The O'Jays originally consisting of Walter Williams (b. August 25, 1942), Bill Isles (January 4, 1941 – March 2019), Bobby Massey, William Powell (January 20, 1942–May 26, 1977) and Eddie Levert (b. June 16, 1942). The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. The O'Jays (now a trio after the departure of Isles and Massey) had their first hit with "Lonely Drifter", in 1963. In spite of the record's success, the group was considering quitting the music business until Gamble & Huff, a legendary team of producers and songwriters, took an interest in the group. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with Back Stabbers (1972), a huge pop hit, and topped the U.S. singles charts the following year with their anthemic "Love Train".
They formed the group in Canton, Ohio in 1958 while attending Canton McKinley High School. Originally known as The Triumphs, and then The Mascots, the friends began recording with "Miracles" in 1961, which was a moderate hit in the Cleveland area. In 1963 they took the name "The O'Jays", in tribute to radio disc jockey Eddie O'Jay (Toop, 1991), and released "Lonely Drifter", which charted nationally. Their debut LP was Comin' Through. Throughout the 1960s, they continued to chart with songs such as "Lipstick Traces" (which they performed nationally on the ABC Television program, Shivaree), "Stand In For Love", "Let It All Out", "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow", "Deeper In Love With You" and "One Night Affair", along with several other regional and national Pop and R&B hits. In 1972, they finally scored with their first million-seller, "Back Stabbers", from the gold album of the same name. By this time, original member Bobby Massey had also departed, leaving the group a trio. This album produced several more hit singles, including "992 Arguments", "Sunshine", "Time To Get Down" and the #1 Pop smash, "Love Train". They became known as "The Mighty O'Jays" due to their exciting, emotion-packed stage performances, led by the dynamic Levert, and the cool, multi-range vocals of Walter Williams, coupled with the matinee idol looks and smooth first tenor voice of William Powell.
During the remainder of the 1970s the O'Jays continued releasing chart-topping singles, including "Put Your Hands Together" (Pop #10), "For the Love of Money" (Pop #9), "Give the People What They Want", "Let Me Make Love To You", "I Love Music" (Pop #5), "Livin' for the Weekend", "Message in Our Music" and "Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet Tender Love)". Original member William Powell died of cancer in 1977 at the age of just 35.
After adding Sammy Strain (born December 9, 1941) (of Little Anthony & the Imperials), the O'Jays continued recording, though with limited success. 1978's "Use ta Be My Girl" was their final Top Five hit, though they continued placing songs on the R&B charts throughout the 1980s. Their 1987 album, Let Me Touch You, was a breakthrough of sorts, and included the #1 R&B hit "Lovin' You". Eddie Levert also got a copy of Kevan Tynes' "Loving You" prior to recording their version .Though they continued charting on the R&B charts in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the O'Jays never again achieved pop success. In 1992, Sammy Strain left the group, and returned to the Imperials, to be replaced by Nathaniel Best, and later, by Eric Grant. Later in the 1990s, the group did little recording, though they remained a popular live draw. Their latest album was Imagination in 2004.
In 2003, they co-starred in the movie The Fighting Temptations, which starred Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyonce Knowles. In the film, they played three barbers who joined the local church choir to help out the film's protagonist Darrin (Gooding) who was the choir director.
In 2005 the O'Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Original members Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, Bobby Massey and, posthumously, William Powell, were inducted. In a note of controversy, 70's O'Jays member Sammy Strain was also inducted with the group, while original member Bill Isles was not. (Strain is one of the few artists in popular music history who is a double RRHOF inductee: with The O'Jays in 2005, and The Imperials in 2009). In 2006, the O'Jays performed at the ESPY awards, hosted by Lance Armstrong. "For the Love of Money" is the theme song to the hit reality TV show The Apprentice, starring Donald Trump, which is ironic considering that the lyrics warn of the evil people will do for the love of money.
On February 23, 2007, Radio-Canada's website reported that Canadian Industry Minister Jim Prentice had used the song "For The Love of Money" without the group's permission during a political event, a faux pas since Prentice is responsible for the application of the Copyright Act in Canada. Radio-Canada also reports that Prentice has since been contacted by the attorneys for both the O'Jays and Warner/Chappell Music.
On June 28, 2009, at the 2009 BET Award Show in the Shrine Auditorium the O'Jays were honored with BET's 2009 Life Time Achievement Award. Tevin Campbell, Trey Songz, Tyrese Gibson, and Johnny Gill performed a medley of the groups songs followed by the presentation of the award by Don Cornelius. The group reminisced, joked with the audience and accepted their award before performing a rendition of their hit songs.
