Eddie Levert, Walter Williams and William Powell (later succeeded by Sammy Strain), strongly but yet rather quietly, amassed a 20-year career that earned them an entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Equally adept at singing sweet love ballads and uptempo dance tunes, The O'Jays were often the mouthpieces for legendary producers Gamble & Huff's social concerns in the '70s.

Post pictures, name your playlist of favorite songs, whatever you want to show your love for one of the most successful soul music vocal groups of the genre.
[Edited 2/22/08 6:49am]

They smile in your face
All the time they want to take your place
The back stabbers



That's my favorite song of theirs, but I also like "Love Train", "I Love Music", "For The Love of Money","When The World's At Peace", "Sunshine", "Time To Get Down", and "Give The People What They Want".
[Edited 2/21/08 21:34pm]

My Favorites:

Love Train
Back Stabbers
992 Arguments
For the Love of Money
I Love Music
Let Me Make Love to You
Stairway to Heaven
Message in Our Music
Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet Tender Love)
Use ta Be My Girl
Cry Together
Forever Mine
Emotionally Yours
Keep On Lovin' Me

Great thread! I have all of their albums.These are my favorite Ojays songs:

"Back Stabbers" (1972)
"Love Train" (1972)
"They Call Me Mr.Lucky" (1972)
"Time To Get Down" (1972)
"992 Arguments" (1972)
"Ship Ahoy" (1973)
"For The Love Of Money" (1973)
"Now That We Found Love" (1973)
"Wildflower (live)" (1974)
"Never Break Us Up" (1975)
"Where Did We Go Wrong" (1975)
"What Am I Waiting For?" (1975)
"You And Me" (1975)
"She's Only A Woman" (1975)
"Livin' For The Weekend" (1975)
"Stairway To Heaven" (1975)
"I Love Music" (1975)
"Message In The Music" (1976)
"Paradise" (1976)
"Darlin Darlin Baby" (1976)
"Let Life Flow" (1976)
"Work On Me" (1977)
"We're All In This Thing Together" (1977)
"Use Ta Be My Girl" (1978)
"Cry Together" (1978)
"This Time Baby" (1978)
"Brandy" (1978)
"Help (Somebody Please)" (1978)
"Strokety Stroke" (1978)
"Sing A Happy Song" (1979)
"So Nice I Tried It Twice" (1979)
"Hurry Up And Come Back" (1979)
"I Want You Here With Me" (1979)
"Forever Mine" (1979)
"Girl Don't Let It Get You Down" (1980)
"I Just Want To Satisfy" (1982)
"Your Body's Here With Me (But Your Mind Is On The Other Side Of Town)" (1982)
"I Can't Stand The Pain" (1983)
"Put Our Heads Together" (1983)
"Lovin' You" (1987)

FuNkeNsteiN said:

It took me a long to pick my favorite Ojays album,but I finally decided that this album ('Family Reunion') is the one I enjoy the most.There's so many incredible songs here...."Stairway To Heaven","I Love Music","Workin For The Weekend",and two cool slow jams "You And Me" and "She's Only A Woman" that could have easily been singles back in 1975.A very impressive album with many highlights!

SoulAlive said:

... and cool cover art to boot

what's your favorite Ojays album?

SoulAlive said:

All the ones I posted earlier have a couple of super cuts on them, so it's really hard to choose. I guess if I had to pick one, I'd go with 'Ship Ahoy'

EDIT: By that super cuts part, I mean they all have a couple of absolute KILLER tracks, but they have plenty of other good tracks too
[Edited 2/22/08 4:43am]

The album "Survival" was also a standout album that wasn't named:



This is the album that featured "Give the People What They Want," "Let Me Make Love To You, "Rich Get Richer, "How Time Flies" and "Never Break Us Up."
[Edited 2/22/08 5:49am]

LittleAmy said:

This album is so underrated.It never gets the attention it deserves.I really love the last track "Never Break Us Up".That song really should have been a single!! Who agrees?

Since there is not a complete discography of The O'Jays' music on the market, I created my own three-disc set (complete with personally created CD labels):

DISC ONE:

1.) For the Love of Money
2.) Back Stabbers
3.) Time to Get Down
4.) Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People
5.) 992 Arguments
6.) Put Your Hands Together
7.) Love Train
8.) This Air I Breathe
9.) Listen to the Clock on the Wall
10.) You Got Your Hooks in Me
11.) (They Call Me) Mr. Lucky
12.) Who Am I
13.) Sunshine
14.) Don't Call Me Brother
15.) Ship Ahoy

DISC TWO:

1.) Message in Our Music
2.) Give the People What They Want
3.) Rich Get Richer
4.) Unity
5.) The Big Gangster
6.) Let Me Make Love to You
7.) Now That We Found Love
8.) How Time Flies
9.) Stairway to Heaven
10.) Livin' for the Weekend
11.) I Love Music
12.) Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love)
13.) Use ta Be My Girl
14.) Brandy (I Really Miss You)
15.) Family Reunion

DISC THREE:

