
The Electric Slide is a four-wall line dance created by choreographer and dancer Richard L. Ric Silver in 1976. It was set to the song Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths and Bunny Wailer, written and first recorded in 1982. The song is rumoured to be about a vibrator, with some claiming that Bunny Wailer wrote it after his girlfriend left him for her vibrator, which she nicknamed the Electric Slide. However, Wailer has denied this rumour, stating that the song was inspired by Eddy Grant's Electric Avenue.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the dance | The Electric (Electric Slide) |
| Type of dance | Four wall line dance |
| Choreographer | Richard L. "Ric" Silver |
| Year of creation | 1976 (claimed by Silver) |
| Song used in the dance | "Electric Boogie" by Marcia Griffiths and Bunny Wailer |
| Year of song creation | 1982 |
| Songwriter | Bunny Wailer |
| Song inspiration | Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue" |
| Song meaning | Rumored to be about a vibrator |
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What You'll Learn

The origins of the Electric Slide dance
The Electric Slide, also known as The Electric, is a four-wall line dance. Choreographer and dancer Richard L. "Ric" Silver claims to have created the dance in 1976. The dance's popularity is often attributed to its pairing with the song "Electric Boogie" by Marcia Griffiths and Bunny Wailer, which was written and first recorded in December 1982. However, there is some controversy surrounding the creation year of the dance, with Silver claiming he received a demo of "Electric Boogie" in 1976, which inspired his choreography.
The original choreography of the Electric Slide consists of 22 steps, but several variations have emerged over the years, including the Freeze (16-step), Cowboy Motion (24-step), Cowboy Boogie (24-step), and the Electric Slide 2 (18-step). The 18-step variation, in particular, gained significant popularity in 1989 and was ranked as the number-one dance in the world by Linedancer Magazine for a decade.
The song "Electric Boogie" is said to have been written by Bunny Wailer (also known as Neville Livingston) in response to hearing the song "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant in 1982. The song was a collaborative effort between Wailer and Griffiths, who experimented with a rhythm box that Griffiths had purchased earlier that year. Griffiths has emphasised that the song was created for fun and has denied any sexual connotations.
Interestingly, there has been a long-standing rumour that "Electric Boogie" was actually about a vibrator. This rumour was seemingly confirmed in June 2018 when it was reported that Livingston had verified the song's subtext. However, the validity of this confirmation has been questioned, as it originated from an anonymous third party and not directly from Livingston himself, who has specifically denied the rumour.
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Bunny Wailer's song 'Electric Boogie'
Bunny Wailer's song "Electric Boogie" (also known as the "Electric Slide") is a dance song written by the reggae icon in response to hearing Eddy Grant's song "Electric Avenue" in 1982. The song, a fusion of reggae and hip-hop, was written in collaboration with singer Marcia Griffiths, who was one of Bob Marley's "I-Threes" singers. According to Griffiths, the song was created spontaneously when she and Wailer experimented with a rhythm box she had purchased in Toronto earlier that year.
"Electric Boogie" was first recorded in 1976, then re-recorded by Griffiths in 1983, and remixed in its most well-known form in 1989. The song was released in December 1982 and became a hit, holding the Jamaican Christmas Number One spot. It is strongly associated with the Electric Slide line dance, which was choreographed by Richard L. "Ric" Silver and became a dance phenomenon. The dance has 22 steps in its original choreography, but there are several variations, including the Freeze (16-step), Cowboy Motion (24-step), Cowboy Boogie (24-step), and Electric Slide 2 (18-step).
In 2018, an internet rumour surfaced that "Electric Boogie" was actually about a vibrator, with some claiming that the songwriter explained it was about his girlfriend leaving him for her new dildo, which she called the "electric slide". However, Bunny Wailer denied these claims, stating that the song was inspired only by Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue". He wrote a letter to EDM.com, expressing his offence at the rumour and stating that it tarnished his legacy and the reputation of the song.
The popularity of "Electric Boogie" and the associated "Electric Slide" dance has endured, with the song becoming a celebratory staple and the dance being listed by Linedancer Magazine as the number-one dance in the world for ten years.
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The song's alleged vibrator inspiration
The Electric Slide is a popular line dance that has been a staple at weddings, parties, and social events for decades. The dance is performed by individuals or groups and involves a sequence of steps that follow a specific pattern. It became a worldwide phenomenon, but the origins of the dance and the song that accompanies it have an interesting and somewhat controversial backstory.
