Ohio Players
855330
225920183
2008-07-16T00:47:03Z
MR. MOTOWN
1825236
/* Breakthrough success */
{{Infobox musical artist | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| Name = Ohio Players
| Img =
| Img_capt =
| Img_size =
| Background = group_or_band
| Alias = The Ohio Untouchables
| Origin = [[Dayton, Ohio]] [[USA]]
| Instrument =
| Genre = [[Funk]]<br>[[R&B]]
| Occupation =
| Years_active = [[1959]] – 1997
| Label = [[Capitol Records|Capitol]], [[Westbound Records|Westbound]], [[Mercury Records|Mercury]], [[Boardwalk Records|Boardwalk]]
| Associated_acts =
| URL = http://wfnk.com/ohioplayers/
| Current_members = [[Cornelius Johnson]]<br>Walter "Junie" Morrison<br>Leroy Bonner<br>Marshall Jones<br>Robert "Rumba" Jones<br>[[Billy Beck (musician)|Billy Beck]]<br>Wes Boatman<br>Mervin Pierce<br>Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks<br>Jimmy Sampson<br>Vincent Thomas<br>James "Diamond" Williams<br>Clarence Willis<br>Greg Webster<br>Bruce Napier<br>Andrew Noland<br>Clarence "Satch" Satchell<br>Bobby Lee Fears<br>Dutch Robinson
| Past_members =
| Notable_instruments = [[Bass guitar]]<br>[[Saxophone]]<br>[[Guitar]]<br>[[Drum]]s<br>[[Horn (instrument)|Horns]]<br>[[Keyboard instrument|Keyboard]]s<br>[[Trumpet]]s<br>[[Trombone]]s<br>
}}
'''The Ohio Players''' are a [[funk music|funk]]/soul band best known for their 1970's hits "[[Fire (Ohio Players song)|Fire]]" and "[[Love Rollercoaster]]."
==Early Years==
The Ohio Players were among the top funk bands of the mid-'70s. Emerging from [[Dayton, Ohio]] in 1959, the group was originally dubbed the Ohio Untouchables, and initially comprised singer/guitarist [[Robert Ward (blues musician)|Robert Ward]], bassist Marshall "Rock" Jones, saxophonist/guitarist Clarence "Satch" Satchell, drummer Cornelius Johnson, and trumpeter/trombonist Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks. In late 1961, a relative of Ward's founded the [[Detroit, Michigan]]-based [[Lupine Records]], and the group traveled north to the Motor City to back the Falcons on their hit "I Found a Love"; the Ohio Untouchables soon made their headlining debut with "Love Is Amazing," but when Ward subsequently exited for a solo career, the group essentially disbanded.
At that point, the nucleus of Middlebrooks, Jones, and newly added guitarist Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner returned to Dayton; there they recruited saxophonist Andrew Noland and drummer Gary Webster, the latter a somewhat elusive figure whose true involvement in the group's history has never been definitively answered — some sources credit him as a founding Untouchable, others even as the band's early leader. In any case, by 1967, with the subsequent addition of singers Bobby Lee Fears and Dutch Robinson, the newly rechristened Ohio Players were signed as the house band for the [[New York City]]-based [[Compass Records]], backing singer Helena Ferguson on her lone hit, "Where Is the Party," before issuing their solo debut, "Trespassin'," which hit the R&B charts in early 1968.
Although the Players' trademark bottom-heavy, horn-driven sound was already blossoming, their follow-up, "It's a Cryin' Shame," flopped, and as Compass teetered on the brink of bankruptcy they exited the label. (Their early Compass sides were later packaged as First Impressions.) The Players then landed on [[Capitol Records|Capitol]], where 1969's "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" was a minor hit; an LP, ''Observations in Time'', soon followed, with covers of "Summertime" and "Over the Rainbow". In 1970 the group disbanded, however; Fears and Robinson both mounted solo careers, while the remaining members again decamped to Dayton, eventually re-forming with keyboardist and lead singer Walter "Junie" Morrison, trumpeter Bruce Napier, and trombonist Marvin Pierce.
