Funky Worm

The jewel of the Ohio Players' showcase prior to the Dayton band's blistering run of hit singles and albums on Mercury Records was this novelty issued on Westbound Records in 1973. Two integral parts of their Mercury success, James "Diamond" Williams (drums) and Billy Beck (keyboards) weren't yet on board; this group boasted the multi-talented Junie Morrison on keyboards and Greg Webster pounding the skins. Morrison's cartoonish granny voice is the star of this show; the groove isn't as funky (despite the title) as the usual tracks the Ohio Players made you bounce to. The public took to it like ants to picnics; final tally: number one R&B and number 15 pop, their best numbers to date.