Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee is the eleventh studio album by the Ohio Players. It was the 8th and last album they would record for Mercury. The title is a unique spelling of the term "jazzy lady." Unlike their last two efforts, the group remained with the nine-man roster that they had with Mr. Mean.
| Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 1978 | |||
| Recorded | The Chicago Recording Company (Chicago), Paragon Recording Studios (Chicago), The Record Plant (Los Angeles), Wally Heider Studios (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | Soul, funk | |||
| Length | 36:57 | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Producer | Ohio Players | |||
| Ohio Players chronology | ||||
| ||||
The group returned to the soul and funk that had been a big part of their sound, since the mellower, jazzier sounds of Mr. Mean (a soundtrack for a film directed by and starring Fred Williamson) failed to move fans and critics. Low sales of that album would also lead to lower-than-expected sales for Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee.
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Journal Herald | C[2] |
The Journal Herald deemed the album "the cleanest, most antiseptic Players LP yet."[2]
Track listing
editAll tracks composed by Billy Beck, James "Diamond" Williams, Marshall Jones, Marvin "Merv" Pierce, Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks, Clarence Satchell and Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner
- "Funk-O-Nots" (4:48)
- "Sleepwalkin'" (5:27)
- "Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee" (8:18)
- "Nott Enuff" (4:58)
- "Time Slips Away/Shoot Yer Shot" (7:13)
- "Dance (If Ya Wanta)" (6:13)
Personnel
edit- Clarence "Satch" Satchell - flute, alto saxophones, tenor saxophones, baritone saxophones, Varitone and vocals
- Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner - guitars, percussion, and lead vocals
- Marshall "Rock" Jones - electric bass
- Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks - trumpets
- James "Diamond" Williams - drums, congas, cowbell, percussion, and vocals
- Billy Beck - Grand piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond B-3 organ, Hohner D-6 Clavinet, RMI Electric piano, ARP Odyssey Synthesizer, ARP string ensemble, percussion, and vocals
- Marvin "Merv" Pierce - trumpets, trombones & flugelhorn
- Clarence "Chet" Willis - guitars, vocals, and lead vocals on "Time Slips Away"
- Robert "C.D." Jones - congas
Charts
edit| Chart (1978) | Peak [3] |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 69 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 15 |
- Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US [3] |
US R&B [3] | ||
| 1978 | "Funk-O-Nots" | 105 | 27 |
| "Time Slips Away" | — | 53 | |
References
edit- ^ Henderson, Alex. Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ^ a b Lawson, Terry (19 Aug 1978). "For sale, records". Journal Herald. Dayton. p. 26.
- ^ a b c "US Charts > Ohio Players". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-30.