Let Me Make Love To You
The O'Jays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I won't hurt, I won't hurt, I'll treat you ever so gentle
I'll make every little thing alright
Honey, you'll never forget this night
Just let me make love to you, baby
I'll be good, I'll be better than better
Neater than neater, sweeter than sweeter
Everything a man in love would do
When the mornin' comes puts the night on the mind
Let's not stop this moan
'Cause we've only, we've only
Begun to love, begun to love, baby, baby
Just let me make love to you, baby
I won't stop, I won't stop
'Til you ask me to, tell me to, beg me to
Oh baby, I'm countin' on you
Darlin', to make this wish come true
Girl, I tell you, "I countin' on you, I'm countin' on you"
To make all my dreams and wishes
Just let me make love to you, baby
I won't stop, I won't stop
'Til you ask me to, tell me to, beg me to
Oh baby, I'm countin' on you to make this wish come true
If you just let me make love to you, baby, love to you
I won't hurt, I won't hurt, baby, no
I'll treat you ever so gentle
I'll make every little thing alright
The O'Jays's song "Let Me Make Love To You" is a sensual and romantic plea to someone special to allow the singer to express their love and give them the pleasure of intimacy. The repeated use of the phrase "just let me make love to you, baby," is a persistent invitation to the object of the singer's affection, pleading for them to understand the depth of their feelings and the sincerity of the offer. The lyrics are an assurance that the experience will be gentle, kind, and fulfilling, emphasizing the importance of the other person's satisfaction and pleasure. The line, "Everything a man in love would do," emphasizes the singer's commitment to doing everything in their power to please their beloved.
The song communicates a sense of urgency and passion, with the lyrics subtly suggesting that the singer's love and desire cannot be contained or resisted. The lines "I won't stop 'til you ask me to, tell me to, beg me to" are a clear indication of their unrelenting pursuit, depicting the intensity of the moment as well as their intentions. Even in the morning light, when most lovers' passion fades with the dawn, the singer wishes to continue making love and explore deeper levels of intimacy with their partner.
Overall, "Let Me Make Love To You" is an example of how love can be expressed through words and music, a beautiful and romantic gesture that captures the essence of the human experience of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Just, just, just, just, let me make love to you, baby
Please allow me the pleasure of making love to you, my love.
I won't hurt, I won't hurt, I'll treat you ever so gentle
I promise to be gentle and not cause you any harm.
I'll make every little thing alright
I'll take care of you and make sure everything is perfect.
Honey, you'll never forget this night
Tonight will be a night to remember forever, my dear.
I'll be good, I'll be better than better
I will not disappoint and will exceed your expectations.
Neater than neater, sweeter than sweeter
Everything I do for you will be done with love and care.
I promise I'll do anythin' you want me to
I'll fulfill all your desires and wishes, my love.
Everything a man in love would do
I'll do everything that a man in love would do for his beloved.
When the mornin' comes puts the night on the mind
Even when morning arrives, our love will still be on our minds.
Let's not stop this moan
Let's keep our passion going and not hold back.
'Cause we've only, we've only
We haven't even scratched the surface yet.
Begun to love, begun to love, baby, baby
Our love has just begun, my dear.
I won't stop, I won't stop
I'll keep going until you tell me to stop.
'Til you ask me to, tell me to, beg me to
I'll continue making love to you until you tell me to stop.
Oh baby, I'm countin' on you
I'm depending on you to fulfill my desires and make this night unforgettable.
Darlin', to make this wish come true
Please fulfill my wish to make love to you.
Girl, I tell you, "I countin' on you, I'm countin' on you"
I'm counting on you to make all my fantasies come true.
If you just let me make love to you, baby, love to you
If only you allow me the pleasure of making love to you, my dear.
I won't hurt, I won't hurt, baby, no
Please don't worry, I promise not to hurt you in any way.
I'll treat you ever so gentle
I'll be careful and treat you with great care and tenderness.
I'll make every little thing alright
I'll take care of everything and make sure everything is perfect for you, my love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALLAN FELDER, ALLAN W. FELDER, BUNNY SIGLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jay Singer
Written by
Bunny Sigler
and
Allan Felder
——————————
Lead Vocals:
Eddie LeVert
———————————
Background Vocals:
William Powell
(R.I.P)
Bunny Sigler
(R.I.P)
Eddie LeVert
Walter Williams
——————————
Instrumentation:
Leon Huff and
MFSB
——————————
Arranger and
Conductor:
Bobby Martin
—————————
Produced by
Kenny Gamble
and
Leon Huff
—————————
Year:
1975
————————
Album:
Survival
Philadelphia International Records
Those vocals... whooweee!
Sharon Simmons
Love ojays one my favorite groups. Music is beautiful just saying.
Lu Black SOUL MUSIC
Boa tarde rapaziada vqv 👍
World Wide Birthday Celebrations!
They don't make voices, music, nor clothes like this anymore! Who's ready to help build a time machine?
Dianie Ciccaronie
Oops my reply got messed up (AND sent itself b4 I was done !!)Just MEANT to say,i think.I'm still om the time machine. ; I don't believe I ever got off it nor had any REASON need or desire to.,!
From the first great summer I started loving this music in 73 age 9, I hopped aboard the Love Train + stayed !!
Dianie Ciccaronie
I'm already on it ! I Never got off it since I was ,9 in 73 + went CRAZY over all these unbelievable under
Rashida Guest
Hurry up and build it lol
Errol Thomas
I'd like to be down for that
Ricardo Torres
Eddie LeVert put not only his heart but his soul into that song his voice is so mellow
Debra Watson
@Sandra Atkins baby making music .....