The Ohio Players — Founding Fathers of Soul seek nomination to Hall of Fame. Page

The Ohio Players

Founding Fathers of Soul seek nomination to Hall of Fame.

The Ohio Players are an American national treasure; a band that truly broke the mold and changed the face of music forever. The Player’s music is pure and organic, the loose free form rhythms, those classy horns, the sharp keys, the tight drums, the funky licks, the progressive, erotic album covers. It’s fair to say Ohio Players are one of the greatest bands of all time.

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. When ward left the group 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 accompanying 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 favor among fans and critics alike, aided by the instantly-recognizable 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”.

IndiePulse Music Magazine had the amazing opportunity to interview James “Diamond” Williams, long time and active member of The Ohio Players and got some great answers an insight into the magic that was and is The Ohio Players.

IPM: The Ohio Players have been recognized as one of the acts that would be the “founding fathers” of the Soul / R&B movement of its time, as well as be the foundation of what that music would transform and become today. With this in mind, what was it like when you started, what was your first big break and what motivated you to create a sound that would become so Iconic?

“The group started in 1959 as The Ohio Untouchables, the name was changed in 1963 / 1964, with many of the original members with new members that would become long standing members of the group. This included much of the horn section. This was a crazy time, so much went on, it was a wild time and a wild ride”

“We would go on stage, looking like swashbucklers, flashing lights and a stage presence that until then had never been seen before.” “Our sound was developed by everyone filling the musical need, the bass lines, keys and drum rhythms was built from the different musical traits, ands it was a chemistry the came from inside”

“1974 was the best time for music in our consideration”

IPM: Tell us how it was being involved in the music industry then, both good and bad, and how does it compare to what is the music industry now?

“The industry is so much more different, but the industry is not geared towards older artists then and unfortunately not so much now either, but we preserver, and feel fortunate we can still be relevant and able to create music that matters.”

“One thing for sure, today there are too many machines and not enough talent, music has to come from the heart, it needs soul, machines, app and programs don’t have soul.”

IPM: Where your music has been revered throughout the music world and is an inspiration to many, do you feel that today’s listener may not understand the thoughts and creation behind the tracks?

“Our lyricist Sugarfoot could write and weave tapestries in music that can be understood by anyone, and much of it still means the same today, it was and is all encompassing.

IPM: In the early days of the players, during the days of the music revolutions, the search for social change and consciousness, the search for equality, music has been the voice of the people. Today, the people of the African American community call for change again, or as I would say “still”. What advice would you have for the modern artists in their call for change would you give?

“Change comes ever so slow, don’t give up the fight, don’t give up the faith, change is not, NOT a fast-moving process. As long as the struggle continues, you cannot give up the faith, but you have to believe YOU matter, if change comes, it has to come from within.”

IPM: What have you been up to, is there new music forthcoming that will rock us to the core, in my life, I have found your music to be phenomenal, not just the hits like “Fire” but all of the songs that have moved me, not just on the dance floor, but in my heart. Songs like “I want to be free”, “Skin Tight”, “Heaven Must Be Like This” and the epic “Love Rollercoaster” songs others may have covered, but could never match the power and energy of the original, can we look forward to more music like this someday soon?

“We are working on new material as we speak, as there will be some fantastic new grooves coming forth very soon and it will be well worth the wait.”

IPM: Thinking back, you were as artists and musicians quite prolific, many top hits in your library as well as many albums that went platinum, were there any songs or ideas you may not have followed through on that you wish you had, and if given the opportunity now, would you revamp them and release them today?

“We were smart, we left nothing undone or unpublished, we only recorded song we felt were worth doing. Our music has stood up through time, because we believed in it”

IPM: Tell us about your plans for the hall of fame.

“We want to bring our legacy and musical history into the next generation in a way that can influence generations to come.”

IPM: What are some closing words and thoughts you may have for us and our readers?

“With everything going on, with the natural disasters, the pandemic, the social political issues, we will take this all to heart and use it to create music that tells a better story. We are doing gigs, selling out everywhere and bringing our music and joy to people everywhere”

As 2021 is coming to an end the Ohio Players will be going back on tour early next year. In the meantime, we

would love to have your support on signing this petition to get the Ohio Players in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With their outstanding achievements the Ohio Players should be a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, the state they represent. With enough signatures, we can help spread this petition with the word of mouth and get an acknowledgement from the nominating committee.

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of two breakthrough albums from the Players albums ‘Pain‘ and ‘Pleasure‘, both released in 1972 on the Westbound label.

The Pleasure album featured the song ‘Funky Worm‘, and that song paved the way for the next generation of Hip-Hop artists who sampled it. Samples of their music have enhanced the careers of Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre, Ice Cube, Ice-T, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Jay-Z, Outkast, Notorious BIG, 2Pac, Mary J Blige and a great many others. Their songs have also been covered by a vast Their songs are so popular that it has been covered in the last 48 years, especially the song “Fire” which is still used today in commercials, television shows, and movies.

With your signature we can start a “Fire” and get the Ohio Players inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

To stay updated with the Ohio Players please follow them on their social media platforms and vote for their petition campaign:

http://www.facebook.com/OhioPlayers

http://www.instagram.com/ohioplayersofficial

IPM: The Ohio Players have been recognized as one of the acts that would be the “founding fathers” of the Soul / R&B movement of its time, as well as be the foundation of what that music would transform and become today. With this in mind, what was it like when you started, what was your first big break and what motivated you to create a sound that would become so Iconic?

IndiePulse Music Magazine had the amazing opportunity to interview Ronnie "Diamond" Hoard, long time and active member of The Ohio Players and got some great answers an insight into the magic that was and is The Ohio Players.