The O'Jays
TIMELESS! This says it all. The O’Jays are living legends…American Treasures. The term “living legend” is often overused and abused, but with The O’Jays, well, there’s little argument that the honorable tag truly applies. Now this storied trio adds yet another cornerstone to their impressive track record with IMAGINATION… their new CD recorded for Music World Music Records. IMAGINATION…will capture your inner thoughts and allow you to imagine that you are on the front row of a live O’Jays performance.
With their place in modern music history secure, The O’Jays could have cruise-controlled to that comfy hammock on a sandy beach, umbrella-decorated drinks in hand--and fans would have been cool with it. Why? (1) An ocean-wide body of work that spawned 24 Top Ten smashes and 59 total charted songs. (2) Incredibly energetic and dynamic live shows. (3) Mad respect for their Olympian vocals. And (4) their social and political impact on generations and nations.
But doing things slowly is not Eddie Levert, Walter Williams and Eric Grant’s modus operandi. After 40+ years making such international hits as “Back Stabbers,” “For The Love Of Money,” “Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby,” “Love Train,” “I Love Music,” “Use Ta Be My Girl”and “Have You Had Your Love Today,” The O’Jays are light years away from easing up on the gas. And like fine wine, The O’Jays just improve with time. Through the years, they were blessed to have had the late great choreographer Cholly Atkins around. Atkins taught them the importance of showmanship and how to execute their steps while still delivering their songs.
There have been “four faces” of the O’Jays. This vocal group from Canton, Ohio originated with Eddie Levert, Sr., Walter Williams, Sr., William Powell, Bobby Massey and Billy Isles. Their name was coined from the last name of Cleveland DJ Eddie O’Jay by chance. Isles left the group in 1965. Massey left to become a record Producer in 1971 and Levert, Williams and Powell continued as a trio. Powell retired from touring due to illness in late 1975, passing at the age of 35 in 1977. Powell was replaced by Sammy Strain, formerly with Little Anthony & The Imperials. Strain returned to his former group in 1993 and was replaced by Nathaniel Best. After the departure in 1995 of Best, Eric Nolan Grant joined the group. Levert says “Eric was the ideal person for the O’Jays, because he was used to working within a group, which Walter Williams managed. He was really a shoe-in, and he fit perfectly”. Further he states “With his addition, we have been able to keep our performances at a level that we’re used to having-stage-wise and in the studio”. Grant constantly says “Being from Cleveland, the O’Jays were our Heroes. We all looked up to the O’Jays, patterned ourselves after them.”
IMAGINATION… is a work of art, with a classic O’Jays sound resounding on each track. The title tune Imagination, written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis is definitely a great steppers song. Levert and Williams wrote and produced “Make-Up”, a slow mellow tune for lovers, “Chauvinistic”, an up tempo tune, which will make you clap your hands and stomp your feet, and “Busy Tonight”, which has a Reggae flavor to it. They didn’t stop there! Levert and Williams collaborated on “Made It Back”, a tune with a great gospel beat and “Separate Ways”, about a relationship which goes sour and causes two lovers to go their separate ways, both produced by Troy Taylor; “Repair Man”, filled with funky guitar rhythms and “One Good Woman”, a song praising a great woman, who could be considered like mom in many ways, produced by Rob Fusari, “I’d Rather Cry”, a slow tune reflecting on heartbreak and pain, produced by Gerald Levert and “Why You Wanna Settle For Less” produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It can be said that IMAGINATION has The O’Jays’ trademark.
IMAGINATION… reflects The O’Jays’ uncompromising stance on love.
The stage, whether set on American or on international soil, is where the O’Jays let it all out, exhibiting their soulful singing and bring in truckloads of fans. How have they lasted for over 40 years you ask? “It’s hard to get the young acts to tour with us, because they really don’t want old folks like us showing them up. That’s why they don’t want to go on tour with us,” Eddie says. “Sooner or later, it comes down to who puts on the best show. You can have a hit record for only so long. All hit records get old, and then you have to do a show. You have to have a personality. You have to get out and talk with your audience, get personal with them. That’s one of the keys to longevity.”
Eddie and Walter’s lifelong relationship, began when Walter met Eddie when he was 6 and Eddie was 7. Their cohesive and long lasting relationship is what they patterned their career after and is just an example of their long commitment to The O’Jays, their commitment to excellence and to their fans. “We have three generations at our concerts…the kids, the moms and dads, and the grandmas and granddads”, says Williams. “This popularity among generations is rare in music today, an exception rather than the rule and that is why The O’Jays are a phenomenon”, says the Management Team of Rosalind R. Ray, Esquire and Andy Gibson. Ray and Gibson add “The O’Jays are more than legends. They are the architects of music that have proven timeless and priceless”.
“IMAGINATION… is a CD which we believe everyone, especially longtime O’Jays fans will enjoy”, says Mathew Knowles of Music World Music. He adds “When you listen to this great piece of work use your IMAGINATION, as the O’Jays saturate your mind with their classic sound”. Eddie concludes. “The message on IMAGINATION… is love; love in a relationship, jealousy love, long-distance love, trying to find love.” Walter concurs: “We are pretty much known, as the messengers of love. We try to continue to exude love throughout our songs, while asking our audience to use their IMAGINATION.
