Slave were proof positive that a band could be both raw and slick and exemplify funk regardless of the approach. Along with predecessors and contemporaries such as and , the group built the reputation of their hometown Dayton, Ohio, as fertile ground for funk. As unique as any of their neighbors, Slave were distinguished foremost by the slithering and melodic basslines of Mark Adams, a key ingredient from the opening of the band's hit debut single, "Slide," an R&B chart-topper and Top 40 crossover smash that sent the parent LP Slave (1977) to gold certification. Another crucial component was the spirited and energizing force of drummer-turned-frontman , voice of the similarly everlasting Top Ten R&B hits "Just a Touch of Love," "Watching You," and "Snap Shot." Slave began to splinter around the time they released their second gold album, Stone Jam (1980), first with , established by founding member and trumpeter Steve Washington, and continuing with Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame. Slave nonetheless continued with founding members such as Adams, , and Danny Webster holding them together through their final studio efforts in the mid-'90s. By the time Slave were through, the band had amassed ten charting studio albums and twice the number of charting singles.