Slow Hand
{{Short description|1981 single by The Pointer Sisters}}
{{About|the Pointer Sisters song|the Eric Clapton album|Slowhand|other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2009}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Slow Hand
| cover = Slowhand.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Pointer Sisters
| album = Black & White
| B-side = Holdin' Out for Love
| released = May 1981
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{flat list|
- Soul{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2023/06/how-the-pointer-sisters-made-harmonies-exciting|title= Yes We Can Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=Slate|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date=June 16, 2023|access-date=July 1, 2023}}
- R&B
- Yacht rock
}}
| length = 3:53
| label = Planet
| writer = {{flat list|
- Michael Clark
- John Bettis
}}
| producer = Richard Perry
| prev_title = Where Did the Time Go
| prev_year = 1980
| next_title = What a Surprise
| next_year = 1981
}}
"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 stated that "the Pointer Sisters were the furthest [act] from [the composers'] minds."Billboard vol. 93 #33 (August 22, 1981) p. However producer Richard Perry said he "knew 'Slow Hand' [would be] an instant smash [hit]...that...would recapitulate and expand on the intimacy [of] 'Fire'."Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction Colorado) 13 November 1981 "The Pointer Sisters' Sound: a musical evolution" by Abe Peck p. 16 (The Entertainer) 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=pointer+sisters#search_section|title=RIAA searchable certification database: Pointer Sisters|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America|access-date=December 26, 2020}} "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.
Personnel
The Pointer Sisters
- Anita Pointer – lead vocals
- June Pointer – backing vocals
- Ruth Pointer – backing vocals
Musicians
- John Barnes – electric piano
- William "Smitty" Smith – organ
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar
- Tim May – guitar
- Nathan Watts – bass
- John Robinson – drums
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion
Charts
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{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
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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
{{Infobox song
| name = Slow Hand
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Conway Twitty
| album = Southern Comfort
| B-side = When Love Was Something Else
| released = April 24, 1982
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Country
| length = 2:56
| label = Elektra
| writer = Michael Clark, John Bettis
| producer = Jimmy Bowen, Conway Twitty
| prev_title = The Clown
| prev_year = 1981
| next_title = Over Thirty (Not Over the Hill)
| next_year = 1982
}}
The song was covered in April 1982 by country singer Conway Twitty with minor lyric changes to accommodate a 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, and his last gold record.{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=362}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
!align="left"|Chart (1982) !align="center"|Peak |
| {{singlechart|Billboardcountrysongs|1|artist=Conway Twitty}} |
| align="left"|Canadian RPM Country Tracks
| 6 |
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1982) !Position |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1982/hot-country-songs|title=Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1982|magazine=Billboard|access-date=June 23, 2021}}
|align="center"|20 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Pointer Sisters}}
{{Conway Twitty}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:The Pointer Sisters songs
Category:Songs with lyrics by John Bettis
Category:Songs written by Michael Clark (songwriter)
Category:Song recordings produced by Jimmy Bowen
Category:Song recordings produced by Richard Perry