==Breakthrough success==
Influenced by the funk of [[Sly & the Family Stone]], the new Ohio Players lineup made their debut with the single "Pain," issued on the small local label Rubber Town Sounds; it was soon picked up for distribution by the Detroit-based [[Westbound Records|Westbound]] label, reaching the R&B Top 40 in late 1971. An LP, also titled ''Pain'', appeared that same year, and was followed in 1972 by ''Pleasure'', which launched the hit "[[Funky Worm]]", their first number-one on the R&B chart. ''Ecstacy'' appeared in 1973, and after 1974's ''Climax'', the Players signed to [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]; the label change also heralded yet more lineup changes, with keyboardist Billy Beck replacing Morrison (who left to go solo and would later be the lead voice on the [[Funkadelic (band)|Funkadelic]] hit ''One Nation Under A Groove'') and drummer Jimmy "Diamond" Williams taking over for Webster.
At Mercury, the Ohio Players enjoyed their greatest success; not only did they become known for their music, but also their provocative LP covers, a tradition begun during their Westbound tenure. Their 1974 Mercury debut, ''Skin Tight'', was their first big hit, launching the hit title track as well as "Jive Turkey." Its follow-up, ''Fire'', remains one of the Players' best known hits, topping the pop charts on the strength of its title cut, itself a number one hit; "I Want to Be Free," one of the band's few attempts at social commentary, was also highly successful. 1975's ''Honey'' — which featured perhaps the Players' most controversial cover to date — was another hit, generating the chart-topping "[[Love Rollercoaster]]" in addition to the hits "[[Sweet Sticky Thing]]" and "Fopp."
==Later years==
"[[Who'd She Coo?]]" from 1976's ''Contradiction'', was the Players' last number one R&B hit; "O-H-I-O," from 1977's ''Angel'', was their last major hit on any chart, and as the 1970s drew to a close, the band's success declined. 1979's ''Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee'' was their final Mercury effort, and upon signing to [[Arista Records|Arista]], the Players returned with ''Everybody Up'', followed by a pair of dismal releases on [[Boardwalk Records|Boardwalk]], 1981's ''Tenderness'' and 1982's ''Ouch!'' After 1984's ''Graduation'', four years passed prior to the release of their next effort, ''Back''; no new material was forthcoming, although various lineups continued performing live well into the following decade. Founding member "Satch" Satchell died in late 1995, while "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks died in late 1996.
==Discography==
===Albums===
*1966: ''[[Trespassin']]''
*1968: ''[[Observations in Time]]'' ([[Capitol Records|Capitol]])
*1971: ''[[Pain (Ohio Players album)|Pain]]'' ([[Westbound Records|Westbound]]) - US Pop #177, US R&B #21
*1972: ''[[Pleasure (Ohio Players album)|Pleasure]]'' (Westbound) - US Pop #63, US R&B #4
*1973: ''[[Ecstasy (Ohio Players album)|Ecstasy]]'' (Westbound) - US Pop #70, US R&B #19
*1974: ''[[Climax (album)|Climax]]'' (Westbound) - US Pop #102, US R&B #24
*1974: ''[[Skin Tight]]'' ([[Mercury Records|Mercury]]) - US Pop #11, '''US R&B #1'''
*1974: ''Superpak'' (Capitol) - US R&B #32
