Back

by Ohio Players

Overview

In 1988, the Ohio Players attempted a comeback with Back, their first album in seven years. Though the influential band hadn't had a major hit in over a decade, their classic funk and soul recordings of the 1970s were continuing to have an impact on black music -- anyone who was into hip-hop in 1988 couldn't help being bombarded with samples of "Love Rollercoaster," "Fire," and "Skin Tight." So the Players tried to beat the younger artists at their own game by going for a more high-tech production style, eliminating horns and incorporating elements of hip-hop and urban contemporary. Unfortunately, the material isn't very memorable, and the production ends up sounding stiff and mechanical. The horns, once a big part of the Players' sound, are sorely missed -- and keyboards aren't a very good replacement. While the Players deserve credit for trying something different and attempting to be relevant to the hip-hop/urban contemporary scene of the late 1980s, Back simply wasn't strong enough to return them to the top of the charts. Unless you're a completist, it's best to pass on this CD and stick with essential Players classics such as Fire, Honey, and Skin Tight. ~ Alex Henderson

Product Details

Release Date:	10/27/2023
Label:	Cleopatra
UPC:	0889466488313
Rank:	29628

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ohio Players   Primary Artist
Sugar   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm)
James "Diamond" Williams   Drums,Vocals,Percussion
Billy Beck   Vocals,Keyboards
Clarence Willis   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Rhythm)
Darwin Dortch   Vocals,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Robert "Kukumba" Jones   Percussion
Ronald Nooks   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Bill Laswell   Composer
Bootsy Collins   Composer
Jim Bartz   Mixing Engineer
John A. Bokowski, Jr.   Producer,Mixing Engineer
Ohio Players   Mixing,Producer
Gerry Brown   Engineer
Sugar   Group Member
Herbie Hancock   Composer
James "Diamond" Williams   Composer,Programming,Group Member
Billy Beck   Composer,Group Member
Clarence Willis   Composer,Group Member
Glen Rupp   Engineer,Producer,Programming,Mixing Engineer
Jim Ladwig   Art Direction
Chip Wilson   Producer,Executive Producer
Bill Needham   Programming
Rick Brown   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Michael Lane   Composer
Richard Fegley   Photography
Darwin Dortch   Composer,Programming,Group Member
Keith Harrison   Composer
Candice Houley   Design
Leroy Bonner   Composer
Barbara Hopkins   Vocal Assistance
Bill Pegram   Portrait Photography
Bill Solsin   Hand Coloring
Brandon Stackhouse   Vocal Assistance
Casandra A. Brooks   Vocal Assistance
Celester M. Greathouse   Vocal Assistance
Cheryl Y. Walton-Mayers   Vocal Assistance
Debra Hanna   Vocal Assistance
Frankie M. Hyatte   Vocal Assistance
Gwan Tina Smith   Vocal Assistance
Harry Broman   Location Recording
Karen R. Jarrett   Vocal Assistance
Laffeatte T. Coleman   Vocal Assistance
Lucretia Brown   Vocal Assistance
Marlon J. Mayfield   Vocal Assistance
Melodie Bartley-Davis   Vocal Assistance
Myn J. Mack   Vocal Assistance
Orlando Harris   Vocal Assistance
Pearlie Taylor   Vocal Assistance
Tamara L. Kelly   Vocal Assistance
Thayer Johnson   Vocal Assistance
The Sinai Voices   Vocal Assistance
Valerie France   Vocal Assistance
Dave Goodman   Assistant
Glenn Johnson   Vocal Assistance
Steve A. Turner   Vocal Assistance