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Ohio Players
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Biography
Ohio Players (formed in 1959) is an acclaimed American funk and R&B group who enjoyed their greatest success in the 1970s, notably with their No. 1 album “Fire”, hailing from Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
Originally comprised of vocalist/guitarist Robert Ward, bassist Marshall Jones, saxophonist/guitarist Clarence Satchell, drummer Cornelius Johnson, and trumpet/trombone player Ralph Middlebrooks in 1959, at this time the group was the backing band for the R&B group Falcons. Disappointed with Ward’s unreliable leadership, the band moved back to Dayton, Ohio, found a replacement in singer Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner, and changed their name to the Ohio Players.
With the addition of trumpeter Bruce Napier, vocalist Charles Dale Allen, and trombonist Marvin Pierce, the group found modest success with their 1971 single “Pain”. The accompanyng LP “Pain” arrived shortly afterwards, followed a year later by the full-length “Pleasure”. Spawning their biggest hit to date, “Funky Worm”, “Pleasure” was influenced by the funk of Sly & the Family Stone, and made way for “Ecstasy” in 1973.
Following the release of 1974’s “Climax” the band signed with Mercury Records, and underwent a number of lineup changes. The Ohio Players subsequently became known for their sexually alluring LP covers, beginning with 1974’s “Skin Tight”, which spawned their most quintessential track to date “Jive Turkey”. The following year the Ohio Players enjoyed their greatest success with their No. 1 album “Fire”, led by the No. 1 title track and subsequent No. 1, “I Want to Be Free”. Heralded as the Ohio Players’ masterpiece, the record combined seductive soulful vocals, the groove and beat of funk, and the alluring poetry of R&B to create something timeless.
The band’s subsequent release, 1975’s “Honey” also found favour among fans and critics alike, aided by the instantly-recognisable smash hit single “Love Rollercoaster”. As the seventies marched on so did the Ohio Players, achieving their last R&B No. 1 in 1976 with the single “Who’d She Coo?”, taken from the full-length “Contradiction”. 1978’s full-length “Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee” proved to be the last release on Mercury Records, and after signing with Arista, released the studio album “Everybody Up” in 1979. Undeterred by falling sales, the band released a series of albums in the 1980s on the labels Boardwalk, Century Vista, and Track Record, including “Tenderness”, “Ouch”, and “Back”.
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Live reviews
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Ohio Players
Never mind the long-since-debunked urban legend that suggests, along various different lines depending on who you ask, that a scream at the song’s midpoint is actually the genuine sound of somebody being murdered whilst the tape was rolling - ‘Love Rollercoaster’ by Ohio Players is one of the greatest funk tracks of all time. Drummer Jimmy ‘Diamond’ Williams suggested that the band stayed silent over the urban legend “because you sell more records that way”, but the sheer quality of the irresistibly danceable track should have been enough in itself to propel it in the stratosphere; that the Ohio Players are now most commonly associated with this myth in the popular imagination suggests that they might have been ill-advised not to have nipped it in the bud. They had plenty of other big hitters of course, with ‘Fire’ also topping the U.S. charts, and the Players did enough to ensure that they were part of the inaugural group to be accepted into the R&B Hall of Fame last year. They didn’t perform, though, having played live for the last time - with a significantly different lineup to the classic one - in 2002. Don’t expect to see their famously lavish, irresistibly funky live show any time soon, either; the death of frontman Leroy ‘Sugarfoot’ Bonner last year will sadly have put paid to that.
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American funk and R & B outfit Ohio Players are considered one of the most legendary working outfits after scoring huge hit singles during the golden years of their career as the likes of 'Fire' and 'Skin Tight' surpassed sales of one million worldwide.
The group has always consisted of a huge array of musicians and although the people have changed over the years, funk remains at the heart of the operation for all of the players. The feel good vibe is at all time highs this evening as the musicians go about delivering a piece of 70s nostalgia for the audience gathered who are equally enthusiastic and energised throughout the show. The likes of 'Funky Worm' and 'Sweet Sticky Thing' have even the most reluctant patron dancing along to the irresistible beats and for those not inclined to dance they are treated to a huge display of musical talent as each member throws themselves into their respective instrument. Finishing on 'Fire' evokes a standing ovation from the crowd as all the musicians come together to enjoy their final bows soundtracked by the smattering of applause.
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Best concert ever! It was so good to see the Ohio Players, one of my all time favorite bands, in the intimate setting at Bear’s Den Casino in Niagara Falls, NY. These are true musicians. It was their first concert of 2020, mine as well, and it was obvious that we were excited to be together. We had table seating but I never sat down the entire concert. The band sounds as great as ever. They performed all of the hits for 2 hours, sharing personal stories about the music and musicians, and even took requests from the audience, performing Ecstacy just for me!
Bonus-meet and greet and autographs after the show.
Cannot wait to see them again!
Thanks for asking!
Joyce
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What can you say about this band...they're as funky as funk can be, horn section, funky guitar, keyboard players, bass guitar and especially the drummer, outstanding!!!
Opening with usual Love Rollercoaster and finishing with Sticky Thing but for me was best vocal of the night was during Funky Worm.
Long Live The Funk.
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The best concert ever. The were at the Orleans in Las Vegas. I was at the stage. It was all the Aunties together.
It was my 62nd birthday and he was holding my hand singing my favorite "Heaven Must be Like This." OMG I was definitely in Heaven. Yasssss!!!! I love, love, love the Ohio Players
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I absolutely positively loved it. It was as amazing as it was years ago when I first saw them. Any musician should study them and learn to help keep building funk
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Ohio Players tour dates and tickets 2023-2024 near you
Want to see Ohio Players in concert? Find information on all of Ohio Players’s upcoming concerts, tour dates and ticket information for 2023-2024.
Ohio Players is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 3 concerts across 1 country in 2023-2024. View all concerts.
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Popularity ranking:
- Top 5,000
- El Fantasma (3495)
- Ohio Players (3496)
- Elohim (3497)
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Concerts played in 2023:
7 concerts -
Touring history
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 -
Most played:
- SF Bay Area (16)
- Los Angeles (LA) (16)
- Washington (9)
- Detroit (8)
- Chicago (7)
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Appears most with:
- Dazz Band (10)
- Rose Royce (9)
- Lakeside (7)
- Con Funk Shun (7)
- The Bar-Kays (6)
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Distance travelled:
156,414 miles
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