inspired by blackguitaristz post here

What are your top 20 Ohio Players tracks?


1. Pride and Vanity
2. Funky Worm
3. Skin Tight
4. Heaven Must Be Like This
5. Together
6. I Want To Be Free
7. Honey
8. Ain't Givin Up No Ground
9. Alone (would love to hear Prince cover this one)
10. Contradiction
11. Precious Love
12. Far East Mississippi
13. Bi-Centennial
14. Only A Child Could Love
15. Angel
16. O-H-I-O
17. Good Luck Charm
18. Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee
19. Time Slips Away/Shoot Yer Shot
20. Fire (Live from the Jam LP)

How about ten?

Let's Love
Honey
Angel
Whoo-she-coo?
FOPP
Free
Funky Worm
Heaven Must Be Like This
It's All Over
Love Rollercoaster

"Fopp" is one of the stankiest pieces of Funk ever created.

Clarence "Satch" Satchell
Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner
Marshall "Rock" Jones
Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrook
Jimmy "Diamond" Williams
Billy Beck
Marvin "Merv" Pierce
Walter "Junie" Morrison

GOTCHA.
(That's for refusing to BUILD-A-BAND)

But seriously though:
Love Rollercoaster
I Want To Be Free
Fopp
Skin Tight
Fire
Who'd She Coo
Heaven Must Be Like This
O-H-I-O

Pretty much everything on the CD.

Now, how about some reciprocation by building a freakin' band...all 75 pieces!

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

As much as I love funk and 70s soul, I have to confess; I am not all that familiar with Ohio Players. Yes, I know several of their songs, but I don't have enough knowledge of them to form a list. Can anyone recommend an album of theirs to whet a newbie's appetite? I'm talking a studio album, not a greatest hits/best of set. If this is better off with a new thread instead of jackin' this one, I'll do that instead!

RipHer2Shreds said:

First things first. What songs do you like that familiar with? You've gotta make a decision whether you wanna try music from the Westbound years (early 70s) or the Mercury years (1974 - 1979).

psykosoul said:

I don't know a whole lot of songs, but what I have heard I like:

Funky Worm
Fire
Fopp
Love Rollercoaster (of the ones I know, this isn't my favorite)
Skin Tight

Those are the ones I know by name. Might be helpful if you click on my name to see other stuff I like as well. I prefer to go the studio album route, because, for me, it's more fun to discover an artists work that way--track by track--rather than knowing their hits. Many times, my favorite songs are album tracks that weren't released commercially. Anyway, thanks, in advance, for the input

RipHer2Shreds said:

Judging from the artists you like in your profile. I'd suggest starting with Honey or Skin Tight.

MrTation said:

Co-sign that. That vocal just floors me.

I didn't realize that Soundgarden had covered this tune.

"Fopped so hard that I lost my shoe"

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

psykosoul said:

I'll do just that! Thanks for the input.

psykosoul said:

Thank u player 4 the prop. But how in the hell r u going 2 leave off their hardest jam "Hell"

psykosoul said:

And anyway, u damn near took all of them. I can't believe NOBODY mentioned "Hell"! That's the roughest, toughest, funkiest, most slangin cut by the Ohio Players! What's wrong witcha! And u too The Audience 4 not posting on the thread mentioned above.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I forgot that's your original home. You betta represent!!!!!

psykosoul said:

i'm from iowa....four letters, close enough

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Yeah! Same difference.

MrTation said:

Say it again,AAMEN!

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

"Birds do it... Bees do it... Even you and me can do it... There's really nothing to it if ya love me..." That part always cracks me up.

The Ohio Players were my first favorate band and I still love them. I was fortunate enough to see them live several times in their prime. The argument of the day then was who was better, Ohio Players or Earth, Wind and Fire? Kind of like the Beatles vs. the Rolling Stones. I always liked the Stones better and I liked the Ohio Players better as well. Both were a little more raw, which is what I like.

Check out this link to see an excerpt from a book I wrote on Funk, the music that sooths my soul like none other: http://www.wfnk.com/ohiop...pedia.html

Here are my favorites:

Fopp
Fire
Skintight
Sweet Sticky Thing
Who'd She Coo?
Love Rollercoaster
Jive Turkey
Is Anybody Gonna Be Saved?
Runnin' From the Devil
Smoke
I Want to Be Free
Soul Merry-go-round
Love Vibes
Contradiction
Far East Mississippi
It's Hell
Let's Love
Heaven Must Be Like This
Boardwalkin'
Do Your Thang
Pleasure
Pain
Sleepwalkin'
Ecstacy
Funky Worm
Rattlesnake

Wow, too many. They were so amazing!

Peace,
Scott[url]

I have this only on vinyl, and my turntable is broken!

Got a little too excited...double post
[This message was edited Fri Jul 9 10:02:42 2004 by FunkMistress]

Since I inspired this thread, here's my alltime faves.
(in no special order)
Hell
Fire
It's Your Night/Words of Love
Player's Ballin
Funky Worm
Pride and Vanity
Varee is Love
Ectasy?
Let's Love
Contradiction
Skin Tight
I want to be free
Fopp
Magic Trick
Mr.Mean
Funk-o-nots
Bi-Centennial
Far East Mississippi
Sweet sticky thing
Jive turkey
Love Rollercoaster
Climax

HardcoreJollies said:

Well, at least someone besides me mentioned "Hell". About time!

FYI: My posts have been minimal lately because my computer is disconnected at home (at work now). I hope to be back in full org swing by next week.

Peace,
Scott

Thanks for the recommendations, psykosoul. Bought Honey and love every track on it, particularly the title track!

ah, Ohio Players.


