By 1988, the Pointer Sisters were in a steady decline of popularity and album sales. It had been three years since their previous album, Hot Together, and by this time the Billboard Hot 100 hits had dried up, as had sales certifications. Granted, they remained mainstays on the R&B charts.
Serious Slammin' would serve not only as the era close out for the girls, but be their final album with longtime producer Richard Perry, and RCA Records. Its first single, He Turned Me Out, would be utilized for the film, and soundtrack, Action Jackson, and reached the R&B top forty. This was followed by Moonlight Dancing, which would also reach the charts.
The sisters had definitely adapted their music to the times. Long gone were the days of synthpop, replaced with a heavy R&B sound, similar to those of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, but candidly, not as good.
Serious Slammin', Moonlight Dancing, and My Life are decent tracks, but don't even come close to capturing the heydays of the Pointers. Though standouts among the rest, none of these are tracks I'd rush to hear again any time soon.
Overall, it's not a very good album, well, let me rephrase. Overall, it's not my kind of album. There's nothing wrong with the actual music. It's just not to my tastes.
By 1989, Pointer Sisters had signed with Motown. It was hoped that the mutual relationship would not only revive the girl's faltering careers, but also breathe new life into the label, which was dealing with its own financial difficulties. Unfortunately, it did neither, and after releasing 1990's Right Rhythm, both the group and label mutually agreed to not renew.
They released their final album, Only Sisters Can Do That, in 1993 for SBK. Truthfully, it's an album I'd like to check out because a lot of the tracks, instrumentation, and producing were provided by Peter Wolf. However, I probably never will.
Despite not returning to the studio, the sisters remained together, performing various venues throughout the years. They would be given several accolades, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Sadly, June Pointer passed away in 2006, followed by sister Bonnie in 2020, and Anita in 2022. As the only surviving member, Ruth brought daughter Issa, and granddaughter Sadako into the fold, and they tour as the current iteration, keeping the legacy of the Pointer Sisters alive.
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