Slow Hand

Slow Hand is a ballad written by John Bettis and Michael Clark and recorded by The Pointer Sisters. It was first released in the spring of 1981 as the advance single for Black & White.

Background/ Impact

Although its sultry style recalls the Pointer Sisters' first Top Ten hit: the 1978 #2 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] Like "Fire" - which also featured Anita Pointer on lead - "Slow Hand" peaked at #2 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 #7 on the R&B chart. The Pointer Sisters' best Hot 100 showing would remain #2 throughout their career.

"Slow Hand" also afforded the Pointer Sisters international success, including the first appearance by the group in the UK Top 30 with a #10 peak.

The track was ranked in the top 25 best singles of the year by the prestigious Village Voice jazz & pop poll, demonstrating music critics' appreciation of the track.

"Slow Hand" was not the first song recorded by the sisters to have a country feel. In 1974 the group wrote and recorded the breakthrough track Fairytale.

Chart performance

Chart (1981)	Peak position
Australian Kent Music Report	5
Canadian RPM Top Singles	2
Dutch Top 40	33
French singles chart	55
Irish singles chart	2
New Zealand RIANZ singles	6
UK singles chart	10
US Billboard Hot 100	2
US Billboard R&B chart	7
US Billboard Adult Contemporary	6

Personnel

Lead vocals by Anita Pointer
Background vocals by Ruth Pointer and June Pointer
Produced by Richard Perry
Written by John Bettis & James Bruce Clark (ASCAP listing)

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

Released

1982

Genre

Country

Length

2:56

Label

Elektra

Writer(s)

Michael Clark, John Bettis

Producer(s)

Jimmy Bowen, Conway Twitty

Conway Twitty singles chronology

"The Clown"
(1981)

"Slow Hand"
(1982)

"Over Thirty (Not Over the Hill)"
(1982)

The song was covered in 1982 by country singer Conway Twitty. 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.

Chart performance

Chart (1982)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	6

Modestep version

The song was covered in 2013 by dubstep and hard rock group, Modestep. It was included in their debut album Evolution Theory.

References

↑ Billboard vol 93 #33 (22 August 1981) p.

External links

Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Preceded by "For All the Wrong Reasons" by The Bellamy Brothers	Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single June 19-June 26, 1982	Succeeded by "Any Day Now" by Ronnie Milsap

v t e The Pointer Sisters

Anita Pointer Ruth Pointer Sadako Johnson Bonnie Pointer June Pointer Issa Pointer

Studio albums	The Pointer Sisters That's a Plenty Steppin' Having a Party Energy Priority Special Things Black & White So Excited! Break Out Contact Hot Together Serious Slammin' Right Rhythm Only Sisters Can Do That

Live albums	Live at the Opera House

Compilation albums	The Best of the Pointer Sisters

Singles	"Yes We Can Can" "Wang Dang Doodle" "Steam Heat" "Fairytale" "How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick on the Side)" "Fire" "He's So Shy" "Slow Hand" "I'm So Excited" "Automatic" "Jump (for My Love)" "Neutron Dance" "Dare Me"

Related topics	Discography

Book:The Pointer Sisters

v t e Conway Twitty

Studio albums	Sings Saturday Night with Conway Twitty Lonely Blue Boy House on Old Lonesome Road Crazy in Love Even Now Final Touches

Collaboration albums	We Only Make Believe Lead Me On Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man Country Partners Dynamic Duo

Compilation albums	25 Number Ones

Notable singles	"It's Only Make Believe" "Mona Lisa" "Danny Boy" "Next in Line" "I Love You More Today" "To See My Angel Cry" "Hello Darlin'" "Fifteen Years Ago" "How Much More Can She Stand" "I Can't See Me Without You" "(Lost Her Love) On Our Last Date" "I Can't Stop Loving You" "She Needs Someone to Hold Her (When She Cries)" "You've Never Been This Far Before" "There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)" "I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" "I See the Want To in Your Eyes" "Linda on My Mind" "Touch the Hand" "This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me" "After All the Good Is Gone" "The Games That Daddies Play" "I Can't Believe She Gives It All to Me" "Play Guitar Play" "I've Already Loved You in My Mind" "Georgia Keeps Pulling on My Ring" "Boogie Grass Band" "Your Love Had Taken Me That High" "Don't Take It Away" "I May Never Get to Heaven" "Happy Birthday Darlin'" "I'd Love to Lay You Down" "Rest Your Love on Me" "Tight Fittin' Jeans" "Red Neckin' Love Makin' Night" "The Clown" "Slow Hand" "We Did But Now You Don't" "The Rose" "Lost in the Feeling" "Heartache Tonight" "Three Times a Lady" "Somebody's Needin' Somebody" "I Don't Know a Thing About Love (The Moon Song)" "Ain't She Somethin' Else" "Don't Call Him a Cowboy" "Between Blue Eyes and Jeans" "Desperado Love" "Fallin' for You for Years" "Julia" "I Want to Know You Before We Make Love" "That's My Job" "Goodbye Time" "Saturday Night Special" "I Wish I Was Still in Your Dreams" "She's Got a Single Thing in Mind" "House on Old Lonesome Road" "Crazy in Love" "I Couldn't See You Leavin'" "Rainy Night in Georgia"

Collaboration singles	"After the Fire Is Gone" "Lead Me On" "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man" "Feelins'" "The Letter (Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn song)" "I Can't Love You Enough" "Making Believe"

Related articles	Discography Discography with Loretta Lynn MGM Records Decca Records MCA Records Elektra Records Warner Bros. Records

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.