Skin Tight

Fire

Honey

Contradiction

The OHIO PLAYERS were huge in this three year span. They released four albums, all four topped the Soul Album Charts. All Four charted inside the Pop Top 12 with Fire getting that coveted number one spot (Skin Tight #11, Honey #2, Contradiction #12.) A number one album for a R&B performer on the POP Charts at that time in the 70s was rare. It was a big deal. How rare? Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On" "Let's Get It On" or "I Want You" didn't even top the Pop charts. Michael Jackson's "Off The Wall" didn't top the charts. Also, they hit twice with two #1 Pop singles in that span.


1970
None
1971
Shaft - Isaac Hayes
There's a Riot Goin' On - Sly & the Family Stone
1972
Superfly - Curtis Mayfield
1973
The World Is a Ghetto - War
Lady Sings the Blues - Diana Ross
1974
Fulfillingness' First Finale - Stevie Wonder
Can't Get Enough - Barry White
1975
Fire - Ohio Players
That's The Way Of The World - Earth, Wind and Fire
The Heat Is On - Isley Brothers
1976
Gratitude - Earth, Wind and Fire
Breezin' - George Benson
Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder
1977
None
1978
Live and More - Donna Summer
1979
Bad Girls - Donna Summer


In the Black word, only Earth, Wind and Fire as a band and Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye as solo performer were hotter. Hell, it looks like Ohio Players were hotter than EWF 74-76. OP was bigger than P-Funk, Isley Brothers, Commodores, Kool & the Gang and War at this time.

All Four Albums were great, not to mention some sexy album covers. They had hit's before this period like Funky Worm and O-H-I-O, but this was their peak.

Graycap23 said:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

Graycap23 said:

They were good for a lot longer than that. Those Westbound albums were great also.

No doubt. But just speaking of their peak years. History tells us that it was EWF and P-Funk who were the dominant black bands in the 70s. Well Ohio Players were the top band in the mid 70s.

4 sho. Hell my musical legacy in order:

James Brown to Ohio Players, to P-Funk, to Slave, to Bootsy, to Prince.

RJOrion said:

My first concert was Ohio Players back in 1975. James Brown 1976, & Parliament/Funkadelic 1978 when I was 12. I was a lucky kid.

-----------------------------------------------

first Prince concert was 1983 triple threat with Time and Vanity 6.

[Edited 12/24/17 16:39pm]

Should have made the thread a five album run

Their 1977 album Angel was no slouch either.

It yielded two top 20 r&b singles

Body Vibes, O-H-I-O, Angel, Merry Go Round, Don't Fight My Love

made Angel a strong album and definitely a better album than

Contradiction imo.

mrwiggles said:

mrwiggles said:

Graycap23 said:

Graycap23 said:

For me, "Honey" was their best work, tight from beginning to end.

uPtoWnNY said:

SoulAlive said:

uPtoWnNY said:

For me, "Honey" was their best work, tight from beginning to end.

I agree...and the album cover is nice,too

"Alone" is an underrated classic.

NorthC said:

Graycap23 said:

4 sho. Hell my musical legacy in order:

James Brown to Ohio Players, to P-Funk, to Slave, to Bootsy, to Prince.

No Sly & the Family Stone?

There are plenty of sprinkles, Sly, The Isley Bros, Stevie Wonder, etc......

LittleBLUECorvette said:

mrwiggles said:

Yep here is where they blasted off to pop stardom for sure. Although I prefer the rawness of the Westbound stuff there is something to be said for these as well. They kept the funk and put a shine on it. Made it go down smoother for the masses. To this day I believe GC got his inspiration for the Sir Nose vocals from the song O-H-I-O. [Edited 12/25/17 9:54am]

P-Funk eas definitely influenced by the OPs. As well as EWF, Commodores and other funk bands of the 70s.

Not EWF so much. Maurice admitted he was influenced by Sly. I believe Sugar got his

cartoonish vocal delivery from Sly. Much respect to the Ohio Players. They had a hell of a run.

I had to chuckle a bit during their Unsung episode when that Troutman brother stated EWF copied

the Ohio Players. Couldn't be further from the truth since EWF was a rainbow of different musical

styles. That was just some Ohio homerism.

phunkdaddy said:

phunkdaddy said:

uPtoWnNY said:

SoulAlive said:

uPtoWnNY said: I agree...and the album cover is nice,too

"Alone" is an underrated classic.

SoulAlive said:

uPtoWnNY said:

"Alone" is an underrated classic.

I played that on my radio show the other night, they loved it.

ReddBlitz said:

The Ohio Players are right up there with EWF, but were overlooked to an extent. Though they'd achieve great success, especially in during their Mercury years, the band's sound was more edgier and raw as oppose to EWF's that in which was more polished and classically sophisticated. I don't know if it were ever acknowledged or not, but I always felt that Sugarfoot Bonner influenced Maurice White in such a way to where he'd later take on such a dynamic type vocal standard. It'd be later a FUNK kinda thang...lol as it would DNA into Larry Dodson (Bar-Kays), Larry Blackmon (Cameo), Michael Cooper (ConFunkShun)...to name a few. So indeed, much props to the original bad boys of Dayton!!!

Also, don't forget Johnny Guitar Watson.

Vocally, I don't see Maurice as being similar to Sugar Foot. Sugar didn't become the vocal leader of OP until after Junie left. Maurice was already doin vocal leads before Sugar came into play. I'd say Maurice took more from Junie vocally. THink of early 70s funk bands. They weren't really going the vocal route besides a few. Some were just bands doin chants and odd voices like Mandrill and dare I say rappin like Kool & the Gang. Take "Hollywood Swingin" for example. But anyway, besides Sly & the Family Stone, Dyke & The Blazers and Charles Wright Band from the late 60s, "Pain" may be the first of the new emerging funk bands goin to vocalist. After Pain, Maurice would add Phillip Baily to EWF and Larry came abord Bar-Kays. Kool & the Gang would later feature JT Taylor. P-Funk was different and did their own thang.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

SoulAlive said:

I played that on my radio show the other night, they loved it.

"Somebody pick me up off da flo'......"