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.
Can You Still Love Me
Ohio Players Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeh Yeh
We spent the night ...together huh
Oh, we were having so much fun, Yeh
Now that we made love ooo.ooo
Oh, I don′t to be alone, ...want to be alone Yeh
Oh, girl when the morning comes, ...the morning comes
Can you still love me... Yeh
Ah ah ah... ah ah.ahhhhhh
We danced to the music ...say mm mm
It was such a happy song
Now that we made love
We can hardly get along ooh oh Yow
Don't be ashamed girl ...ooh ooh
I′ll take all the blame, uuu oh yeh
Now when we made love
Funny, do you still feel the same
Can you still love me... Yeh
Ah ah ah... ah ah.ahhhhhh...
I don't care you know where love is
Bay let the whole wide world know
Now that we made love, ah yah
I'm gonna let you go... let you go
Now that we made love, oh oh
Is that the end of show, I wants to know, I wants to know
Now that we made love, yeh
I don′t want to let you go, let you go, let you go
Can you still love me... Yeh
Ah ah ah... ahhhhhh
The song "Can You Still Love Me" by Ohio Players is a soulful, reflective song about love and the vulnerability that is attached to it once it has been experienced. The song is about the aftermath of a night of making love, where the singer is both scared and vulnerable about what may come next. The lyrics are introspective, and the tone is emotional. The singer is reflecting on how he doesn't want to be alone after having spent the night with someone special.
Throughout the song, the singer grapples with the question of whether the other person still loves him after they had sex. He wonders if the love that they shared was only because of the physical connection they had or if there was something else deeper that bound them. He also takes responsibility for any potential negative outcome that may arise from their night together. The lyrics are poetic, describing the situation and feelings in the most emotive way possible. The song ultimately ends with the singer not wanting to let go of the connection that he shared with the person he spent the night with, despite the inherent uncertainty of what comes next.
Overall, "Can You Still Love Me" is a beautifully written song that captures the intricacies of love and human emotion. The song's lyrics are both playful and defensive, painting an honest and genuine picture of the human experience of vulnerability and uncertainty that comes with love.
Line by Line Meaning
We spent the night ...together huh
We had a great time spending the night together
Oh, we were having so much fun, Yeh
We enjoyed each other's company and had a lot of fun together
Now that we made love ooo.ooo
After being intimate with each other, I feel like I can't be alone.
Oh, I don′t to be alone, ...want to be alone Yeh
I don't want to be alone after connecting with you on a deep level
I wonder when you had your face
I wonder what your facial expression will be when the morning comes
Oh, girl when the morning comes, ...the morning comes
I'm curious to see how you'll act towards me in the morning
We danced to the music ...say mm mm
We enjoyed dancing together to the happy music
It was such a happy song
The song we danced to was a joyful one
We can hardly get along ooh oh Yow
We're having difficulty getting along after being intimate with each other
Don't be ashamed girl ...ooh ooh
Don't be embarrassed, I'll take responsibility for how we're feeling
I′ll take all the blame, uuu oh yeh
I'll take responsibility for the way we're struggling to connect after being intimate
Funny, do you still feel the same
I'm wondering if you still feel the same way you did before we were intimate
I don't care you know where love is
I don't care who knows where our love is
Bay let the whole wide world know
Let's tell everyone about our love
I'm gonna let you go... let you go
I'm going to end this relationship
Is that the end of show, I wants to know, I wants to know
Is our relationship coming to an end? I need to know
I don′t want to let you go, let you go, let you go
I don't want to end our relationship
Writer(s): Clarence Satchell, Marshall Jones, Leroy Bonner, Willie Beck, Marvin Pierce, Ralph Middlebrooks, James L. Williams
Contributed by Alex V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
B.Allen
I'm so thankful to God for the timeless, beautiful music these brothas created. The greatest band of all times in my opinion. Thanks Ohio Players . SO LEGENDARY 🎵
Tommy Lewis
Lets not forget a simple fact about this musical time era, many bands could only afford limited time in the recording studio so they had to get it right in a short time. Not like today when folks can make a "hit song" on their phones. Much respect to 70's talented musicians and singers.
Cornelius Wade (Nuggy)
Totally agree with you. Well said.
Tommy Lewis
Cornelius Wade thanks Sir.
Summer Breeze
Nothing like the Ohio Players..... 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Jacqueline Crump
This was one of the best bands ever. This band, Earth, Wind and Fire and Parliament Funkadelics were the greatest.
William Beckham
Amen & Amen...
WhoDat DieHard
RiteOnTheMoney✊🏾
Gilbert Bolden Jr.
It’s ashame they haven’t been inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And the early pioneers of the group are gone. This band was one of my big bands in the 70,and in the 80’s!
Df Jacks
I was a kid listening to my older sis music and I would stare at the album covers then and they still look good now along with the music. And, there is so many songs I never heard but sounds sooo good. The kids and young adults are really being cheated and if they don't listen to this type of music from back in the day how can they really truly appreciate good lyrics and music.