Con Funk Shun, Ohio Players, Confunkshun, et The Original Lakeside

Originally formed under the moniker Project Soul in 1969, in 1971, with the breakdown of a rival group, the name changed to Con Funk Shun. The band is formed of drummer Louis A. McCall Sr., lead vocalist and guitarist Michael Cooper, bassist Cedric Martin, keyboard player Danny Thomas, trumpeter Karl Fuller, woodwinds player Paul Harrell, and multi-instrumentalist Felton Pilate. Having completed the line-up Con Funk Shun moved to Memphis, Tennessee, U.S., and in 1973 were highed by Stax Records to play back-up to The Soul Children. The band subsequently toured and recorded with the Soul Children, during which time they caught the attention of Estelle Axton who signed the group to her Fretone Records label.

With label backing Con Funk Shun made their debut in 1973 with the album “Organized Con Funk Shun”. After the group’s subsequent release “The Memphis Sessions”, Con Funk Shun signed with Mercury Records in a fruitful relationship which would last over 10 years. The band’s debut releasee on the label was “Con Funk Shun” (1976), followed by the certified gold albums “Secrets” (1977), “Loveshine” (1978), and “Candy” (1979). By this point Pilate and Cooper had proved themselves as the band’s lead vocalists, and the group became known as a staple fun-loving R&B/funk band.

Subsequent Mercury-issued albums were 1980’s “Spirit of Love” and “Touch”, 1981’s “7”, 1982’s “To the Max”, 1983’s “Fever”, 1985’s “Electric Lady”, and 1986’s “Burnin’ Love”. Over this period Con Funk Shun released over 20 singles, all of which charted respectively on the Billboard R&B chart, with notably the singles “Chase Me”, “Got To Be Enough”, “Too Tight”, and “Ffun” charting within the Top 10. Both Felton Pilate and Michael Cooper left the group after their contract with Mercury ended, however the band returned in the ‘90s, and continue to play shows and festivals into the 21st century.

Originally comprised of vocalist/guitarist Robert Ward, bassist Marshall Jones, saxophonist/guitarist Clarence Satchell, drummer Cornelius Johnson, and trumpet/trombone player Ralph Middlebrooks in 1959, at this time the group was the backing band for the R&B group Falcons. Disappointed with Ward’s unreliable leadership, the band moved back to Dayton, Ohio, found a replacement in singer Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner, and changed their name to the Ohio Players.

With the addition of trumpeter Bruce Napier, vocalist Charles Dale Allen, and trombonist Marvin Pierce, the group found modest success with their 1971 single “Pain”. The accompanyng LP “Pain” arrived shortly afterwards, followed a year later by the full-length “Pleasure”. Spawning their biggest hit to date, “Funky Worm”, “Pleasure” was influenced by the funk of Sly & the Family Stone, and made way for “Ecstasy” in 1973.

Following the release of 1974’s “Climax” the band signed with Mercury Records, and underwent a number of lineup changes. The Ohio Players subsequently became known for their sexually alluring LP covers, beginning with 1974’s “Skin Tight”, which spawned their most quintessential track to date “Jive Turkey”. The following year the Ohio Players enjoyed their greatest success with their No. 1 album “Fire”, led by the No. 1 title track and subsequent No. 1, “I Want to Be Free”. Heralded as the Ohio Players’ masterpiece, the record combined seductive soulful vocals, the groove and beat of funk, and the alluring poetry of R&B to create something timeless.

The band’s subsequent release, 1975’s “Honey” also found favour among fans and critics alike, aided by the instantly-recognisable smash hit single “Love Rollercoaster”. As the seventies marched on so did the Ohio Players, achieving their last R&B No. 1 in 1976 with the single “Who’d She Coo?”, taken from the full-length “Contradiction”. 1978’s full-length “Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee” proved to be the last release on Mercury Records, and after signing with Arista, released the studio album “Everybody Up” in 1979. Undeterred by falling sales, the band released a series of albums in the 1980s on the labels Boardwalk, Century Vista, and Track Record, including “Tenderness”, “Ouch”, and “Back”.