White Jesus Black Problems US Tour

 

 

Fantastic Negrito Presents: White Jesus Black Problems

 fantasticnegrito.com

Tracy Cruz: Electric Soul

 Tracy Cruz: Electric Soul

By Shelah Moody

San Jose’s dynamic singer/songwriter, who caught the world’s attention with her community service and multiple awards, speaks about her motivations, her musical influences and current projects.

Streetwise Radio: Where were you born and raised, and what is the earliest music you remember hearing as a child

Tracy Cruz: I was born in Quezon City on the island of Luzon in the Philippines and was raised in San Jose, CA. The earliest music I remember hearing as a child were songs from Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Earth, Wind and Fire, and more. My mom absolutely loved R&B/Soul so I grew up listening to her magnificent music collection.

Streetwise Radio: What led you to gravitate to R&B music?

TC: I gravitated towards R&B music because of the heartfelt lyrics, passionate singing and beautiful arrangements. R&B music really pulls at my heartstrings because I can feel the music in my soul and relate to the life and love messages.

Streetwise Radio: How would you describe your vocals and your style of music?

TC: My vocals have depth and rich tones. My style of music is expressive, eclectic Soul.

Streetwise Radio: Tell us about your latest projects.

TC: I’ll be releasing a new single “Find A Way” was produced by Rodney Jones. He has worked with Eric Roberson, Conya Doss, D Maurice, and more. I’m currently working on my new album “Sun After The Reign” which I’m hoping to release sometime in 2022.

Streetwise Radio: Tell us about some of your community outreach and mentorship projects.

TC: I have taught youth singing classes for 15 years through my school, Tracy Cruz Vocal Studio, as well as other private music schools and after-school music programs. I’m also a voting member of the Recording Academy, a member of Pinayista (Filipina entrepreneurs and creatives) and a board member of Oakland School for the Arts CTE Art Advisory Board.

Streetwise Radio: How do you feel about the rise of Filipino performers on the charts today, such as H.E.R. and Bruno Mars?

TC: I am very excited about the rise of Filipino performers today! H.E.R. and Bruno Mars are incredibly talented and I’m definitely inspired by their innovative music, drive, and consistency.

Streetwise Radio: What element of your Filipino culture do you bring to your music?

TC: I bring the songwriting elements of Original Pilipino Music into my own music. I absolutely love singing and writing ballads. Like R&B/Soul music, it also pulls at your heartstrings.

Streetwise Radio: What advice would you give to independent artists like yourself who are promoting their music in the Bay Area?

TC: My advice is to be kind and supportive towards others. Make sure your great talent matches your attitude and you’re out there supporting your fellow music creators and professionals. Eliminate jealousy and envy. Eliminate the “all about me” mentality. Have a collaboration over competition mentality. It’s important to build your music community as you build your own career. Build professional relationships, stay consistent, and stay true to yourself and your music!

Streetwise Radio: What artist would you most like to collaborate with and why?

TC: Diane Warren. She is my favorite songwriter and has written so many hits. I want to learn more about her songwriting process. When I was a little girl, I used to read liner notes because of her impeccable songwriting.

Streetwise Radio: Where can we hear your music and follow you?

TC: You can listen to my music www.tracycruzmusic.com, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon, etc. Follow me on:

www.Facebook.com/tracycruzmusicpage

www.Twitter.com/tracycruzmusic

www.Instagram.com/tracycruzmusic.

You can also listen to the music of Tracy Cruz here on Streetwise Radio.

Second Line for Betty Wright By Shelah Moody

       

“In order to get something

You got to give something

In order to be something

You got to go through something

Be a cook in the kitchen, a lady in the streets

You can't show your teeth to every guy you meet

It's alright to be a little sweet

But be a mama with the kids and you know what in the sheets”— Betty Wright

        Without artists like Betty Wright, there probably would not be a Beyoncé or a Megan Thee Stallion.  Wright, the Grammy-winning R&B  singer is known for her hits such as “The Clean Up Woman,” “No Pain, No Gain” and “Tonight is the Night,” died of cancer on May 10 at age 66.

          Wright is just one of the music legends, including Little Richard, Ellis Marsalis, Bill Withers, and Andre Harrell to transition during the COVID-19 pandemic.

        Wright, the first black woman to score a gold record label on her own label, was one of the architects of the black female storytelling tradition, a line of soulful lyricists and performers who paved the way for empowered singer/songwriters such as Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Megan The Stallion. 

