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.
Skin Tight
Ohio Players Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are a bad bad Mrs.
In them skin tight britches
Runnin' folks in ditches
Baby about to bust the stitches, yeah
Skin tight, skin tight
Hold tight
You are a real fine lady
Though your walks a little shady
Step on the strip on time
There's money you're bound to find, yeah
Skin tight, skin tight
Skin tight, skin tight
Skin tight, skin tight
Hold tight
Gone, gone, gone with your bad self
Walk that walk, talk that talk mama
Skin tight
Hold me barely back girl
Keep on steppin' to me baby
The Ohio Players' hit, “Skin Tight,” is a funky and soulful ode to the power of a woman wearing skin tight clothing. In the opening lines, the lead singer describes the woman as a “bad bad Mrs” who is “runnin’ folks in ditches” while barely holding in her clothes. The repetition of the “skin tight, skin tight” refrain emphasizes the close-fitting nature of her clothing and how it seems to be bursting at the seams as she moves. The lyrics go on to compliment the woman’s beauty and confidence, despite her possibly questionable behavior.
The song’s chorus, “gone with your bad self,” further emphasizes the woman’s independence and free spirit, encouraging her to continue to walk and talk with pride. The sultry guitar riff and funky bass line create a groovy and irresistible rhythm that accompanies this confident and empowered message. Overall, “Skin Tight” is an anthem for strong, beautiful women who are unafraid to express themselves through bold fashion choices and striking personalities.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, yeah
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm
You are a bad bad Mrs.
You are an attractive woman with a bold and confident attitude
In them skin tight britches
Wearing tight clothes that show off your curves and enhance your appearance
Runnin' folks in ditches
Turning heads and causing commotion because of your stunning looks
Baby about to bust the stitches, yeah
The tightness of your clothing creates a visual effect of your body about to burst out
Skin tight, skin tight
Repeated phrase to emphasize the tightness of the clothing
Hold tight
Instructions to hold on or stay firm
You are a real fine lady
You are a beautiful and elegant woman
Though your walks a little shady
Although your walking style is a bit flirtatious and may be causing some interest
Step on the strip on time
Walking gracefully on the pole with good timing and rhythm
There's money you're bound to find, yeah
By performing well, you are likely to receive tips from admirers
Gone, gone, gone with your bad self
Leave everyone behind with your irresistible qualities and attitude
Walk that walk, talk that talk mama
Projecting confidence and style in everything you do
Hold me barely back girl
Your attractiveness and magnetism is so strong that it is difficult to resist your allure
Keep on steppin' to me baby
Continue with your confident and sexy movements towards me
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
@woodsoncircle
What made music great back then ... your hear HORNS, Chords, effective bass lines and REAL singers who could write and compose songs. In my opinion, the 70's was one of the greatest era's of funk. Ohio Players ... LEGENDS in the music game.
@lousantiago3334
Damn right!!
@DjangoThunders
And Rock too! All the music was better back then.
@hectorjordan3232
To start it was LIVE musicians. No studio programming which cuts the expense of the royalties costs.... Second the musicians were all top notch. Took pride in their instruments and not on IG photo pics. The recording, engineering, mixing, all top notch. The groove was insane. Something you don’t hear at all today...... What a shame that these kids now a days listen to crap like trap.....
@TheChrissy1977
Or what’s called a band. 😁
@tubucoco
I agree, but really the 60's started it all when these great bands starting coming out and the music grew into this great sound. It continued all the way through the 80's, the damn 90's is when it started to come to a halt with the gangsta rap crap, NWA and all. Smh These rap fools used to sample great music like this for their songs, and didn't even know where it come from. Lol I'll forever be a child of this sound! Party On!
@garyvaughan7748
Done all from scratch ,no beat machines ,just straight up ,from the core ingenuity on all levels known!
@marciacarter60
The baddest funk bass group of all times. This is a classic. The jawn is TIGHT. Go OHIO PlAYERS.😊😊😊
@bassplayer61
White and 57, and I still say this was some of the best damn music there has ever been. Love that bass line and those smokin' drums. Too bad this kind of music hasn't made a comeback.
@savannahnunley9273
Positive it will if the the early 2000 coming back im sure the 70s will