I see other OP posts have covered the Player's history, but lemme tell ya, these guys go way back to the 50's á la George Clinton and the P-Funk mob. They started as the Ohio Untouchables in Dayton,OH with guitar master Robert Ward ,evolved into the Ohio Players and signed to Westbound Records in 1972, where they we're labelmates with Funkadelic. Like Funkadelic records on Westbound, The Players offerings were full of experimentation, jazz,funk,soul, and most importantly...Freedom.
By the time they reached their zenith in '76, the Players were as or more popular than P-Funk for a minute, but the weirdness was gone. Even the album covers, which were exploitive, but dangerous (at least the man gets a whipping on the Pain cover), became just plain exploitive, and Hooters©-esque; in line with the disco age that brought the players fame, but also killed them by association. Check out their breakthrough hit "Pain" here and the jazz-funk slowjam Pride and Vanity in comments.
May The Funk Be With You
My Trusted MOGs
My Trusted MOGs
Fonktastic! I guess I should know more about these cats.
My Trusted MOGs
i rather like it. i am familiar with the "fire" album, but i never checked their early albums on westbound before.
My Trusted MOGs
Two very nice cuts and I learn where another popular hip-hop sample comes from. Thanks for the post bro. Like Soulrocket, I've long been familiar with their later stuff that tends somewhat toward disco, but this is my first exposure to these tracks and album covers. They've reinvigorated OP for me.
My Trusted MOGs
Best thing to come out of Dayton Ohio.
My Trusted MOGs
Cool tunes! And I'd just like to advance the hypothesis that Southwestern Ohio is the capitol of funk. Not only was Dayton the home of the Ohio Players, but also Cincinnati was the home of King Records, and the place where James Brown recorded "Cold Sweat". Bootsy Collins of course hails from Cincinnati, and Roger Troutman and Zapp were from nearby Hamilton. (or, as it was briefly known in the late '80's, "Hamilton!") MIdnight Star were also from Cincinnati. Finally, Prince recorded at least part of "Erotic City" at Cincinnati's 5th Floor Recording Studios while on the Purple Rain tour. You'd never know it from driving around, but it seems like Southwestern Ohio is just about the funkiest place on earth.
My Trusted MOGs
Columbus was also home to 2 labels featured in the incredible Eccentric Soul series from Numero.
The Capsoul label
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The Prix Label
My Trusted MOGs
maybe, possibly, "was" the capitol of funk, but "is", stretching it a bit. (BTY I'm from Cincy originally). And no, you'd never know it just from -living- there that it is the funkiest place on earth. Wait, wait, you said, midnight star, shit. That is crazy, having grown up there.
Thanks for the tidbits about my home town, like you said, who knew?
My Trusted MOGs
King was a monster label..R&B,Gospel,Hillbilly, Proto-Rock (Little Willie John),Blues.
The Bootsy records from the Houseguests are gems.
My Trusted MOGs
Being a denizen of the Old World, Ohio sounds so exotic...and their players are most certainly grooving the life fantastic.
The arrangements on both tracks are simply fantastic. Thanks for this intense aural pleasure ;-)
My Trusted MOGs
Woah. Love it. And could somebody please give me a body like that in my next lifetime? I want to be that slick and sleek, that free-moving, that space-encompassing, that ... my goodness, that beautiful. These people are a work of art in themselves.