          In the 1970s, my cousin Valerie had a massive vinyl collection; shelves and shelves of R&B records that took up most of the living room space in her tiny Pasadena home. That’s where I discovered the legendary Betty Wright. 

       I spent many summer vacations exploring Valerie’s vinyl collection; and one evening,  she played a record that caught my attention. My cousins and I giggled under the covers when we heard the lyrics. I call it the teenager’s guide to losing your virginity. The correct title is “Tonight is the Night.” https://youtu.be/M3VklaglsEU. The melody is as engrained in my memory as the lure of the ice mid-afternoon cream truck on sweltering southern California summers.

       My 13-year old mind had not even begun to grasp concepts such as the blues aesthetic, black feminist thought or the sexual power of the divine feminine. To me, the song was nasty and sweet at the same time, something we had to sneak and listen to. The 1974 hit combined spoken word and music, making Wright one of the first female rappers, before Teena Marie started talking square biz.

      Basically, the song is about a young woman waiting for her lover to come over so that they can make love for the first time. 

      On the actual record,  Wright sets up the song with a narrative of presenting the song to her mother before releasing it to the public.

        “Now I never intended recording this song

          It was a personal poem

         That is until the day that my producer

         Happened to thumb through the pages of       

          my notebook

         He came across the words and he said 

         We got something with these words

         It’s happening every day

         And people wanna hear about it Betty

        “Tonight’s the Night” was a savage track even in the seventies. Classy, bourgie, rachet. Tonight’s the night that you make me a woman...

        “Oh,but what if my mama should come home early

And catch us doin' what we're doin'

Not only will I never live it down

But my whole family relationship it'll all be ruined

But we've gone a little bit too far now

Oh, to turn around

So let's just pray

That true love is what we've found…”

       This was the first song I’d heard that depicted the art of seduction from a woman’s point of view.

      As for “ The Clean Up Woman,” https://youtu.be/r0ssMVL9I1Q, written when she was just 17, well, it’s basically a woman’s guide on how to keep your man once the seduction phase is over. In the song, Wright confesses to losing her man to the clean up woman.

     “I took this man's love and put it on a shelf

And, like a fool, I thought I had him all to myself

When he needed love, I was out havin' fun

But I found out that all I had done

Was made it easy for the clean up woman…”

      Imagine how cute the video for “Clean Up Woman” would be in post-pandemic culture, where sanitizing is the new sexy.

         As for “No Pain, No Gain,”https://youtu.be/9KZG3O5sW; it is sort of an instructional guide to maintaining a healthy relationship so that you do lose your lover to the clean up woman. Wright says that you have to be a lady in the streets and a  you know what in the sheets. I can only guess that you know what was 1970s code for what Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion boastfully call a savage. A savage. The two young women have taken the objectification on the black female body and a stereotype that grew out of the transatlantic slave trade,  and used it as a term of empowerment, a badge of honor.

         Oakland based producer Larry Batiste paid tribute to his friend in a recent Facebook post.

     “In one of our conversations, I asked, how did she come up with the idea for the song ‘Clean Up Woman’ at the age of 15,” said Batiste. “She said that she used to eavesdrop on her mom and aunties’ gossip before they would catch on and shoo her out of the room. She said the words just flowed onto the page.”

LEGACY 

    In her later years, Wright was called upon to mentor artists such as Diddy, Joss Stone and DJ Khaled. I’m gonna miss Betty Wright, with her sultry contralto and sharp wit. Without her; there would probably be no 5/9/20  love fest between Jill Scott and Erykah Badu on Instagram. 

       “Man, having Sister Betty get out of here really hurts,” said dj and music historian Harry Duncan, who hosts the radio show, “In the Soul Kitchen” on KCSM. “I play more of her music on my show than almost any other woman soul singer. I am very familiar with her history as an artist, songwriter and creative catalyst in the whole Miami soul sounds of the ’70s and I talk about her and her contributions. We just have to enjoy each other and be grateful for every day we’re here.”

Cleopatra Records Announces June 5 Release of New Album, Blues Comin’ On

by Blues Veteran Joe Louis Walker

— New Single Out Today —

Artist: Joe Louis Walker
Title: Blues Comin' On

Single: “Old Time Used To Be”
Label: Cleopatra Blues

Los Angeles, CA, April 22, 2020 — Soulful blues phenom and Blues Hall of Fame inductee Joe Louis Walker is joined by a host of talented friends and peers on his superb new studio album, Blues Comin’ On.

