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| "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 | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | 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 stated that "the Pointer Sisters were the furthest [act] from [the composers'] minds."[2] 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'."[3] Like "Fire"—which also featured Anita Pointer on lead—"Slow Hand" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, for three 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.[4] "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
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[16] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
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 | |||
| Songwriters | Michael Clark, John Bettis | |||
| Producers | 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 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.[17]
Weekly charts
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[18] | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 6 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1982) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[19] | 20 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[20] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Molanphy, Chris (June 16, 2023). "Yes We Can Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Slow Hand : The Pointer Sisters". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. January 4, 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
- ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1981/Top 100 Songs of 1981". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
- ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1981". Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Pointer Sisters – Slow Hand". Radioscope. Retrieved September 5, 2025. Type Slow Hand in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1982". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ "American single certifications – Conway Twitty – Slow Hand". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
