Their song "Runnin' from the Devil" inspired the Van Halen song "Runnin' With the Devil".
The group disbanded again in 1970. After again reforming with a line-up including Bonner, Satchell, Middlebrooks, Jones, Webster, trumpeter Bruce Napier, trombonist Marvin Pierce, and keyboardist Walter "Junie" Morrison, the Players had a minor hit on the Detroit-based Westbound label in 1971 with "Pain" which reached the Billboard R&B Top 40. Detroit vocalist Dale Allen shared co-lead vocals on some of the early Westbound material, although not credited on the albums "Pain" and "Pleasure".
The band’s first big hit was "Funky Worm", which hit #1 on the Billboard R&B Charts and made the pop Top 15 in May 1973. The band signed with Mercury Records in 1974. By this time, their lineup had changed again, with keyboardist Billy Beck instead of Morrison and Jimmy "Diamond" Williams on drums instead of Webster. On later album releases, they added second guitarist/vocalist Clarence 'Chet' Willis and conga player Robert "Rumba" Jones to the lineup. Bonner sang lead vocals on most of the band's hits.
The band had seven Top 40 hits between 1973 and 1976, including "Fire" (#1 on both the R&B and pop charts for two weeks and one week respectively in February 1975) and "Love Rollercoaster" (#1 on both the R&B and pop charts for 1 week in January 1976). The group's last big hit was "Who'd She Coo" a #1 R&B hit in August 1976.
The band became widely known not only for their sound, which has been sampled and copied by countless R&B and hip-hop artists since, but for their sexually provocative album covers, including the cover of 1974's Ecstasy, which featured a man and a woman in a pose of arousal wearing chains and leather, and 1975's Honey, which featured a nude woman holding an overflowing jar of honey and dropping some into her mouth with a ladle.
There is an urban legend that has it that a scream on "Love Rollercoaster" that came during the break after the second verse was the sound of someone being murdered in the studio while the track was being recorded. It is widely believed to be the scream of a female model (the nude woman Ester Cordet featured on the image for the Honey album) after being stabbed with a knife by the band's manager. She was complaining that the honey and fibre glass she was sitting on reacted when mixed causing permanent damage to her legs during the image photography, ending her modelling career. She then approached the manager seeking compensation during the recording of "Love Rollercoaster" only to be stabbed and attacked.
The Ohio Players then left the scream in as a sick tribute.[1] The band did not discredit this rumor at the time, because, as one band member put it later, "that makes you sell more records." This is just an urban legend however, as are any other disturbing explanations, including a person murdered outside the recording studio (although recording studios are soundproof and the scream would not have been heard), a band member murdering his girlfriend or a cleaning woman in the recording studio, or a real scream taken from a 911 call or a Psychiatric ward.
Clarence Satchell died in January 1996 after he had a brain aneurysm. Ralph Middlebrooks died in November 1997.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were one of the bands heavily influenced by the Ohio Players, covering "Love Rollercoaster" for the film Beavis and Butt-head Do America. In the UK, there was a chain of music and DVD stores named after one of their hit songs, "Fopp". "Fopp" was also covered by Soundgarden for an EP called Fopp.
Ain't Givin' Up No Ground
Ohio Players Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Marry, marry, marry
Marry, marry, marry
Marry, marry
I ain't givin' up, marry me
Ain't givin' up no ground
I ain't givin' up no ground
I ain't givin' up no ground
Ain't givin' up no ground
I ain't givin' up no ground
Ain't givin' up no ground
I ain't givin' up no ground
I ain't givin' up no ground, no
I ain't givin' up no ground
I ain't givin' up no ground
Ain't givin' up no ground
Ain't givin' up no ground
I ain't givin' up no ground
I ain't givin' up no ground, no
No, no, no
Baby, marry, marry, marry me
Oh no, 'coz I ain't givin' up, no
Don't, don't, don't
Say what you wanna say, no
You know what, I ain't
I ain't givin' up, no, no, no
I ain't givin' up no ground
I ain't givin' up no ground, no
Givin' up no ground
The lyrics to Ohio Players' song "Ain't Givin' Up No Ground" express a determined and unwavering commitment to stand one's ground, to maintain one's position, and to not back down or give up in the face of opposition. The repetition of the phrase "ain't givin' up no ground" reinforces this idea of unwavering perseverance, as does the use of the word "marry" as an exclamation of determination and a call to action.
The line "Baby, marry, marry, marry me" could be interpreted as a plea for the listener, or perhaps a specific person, to join in this steadfast commitment to holding one's ground. It implies the idea of a partnership or a united front in the face of opposition. The repeated refrain of "I ain't givin' up, no, no, no" underscores the idea that this is a personal commitment, a refusal to yield to pressure or to give in to doubt or fear.
Overall, the lyrics to this song suggest a sense of strength, resilience, and a refusal to be defeated. They offer a message of solidarity and determination, and a call to hold fast to one's principles and beliefs even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Marry, marry, marry
I am persistent and I will keep asking you to marry me
Marry, marry, marry
I will not take no for an answer and will continue to pursue you
Marry, marry, marry
I am committed to making you mine and will not give up
Marry, marry
I am serious about wanting to spend my life with you
I ain't givin' up, marry me
I am determined to win your heart and I am not going to stop until you agree to marry me
Ain't givin' up no ground
I am not surrendering and I am holding on to my beliefs and desires
I ain't givin' up no ground
I will not compromise and will continue to hold my position
Ain't givin' up no ground
I am standing firm and will not back down
I ain't givin' up no ground
I am unwavering in my pursuit
I ain't givin' up no ground, no
I am not relenting and will continue to pursue my desires
I ain't givin' up no ground
I am holding my ground and not giving in to pressure or doubt
I ain't givin' up no ground
I am committed to my position and will not be swayed
I ain't givin' up no ground, no
I am resolute in my convictions and will not compromise
No, no, no
I am rejecting any opposition or discouragement
Baby, marry, marry, marry me
I am expressing my desire to have you as my partner for life
Oh no, 'coz I ain't givin' up, no
I am determined to make this relationship work and will not give up
Don't, don't, don't
I am dismissing any negative comments or advice
Say what you wanna say, no
I am standing firm and will not be swayed by what others say or think
You know what, I ain't
I refuse to compromise or give up on my convictions
I ain't givin' up, no, no, no
I will not surrender or give in to pressure, doubt or discouragement
I ain't givin' up no ground
I am committed to my beliefs and desires and will not compromise
I ain't givin' up no ground, no
I am determined to pursue what I want and will not compromise
Givin' up no ground
I am standing firm and will not be moved from my position
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CLARENCE SATCHELL, JAMES L. WILLIAMS, LEROY BONNER, MARSHALL JONES, MARVIN PIERCE, MARVIN R. PIERCE, RALPH MIDDLEBROOKS, WILLIE BECK
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