"Float On" is a 1977 song by the Rhythm and blues, R&B/soul music, soul group the Floaters.
The spoken verses combine two popular trends from the time, star signs and Dating#Matchmaking systems and services, video and phone dating, in lines such as ''Aquarius and my name is Ralph / Now I like a woman who loves her freedom'' and ''Cancer and my name is Larry / And I like a woman that loves everything and everybody''. The song was co-written by James Mitchell of The Detroit Emeralds.
Released from their Floaters (album), self-titled debut album, it became one of the biggest single (music), singles of the year, spending six weeks at chart-topper, number one on the United States, U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Soul Singles record chart, chart. "Float On" was also a crossover hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 behind Andy Gibb's "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" and The Emotions' "Best of My Love (The Emotions song), 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,
and number five on the Irish Singles Chart.
Stetsasonic covered the song on its album ''In Full Gear'' (1988). The song was adapted in 1989-1990 to advertise Cadbury Creme Egg#Advertising, Cadbury's Crème Eggs. A song from Dream Warriors (band), Dream Warriors' 1996 album ''The Master Plan (Dream Warriors album), The Master Plan'', also titled "Float On", sampled multiple elements of the 1977 song. Full Force 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 on their 1977 UK hit single "Live in Trouble".
* Cheech & Chong on their 1977 US hit single "Bloat On".
* ''Sesame Street'' did a style parody of the song in 1977 called "Gimme Five", sung by human characters David (Northern Calloway), Bob (Bob McGrath), Gordon (Roscoe Orman), and Luis (Emilio Delgado).
Charts
See also
*List of number-one R&B singles of 1977 (U.S.)
References
External links
*[ Song Review] on the Allmusic website
1977 singles
Number-one singles in New Zealand
UK singles chart number-one singles
1977 songs
ABC Records singles
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