
The Electric Slide is a four-wall line dance that was choreographed by Richard L. Ric Silver to the song Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths and Bunny Wailer. Silver claims to have created the 22-step dance in 1976, though there is some controversy surrounding the creation year. The dance became extremely popular, especially in the 1980s, and has several variations, including the Freeze, Cowboy Motion, and Cowboy Boogie.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of dance | Line dance |
| Number of walls | Four |
| Choreographer | Richard L. "Ric" Silver |
| Year of creation | 1976 (disputed) |
| Number of steps in original choreography | 22 |
| Number of steps in Freeze variation | 16 |
| Number of steps in Cowboy Motion variation | 24 |
| Number of steps in Cowboy Boogie variation | 24 |
| Number of steps in Electric Slide 2 variation | 18 |
| Year Electric Slide 2 variation became popular | 1989 |
| Year of song "Electric Boogie" | 1982 |
| Songwriters | Livingston aka Bunny Wailer, Marcia Griffiths |
| Song "Electric Boogie" inspired by | "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant |
| Song "Electric Boogie" about | Positive vibrations (disputed) |
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What You'll Learn

The Electric Slide is a line dance
The song "Electric Boogie," also known as "The Electric Slide," was written by Bunny Wailer in 1982. The song was inspired by Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue," released the same year. Wailer and Griffiths experimented with a rhythm box that Griffiths had purchased, and the song came about spontaneously. Griffiths has emphasized the innocent and fun nature of the song, stating that it was not related to anything sexual.
Despite its popularity, there has been some controversy surrounding the Electric Slide. In 2007, Silver filed DMCA-based takedown notices to YouTube users who posted videos of people performing the 18-step variation of the dance. This led to a lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on behalf of videographer Kyle Machulis, seeking to protect Machulis's free speech rights. The lawsuit was settled, with Silver agreeing to license the Electric Slide under a Creative Commons noncommercial license.
In addition to the dance and song, "The Electric Slide" is also the name of an iconic song by Bunny Wailer. The song sparked rumors that it was about a vibrator, with some interpreting the lyrics as suggestive: "It's Electric! You can't see it, It's electric! You gotta feel it, It's electric! Ooh, it's shakin." However, these rumors were denied by Wailer, who stated that the song was inspired by Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue."
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The Electric Slide is a song
"The Electric Slide" is a song written by Bunny Wailer, aka Livingston or Neville Livingston. It was written in response to hearing the Eddy Grant song "Electric Avenue" in 1982. The song is strongly associated with the Electric Slide line dance and has become a celebratory staple. The dance was choreographed by Richard L. "Ric" Silver, who claims to have created it in 1976, although there is some controversy regarding the creation year.
The song was performed by Marcia Griffiths and Bunny Wailer and was written and recorded for the first time in December 1982. It held the Jamaican Christmas Number One spot and has been described as an 80s hit. There are several variations of the dance that goes with the song, including the Freeze (16-step), Cowboy Motion (24-step), Cowboy Boogie (24-step), and the Electric Slide 2 (18-step). The 18-step variation became popular in 1989 and was listed as the number-one dance in the world by Linedancer Magazine for ten years.
The song includes the lyrics: "It's electric! You can't see it, it's electric! You gotta feel it, it's electric! Ooh, it's shakin' it's electric!". There have been rumours that the song is about a vibrator, with some claiming that Livingston was inspired to write it after a girlfriend told him she didn't need him because she had a vibrator called the "Electric Slide". However, Livingston has denied these rumours, stating that the song was inspired by Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue". Griffiths has also denied the rumours, stating that the song is about "positive vibrations, not vibrators".
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The Electric Slide is rumoured to be about a vibrator
The Electric Slide is a four-wall line dance that was choreographed by Richard L. "Ric" Silver in 1976. It is set to the song "Electric Boogie" (also known as "The Electric Slide"), written by Bunny Wailer and performed by Wailer and Marcia Griffiths. The song was written in 1982 after Wailer heard Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue".
