"Slide" is a song by Scottish pop band The Big Dish, which was released in 1986 as the second single from their debut studio album ''

Swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

''. The song was written by Steven Lindsay and produced by Ian Ritchie. With its original 1986 release, "Slide" failed to reach the top 100 of the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, stalling at number 147. A reissue saw the single peak at number 86 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1987.

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Larry Williams and produced by

Leslie Libman Leslie Libman is an American television director. She also directed Television advertisement, commercials and music videos. Television work Since 1995 she works primarily as a TV director on a number of television series, most notably directing ...

and Francine Moore. It achieved light rotation on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

Critical reception

On its release as a single, Jerry Smith of ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' described "Slide" as "another well written number, but although polished and worthy of attention, does lack the pop dynamics of their two previous, brilliant, singles". He described the Big Dish as "promising" and "certainly a band to watch for in the future". Paul Benbow of the ''

Reading Evening Post The ''Reading Post'' (until 2009, the ''Reading Evening Post'') was an English local newspaper covering Reading, Berkshire and surrounding areas. The title page of the paper featured the Maiwand Lion, a famous local landmark at Forbury Gardens. Th ...

'' considered the song to be "big production pop just right for Radio 1". Paul Massey of the ''

Aberdeen Evening Express The ''Evening Express'' is a daily local newspaper serving the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. History It was first published in November 1879. It was a tabloid during the 1930s to the 1950s until it resumed as a broadsheet in November 1958, six da ...

'' stated, "One of the UK's most underrated bands come up with another song that reaches out and demands attention: rather mournful but deserving of success." As the band's US debut single, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' wrote, "Highly touted Scottish band offers a graceful reworking of the "

Everybody Wants to Rule the World "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears. It was written by Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, and Chris Hughes and produced by Hughes. The song was first released on 22 March 1985 by Phonogram, Mercury, ...

" groove, with attractive baritone vocal, tidy arrangement, and soaring chorus." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' considered "Slide" to be an "emotionally rendered pop song with jazzy overtones" and a "promising debut". In a review of ''Swimmer'', Brant Houston of the ''

Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven ...

'' described "Slide" as a track that "provides big, open sound for a summer's day of lounging on the lawn".

Track listing

;7" single #"Slide" – 3:58 #"Reverend Killer" – 3:59 ;7" single (US promo) #"Slide" (Edit) – 3:58 #"Slide" (Edit) – 3:58 ;12" single #"Slide" (Extended Version) – 5:58 #"Reverend Killer" – 3:59 #"Presence" – 3:38 ;12" single (US promo) #"Slide" (LP Version) – 5:06 #"Slide" (Edit) – 3:58

Personnel

The Big Dish * Steven Lindsay – vocals, guitar, keyboards * Brian McFie – lead guitar, second guitar * Raymond Docherty – bass Production * Ian Ritchie – producer and programming on "Slide" *

Chris Sheldon Chris Sheldon (born 25 September 1962) is an English record producer, particularly of rock music based in London, England. He has produced or mixed records for the Foo Fighters, Garbage, Big Country, Feeder, Therapy?, Biffy Clyro, Oceansize, Pix ...

– engineer on "Slide" and "Reverend Killer" *

Paul Hardiman Paul Hardiman is a British record producer. He worked with Lloyd Cole and the Commotions (on their debut ''Rattlesnakes'') and Lloyd Cole's solo career. His other production credits include Chris de Burgh's most commercially successful albums '' ...

– producer on "Reverend Killer" *

Glyn Johns Glyn Thomas Johns (born 15 February 1942) is an English musician, recording engineer and record producer. Biography Early history Johns was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. He had three siblings, two older sisters and a younger brother, Andy ...

– producer on "Presence" Other * Gary Wathen – art direction * Red Ranch – design * Heather Angel – photography

Charts

References

{{authority control 1986 songs 1986 singles Virgin Records singles