Skin Tight is the fifth studio album by the Ohio Players, released in April 1974. It is their first album released through the Mercury label and considered to be their commercial breakthrough.
History Skin Tight signified a turning point in the Ohio Players' career towards a more jazzy and polished funk sound. The album began the Players' dominant platinum-selling period, and would bring them a much bigger audience. In fact, this release would outsell all of their previous LPs combined. The band produced and recorded the album in Chicago, with Barry Mraz as recording engineer. The final mix was mastered by Lee Hulko.
It is the second of five Ohio Players albums announced also as a quadraphonic (4-channel stereo) release, the first of four for Mercury. However, it was never actually released as no known copies have surfaced even among collectors. According to Billboard, Skin Tight took the top position on the Black Albums chart for six weeks and missed the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 pop albums chart by one position.
Covers R.E.M. performed "Skin Tight" on their Green Tour in 1989. A live recording from Orlando, Florida, on April 30, 1989, was released as a B-side to "Stand". "Heaven Must Be Like This" was covered by Paul Jackson Jr. featuring Glenn Jones, on his 1993 album, A River in the Desert. D'Angelo also covered the song on the soundtrack to the 1998 motion picture Down in the Delta.
Track listing
Personnel Marshall "Rock" Jones – Fender bass James "Diamond" Williams – drums, chimes, percussion, lead & background vocals Billy Beck – piano, organ, Fender Rhodes piano, Clavinet, ARP, percussion, lead & background vocals Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner – guitar, percussion, lead & background vocals Ralph "Pee Wee" Middlebrooks – trumpet, trombone & background vocals Clarence "Satch" Satchell – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute, percussion, lead & background vocals Marvin "Merv" Pierce – trumpet, flugelhorn, valve trombone & background vocals
Charts YearChart Peak1974U.S. Billboard Top LPs11U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs1
Singles Year Single Peak chart positions US USR&B1974 "Jive Turkey (Part 1)" 47 6 "Skin Tight" 13 2
See also List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 1974
References
External links Skin Tight at Discogs