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.
Jive Turkey
Ohio Players Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No, man, that ain't none of my old lady
I used to talk to you then I catch you goin' out
And you just busted her, now listen to this
I used to think that you were really cool
I used to think that you never would be nobody's fool
Give me it straight, jive turkey
Yeah baby, jive turkey
Wow, wow, wow, wow
I played hookie from school just to be with you
I put my trust in you
'Cause you could do the do
'Cause you could do the do
'Cause you could do the do
I put my trust in you
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Give me it straight baby
Jive turkey, jive turkey
Jive turkey
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy, lord
Hey, hey, alright get in the groove
All you jive turkeys clap your hands
Jive turkey, jive turkey
Say what? Say you're sorry?
Baby I'm not goin' for that no more
I done had enough of that
Wa, wa, wow
Jive turkey, jive turkey
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Jive turkey
Think I'll play the blues
Early in the morning
Go out and find somebody new
What about Marvin, Mervin and Pee Wee?
That's you all
Yes, my name is Satchmo
The Ohio Players' song "Jive Turkey" is a groovy and soulful tune that is all about the betrayal of trust in a relationship. In the first verse, the singer catches his friend out with a woman who is not his girlfriend and proceeds to call him out on his dishonesty. He then goes on to express his disappointment in his friend's actions, having once thought that he was too cool to be fooled by anyone. The chorus plays on the idea of a Turkey as a slang term for someone who talks big but doesn't follow through. The singer accuses his friend of being such a person and labels him a "jive turkey."
The second verse deals with the singer's own experience of putting trust in his partner, only to be let down. He had played hooky from school to be with her and believed that she was someone he could trust, as she "could do the do." The chorus is repeated, with the singer urging everyone to give it to him straight and calling out all "jive turkeys" to clap their hands.
The song's funky melody and catchy hook made it a hit for the Ohio Players in the 1970s. The lyrics play with the idea of a "jive turkey" being someone who talks the talk but doesn't follow through. Interestingly, the term "jive turkey" was originally used in the black community as a put-down or insult, implying that someone was not being genuine or honest. However, in the context of this song, it's used more lightheartedly.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, is that your old lady over there, man?
Are you with that woman over there?
No, man, that ain't none of my old lady
No, I'm not with her.
I used to talk to you then I catch you goin' out
We used to have a connection but I saw you with someone else.
And you just busted her, now listen to this
You just got caught with that woman, so listen up.
I used to think that you were really cool
I thought you were great.
I used to think that you never would be nobody's fool
I thought you were smart and wouldn't be easily fooled.
Let me tell you baby, you're a jive turkey
You're a phony and a liar, baby.
Give me it straight, jive turkey
Tell me the truth, liar.
Yeah baby, jive turkey
Yes, you're a liar, baby.
Wow, wow, wow, wow
Wow!
I played hookie from school just to be with you
I skipped school just to be with you.
I put my trust in you
I trusted you.
'Cause you could do the do
Because you were good at what you do.
'Cause you could do the do
Because you were good at what you do.
'Cause you could do the do
Because you were good at what you do.
I put my trust in you
I trusted you.
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Wow!
Give me it straight baby
Tell me the truth, baby.
Jive turkey, jive turkey
Liar, liar.
Jive turkey
Liar.
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Wow!
Lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy, lord
Oh my goodness.
Hey, hey, alright get in the groove
Let's get this party started.
All you jive turkeys clap your hands
All you liars, clap your hands.
Jive turkey, jive turkey
Liar, liar.
Say what? Say you're sorry?
What? You want to apologize?
Baby I'm not goin' for that no more
I won't fall for your lies anymore, baby.
Wa, wa, wow
Wow!
Jive turkey, jive turkey
Liar, liar.
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Wow!
Jive turkey
Liar.
Think I'll play the blues
I think I'll be sad.
Early in the morning
First thing in the morning.
Go out and find somebody new
I'll find someone else.
What about Marvin, Mervin and Pee Wee?
What about those guys Marvin, Mervin and Pee Wee?
That's you all
That's you guys.
Yes, my name is Satchmo
My name is Satchmo.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CLARENCE SATCHELL, JAMES L. WILLIAMS, LEROY BONNER, MARSHALL JONES, MARVIN PIERCE, MARVIN R. PIERCE, RALPH MIDDLEBROOKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@smokinjz
Hey, is that your old lady over there, man?
No, man, that ain't none of my old lady
I used to talk to you then I catch you goin' out
And you just busted her, now listen to this
I used to think that you were really cool
I used to think that you never would be nobody's fool
Let me tell you baby, you're a jive turkey
Give me it straight, jive turkey
Yeah baby, jive turkey
Wow, wow, wow, wow
I played hookie from school just to be with you
I put my trust in you
'Cause you could do the do
'Cause you could do the do
'Cause you could do the do
I put my trust in you
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Give me it straight baby
Jive turkey, jive turkey
Jive turkey
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Lordy, lordy, lordy, lordy, lord
Hey, hey, alright get in the groove
All you jive turkeys clap your hands
Jive turkey, jive turkey
Say what? Say you're sorry?
Baby I'm not goin' for that no more
I done had enough of that
Wa, wa, wow
Jive turkey, jive turkey
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow
Jive turkey
Think I'll play the blues
Early in the morning
Go out and find somebody new
What about Marvin, Mervin and Pee Wee?
That's you all
Yes, my name is Satchmo
@MissJackieM
I remember my father playing his 8 track tape of this every Saturday morning without fail , they were his absolute favorite group .
@sweetlady6059
What’s an 8 track? (😝just kidding) I grew up with knowing and seeing a few 8 tracks so ya I know. I mostly grew up with tapes and records. Missed jive music though cause I enjoy it!!
@kimberly9754
Did he put his dance moves on while listening to it?
@geraldtimberlake6709
This song is EPIC...as well as the group! One of my many favorites by them!!!
@tweston315
Man I'm so glad that I was around when there were awesome musicians who came together just to lay down some smooth funk and nothing but the funk!
@gwendolynsmith3746
And you know this!!!
@williamandrews3938
I know that's right!
@MikeDMC2
Some of the best baritone sax you’ll ever hear !!!
🎶🎼🎵🎷🎷🎷🎶🎼🎵
@anthonydennis8863
I was a freshmen in highschool in 1974 when this came out! still funky after all these years!
@angelakelso4338
Anthony Dennis me too Jefferson high Los Angeles