Slave's Stone Jam album cover (1980)

Just a touch of love…a little bit. Just a touch of love…

So begin the first lyrics I ever heard from the Dayton, Ohio-born/New Jersey-bred funk band Slave. Those of you who know me well know that I am a fiend for the music I grew up with…sang along to…danced to…roller skated to. I was 10 years old when this song came out, and I remember it quite well. At that time, there were a slew of similar songs out, as the modern funk music scene was at its peak. Clearly, when I hear songs like Just a Touch of Love and Watching You, my mind travels back to years gone by – to the summers spent on my front porch with my sister and her many friends from the block. Though by this time, I was coming into my own in terms of music choice – these were the few years of Saturday afternoons with my grammar school friends at the roller rink in nearby Rochdale, Queens, New York. Funk of this magnitude made for smooth skating jams during the 2-6 pm session!

So fast forward to 2011/2012…I listen to groups like Slave, the Ohio Players, Dynasty, Parliament-Funkadelic, Cameo and hear the songs of my youth. But this year there is something different. Thanks to Facebook groups dedicated to these and other bands, I am able to chat with fellow Funkateers who share this deep love of funk and other favored music genres. But even more specifically, I have taken a special interest in the Slave group on Facebook. It is one thing to like the songs of a particular group, and another to enjoy the depth and breadth of said group’s music. This particular Facebook forum is made up of fans, friends, relatives, former members and associates of Slave, and I have learned so much about the background of this band of young, funk music gurus from Dayton. With most discussion groups I belong to, I usually add my two cents here and there (sometimes adding a bit more!). But the Slave page causes me to be still and sit at the feet of these wonderful folks and learn music history. What an awesome experience – to not only enjoy the songs I knew and remembered, but to be exposed to more of their music AND learn some of the ins and outs of the band.

There has been talk of a future episode of the TVOne show Unsung that will feature the story of Slave, but many of us feel it is long overdue and are petitioning the network to step it up. Interestingly enough, I feel as if the story of Slave is being told right in front of me on the group page…the personal stories, photos, discography and musical insights.

Kudos to my fellow Slave fans and I need to give a special shout out to my homeboy Doug R. for adding me to the group, and his administrative partner, Eric P., who together help to keep the fungk pure and “Stellar.” 😉