Climax (Ohio Players album)

Climax
Studio album by Ohio Players
Released	1974
Genre	Soul/Funk
Label	Westbound
Producer	Ohio Players
Ohio Players chronology
The Ohio Players (1974) Climax (1974) Fire (1974)

Climax is the 7th album by The Ohio Players and the last they would record for the Detroit-based Westbound label. They were signed to Mercury by the time Climax hit stores, perhaps the reason why it features only five new songs (with the other three pulled from previous albums). Their Mercury debut, Skin Tight, would be released a few months later.

Along with six originals, the album includes cover versions of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" and Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On", adding to the group's already growing repertoire.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Track listing

1. "Sleep Talk" (Ohio Players) (3:15)
2. "Ruffell Foot" (L. Crane & B. Baine) (4:07)
3. "Proud Mary" (John Fogerty) (5:21)
4. "Climax" (L. Crane & B. Baine) (6:50)
5. "What's Going On" (Marvin Gaye/Al Cleveland/Renaldo Benson) (6:00)
6. "Food Stamps Y'All" (L. Crane & B. Baine) (2:28)
7. "Players Ballin'" (Ohio Players) (4:31)
8. "Pack It Up" (L. Crane & B. Baine) (4:20)

Trivia

• The S&M theme of their album covers continued, with the cover model from their first three Westbound covers embracing a man for the fourth. If one is to look at the back cover, it is revealed that the woman is stabbing the man in the back with a knife, with red wax to represent blood. An urban legend claims that the cover art was done at their label's request, as if to say that the Ohio Players stabbed their former label in the back for moving to a major label. This has never been confirmed or denied by either side of the equation.

• The ending of "What's Going On" would inspire hip-hop producer Pete Rock to use it as a sample in "Lots of Lovin'", as recorded by Pete Rock & CL Smooth.

References

1. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r14376/review