The album features guest performances by fellow blues icons Keb' Mo', Eric Gales, and Albert Lee, plus Detroit soul singer Mitch Ryder, harmonica virtuoso Lee Oskar, Hot Tuna's Jorma Kaukonen, punk rock vocalist Charlie Harper, legendary session player Waddy Wachtel, and so many more!

This album explodes with the passionate playing and soulful melodies that have made Walker a favorite among true blues aficionados including the Rolling Stones.

The first single to be released is the “Old Time Used To Be,” which features guest appearances by Keb' Mo' and John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful.

"From the opening track to the final note, the guests and fellow musicians on this album made this one of the best musical journeys I’ve ever had. I hope it’s the same for you!" reveals Joe.

Originally from San Francisco, Joe Louis Walker, a Blues Hall of Fame inductee and four-time Blues Music Award-winner celebrates a career that exceeds a half-century. His musical legacy as a prolific torchbearer for the blues is proven by his 26 albums.

A true powerhouse guitar virtuoso, unique singer, and prolific songwriter, he has toured extensively throughout his career, performed at the world’s most renowned music festivals, and earned a legion of dedicated fans.

NPR Music has called Walker “a legendary boundary-pushing icon of modern blues,” and within the blues world, he is already being referred to as a living legend.

The pre-release single, “Old Time Used To Be” can be listened to through this link: https://promo.theorchard.com/ItdOxWrtA4si4sebe8DD

The release date for the full album is June 5, 2020 and will be available on a digipak CD and also on a wildly popular white vinyl will be available as a limited edition.

Album Track List:
1. Feed the Poor featuring Jorma Kaukonen
2. Blues Comin’ On featuring Eric Gales
3. Someday, Someway featuring Carla Cooke & Lee Oskar
4. The Thang featuring Jesse Johnson
5. Old Time Used to Be featuring Keb’ Mo’
6. Come Back Home featuring Mitch Ryder
7. Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man featuring Waddy Wachtel
8. Awake Me Shake Me featuring Carla Cooke
9. Lonely Weekends featuring David Bromberg
10. Seven More Steps featuring Albert Lee
11. Uptown to Harlem featuring Jellybean Johnson
12. 7 & 7 Is featuring Arlen Roth & Charlie Harper

CLEOPATRA BLUES, a division of CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based record label in business since 1992. They are located at 11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703, Los Angeles CA 90025 — 310-477-4000

www.CleopatraRecords.com
Facebook: Cleopatra Blueshttps://www.facebook.com/Cleopatra-Blues-584680441701352/? https://promo.theorchard.com/ItdOxWrtA4si4sebe8DD https://promo.theorchard.com/ItdOxWrtA4si4sebe8DDfref=ts

Twitter: Cleopatra Blueshttps://twitter.com/cleopatrablues 

Media Contact:

Kaati Gaffney

Blues Festival Guide

RBA Publishing & Publicity

775-846-8238

Rbapublishing@gmail.com

Singer Peabo Bryson in Hospital After Heart Attack

"Both his medical team and family are optimistic for a speedy recovery,” said a rep in a statement obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The family requests privacy at this time, although "thoughts and prayers of friends and fans are welcomed and appreciated."

#MuteRKelley

                            



#Metoo #TimesUP #OMG have you had enough of the hash tags yet? Lol some you readers and listeners are in the ‘know’ but for those who live a busy life I will give you the 411. In the wake of the recent Hollywood sexual scandals many social media movements were created to combat sexual assault and the immodest treatment of women in general. In today’s postindustrial days the millennials use # or “hash tags” to generate a buzz around a general slogan. It’s basically an easy way for people on the internet to find a cause or a movement.
    Now that you have the basics I can explain the #MuteRKelley title.
Spotify music which is a digital music platform has decided to change its policies on which artists they plan to promote on its platform. Spotify’s new policy focuses on “hate content” and “hateful conduct. Now don’t ask me how or who will be the judge but this is gonna get crazy. So with that being said Spotify has decided to drop R Kelley from its automated playlists and has decided to scale back any promotion of the artist. Apple music has followed in suit and has ceased promotion of R Kelley’s music on some featured playlists. As we all know and expect the rest of the major digital outlets to jump on the bandwagon and create similar policies. As R Kelley has been in the news as of recent and whether he’s guilty or not women need to feel comfortable, safe, and empowered. It’s our job as a people to work together to achieve a level of equilibrium amongst each other. I feel it’s great that we can come together socially as a people and take a stand against issues that stain the fabric of what makes America great….. Diversity Creativity Ingenuity Raw Unfiltered Flashy Brash Caring Innovating. That’s why many people are on the fence about “censorship” of artists who will decide what is accepted and what isn’t??? But we do know one thing in light of the #MuteRKelley  Spotify and other large music outlets are not going to be silent about the content that is played on the platform. Although you can still find R Kelley’s entire platform in the libraries of the streaming service… lol  #imGone
AMERO

GRAMMY WINNING ARTIST ESTELLE ANNOUNCES NEW SINGLE 'LOVE LIKE OURS'

NEW YORK, NY- VP Records announces the completion of a new album deal with Grammy(R) winning R&B artist Estelle. The full length reggae album is scheduled for a fall 2017 release. The first single, ‘Love Like Ours’ featuring reggae star Tarrus Riley is available June 16th with a music video to follow.

The melodic and captivating ‘Love Like Ours’ gives fans a first taste of the upcoming album that will showcase the pivotal influence reggae music has had on the London, England born singer. Raised in a religious, Senegalese/ Grenadian household, Estelle's musical upbringing included a variety of Afro-Caribbean, Gospel, Hip-Hop and dance styles with a healthy dose of reggae music.

Since 2008 and the release of the crossover radio hit "Come Over" featuring reggae star Sean Paul and produced by Supa Dups (Sean Paul, Drake, Party Next Door), fans have been encouraging Estelle to record a reggae album. This project will bring their desires to life with a unique fusion of lover’s rock, afro beats and dancehall flavors anchoring her soulful, R&B vocals. "When I told some friends about doing this album" said Estelle, "they were like - 'finally!'" She continued, "everyone who knows me, understands the deep connection I have to reggae music." Estelle has joined forces with Supa Dups again on this project and her fans excitement for the full album is brewing.

"Love Like Ours" draws you in with smooth guitar and keyboard hooks and keeps the listener engaged with upbeat, feel good lyrics. "The song is shaping up to be the lover's anthem of the summer" said VP records President Randy Chin.

Estelle's performing credits include multiple nominations and a Grammy(R) win for "American Boy," her collaboration with Kanye West, The number one radio record anthem 'Thank You', a number one hit on the Billboard Top 200 with ‘Conqueror’, the epic duet with Jussie Smollet and a recurring cameo role on the FFox Network series Empire. She is also a featured character role on the Cartoon Network series Steven Universe. 

Estelle has shown a wide and expanding range of talent and with this album, will complete the musical circle, showcasing one of her earliest musical influences. The singer concluded, "I’m happy to give the people what they have been asking for and I’m proud to share another piece of my life and art with the world.”

‘Love Like Ours’ exclusively premiered on The Jamaica Gleaner today.

Follow Estelle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estelledarlings

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Estelle/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleDarlings

Julian Taylor Band

                                                  


Artist: Julian Taylor Band 
Title: Coke Bottle Candy 
Label: Aporia Records Inc 
Genre(s): R&B / Soul / Groove 

“In an era when music lovers seem to be required to like one thing, one style, one genre, we get the protean of the Julian Taylor Band – confident enough in their own abilities to delimit the genres and let the soulful beats resound from wider horizons.” 

These words from acclaimed Toronto poet Robert Priest beautifully encapsulate the Julian Taylor Band’s new release Desert Star, a double magnum opus reflecting Toronto’s rich musical tapestry. Blending vintage soul, rock, roots, and a touch of hip-hop, the album is a re-birth of sorts for Julian Taylor, one of the country’s most gifted and multi-faceted singer-songwriters. 

The Julian Taylor Band began as a blank canvas. They played anywhere and everywhere, as often as possible, knowing that a great band lives and dies by its live reputation. The R&B covers in their sets soon became the wellspring from which a new catalogue of original independent releases arose, landing on their debut Tech Noir, and setting the stage for the creative torrent unleashed on the sophomore Desert Star. 

Taylor describes Desert Star himself as modern rhythm and blues: Deep grooves, powerful horns, and just the right amount of pop smarts. A relatively straightforward formula, yes, but Taylor ultimately envisioned the album as four distinct parts, stemming from sessions at various Toronto studios with producers Saam Hashemi, Bill Bell, Brian Moncarz, and David Engle. 

“We’re really lucky that we’ve got a core fan base that’s been completely supportive since the beginning,” Taylor says. “There’s definitely been a musical evolution, even though the notion of R&B-meets-rock has always been a part of my sound. It’s just that I’ve learned so much more about songcraft in recent years, and collaborating with the guys in this band, as well as my co-writers and producers, has been a big part of that.” 

“The idea to put out a double album really grew out of this huge amount of material we were working, about 70 songs,” Taylor says. “We whittled it down to 22 we felt stood on their own, and at the same time hung together as a cohesive, listening experience. Because we recorded the album over a long period of time in a lot of locations, it was a challenge to maintain a consistent vibe. But everyone was committed to serving the songs, and that’s always been my approach to making music.” 

The first taste of Desert Star came early in 2016 with the release of the single “Just A Little Bit,” which received significant airplay in Canada, as well as in the U.S. and Germany. Follow-up singles “Heard Good Things” and “Set Me Free” were warmly embraced as well, with the latter spending eight weeks on CBC Radio 2’s Top 20 chart, where it peaked at number two. A couple more singles preceded the album’s release, the greasy funk jam “Fever” and “Get Loud,” which, although written in 2014, is in tune with today’s social climate with its refrain, “If a change is gonna come, we must get loud.” 

It’s a message Julian Taylor has been conveying, perhaps not so directly, ever since he emerged on the Canadian scene. With combined Caribbean and Indigenous Canadian heritage, his unique perspective is a refreshing take on the country’s diverse musical landscape 

Desert Star is named after a flower that grows in some of the planet’s harshest terrain, and for Taylor it made perfect sense as a symbol for his music. Beauty can also be resilient, and if one flower can bloom in a desert, many more can as well. The Julian Taylor Band is planting those seeds now, one listener at a time. 

Written by Jason Schneider 

http://juliantaylorband.com/about/ 
https://www.facebook.com/thejuliantaylorband/ 

>Angeltown Recordings proudly introduces its sophomore release with an amazing masterpiece which is nothing less than delightful. Written, arranged and performed by Stephanie Cooke, "You Changed Me" is also the second single from her forthcoming album, "My Heart," and delivers on every level from her sultry vocal style and passionate lyrics to the perfectly orchestrated track produced by the dynamic duo, Sean Ali & Corey Munkjulius McCue also known as Deepsol Syndicate based out of Chicago, Ill. The rich and sexy bass line leads the way as the beautiful colors develop into this alluring story of romance. Quite the musical journey. 

This one promises to keep the dancers dancing and the Soulful House Music Lovers wide open and ready for the next release.

Remembering Rod Temperton of Musical Group Heatwave

                                               

                                                               Rod Temperton


I want to ask you. Do you remember where you were when you first heard the song ‘Boogie Nights’ by Heatwave? I sure do. It was Saturday night and I was at Studio 47 in San Jose, California. I remember the club had two sides to it. One side was for 21 years or older and the other side was for 16 to 20 years. I was on the 16 to 20 year side and couldn’t wait to get on the other side. The guys looked better. The next day I went to Eastridge Mall in San Jose the and bought the album ‘Too Hot to Handle’. That was my intro to this funk/disco band of the 70s and 80s.

Well one of the creative remembers of Heatwave, Rod Temperton died in late September of 2016 at the age of 66. He was a phenomenal songwriter and keyboardist. This English man from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, wrote or had his hand in most of the hits for Heatwave. Songs like Boogie Nights, Always and Forever, Groove Line, Mind Blowing Decisions and Ain't No Half Steppin. Temperton not only wrote hits for Heatwave. He started working with the one and only Michael Jackson in 1978 and wrote Thriller, Off the Wall, Baby Be Mine, The Lady in My Life, Rock With You and Burn This Disco Out. Temperton amazing talent will be missed but never forgotten. I know when I hear any of the songs he wrote, I will definitely smile. R.I.P

LM
http://somethingelsereviews.com/2016/10/05/rod-temperton-appreciation-heatwave/
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/arts/music/rod-temperton-who-penned-thriller-for-michael-jackson-and-boogie-nights-dies.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XEmFuEbpzM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d96evg9gXxY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJDPz4guxOQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWMCbF_5x7s

Jesse Boykins III Written by: Rajada Ealey

I am shocked. Amazed. Astonished. Dumbfounded. How have I not ever heard of this R&B singer/songwriter, Jesse Boykins III? I constantly ask myself this question every single time that powerful beat of his, trickles down my ear canal. But just recently I’ve been introduced to his music and boy can I say, that now, I am so happy to have his music in my life. Jesse Boykins III dropped his new album, Bartholomew, this year in late July, which I also found myself listening to over and over again. He started producing albums in 2008, where he released his first album, The Beauty Created. I have yet to check out his other albums, but I definitely know what I’ll be doing this week. And If you like R&B/Soul jams this album will leave you wanting more. What I like the most about this album is all the surprises. Some songs will have you bopping your head and tapping your feet as soon as that first beat drops. Whether it’s the funky beats, dancey vibes, smooth instrumental hip-hop, or those soul jams, the chill of Bartholomew is like food to the your ears. You can’t live without. The rough but chill intro “Earth girls” does a great job of preparing us for the R&B rollercoaster ride Jesse Boykins III has strapped us into. But believe me when I say this is a ride worth waiting in line for. Songs like “Everybody Shut up,” “Into You,” “I Need you,” and “Tomorrow,” just to name a few, are perfect examples of the shifts in styles he presents. Not to high not too deep, this singer-songwriter voice is also something to be amazed by. It’s a shame this artist is very underrated but if his past albums are any good as Bartholomew, I’m sure this artist is one you should be on the lookout for. Bartholomew is truly an amazing album. Now I may be overselling it a bit but my ears just can’t stay away. So, check it out for yourself and you may find yourself glued to this album like I am.

Jesse Boykins III - BARTHOLOMEW

BARTHOLOMEWISOUTNOW (@JesseBoykins3rd) | Twitter 

https://twitter.com/JesseBoykins3rd

https://soundcloud.com/jesseboykinsiii

https://twitter.com/JesseBoykins3rd

Jesse Boykins III - Amorous (Official Music Video) - YouTube

The Ohio Players

Yoshi's Oakland
 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 238-9200

Thu, Jul 7 Fri, Jul 8    8:00 pm /

www.yoshis.com/

With their slinky, horn-powered grooves, impeccable musicianship, and eye-popping album covers, the Ohio Players were among the top funk bands of the mid-'70s. Emerging from the musical hotbed of Dayton 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-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 convoluted 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-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" offering a strong hint of the stylistic detours to follow. 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 Walter "Junie" Morrison, trumpeter Bruce Napier, and trombonist Marvin Pierce.

Influenced by the groundbreaking funk of Sly & the Family Stone — and with the nasal, cartoon-voiced Bonner assuming vocal duties — the new Ohio Players lineup made their debut with the single "Pain," issued on the small local label Rubber Town Sounds; it was soon picked up for distribution by the Detroit-based Westbound label, reaching the R&B Top 40 in late 1971. An LP, also titled Pain, appeared that same year, and was followed in 1972 by Pleasure, which launched the absurdist smash "Funky Worm." Ecstacy appeared in 1973, and after 1974's Climax, the Players signed to Mercury; the label change also heralded yet more lineup changes, with keyboardist Billy Beck replacing Morrison (who later signed on with Parliament) and drummer Jimmy "Diamond" Williams taking over for Webster. 

At Mercury, the Ohio Players enjoyed their greatest success; not only did their sound coalesce, but they became notorious for their sexually provocative LP covers, a tradition begun during their Westbound tenure. Their 1974 Mercury debut, Skin Tight, was their first unequivocal classic, launching the hit title track as well as "Jive Turkey." Its follow-up, Fire, remains the Players' masterpiece, topping the pop charts on the strength of its bone-rattling title cut, itself a number one hit; "I Want to Be Free," one of the band's few attempts at social commentary, was also highly successful. 1975's Honey — which featured perhaps the Players' most controversial and erotic cover to date — was another monster, generating the chart-topping masterpiece "Love Rollercoaster" in addition to the hits "Sweet Sticky Thing" and "Fopp."

The insistent "Who'd She Coo?" from 1976's Contradiction, was the Players' last number one R&B hit; "O-H-I-O," from 1977's Angel, was their last major hit on any chart, and as the 1970s drew to a close, the band's fortunes continued to decline. 1979's Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee was their final Mercury effort, and upon signing to Arista, the Players returned with Everybody Up, followed by a pair of dismal releases on Boardwalk, 1981's Tenderness and 1982's Ouch! After 1984's Graduation, four years passed prior to the release of their next effort, Back; no new material was forthcoming, although various lineups continued performing live well into the following decade. Founding member "Satch" Satchell died in late 1995, while "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks passed on in late 1996.