1.) Lovin' You
2.) Serious Hold on Me
3.) Let Me Touch You
4.) Have You Had Your Love Today
5.) Sing a Happy Song
6.) My Favorite Person
7.) Don't Let Me Down
8.) I Want You Here with Me
9.) I Just Want to Satisfy
10.) Girl, Don't Let It Get You Down
11.) Your Body's Here with Me (But Your Mind's on the Other Side of Town)
12.) Cry Together
13.) Forever Mine
14.) Keep On Lovin' Me
15.) Emotionally Yours (gospel version)
[Edited 2/22/08 6:42am]

FuNkeNsteiN said:

'So Full Of Love' is another excellent OJays album.Released in early 1978,it contains the massive hit single "Use Ta Be My Girl" but there are so many other highlights as well.The dramatic,soulful "Cry Together" is one of their most impressive slow jams! "Brandy" is a real tearjerker,as is "Help (Somebody Please)".But it's not all doom and gloom.The guys groove on this LP,too."This Time Baby" finds them riding the disco wave,while the closing track "Strokety Stroke" is a funk delight.The aforementioned "Use Ta Be My Girl" is one of their most infectious singles.

LittleAmy said:

In the mid-90s,there was some talk about a multi-disc Ojays box set being worked on,but it never materialized.I think it's long overdue.

Eddie Levert rightfully receives praise for his commanding performances, but I enjoy hearing Walter Williams' reedy voice. It seems like Walt tends to get overlooked when it comes to the discussion of standout soul singers of that period. Walt sang lead of some of the group's biggest hits (and of course co-lead with Eddie on their signature songs), particularly when The O'Jays transitioned out its social commentary phase.
[Edited 2/22/08 6:37am]

Thanks to this thread,I pulled out my Ojays CDs.Been listening to them all day

SoulAlive said:

I love strokety stroke. My favorite album by the jays may be ship ahoy. I would
rate this album and the identify yourself album as my next favorite jays albums. I wanna see more love for the identify yourself album. My jams off that album is the infectious get on out and party, so nice i tried it twice, forever mine, and i want you here with me.

"Identify Yourself" is a solid album. My personal favorites are "Sing a Happy Song," "I Want You Here with Me" and "Forever Mine."

phunkdaddy said:

'Idenity Yourself' is a good album,but not nearly as strong as the album that came before it ('So Full Of Love').

LittleAmy said:

I'm gonna pull this album out and listen to it now

AlexdeParis said:

It's unfair,but I stopped listening to the Ojays after they stopped working with Gamble and Huff.I didn't like stuff like "Have You Had Your Love Today".I never bought anything after 1987.Are those latter albums any good? Am I missing something?

SoulAlive said:

"Emotionally Yours" and "Serious" are two mostly fine albums. "Emotionally Yours" featured their latest three hits, the title track (a cover of the Bob Dylan tune), "Don't Let Me Down" and "Keep On Lovin' Me." IMO, the highlight was the "gospel version" of "Emotionally Yours."

LittleAmy said:

I'm gonna check that album out.Thanks for the info.

Don't forget about the early O'Jays (the lineups with five and four members). From 1961-1970, they had hits of course not as many as their 72-80 period but hits.


-Lipstick Traces (On a Cigarette)
-One Night Affair
-You're The Best Thing Since Candy
-I'll Be Sweater Tomorrow

LittleAmy said:

You know, I actually prefer the "R&B version" of "Emotionally Yours."

LittleBLUECorvette said:

I have that album where those songs came from.It's a 1968 release,if I'm not mistaken.This was just before they hit the big time.

Hey everyone...what do you think of their 1977 album 'Traveling At The Speed Of Thought'? This is a mysterious album that nobody ever talks about.It took me a long time to find this album.I got it on a twofer CD where it is paired with the 1976 album 'Message In The Music'.This album was released at a transitional period for the Ojays.Walter had just joined the group,and there were some internal issues going on at Philadelphia International.That's probably why the album didn't receive proper promotion.Only one single was released from 'Traveling....'....the funky "Work On Me" which did okay.I don't know why they didn't release "We're All In This Thing Together".That would have been a strong second single.The album overall is decent,but it pales in comparison to their other 70s albums.

LittleAmy said:

Sadly,Walter is now suing the other Ojays,claiming they ripped him off throughout the years He left the group in 1993.For their part,the Ojays have just filed a lawsuit against Gamble and Huff,claiming that they were ripped off by Philadelphia International Records.What a mess.I had been hoping for an Ojays reunion and a new album produced by Gamble and Huff,but it's not gonna happen now.

SoulAlive said:

You mean Sammy Strain (the longtime member of The O'Jays who was a member of Little Anthony and The Imperials and rejoined that group in 1993) is suing longtime O'Jays members Eddie Levert and Walter Williams. Walt is the other founding member of the group, who sang the lead on songs like "Used ta Be My Girl," "Lovin' You" and the co-leads with Eddie.
[Edited 2/26/08 8:07am]

Each time I listen to "Got Your Hooks in Me" I wanna stand up and testify!