Steve Arrington is an unsung hero of funk and soul music, and one of the defining voices of my childhood.
The Dayton, OH-bred musician first came into the public eye as a member of Slave. Joining the group in 1978, his unique, nasal voice powered many of the outfit’s biggest hits, including the classics “Just A Touch Of Love,” “Wait For Me,” the oft-sampled “Watching You” and the killer jam “Snap Shot.” In a long line of Midwestern funk bands that came to prominence in the late ’70s, and early ’80s, Arrington (who was also the band’;s drummer) was one of the reasons Slave stood out. You can hear his influence in latter-day Cameo, and Keith Sweat obviously took vocal cues from him as well.
Steve went solo in 1982, following Slave’s Show Time LP and went right to work delivering more classics: “Nobody Can Be You” and “Weak At The Knees” are not only certified dance floor fillers, but they, too, have become staples of hip-hop via sampling. Snoop Dogg, Kris Kross, Jermaine Dupri, Jay-Z and LL Cool J are just a few of the artists who have borrowed Arrington/Slave tunes to spin hits of their own.
Arrington experienced a spiritual epiphany around 1984, although he recorded two more albums of conscious funk before devoting himself to the ministry full time. He’s resurfaced in recent years, though, collaborating with Dam-Funk, doing shows, exposing himself as a serious sports fan on his entertaining Twitter feed, and most recently, releasing Way Out 80-84, a 2-disc set that compiles most of his first two solo albums (1983’s Steve Arrington’s Hall of Fame and 1984’s Positive Power) and adds a second disc of previously unreleased material. Although I wish Way Out was more of a full anthology and included material from his later two solo albums, you can’t argue with the quality of the jams on this set. Along with Rick James and Prince, Arrington was definitely carrying the torch for funk ‘n roll. The second disc of material is quite strong as well. Some of the songs were completed in the ’80s and just never released, while other songs were started in the ’80s and completed more recently. All of it is good-with my personal favorites being “Funk & Roll Junky” and the trippy “Special FX From Mars.” Way out, indeed!
If you’re late to the game, now’s the time to catch up. With so much of today’s music influenced by the soul and funk of the ’80s, it seems like the perfect time for Arrington to get some long-overdue props. Do your part and grab a copy of Way Out here.
Grade: A