By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire
For over six many years, the Ohio Gamers, first launched because the Ohio Untouchables, have been a powerhouse on the planet of music, dazzling followers with iconic hits like “Love Rollercoaster,” “Hearth,” and “Funky Worm” whereas performing to sold-out audiences throughout the nation. After years of devoted contributions to the music trade, the band’s drummer and chief, James “Diamond” Williams, is overtly questioning why the Ohio Gamers have but to safe their spot within the prestigious Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame.
Williams, a musical legend in his personal proper, shared his ideas throughout a 30-minute interview on the Nationwide Newspaper Publishers Affiliation’s morning present, “Let It Be Recognized.” “Initially, after I thought of it, I stated we aren’t Rock and Roll, however then after they put the Beastie Boys and everyone else in that rascal,” Williams quipped. “I stated, ‘What’s the downside? It’s proper right here in Cleveland, Ohio.’”
Regardless of the continued Rock Corridor snub, Williams emphasised that he didn’t need to develop into embittered. “I want to assume I don’t need to flip into Ernest T. Bass, who used to throw rocks by means of home windows,” he stated, citing the character from the Andy Griffith Present. “I don’t need to take a look at it as one thing that has upset me as a result of this band has been so properly blessed with every little thing we’ve achieved and issues which are occurring proper now on the highway. However I want to be part of that institution, don’t get me improper.”
The Ohio Gamers, now led by Williams, 73, proceed to tour and captivate audiences with their exceptional sound. Whereas some unique band members like Sugarfoot, Rock Jones, Pee Wee, and Satch have died, a number of members from the Mercury Data lineup, together with Billy Beck, Chet Willis, and Robert Kuumba, stay lively with the group, performing with a brand new ten-piece band. Their performances have continued to obtain crucial acclaim, main many to imagine that it’s time the Ohio Gamers obtain the popularity they deserve as one of many best American bands ever.
The band’s journey started in Dayton, Ohio, in 1959, initially as The Ohio Untouchables. Their breakthrough got here with the chart-topping hit “Funky Worm,” which reached primary on the Billboard R&B Charts and have become pop High 15 in Might 1973. Their early albums “Ache” and “Pleasure” (each 1972) and “Ecstasy” (1973) have been launched beneath Westbound Data. In 1974, the Ohio Gamers signed with Mercury Data and achieved three consecutive platinum albums with “Pores and skin Tight,” “Hearth,” and “Honey” by means of 1977. Additionally they scored two number-one singles on the Billboard pop charts with “Hearth” and “Love Rollercoaster” and 5 number-one R&B singles.
In line with Williams, a key issue behind the Ohio Gamers’ enduring success is their dedication to genuine music. “We love taking part in music. We love taking part in devices,” he insisted, contrasting his band’s strategy with up to date traits of relying closely on manufacturing and backing tracks. “Extra typically in the present day, the bands are taking part in stems and tracks. If these stems have been to go off, it might be one thing horrible. We’ve at all times devoted ourselves because the Ohio Gamers to be gamers, and we will’t give that up.”
The Ohio Gamers’ music stays the soundtrack of the lives of so many, and the mark it has left on fashionable tradition is plain. Their songs have been featured in commercials, tv exhibits, and as samples within the work of quite a few artists, together with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Ice Dice, Ice-T, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Jay-Z, Outkast, Infamous BIG, 2Pac, Mary J Blige, and plenty of others. Artists just like the Purple Scorching Chili Peppers have additionally coated their songs.
As for artists sampling their music, Williams quipped, “I be ok with that, however I really feel higher after I go money that test.” He recounted the monetary success the band loved when their music was utilized in Rav-4 automobile commercials, including with amusing, “I don’t even like Rav-4, however I made a lot cash I thought of shopping for a Rav-4.”
In reflecting on the band’s longevity, Williams emphasised the significance of affection, dedication, and a real ardour for music. “The love and need and dedication that all of us have individually is what makes it final,” he stated. “We have now ten folks on stage, and with our stage supervisor and manufacturing supervisor and others, it’s 13 on stage, and we take our music to coronary heart. We don’t take something as a right as a result of we all know that day-after-day is a blessing and need to do it proper. We need to proceed letting folks realize it’s not in regards to the machines; it’s in regards to the music.”
This text was initially printed by Amsterdam Information.