I remember being.. 7 years old & being BLOWN AWAY by their album covers-
ESPECIALLY the cover for Honey.. even at that age.. I remember dreaming about cleaning (licking?) the honey off of that BEAUTIFUL woman..

as beautiful as their album covers were, their music was even more so.
here's my list, more or less in chronological order :

Summertime - their version of the standard. starts out rather harshly, ominously.. then develops into a rather "jazzy" number

Ecstasy (I think that's the right title) - I only hear this song on the radio every great once in a while, & then the station never gives the title.. it sounds like Billy Beck is singing the lead over that falling, rumbling & rubbery bassline

Introducing the players - also very jazz-tinged. Sugar's guitar sounds more like a piano ; cool song because virtually each member gets to show his skills for a bit

Spinning - a perfect, catchy pop-soul song ; the horn lines were an early version of what would become part of the "Ohio Players sound"

Varee - a nice ballad with those cool "sh doo be oop shoop shoop" background vocal harmonies & that nice falsetto in the 2nd verse by Billy (?)

Skin tight - another nasty bassline, & VERY distinctive - it identifies this song on its 2nd note! the full-length (album) version kind of drags on.. about 2 minutes too long, I would say

It's your night/words of love - a CLASSIC Ohio Players slow jam, featuring Sugarfoot's half-spoken half-sung vocals.. I LOVE his "I'm just a ma -ha -ha-a han.. that's all that I am!" & his "Lawd hammercy!" & then his hearty, lusty laugh after he declares "I wanna sleep wit you tonight ! Girl ! Girl ! ow ! ow !.. heh heh heh heh heh.."

Heaven must be like this - the gold standard of Ohio Players slow jams. the beatifully orchestrated, fluttering strings.. the piano.. really, every instrument makes its prescence felt, & I love how the lyrics change ever so slightly as the song progresses : "a glass of lemonade/don't be afraid" ; "a glass of champagne/your lips aflame/I go insane", among other lyrics..

Fire - a raucous, almost out of control funk workout ! from the "F - I - R - E" chant beginning the song to the gutteral "fire!" refrains to Sugar's raw co-lead vocal to the swinging horn lines, this jam is BRILLIANT. I especially like that "percussive bridge" in the middle of the song.. that actually also ROCKS!

I wanna be free - another nice ballad with cool "shoop shoop.. shoop.. shoop" doowop background vocals - & a showcase for Sugar, who himself has often said that this is favorite (or 1 of his favorite) songs to perform. my favorite vocal is at the end of the last verse where he goes "I don' need yo lovin' no mo. heh." of course, the drum work of James "Diamond" Williams also really stands out on this track!

Together is a nice track, if somewhat underrated.. but look at the other Ohio Players slow jams this 1 is up against!
Running from the devil is a quirky but interesting enough song, with most of the elements of the "standard" Ohio Players sound

Honey is, in my opinion, the BEST Ohio Players album. really not 1 weak track (okay - maybe Givin up no ground is kind of a "throwaway"..)

the title track is my favorite Ohio Players slow jam. BEAUTIFUL vocal harmonies ; sexy, seductive horns & the dreamy synth work.. BRILLIANT track.

Fopp - as it's been rightfully praised elsewhere in this thread.. rocks HARD, but maintains its funky bottom & bouncing brass.

Let's love - another very nice slow jam. I especially love the brass lines here, & my favorite lyric is the classic "they say that I'm mean & I'm evo [evil].. aw girl.. oh, but how else can a stubborn man be?"

Sweet sticky thing - jazzy - especially the saxaphone. intelligent - the clever metaphors using honey, bees & love. VERY seductive - the overall mood of the song. VERY beautiful.

Alone - simply beautiful. beautifully simple.

Contradiction - RATHER deep lyrics :
contradictions - to me it seems that's what life's all about
my convictions.. are always keeping my poor soul in doubt
my restrictions.. are always at war with all my needs
my intention - to go through life & never bleed

also cool with this song is the way the tempo changes between the verses & the choruses-
something not heard too often, something that doesn't always work or fit in a song

Precious love - another interesting song. like Contradiction, the tempo of the song changes - increases - & finishes in a way that's noticeably different from how it started

Who'd she coo - 1 of the most underrated, hardly known dance hits ever. from the irresistable rhythm guitar licks to the festive horns & the handclaps to that "who'd she coo" refrain that you just can't get out of your head.. if you hear this song played & you don't start to at least bop your head - & really, you should be dancing outright - then there is seriously something wrong with your sense of rhythm.


there are probably a few other of my favorites that I've somehow omitted..
but to me, the songs I've listed represent THE BEST of this EXTREMELY talented group of MUSICIANS. I'm going to put in the Honey cd right now, in fact.

may the MASTERFUL BRILLIANCE of Ohio Players live forever,
may their thoroughly proficient musicianship be always appreciated.
(while not being sampled by rappers or covered too much by inferior "talent".)

Love Rollercoaster
Fire
Sweet Sticky Thing
Pain
Ecstasy--Maybe this isn't fair but, I love how this is sampled in Jay-Z' & Biggie's "Brooklyn's Finest."

Love Rollercoaster
Fire
Skin Tight
I Want To Be Free
Heaven Must Be Like This
Funky Worm
Angel
Pleasure
Do Your Thang
Pain
Fopp
( BTW blackguitaristz, I finally saw what you were talkin about with "It's Hell" )

[This message was edited Mon Jul 12 8:47:55 2004 by paligap]

Good grief! How'd I forget Skin tight?

My favorite is "Funky Worm".