*1975: ''[[Fire (Ohio Players album)|Fire]]'' (Mercury) - '''US Pop #1''', '''US R&B #1'''
*1975: ''[[Honey (Ohio Players album)|Honey]]'' (Mercury) - US Pop #2, '''US R&B #1'''
*1975: ''Rattlesnake'' (Westbound) - US Pop #61, US R&B #8
*1975: ''Greatest Hits'' (Westbound) - US Pop #92, US R&B #22
*1976: ''[[Contradiction (album)|Contradiction ]]'' (Mercury) - US Pop #12, '''US R&B #1'''
*1976: ''[[Gold (Ohio Players album)|Gold]]'' (Mercury) - US Pop #31, US R&B #10
*1977: ''[[Angel (Ohio Players album)|Angel]]'' (Mercury) - US Pop #41, US R&B #9
*1977: ''[[Mr. Mean (album)|Mr. Mean]]'' (Mercury) - US Pop #68, US R&B #11
*1977: ''The Best of the Early Years, Vol. 1'' (Westbound) - US R&B #58
*1978: ''[[Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee]]'' (Mercury) - US Pop # 69, US R&B #15
*1979: ''Everybody Up'' ([[Arista Records|Arista]]) - US Pop #80, US R&B #19
*1981: ''Tenderness'' ([[Boardwalk Records|Boardwalk]]) - US Pop #165, US R&B #49
*1982: ''Ouch!'' (Boardwalk)
*1984: ''Graduation'' (Century Vista)
*1988: ''Back'' (Track Record) - US R&B #55
===Live Albums===
*1997: ''[[Ol' School "On Tour"]]'' ([[Castle Records]])
===Singles===
*1972: "Pain (Part 1)" - US Pop # 64, US R&B #35
*1972: "Pleasure" - US R&B #45
*1973: "[[Funky Worm]]" - US Pop #15, '''US R&B #1'''
*1973: "Ecstacy" - US Pop #31, US R&B #12
*1974: "Jive Turkey (Part 1)" - US Pop #47, US R&B #6
*1974: "Skin Tight" - US Pop #13, US R&B #2
*1975: "[[Fire (Ohio Players song)|Fire]]" - '''US Pop #1''', '''US R&B #1'''
*1975: "I Want to Be Free" - US Pop #44 , US R&B #6
*1975: "[[Sweet Sticky Thing]]" - US Pop #33, '''US R&B #1'''
*1975: "[[Love Rollercoaster]]" - '''US Pop #1''', '''US R&B #1'''
*1976: "Fopp" - US Pop #30, US R&B #9
*1976: "[[Who'd She Coo?]]" - US Pop #18, '''US R&B #1'''
*1976: "Far East Mississippi" - US R&B #26
*1977: "Feel the Beat (Everybody Disco)" - US Pop #61, US R&B #31
*1977: "O-H-I-O" - US Pop #45, US R&B #9
*1977: "Body Vibes" - US R&B #19
*1978: "Funk-O-Nots" - US R&B #27
*1978: "Good Luck Charm (Part 1)" - US R&B #51
*1978: "Magic Trick" - US R&B #93
*1978: "Time Slips Away" - US R&B #53
*1981: "Skinny" - US R&B #46
*1981: "Try a Little Tenderness" - US R&B #40
==See also==
*[[List of number-one hits (United States)]]
*[[List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)]]
==References and External links==
*[http://wfnk.com/ohioplayers/ Ohio Players Website]
*[http://www.wlatalent.com/roster/ohio%20players/artistprofile.htm Ohio Players] at [http://www.wlatalent.com Wenig-LaMonica Associates]
*[http://www.myspace.com/ohioplayercentral Ohio Players Offical Myspace Page]
*[http://wm11.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fifyxqr5ld6e~T0 Ohio Players on All Music Guide]
*[http://www.soul-patrol.com/funk/ohio.htm Ohio Players on Soul Patrol.com]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1959]]
[[Category:1960s music groups]]
[[Category:1970s music groups]]
[[Category:American dance music groups]]
[[Category:Funk musical groups]]
[[Category:Ohio musical groups]]
[[Category:People from Dayton, Ohio]]
[[Category:Mercury Records artists]]
[[es:Ohio Players]]
[[fr:Ohio Players]]
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[[ja:オハイオ・プレイヤーズ]]
[[no:Ohio Players]]
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