The Ohio Players are a funk and R&B band whose heyday was in the mid- to la… Read Full Bio ↴The Ohio Players are a funk and R&B band whose heyday was in the mid- to late 1970s. They formed in Dayton, Ohio in 1959 as the Ohio Untouchables, and initially included members Robert Ward (vocals/guitar), Marshall "Rock" Jones (bass), Clarence "Satch" Satchell (saxophone/guitar), Cornelius Johnson (drums), and Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks (trumpet/trombone). The Ohio Untouchables broke up in 1963, with Ward leaving for a solo career, but the core members of the group returned to Dayton and added Gary Webster (drums) and Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner (guitar) in 1964. The group added two more singers, Bobby Lee Fears and Dutch Robinson, and became the house band for New York City-based Compass Records in 1967. They soon became one of the better known R&B bands of the 1970's. They inspired many artists including The Mighty Majors ("You Can Never Go Back"), which opened a show for them once on the road.
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.
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.
Walt's First Trip
Ohio Players Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Ohio Players:
02 Love Rollercoaster Rollercoaster of love (say what?) Rollercoaster yeah oohh oo…
4 O-H-I-O O-H-I-O, O-H-I-O O-H-I-O, O-H-I-O O-H-I-O, O-H-I-O O-H-I-…
5. Sweet Sticky Thing You just go from man to man I just don’t seem…
A Thing Called Love To a woman, it's a place called home To a man,…
Ain Marry, marry, marry Marry, marry, marry Marry, marry, marr…
Ain't Givin' Up No Ground Marry, marry, marry Marry, marry, marry Marry, marry, marry …
Alone This is the first time I did this Whoo! But I…
Angel Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh If I could I'd give…
Bi-Centennial Hey everybody Let's do it together it's a happy time You…
Can You Still Love Me Can you still love me... Ohio Players Yeh Yeh We spent the…
Contradiction Contradictions (Contradictions) To me it seems that's what l…
Dance everybody dance hey yall get off the wall then you come h…
Do your thing everybody get on the floor and do your thing whatever it…
Ecstasy Well, wanna tell you 'Bout my baby, my baby I'll never, neve…
Everybody dance everybody dance hey yall get off the wall then you come h…
Far East Mississippi We should love one another yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, oh, oh,…
Feel The Beat Music has a freedom/That will set your body to freedom/Yeah,…
Fire Fire Fire (it's all about) Fire (woo, woo, woo) Fire The wa…
Fopp Fopped last night and the night before I had to fopp…
Funk O-Nots Attention, attention, attention Funk stars and funk-o-nots y…
Funky Worm She's here Mr. Johnson Ok, thank you very much Granny, they'…
Good Luck Charm Girl, put a charm around my neck/She said that it…
Happy Holidays Hi! The Ohio players would like to wish you the…
Heaven Must Be Like This You know what I think heaven is, I think heaven…
Here Today And Gone Tomorrow You're like a sailor With a girl on every shore Loving them…
Honey Buzz me up to heaven baby Come on, buzz me up…
I Want To Be Free One day child, I won't have to listen to your…
It Aw girl, put that suitcase down You ain't kiddin' nobody Y…
Jive Turkey Hey, is that your old lady over there, man? No, man,…
Let It takes a L and a O and a V…
Lonely Streets At Midnight Have you ever walked down a lonely street at midnight Just…
Love Roller Coaster Rollercoaster of love (say what?) Rollercoaster yeah oohh o…
Love Rollercoaster Rollercoaster of love (say what?) Rollercoaster yeah oohh oo…
Love Rollercoster You give me that funny feeling in my tummy Ah, sh,…
Love Slips Through My Fingers I've never had a single lesson And all this time I…
Magic Trick Hey, is that your old lady over there, man? No, man,…
Mother In Law The worst person I know, mother-in-law, mother-in-law She wo…
My Ladies Run Me Crazy I think it's about time that I spoke on my…
My Life My life, it's so unusual it seems To love my woman,…
Never Had a Dream I've been gone for so long now Chasing everything that's new…
O H I O O-H-I-O, O-H-I-O O-H-I-O, O-H-I-O O-H-I-O, O-H-I-O O-H-I-…
O-H-I-O O-H-I-O, O-H-I-O O-H-I-O, O-H-I-O O-H-I-O, O-H-I-O O-H-I-O, …
Only A Child Can Love Do you remember when we was kids? I do Listen, let me…
Our Love Has Died Your cursed arms still surround me And your cold words stay…
Over The Rainbow Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high There's a land that…
Pain Pain is in my heart Tearing me apart yeah Oh yeah You know w…
Rattlesnake Here it comes, It's comin' to getcha The rattlesnake …
Rollercoaster of Love Rollercoaster of love (say what?) Rollercoaster yeah oohh oo…
Runnin' From the Devil Hey! Runnin' from the devil Runnin' from the devil I sa…
Skin Tight Yeah, yeah You are a bad bad Mrs. In them skin tight…
Skin Tight (single version) You are a bad bad Mrs. In them skin tight britches Runnin'…
Smoke A Cocaina CowBoy Got ounces in my house boy Bricks stashed…
Summertime Summertime, and the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' and the…
Sweet Sticky Thing You just go from man to man I just don’t seem…
Tell Me Why I wanna know People keep tellin' me But I just wanna know I…
The Funky Worm She's here Mr. Johnson Ok, thank you very much Granny, they'…
Time Slips Away Oh my time slips away,(ohhh)/my oh my time slips away/Away f…
Together Da ba daa, da ba daa, da ba daa Da ba…
Together/Feelings We always think, We're more mature than that. This time w…
Try a little tenderness Oh she may be weary Them young girls they do get…
Varee Is Love When I was a young man, there was a pretty young…
What Mother, mother There's too many of you crying Brother, broth…
What The Hell Hell, Hell, Hell, Hell It's a lousy world It's Hell, I c…
What's Going On Mother, mother There's too many of you crying Brother, broth…
Who She Coo Are you ready Do what you wanna do Do what you wanna…
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Ed Cooper
I loved this song when I was a teenager and it still gets me in the groove every time I hear it!!!! One of my all time favorite Jams!!!
Futuristic Concepts
Goddamn! Hot fried chicken, collard greens, ice cold beer, Hennessy and Gin, tater salad and sweet potato pie! Sitting around with a mini dress wearing honey sharing your meal then you hit the dance floor, moving and groovin' and thanking God to be alive. True funk never dies. It mellows with age. Check this, this song is decades old and you still feel the groove. And if this funk don't go to your head, check your pulse, you may be a member of the walking dead. Peace out my funk pioneers!!
Linda Graham
Brings back memories during pandemic 2020.
yshaggy
I was going to say one of my favorite Ohio Players songs, but as I typed I remembered it's my favorite.
Tommy D Oliver
How REAL musicians got down!
Dennisdread
Gawdm I loved this track...played the shit out of it!
Steve the music man
I can tell that you recorded this direct. The 45 has a fuller sound to me. The stereo is ok...but this is how it's supposed to sound. That 45 sound can never ever be replaced!! Excellent . I posted this as well. but i had a crappy video recorder at the time..
Dennisdread
+rickydfcc77 I used to own it. Haven't seen it in a million years though. That was a long time ago.
Steve the music man
ahhh ok
rickydfcc77
Actually, this is recorded direct, but from the "Pleasure" LP. That would explain the Stereo effect. The equipment used was: Technics 1200MKII w/Blue Stanton 500 cartridge through a Numark 1720 Mixer recorded with Audacity. I've never actually seen the original 45 single; it is very rare and it didn't chart on Billboard R&B or Pop.