The song that is commonly associated with the Electric Slide is "Electric Boogie" by Jamaican singer and songwriter Marcia Griffiths. Released in 1976, the upbeat and catchy tune has a bouncy, feel-good rhythm that perfectly complements the dance. However, the song's lyrics and inspiration are where things get intriguing.
"Electric Boogie" is allegedly inspired by the use of a vibrator. This interpretation comes from the song's suggestive lyrics, which make subtle but clear references to the sensations and experiences of using a vibrator. The song's chorus includes the lines "It's electric, boogie woogie, woogie / It's electric, and it's turning me on," suggesting a pleasure-inducing experience that is "turning her on."
The vibrator interpretation is further supported by other lyrics in the song, such as "I got my electric lover, and it's making me feel good / I got my electric lover, and it's doing everything it should." These lines explicitly mention a "lover" that is providing pleasure and satisfaction, which could be interpreted as a playful allusion to a vibrator.
This interpretation might seem unexpected for a song that has become so mainstream and is often played at family-friendly events. However, it adds a layer of intrigue to the history of the Electric Slide and "Electric Boogie." Whether intentional or not, the song's alleged vibrator inspiration has certainly contributed to its longevity and popularity, providing a fun and lighthearted twist to the well-loved dance phenomenon.
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The song's writer denies the vibrator claims
The Electric Slide, also known as Electric Boogie, is a dance song written by Bunny Wailer, aka Neville Livingston. The song was written in response to hearing the Eddy Grant song "Electric Avenue" in 1982.
In 2018, a rumour began circulating that the song was about a vibrator. According to the rumour, Livingston wrote the song after his girlfriend left him for her vibrator, which she nicknamed the "Electric Slide".
However, Livingston has denied these claims, stating that the song was inspired by "Electric Avenue" and nothing else. He noted that the rumour was based on little more than an interpretation of the song's lyrics. Marcia Griffiths, who performed on the song, also denied the rumour, stating that the song was about "positive vibrations, not vibrators".
Despite the denials, the rumour persisted, and some sources even claimed that Livingston had confirmed the subtext of the lyrics. However, these claims were never verified, and it appears that the story was invented to take advantage of a viral rumour.
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The Electric Slide's popularity in the 1990s
The Electric Slide, also known as "The Electric Boogie", is a dance song written by Bunny Wailer and performed by Marcia Griffiths. The song was written in 1982 and released in December of the same year. It was written in response to Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue", which was also released that year. The song has a strong association with the Electric Slide line dance, which was choreographed by Richard L. "Ric" Silver in 1976.
The Electric Slide dance gained popularity in the 1990s due to its setting to the song "Electric Boogie". The dance was originally choreographed with 22 steps, but an 18-step variation became popular in 1989 and remained popular throughout the 1990s. For ten years, it was listed by Linedancer Magazine as the number-one dance in the world.
The song and dance were so popular in the 1990s that they were played and performed at various events. One person reminisced about the song being "omnipresent at events" during that decade. The Electric Slide also intersected with the wave of pop-reggae and dancehall music that was gaining popularity in the United States during the early 1990s.
The Electric Slide dance is a four-wall line dance, typically performed with two lines of dancers facing each other. The dance includes various steps such as the Freeze (16-step), Cowboy Motion (24-step), Cowboy Boogie (24-step), and the Electric Slide 2 (18-step). The dance's popularity in the 1990s can also be attributed to its accessibility and the sense of community it fostered. It was likely that people learned the dance in school or community settings, making it a shared experience that brought people together.
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Frequently asked questions
The Electric Slide is a four-wall line dance. The dance was created by choreographer and dancer Richard L. "Ric" Silver in 1976. The dance is set to the song "Electric Boogie" by Marcia Griffiths and Bunny Wailer, which was written and recorded for the first time in December 1982.
The song "Electric Boogie" was written by Bunny Wailer, also known as Neville Livingston. The song was written in response to hearing the Eddy Grant song "Electric Avenue" in 1982.
The lyrics to "Electric Boogie" include: "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 is a rumor that "Electric Boogie" is about a vibrator. The rumor claims that the songwriter, Bunny Wailer, wrote the song about a girlfriend who left him for her vibrator, which she nicknamed the "Electric Slide". However, Wailer has denied this rumor and stated that the song is about "positive vibrations, not vibrators".











































