Ohio was an absolute hotbed of funk in the late ’60s and 1970s, producing the Ohio Players (of course), Zapp, Bootsy Collins’ Rubber Band, and more. Slave, formed by trumpeter Steve Washington and trombonist Floyd Miller in 1975, were one of the hottest, tightest funk bands to come out of the state, and their debut album was hardcore funk, with only one ballad, “The Happiest Days,” give the listener a rest. The opening track, “Slide,” featured taut horn charts, a simple chant, and extended hard rock guitar soloing from Mark “Drac” Hicks; songs like “Screw Your Wig On Tite,” “Party Hardy,” and “Son Of Slide” (an instrumental reprise of the single) were high-energy showcases for the band’s ferocious musical power.