Crowd Pleasers

Columbus, 1970 - 2000s

July 1975 ad

The Crowd Pleasers were regarded by their fans as Columbus' number one party band. That's high regards, or aspirations, from a city with the largest university in the United States and an very active group of partiers. 
They were a long lived band - possibly active still in some form - and went through a number of members and some times when the band was not active. They were definitely still going in the 2000s.

The band played soul, funk, R&B, and some rock. They played the midwest nightclub circuit, spending many months on the road.

The band was recruited by Junie Morrison, the former Ohio Players keyboard player, for his backing band in 1976, The band members play on Junie's "Suzie Super Groupie" album and can also be heard on a live LP titled "The Funky Worm - Live At Dooley's 1976" that was released for the first time in 2023. The band was credited as the Scoon Boogie Band.

The band had recorded a demo LP at Musicol around 1972-3. The LP never got past an acetate and one copy has been sold on the collectors market a couple times for a few thousand dollars. According to the sales listing there were 8 tracks.

The band had one LP released in 1979. The record, eponymously titled, was released on Westbound, same label as the Ohio Players and the Junie solos. The song "Ohio - We're Going To Dance" is a good summation of the band's manifesto. The 45 released from the LP was "Freaky People" with the vocal version on the A side and the instrumental on the B side. The 45 wasn't a big hit, although the LP sold a decent amount of copies. Released at the peak of disco, it was probably too musical for tastes of the day.

The band had another single, a 12" only with one song "Only You" with the vocal and instrumental takes splitting the sides. 

We don't have a very accurate listing of band names. The LP lists Al Carey (trumpet and vocals), