Great Skin Tight Ohio Players
I've held off reviewing SKIN TIGHT all these years beacuse at one time this was an album you could take for granted EVERYBODY having, and not only that, being able to cop a certain infectious bass line off of it to boot. One might even call the famous vamp from SKIN TIGHT the ghettoe version of CHOP STICKS.... you just had to know it... - - yet I'm surprised that there are some people these days who aren't quite down with the Player's, even though they paved the path for everything that came after - - including Prince and today's nu-soul.
First - - the concept - - hard core funk, but with a bit of everything thrown in... especially Jazz and Gospel harmony, and even touches of the pop/rock of the era - - and all this done with a distinct flavor of a new type of '70s soul- - There were also slow jams here and there, but slow not in the sense of sweet and lush (like Barry White and Issac Hayes) but NASTY and HARDCORE (complete with the latest and funkiest analogue synths of the era including plenty of MOOG, CLAVs and ARPS). . . That was the player's unique formula, and today its not something new, its THE RULE, and there is no doubt that when you see all the groups today who got their stuff from Cameo and Prince, you definitely have to be aware that THEY in turn got it from SUGAR and the Players.
SKIN TIGHT (recorded circa 1974) marks the begining of the FUNKY SLOW JAM and the Ohio's unique brand of Jived out Funk with a wicked Jazz edge... The PLAYER'S were also unique because even though they were doing ultra hard core funk along with their label mates P-FUNK on the WESTBOUND label, they were still quite underground when (like P-Funk) they jumped to Polydor - - even for a group who's tunes had a lot of pop and disco crossover appeal (the lyrics were mostly about the three Fs... the first two being fun and funk - - but I forget the third...)
When you listen to this album its great... a real journey - - it can be dance music, just as much as backround, dreaming or whatchamacallit making music, and you can follow the journey from begining to end... a lot is happening and there's a sound and production style hard edged yet smooth that no other group quite had - - For this reason, SKIN TIGHT is one of those albums that belongs in every true funk and soul collector's album - - and yes, bass players need to be studying that famous vamp one and again - - hard to believe almost 32 years later ! ! !
Now as for me and my favorite Polydor era OP albums, although SKIN TIGHT and FIRE set the precedent, actually HONEY and CONTRADICTION are my faves (Honey also being my favorite of their distinctly recognizable album covers !)
I've held off reviewing SKIN TIGHT all these years beacuse at one time this was an album you could take for granted EVERYBODY having, and not only that, being able to cop a certain infectious bass line off of it to boot. One might even call the famous vamp from SKIN TIGHT the ghettoe version of CHOP STICKS.... you just had to know it... - - yet I'm surprised that there are some people these days who aren't quite down with the Player's, even though they paved the path for everything that came after - - including Prince and today's nu-soul.
ReplyDeleteFirst - - the concept - - hard core funk, but with a bit of everything thrown in... especially Jazz and Gospel harmony, and even touches of the pop/rock of the era - - and all this done with a distinct flavor of a new type of '70s soul- - There were also slow jams here and there, but slow not in the sense of sweet and lush (like Barry White and Issac Hayes) but NASTY and HARDCORE (complete with the latest and funkiest analogue synths of the era including plenty of MOOG, CLAVs and ARPS). . . That was the player's unique formula, and today its not something new, its THE RULE, and there is no doubt that when you see all the groups today who got their stuff from Cameo and Prince, you definitely have to be aware that THEY in turn got it from SUGAR and the Players.
SKIN TIGHT (recorded circa 1974) marks the begining of the FUNKY SLOW JAM and the Ohio's unique brand of Jived out Funk with a wicked Jazz edge... The PLAYER'S were also unique because even though they were doing ultra hard core funk along with their label mates P-FUNK on the WESTBOUND label, they were still quite underground when (like P-Funk) they jumped to Polydor - - even for a group who's tunes had a lot of pop and disco crossover appeal (the lyrics were mostly about the three Fs... the first two being fun and funk - - but I forget the third...)
When you listen to this album its great... a real journey - - it can be dance music, just as much as backround, dreaming or whatchamacallit making music, and you can follow the journey from begining to end... a lot is happening and there's a sound and production style hard edged yet smooth that no other group quite had - - For this reason, SKIN TIGHT is one of those albums that belongs in every true funk and soul collector's album - - and yes, bass players need to be studying that famous vamp one and again - - hard to believe almost 32 years later ! ! !
Now as for me and my favorite Polydor era OP albums, although SKIN TIGHT and FIRE set the precedent, actually HONEY and CONTRADICTION are my faves (Honey also being my favorite of their distinctly recognizable album covers !)
ReplyDeletebrings back alot of memories from the past i play it mostly on weekends now but when i first got it it was daily
ReplyDeletei am recollecting my old collections alittle at a time thanks Amazon!
ohio Players back in the day were my group. i still love me some ohio Players i would love to have all of the cd's they have made i wish they were still kicking it like they use to , but i know time and things move on. much love to the ohio players.
ReplyDelete