Ohio Players

The Ohio Players Were Among The Top Funk Bands Of The Mid-'70s. Emerging From Dayton Ohio In 1959 The Group Was Originally Dubbed The Ohio Untouchables And Initially Comprised Singer/guitarist Robert Ward Bassist Marshall "Rock" Jones Saxophonist/guitarist Clarence "Satch" Satchell Drummer Cornelius Johnson And Trumpeter/trombonist Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks. In Late 1961 A Relative Of Ward's Founded The Detroit Michigan-Based Lupine Records And The Group Traveled North To The Motor City To Back The Falcons On Their Hit "I Found A Love" The Ohio Untouchables Soon Made Their Headlining Debut With "Love Is Amazing " But When Ward Subsequently Exited For A Solo Career The Group Essentially Disbanded. At That Point The Nucleus Of Middlebrooks Jones And Newly Added Guitarist Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner Returned To Dayton There They Recruited Saxophonist Andrew Noland And Drummer Gary Webster The Latter A Somewhat Elusive Figure Whose True Involvement In The Group's History Has Never Been Definitively Answered — Some Sources Credit Him As A Founding Untouchable Others Even As The Band's Early Leader. In Any Case By 1967 With The Subsequent Addition Of Singers Bobby Lee Fears And Dutch Robinson The Newly Rechristened Ohio Players Were Signed As The House Band For The New York City-Based Compass Records Backing Singer Helena Ferguson On Her Lone Hit "Where Is The Party " Before Issuing Their Solo Debut "Trespassin' " Which Hit The R&B Charts In Early 1968. Although The Players' Trademark Bottom-Heavy Horn-Driven Sound Was Already Blossoming Their Follow-Up "It's A Cryin' Shame " Flopped And As Compass Teetered On The Brink Of Bankruptcy They Exited The Label. Their Early Compass Sides Were Later Packaged As First Impressions. The Players Then Landed On Capitol Where 1969's "Here Today Gone Tomorrow" Was A Minor Hit An LP Observations In Time Soon Followed With Covers Of "Summertime" And "Over The Rainbow". In 1970 The Group Disbanded However Fears And Robinson Both Mounted Solo Careers While The Remaining Members Again Decamped To Dayton Eventually Re-Forming With Keyboardist And Lead Singer Walter "Junie" Morrison Trumpeter Bruce Napier And Trombonist Marvin Pierce. read less