Ohio Players - Observations In Time - Import CD

Credits:

Ohio Players

Description:

In the 60s, you didnt have to live in the Deep South to have a Southern R&B sound. Aretha Franklin lived in Detroit, but many of her 60s recordings favored the rawness and toughness of Southern soul over the sleeker, more pop-influenced soul that was coming out of Detroit as well as Chicago and Philadelphia. And even though the Ohio Players were from Dayton, many of their early recordings sound like they could have been recorded in Memphis. Produced by Johnny Brantley in New York, Observations in Time is full of songs that would have been perfect for a Sam & Dave or Rufus Thomas session; there is no shortage of Southern-style grit on "Street Party," "The Man That I Am" or the single "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow" (which was a minor hit). However, some of these 1968 recordings hint at the type of jazz-influenced experiments that the Players would provide at Westbound in the early 70s. The jazz influence is strong on imaginative versions of the standards "Over the Rainbow" and "Summertime," and "Cold Cold World" is the sort of jazz/blues item that one would have expected from Lou Rawls, Jimmy Witherspoon, or Bobby "Blue" Bland in the 60s. So even though the Players offer a lot of Southern-minded R&B on Observations in Time (which was their only album for Capitol), they arent afraid to branch out and try some other things. ~ Alex Henderson

Tracklisting:

1.Here Today and Gone Tomorrow
2.Mother-In-Law
3.Stop Lying To Yourself
4.Over the Rainbow
5.Find Someone To Love
6.Cold Cold World
7.Summertime
8.The Bad Bargain
9.Man That I Am
10.Lonely Street
11.Street Party
12.A Little Soul Party (a Woman & Some Soul)
13.A Thing Called Love
14.My Neighbors
15.Tell Me Why
16.You Don't Mean It
17.Trespassin'
18.I've Got To Hold On
19.It's a Cryin' Shame
20.Alabama Soupbone Pt. 1 & 2
21.I Gotta Get Away
22.Love Slips Thru My Fingers
23.Man That I Am [Instrumental]
24.Street Party [Instrumental]