Maceo Musiciology Webcast #28_Dayton Funk '76-'80
"Detroit, Memphis, Philadelipha, Minneapolis, Seattle
and others all had turns as a musical centers of a 'sound.'
From 1976 to 1980, Dayton, Ohio was
the Funk Capital of the World"
Dayton, Ohio, the small industrial city of approximately 200,000 people located 50 miles north of Cincinnati, produced a series of popular funk bands with a string of national hits during the 1970s. Dayton?s Black community, in the 1960s and 70s, had a rich night life with numerous bars, clubs, and after-hours establishments. Street-wise tales drawing from experiences in the places like the Astro House, Fat Daddy's, and the Ebony club frequently surfaced in the lyrical content of Dayton's first nationally-renowned funk band, the Ohio Players.
During the 1970s, industries such as a Chrysler plant, the Harrison Radiator factory, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base provided a stable income base for a population that was roughly 50 percent African-American. From this base came high-school bands who sought the stardom first achieved by the founders of Dayton funk, the Ohio Players. Their number one pop hits “Fire” (1974) and “Love Rollercoaster” (1975) set a standard for local bands to aspire to, and six different record labels had signed Dayton bands by 1978.
The Ohio Players, Lakeside, Slave (featuring Steve Arrington), Heatwave, Sun, Faze-O, Zapp (featuring Roger) and Wood Brass & Steel all claimed Dayton as their home. Members of these bands were recent high school graduates in the early 1970s and relatively new as professional musicians, having received formal and informal musical training in Dayton?s public schools and social networks with older musicians.
These bands were among the most prolific hit makers of the era, compiling more than 110 charting rhythm-and-blues singles between 1972 and 1988. Dayton funk bands all featured dance music with an emphasis on heavy bass, aggressive rhythms, complex horn arrangements, ensemble vocals, and showstopping choreography.
Slave, which had strong ties to the Ohio Players, scored a national hit with “Slide” in 1977 and continued to make hits through 1983. Crosstown rival Lakeside moved to Los Angeles before striking it big with “It’s All the Way Live” in 1978. Keith and Johnnie Wilder developed their band, Heatwave, while stationed in West Germany and returned to the United States with a global hit, “Boogie Nights,” in 1977. Roger Troutman and his band, Zapp, lasted into the 1990s with a slick, high-tech sound and dynamic show.
Ricky Vincent/S. Brown
Tracklist
1. Sun Is Here - Sun (1978)
2. O-H-I-O - Ohio Players (1977)
3. Fantastic Voyage - Lakeside (1980)
4. The Groove Line - Heatwave (1977)
5, Slide - Slave (1977)
6. Riding High - Faze-O (1977)
7. Wanna Make Love (Flick My Bic) - Sun (1976)
8. More Bounce to the Ounce - Zapp (1980)
9. Far East Mississippi - Ohio Players (1976)
10. Ain't No Half Steppin'- Heatwave (1976)
11. Welcome To The Party (Extended) - Wood, Brass & Steel (1978)
Bonus Tracks
She is "Crazy Mama"
