"Float On" is a 1977
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetit ...
by the
R&B/
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...
group
The Floaters
The Floaters were an American R&B vocal group, from the Sojourner Truth housing projects in Detroit, Michigan, that formed in 1976. The group are best known for their 1977 song " Float On", which reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ...
.
The spoken verses combine two popular trends from the time,
star signs and
video and phone dating, in lines such as ''Aquarius and my name is Ralph / Now I like a woman who loves her freedom''. The song was co-written by James Mitchell of
The Detroit Emeralds
The Detroit Emeralds are an American R&B/soul vocal group, best known in the early 1970s. They enjoyed a run of successful records in the decade including their 1973 transatlantic hit single, " Feel the Need in Me".
Career
"The Emeralds" were ...
group.
Released from their
self-titled debut album, it became one of the biggest
singles of the year, spending six weeks at
number one
Number One most commonly refers to:
* 1 (number)
Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song
* ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song
* ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC
* ''n.1 ...
on the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
Hot Soul Singles
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
chart. "Float On" was also a crossover hit, peaking at number two on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 behind
Andy Gibb
Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer, songwriter, and actor. He was the younger brother of Barry, Robin and Maurice, who went on to form the Bee Gees.
Gibb came to prominence in the late 1970s through th ...
's "
I Just Want to Be Your Everything
"I Just Want to Be Your Everything" is a song recorded by Andy Gibb, initially released in April 1977 as the first single from his debut album ''Flowing Rivers''. It reached number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for three weeks, starting on the ...
" and
The Emotions
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
' "
Best of My Love", but with no other Hot 100 hits, The Floaters became a
one-hit wonder on that chart. "Float On" also reached number one on 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 ...
,
and number five on the
Irish Singles Chart.
Stetsasonic
Stetsasonic is an American hip hop band. Formed in 1981 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, Stetsasonic was one of the first hip hop acts to perform with a full band and use live instrumentation in their recordings, paving the way for future ...
covered the song on its album ''
In Full Gear
''In Full Gear'' is the second studio album by American hip hop band Stetsasonic, released in 1988 by Tommy Boy Records.
Music and lyrics
''In Full Gear'' is a double album that draws on various influences in its hip hop style, including R ...
'' (1988). The song was adapted in the early 1990s to advertise
Cadbury's Crème Eggs. A song from
Dream Warriors' 1996 album ''
The Master Plan'', also titled "Float On", sampled multiple elements of the 1977 song.
Full Force
Full Force is an American music group of hip hop and R&B singers and producers from Brooklyn, New York.
Members
*B-Fine (Brian George) - drums and drum programming, backing vocals
*Shy Shy (Hugh Junior Clark) - bass guitar, backing vocal ...
released their own version in 2001.
Parodies
The track became a source of parody. Artists who recorded a spoof include:
* English comedy band
The Barron Knights
The Barron Knights are a British humorous pop rock group, originally formed in 1959 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire,Colin Larkin, ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music'', (Muze UK Ltd, 1997), ), p. 32 as the Knights of the Round Table.
C ...
on their 1977 UK hit single "Live in Trouble".
*
Cheech & Chong
Cheech & Chong are a comedy duo consisting of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. The duo found commercial and cultural success in the 1970s and 1980s with their stand-up routines, studio recordings, and feature films, which were based on the hippie a ...
on their 1977 US hit single "Bloat On".
* The characters from Sesame Street, David (Northern Calloway), Bob (Bob McGrath), Gordon (Roscoe Orman) and Luis (Emilio Delgado) did a style parody of the song called "Gimmie Five".
Charts
See also
*
List of number-one R&B singles of 1977 (U.S.)
References
External links
*
Song Reviewon the
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
website
1977 singles
Number-one singles in New Zealand
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
1977 songs
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