The song "The Electric Slide" is rumoured to be about a vibrator. Sources claim that Livingston, aka Bunny Wailer, was inspired to write the song after a girlfriend told him she didn't need him because she had a vibrator called the "Electric Slide". This rumour is based on an interpretation of the song's lyrics, such as "It's electric!/You can't see it/It's electric!/You gotta feel it/It's electric!/Ooh, it's shakin'".
However, this interpretation has been disputed by several sources. Firstly, the songwriter of "Electric Slide" denied the rumours. Secondly, the singer Marcia Griffiths, who performed on the song, also denied the rumour, stating that the song was about "positive vibrations, not vibrators". She added that when she called Wailer to find out what was going on, he had no idea about the rumour. Finally, in an interview with the Jamaica Gleaner, Wailer noted that the song was inspired by "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant and made no mention of vibrators.
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The Electric Slide dance has 22 steps
The Electric Slide is a four-wall line dance. Choreographer and dancer Richard L. "Ric" Silver claims he created the dance in 1976, setting it to Marcia Griffiths and Bunny Wailer's song "Electric Boogie". The original choreography of the dance has 22 steps, but there are several variations, including the Freeze (16-step), Cowboy Motion (24-step), Cowboy Boogie (24-step), and the Electric Slide 2 (18-step). The 18-step variation became popular in 1989 and was listed as the number-one dance in the world by Linedancer Magazine for ten years.
The Electric Slide is typically danced in two lines facing each other, with the dancers circling each other. Silver has been protective of his choreography, filing DMCA-based takedown notices in 2007 to YouTube users who posted videos of people performing the 18-step variation. He also reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on behalf of videographer Kyle Machulis, agreeing to license the Electric Slide under a Creative Commons noncommercial license.
The song "Electric Boogie", which inspired the dance, has sparked rumours about its lyrics. Some sources claim that Livingston, aka Bunny Wailer, wrote the song after a girlfriend left him for her vibrator, which was named the "Electric Slide". However, Bunny Wailer has denied these rumours, stating that they are based on interpretations of the song's lyrics.
The Electric Slide dance, with its original 22 steps, remains a popular and iconic part of pop culture, often associated with parties and social gatherings.
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The Electric Slide song was written by Bunny Wailer
The Electric Slide is a four-wall line dance. Choreographer and dancer Richard L. Silver claims to have created the dance in 1976 after hearing a demo of the song "Electric Boogie". The Electric Slide is often associated with the song "Electric Boogie", written and recorded by Bunny Wailer (born Neville O'Riley Livingston) in 1976. The song was performed by Marcia Griffiths, a Jamaican musician, and was released in December 1982. It held the Jamaican Christmas Number One spot and became a celebratory staple.
The song "Electric Boogie" was written in response to Eddy Grant's song "Electric Avenue", which was also released in 1982. Bunny Wailer, a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist, wrote the song after he and Griffiths experimented with a rhythm box that Griffiths had purchased earlier that year. Griffiths has said that the song was made out of innocent fun and has denied that it had any sexual connotations.
The Electric Slide dance has several variations, but the original choreography has 22 steps. Some variants include the Freeze (16-step), Cowboy Motion (24-step), Cowboy Boogie (24-step), and the Electric Slide 2 (18-step). The 18-step variation became popular in 1989 and was considered the number-one dance in the world by "Linedancer Magazine" for ten years.
In 2007, Silver filed DMCA-based takedown notices to YouTube users who posted videos of people performing the 18-step variation of the dance. This led to a lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on behalf of videographer Kyle Machulis against Silver, asking the court to protect Machulis's free speech rights in recording a few steps of the dance for a documentary. The lawsuit was settled, with Silver agreeing to license the Electric Slide under a Creative Commons noncommercial license.
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Frequently asked questions
The Electric Slide is a four-wall line dance.
Choreographer and dancer Richard L. "Ric" Silver claims to have created the dance in 1976.
The dance is set to Marcia Griffiths and Bunny Wailer's song "Electric Boogie", written in 1982.
The original choreography has 22 steps, but there are several variations, including the Freeze (16-step), Cowboy Motion (24-step), and Electric Slide 2 (18-step).
































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