Commodores - Slippery When Wet / The Bump

Year Released: 1975
Genre: Funk / Soul / Disco-Funk

Description:

Released on Motown Records in 1975, “Slippery When Wet” captures the Commodores at the peak of their early funk phase — raw, tight, and bursting with groove before their later shift toward smoother soul ballads. Featuring Lionel Richie and William King in the lineup, the track is driven by a muscular bassline, crisp horn stabs, and infectious call-and-response vocals, making it a dance floor favorite in the mid-1970s.

The B-side, “The Bump,” complements the funk intensity with a rhythm tailor-made for the popular dance craze of the same name.

“Slippery When Wet” has enjoyed a long life in sampling culture — most famously sampled by The Beastie Boys on “Hold It Now, Hit It” (1986) and by Public Enemy on “Night of the Living Baseheads” (1988), both of which drew from its distinctive horn and rhythm breaks.

The single remains a cornerstone of mid-70s Motown funk: sharp, propulsive, and deeply influential on early hip-hop’s breakbeat DNA.