Solid (song)

"Solid" is a song recorded by husband-and-wife songwriting duo Ashford & Simpson. It was featured on their album Solid (1984), and released as a single in November of that year.

"Solid"
Single by Ashford & Simpson
from the album Solid
B-side"Solid (Dub version)"
ReleasedNovember 9, 1984
Format
  • 7" vinyl
  • 12" vinyl
Recorded1984
GenreR&B, soul, boogie
Length5:12 (album version)
3:46 (single version)
3:21 (radio edit)
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
Producer(s)Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
Ashford & Simpson singles chronology
"I'm Not That Tough"
(1984)		 "Solid"
(1984)		 "Babies"
(1985)

Song Background

The song was written by the duo and follows a similar template of most of their hits for other artists, except with a slight 1980s inflection to the music. In the lyrics, the narrators of the song celebrate the fact that, through all the difficulties and problems their relationship has faced, they made their love stronger by learning how to forgive and trust each other, and their love for one another remains "solid as a rock".

Music video

The video is set on a rainy afternoon in a park. Valerie Simpson exits a taxi in a park on a cloudy day, and escapes from a sudden downpour underneath a bridge. As she sings the opening of the song a cappella, Nick Ashford arrives and joins in. As the video progresses, they are joined by others, including a cyclist in yellow spandex, a gang who just want to sing, and several bongo players, also trying to escape the downpour.[1]

Personnel
  • Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson – vocals
  • Sid McGinnis – guitar
  • Francisco Centeno – bass
  • Valerie Simpson – synthesizers
  • Ed Walsh – synthesizer programming
  • Chris Parker – drums
  • Jimmy Simpson – percussion
  • Vinny Della Rocca, Michael Brecker – saxophone
  • Joe Mosello – trumpet
  • Ashford & Simpson, Ray Simpson, Ullanda McCullough, Vivian Cherry – backing vocals
  • Tim Cox - Recording Engineer

Filming location

The video is shot in New York City in Central Park at the Willowdell Arch (40°46′12″N 73°58′16.4″W).

Charts
Chart (1984/85) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 21
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] 4
Canada Top Singles (RPM) [4] 5
Germany (Official German Charts)[5] 2
Ireland (IRMA) 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[6] 3
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[8] 13
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[9] 3
UK Singles Chart[10] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 12
Year-end chart (1985)Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[12] 80

In other media
  • The song was featured during the closing credits of the 208th episode of Santa Barbara from 20 May 1985.[13][14]
  • The song also featured in an episode of the sitcom Arrested Development, where it is ironically played at the opening ceremony of a new house, which is almost instantaneously knocked down.
  • In 2009, Ashford & Simpson remade the song in honor of President Barack Obama, calling it "Solid (As Barack)".[15]

References
  1. music video in Dailymotion.com
  2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. "Austriancharts.at – Ashford & Simpson – Solid" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  4. "RPM Weekly Top Singles - March 9, 1985 (Volume 41, No. 26)". Library and Archives Canada. RPM Weekly (archived). March 9, 1985. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  6. "Dutchcharts.nl – Ashford & Simpson – Solid" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  7. "Charts.nz – Ashford & Simpson – Solid". Top 40 Singles.
  8. "Swedishcharts.com – Ashford & Simpson – Solid". Singles Top 100.
  9. "Swisscharts.com – Ashford & Simpson – Solid". Swiss Singles Chart.
  10. "Ashford & Simpson – Solid – Official Singles Charts". UK Singles Chart. November 17, 1984. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  11. "Ashford & Simpson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  12. "1985 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 97 no. 52. December 28, 1985. p. T-21.
  13. http://santabarbara-online.com/Episode200-209.htm
  14. http://santabarbara-online.com/Calendar1985.htm
  15. Vozick-Levinson, Simon (January 16, 2009). "'Solid (As Barack)': Ashford & Simpson finally catch up on their DVR-ed 'SNL' episodes". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 26, 2013.



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