Dayton, Ohio: The land of funk

[tsull1]

I've always been amazed at Dayton's ability to crank out the awesome funk bands. Here's a class I could've gotten into big time!

http://www.flyernews.com/articles/id/7156

[Jerry Oz]

I don't consider Lakeside a funk band, but Dayton was home to many excellent soul/R&B outfits. The Wilder brothers of Heatwave was from Dayton and of course, Roger and Zapp called Dayton their home. And don't forget the band Dayton, who had a big hit with "Cutie Pie" back in the '80s.

[marv2]

The Ohio Players called Dayton home at one point.

[Jerry Oz]

The Ohio Players called Dayton home at one point.

That's mentioned in the article. I enjoyed the "Ohio Players: Unsung" on TV-One. Especially the parts about their creative process, which consisted largely of coming up with spontaneous jams in the studio and letting one member create a title [[and consequently, the resulting lyrics) out of thin air. It shouldn't work, but it did to perfection.

[soulster]

If you include Cincinnati, you would also get the Isley Brothers and Wild Cherry. The whole state of Ohio was steaming with funk!

[marv2]

You also had Faze-O with "Ridin' High" back in '78.

[marv2]

If you include Toledo, Cleveland and Canton-Akron, you get Anita Baker, Shirley Murdock, The O'Jays, Ruby & the Romatics, Levert, Howard Hewlitt, Nancy Wilson etc. heck if you are including the entire State, you get Dean Martin! LOL!

[Jerry Oz]

If you include Cincinnati, you would also get the Isley Brothers and Wild Cherry. The whole state of Ohio was steaming with funk!

Don't forget Midnight Star out of Cincinnati.

[marv2]

If you include Cincinnati, you would also get the Isley Brothers and Wild Cherry. The whole state of Ohio was steaming with funk!

Include Bootsy Collins in with the Cincinnati gang.

[marv2]

Don't forget Midnight Star out of Cincinnati.

Definitely!!!!

[marv2]

How Slave? They were from Dayton, as were the group Aura.

[Jerry Oz]

All of this is why I was miffed when someone compiled a list of the most prominent musicians by state and listed Chrissie Hynde of the England-based Pretenders as Ohio's standout. No disrespect to Chrissie, but being a native Buckeye, I took offense to that.

[marv2]

Robert and Ronald Bell of Kool & the Gang are from Ohio.

[marv2]

All of this is why I was miffed when someone compiled a list of the most prominent musicians by state and listed Chrissie Hynde of the England-based Pretenders as Ohio's standout. No disrespect to Chrissie, but being a native Buckeye, I took offense to that.

I thought she was originally from Ohio. She made a song called "Ohio" not to be confused with the one from the Isley Brothers.

[marv2]

John Legend comes from Cincinnati.

[Jerry Oz]

How Slave? They were from Dayton, as were the group Aura.

Speaking of Slave, don't forget Steve Arrington. One of the most underrated soul artists, in my opinion.

[marv2]

Lyfe Jennings is out of Toledo. I know his family well.

[marv2]

You also have Macy Gray out of Canton.

[marv2]

Let's add Vesta Williams and Sandra Tilley [[Vandellas) from Cleveland.

[marv2]

Mansfield Ohio gave us Switch. James Ingram is also from Ohio.

[marv2]

Devo was from Akron.

[marv2]

Sun [[remember "Sun is here"!) are from Dayton.

[daddyacey]

Rodger Troutman and The Zapp crew and also Junie Morrison nd also The Brothers Isley

[soulster]

Don't forget Midnight Star out of Cincinnati.

But, I wouldn't all them funk.

[soulster]

Mansfield Ohio gave us Switch. James Ingram is also from Ohio.

Best Beat In Town!

[chidrummer]

Nah, let's not include Kool and the Gang [[a NJ Band), Wild Cherry [[from Steubenville OH), Switch or anybody from upstate or east Ohio. The Cincinnati - Dayton corridor during the late '70's to about '83 was really something special. Tsull, you should have been there. It was a magical place at a magical time. I'm sure Ralph feels the same way about his playing days in Detroit. I've always compared it to what it must have been like living in Liverpool between 1962 and 1966. I wish I'd known about this presentation, I would have loved to have heard it. Whenever I go back there I'm always thinking...someone should write a book, so much history happened during those days.

Dazz Band, Aura, Lakeside, Sun, Midnight Starr, Dayton, Slave, Shotgun, The Ohio Players, Roger & The Human Body/Zapp, The Deele, Bootsy's Rubber Band, Heatwave, Philippé Wynne, Dayton are the bands most of you know. but there were dozens more that made up a huge community of musicians. Shirley Murdock bounced between Cincy and Dayton all the time. Wilbert Longmire still lives in Cincinnati but, his former rhythm guitarist, Sheldon Reynolds left town and eventually hooked up with Earth Wind & Fire. Bootsy, Peanut and Catfish [[until his death last year) stayed in the Ohio valley. I believe the Talbot brothers [[Sun, Shotgun) are still residence and you can still find the Calloway brothers [[Midnight Starr) playing jazz in downtown Cincinnati. LA Reid, Kenny Edmonds, Dick Griffey all used the I75 corridor as a launching pad. Oh, and by the way, Gospel great Donald Lawrence and vocalist Rufus Bonds [[The Lion King) were in the mix as well. Gary Platt at 5th Floor Recording studios got it all down on tape for us and WCIN & WDAO put it on the air. Only after it was over and the scene moved on to Minneapolis did many of us begin to realize what a wonderful thing we'd had.

Somebody ought to write a book...

[Jerry Oz]

Chidrummer, you summed this whole thread up perfectly. You did miss Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame, although Stevie might have been the only one from Dayton. Thanks, man!

[marv2]

Shirley Murdock is originally from Toledo, Ohio.

[chidrummer]

Not really, Jerry. For me, Steve will always be the drummer for Slave.

Marv2 - No doubt Shirley was from Toledo. I'm just pointing out that Shirley, Roger, Bobby Glover, etc. spent a lot of time working and handing out in both Dayton and Cincinnati back then. I think Murdock still lives in Dayton today.

[Jerry Oz]

Not really, Jerry. For me, Steve will always be the drummer for Slave.

My jaw just dropped... I remember seeing Slave after Steve became the "voice" of the group with "Just A Touch of Love" and I was a fan of his ever after. "Watching You" and "Snap Shot" are definitely two of my favorite songs from the era. And when he broke with his own band, I played that record to death. Oh well, we all have our likes and dislikes.

Speaking of Slave though, "Sizzling Hot" is probably their one song that blows me away every time I hear it. Mark Adams was the man, with perhaps the single most unique style of bass playing in funk/soul/R&B/jazz/rock/disco at the time. However, he unleashed on "Sizzling Hot" like he tried to break his strings and blow out his pickups [[a compliment). It wasn't too long after that album, "Stone Jam", that Stevie Washington took Starleana Young and Curt Jones to Aurra where he was playing the bass himself.

[marv2]

Not really, Jerry. For me, Steve will always be the drummer for Slave.

Marv2 - No doubt Shirley was from Toledo. I'm just pointing out that Shirley, Roger, Bobby Glover, etc. spent a lot of time working and handing out in both Dayton and Cincinnati back then. I think Murdock still lives in Dayton today.

I just knew her when she was in high school and sang at Calvary Baptist Church. The last time I saw and spoke with Roger Troutman here in NYC we talked about her.