Stone Jam Explained

Stone Jam
Type:studio
Artist:Slave
Cover:Stone Jam.jpg
Genre:Funk
Label:Cotillion
Producer:Jimmy Douglass, Steve Washington
Prev Title:Just a Touch of Love
Prev Year:1979
Next Title:Show Time
Next Year:1981

Stone Jam is the fifth album by the American funk band Slave. It was released in 1980 on Cotillion Records and reissued in 1997 on Rhino Records. It was produced by Jimmy Douglass and Steve Washington. The album was listed on the Billboard 200, Billboard's 1981 Year-End Chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA. It contains the hit singles "Sizzlin' Hot", "Feel My Love", and "Watching You".

Overview

Slave's fifth album, Stone Jam, was their highest charting since their first, Slave,[1] and their second to be certified Gold,[2] Slave received the certification in 1977.[3] The band's drummer, Steve Arrington, took on more singing responsibilities than on previous albums and this, combined with the vocals of Starleana Young, contributed to the album's success.[4] The single "Watching You" entered the Billboard Hot 100 and also joined "Sizzlin' Hot" and "Feel My Love" on the R&B Singles Chart.[5]

Reception and accolades

The Morning Call deemed the album "musically boring," but conceded that "Sizzlin' Hot" and "Let's Spend Some Time" "may cut it on the dance floor."[6]

Alex Henderson of AllMusic breaks Slave's brand of funk into two categories; 'hardcore' and 'sophisticated'. He notes that their earlier work falls into the former category but, with the exception of the tracks "Stone Jam" and "Sizzlin' Hot", this album is in the later. He goes on to write that this "sleeker" approach is "every bit as appealing" as their earlier more aggressive work. He describes the tracks "Dreamin'", "Feel My Love" and "Let's Spend Some Time" as "addictive jams" and the album as "consistently melodic".

Jam-Master Jay of Run–D.M.C. has named it as one of his favorite albums.[7] The album made the Billboard 1981 Year-End Pop Chart at number 99[8] and the Soul Chart at number 7.[9]

The song "Watching You" was interpolated twice by rapper Snoop Dogg, first in the chorus of "Gin and Juice" in 1993,[10] then in "Let's Get Blown" in 2004.[11]

Tracks

  1. "Let's Spend Some Time" (Mark Antone Adams/Jimmy Douglass/Mark Hicks/Jennifer Ivory/Curt Jones/Ray Turner/Steve Washington/Starleana Young) – 4:38
  2. "Feel My Love" (Adams/Steve Arrington/Hicks/Jones/Turner/Washington/Danny Webster) – 4:31
  3. "Starting Over" (Adams/Hicks/Jones/Floyd Miller/Turner/Young) – 4:27
  4. "Sizzlin' Hot" (Adams/Arrington/Miller/Turner/Washington/Webster) – 5:07
  5. "Watching You" (Adams/Arrington/Turner/Washington/Webster) – 4:41
  6. "Dreamin'" (Adams/Arrington/Jones/Miller/Turner/Washington) – 4:20
  7. "Never Get Away" (Adams/Arrington/Hicks/Jones/Turner/Webster) – 5:09
  8. "Stone Jam" (Adams/Hicks/Jones/Turner/Washington/Webster/Young) – 6:43

Bonus tracks

  • "Feel My Love" (Disco Mix) – 4:47

    1. "Sizzlin' Hot" (Single Version) – 4:06
    2. "Watching You" (Single Version) – 3:28

    Personnel

    Charts and sales certification

    Album charts

    YearChartPeak
    1981Billboard 20053[12]
    R&B Albums5

    Single charts

    YearSingleChartPeak
    1980"Sizzlin' Hot"R&B Singles Chart57
    1981"Feel My Love"62
    "Watching You"6
    Billboard Hot 10078

    RIAA certification

    Release history

    YearFormatLabelCatalog
    1980VinylCotillionSD 5224
    1997CDRhino72625[14]

    Notes and References

    1. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn. The Billboard Albums: Includes Every Album That Made the Billboard 200 Chart. 20 January 2011. 2007. Record Research Inc. 963. 978-0-89820-166-6. 5 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231105191600/https://books.google.com/books?id=5jQ5AQAAIAAJ&q=%22stone+jam%22+%22slave%22. live.
    2. General News. 1 August 1981. Billboard. 6. 20 January 2011. 5 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231105191600/https://books.google.com/books?id=ASQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22stone+jam%22+%22slave%22&pg=PT5#v=snippet&q=%22stone%20jam%22%20%22slave%22&f=false. live.
    3. Web site: Slave Slave. RIAA - Gold & Platinum Database. 20 January 2011.
    4. Web site: Slave - Stone Jam Album Reviews, Songs & More. Henderson. Alex. AllMusic. 1 December 2022. 5 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231105191601/https://www.allmusic.com/album/stone-jam-mw0000592895. live.
    5. Web site: Billboard singles: Stone Jam. Allmusic. 20 January 2011. 5 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231105192109/https://www.allmusic.com/album/stone-jam-mw0000592895. live.
    6. News: Sweeney . Bev . Records . The Morning Call . 13 Dec 1980 . Weekender . 67.
    7. Web site: Rap 'n' Roll. Rasen. Edward. May 1985. Spin. 27. 20 January 2011. 5 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231105192103/https://books.google.com/books?id=9ugCQfxwym0C&q=%22stone+jam%22+%22slave%22&pg=PA27#v=snippet&q=%22stone%20jam%22%20%22slave%22&f=false. live.
    8. Year End-Pop. 26 December 1981. Billboard. YE–8. 20 January 2011. 4 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231104062127/https://books.google.com/books?id=BCQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%2299.+stone+jam%22+%22slave%22&pg=PT59. live.
    9. Year End-Soul. 26 December 1981. Billboard. YE–28. 20 January 2011. 4 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231104062129/https://books.google.com/books?id=BCQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%227.+stone+jam%22+%22slave%22&pg=PT79. live.
    10. Web site: '80s Rewind: Rap Songs that Sample Hits from the 1980s\. BET. 10 December 2014. 16 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141216062631/http://www.bet.com/music/photos/2014/08/80s-rewind-rap-songs-that-sample-1980s-hits.html#!092813-shows-hha-2013-show-highlights-snoop-dogg-lion-uncle-performs. live.
    11. Web site: 10 Years Later: How Pharrell Revived Snoop Dogg's Career With 'R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece'. Kimble. Julian. 20 November 2014. Vibe. 10 December 2014. 29 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141129142859/http://www.vibe.com/article/10-years-later-how-pharrell-revived-snoop-doggs-career-rg-rhythm-gangsta-masterpiece. live.
    12. Web site: Billboard albums: Stone Jam. Allmusic. 20 January 2011. 5 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231105192103/https://www.allmusic.com/album/stone-jam-mw0000592895. live.
    13. Web site: Slave Stone Jam. RIAA - Gold & Platinum Database. 20 January 2011.
    14. Web site: Overview: Stone Jam. Allmusic. 20 January 2011. 11 December 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101211082638/http://allmusic.com/album/stone-jam-r49520. live.

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