| "Slow Hand" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Pointer Sisters | ||||
| from the album Black & White | ||||
| B-side | "Holdin' Out For Love" | |||
| Released | May 1981 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:53 | |||
| Label | Planet | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Richard Perry | |||
| The Pointer Sisters singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Slow Hand" is a song recorded by American vocal group The Pointer Sisters for their eighth studio album Black & White (1981). The song, written by Michael Clark and John Bettis, was released by the Planet label in May 1981 as the lead single from Black & White.
Background and impact
Although its sultry style recalls the Pointer Sisters' first American top-ten hit, the 1978 number two hit "Fire", "Slow Hand" was not written for the group; in fact John Bettis would state "the Pointer Sisters were the furthest [act] from [the composers'] minds."[1] However producer Richard Perry (Richard Perry quote:)"knew 'Slow Hand' [would be] an instant smash [hit]...that...would recapitulate and expand on the intimacy [of] 'Fire'."[2] Like "Fire"—which also featured Anita Pointer on lead—"Slow Hand" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, for 3 weeks, behind "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. "Slow Hand" reached that position in August 1981 when it also reached number seven on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In September 1981, the single was certified Gold by the RIAA.[3] "Slow Hand" was ranked in the top 25 best singles of the year by The Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll.
"Slow Hand" also afforded the Pointer Sisters international success, including the first appearance by the group in the top-ten on the UK Singles Chart.
"Slow Hand" was not the first song recorded by the sisters to have a country feel. In 1974, the group wrote and recorded their second US top 20 hit "Fairytale".
Credits and personnel
- Anita Pointer – lead vocals
- June Pointer – background vocals
- Ruth Pointer – background vocals
- Richard Perry – producer
- Michael Clark – writer
- John Bettis – writer
Charts
Del Reeves version
The song was covered in 1981 by country singer Del Reeves, whose version peaked at #53 on the Hot Country Singles chart.
Conway Twitty version
| "Slow Hand" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Conway Twitty | ||||
| from the album Southern Comfort | ||||
| B-side | "When Love Was Something Else" | |||
| Released | April 24, 1982 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:56 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Michael Clark, John Bettis | |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Bowen, Conway Twitty | |||
| Conway Twitty singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song was covered in April 1982 by country singer Conway Twitty with minor lyric changes to accommodate a heterosexual male singer. His version, on Elektra Records, topped the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart for two weeks that June, and was his last multi-week number-one song.[13]
Charts
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[14] | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 6 |
References
- ^ Billboard vol. 93 #33 (August 22, 1981) p.
- ^ Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction Colorado) 13 November 1981 "The Pointer Sisters' Sound: a musical evolution" by Abe Peck p. 16 (The Entertainer)
- ^ "RIAA searchable certification database: Pointer Sisters". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 235. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 194.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 465.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, September 5, 1981". Archived from the original on June 3, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4689&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062
- ^ http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/?chart=3870
- ^ Musicoutfitters.com
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 362.
- ^ "Conway Twitty Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
External links
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics