) musical tradition of Wilberforce U (in Wilberforce, Ohio) U?
One rockin’ example to start–
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci4EQDD4CqA
Not ** from ** Ohio of course but many many great James Brown and other killer r&b records were recorded in Cincinnati, home of one Bootsy Collins too, among other greats.
homie was the proto keith sweat
This that SkateKey sheet! good work, DP! Steve Arrington’s Snapshot is still one of my favorites.
Me & brother were recently talking about how the album cover was 50% of what made an artist back in the day…how we used to study the credits and borrow art styles from the covers…and how the internets as we know it is the greatest technology in the last 20 years, but it also one’d some of the artistry of music and visuals. Granted, (ll) to Speedo cover up top, but Slave put together some of the dopest music and album covers. Stone Jam, Hardness of the World, Show Time!?!?
….and the Ohio Players nekkid lady album covers are pure greatness. Ohio wins in the funk dept. …earrrly!
“Pure Tang”. I hate you, DP. ROTFLMAO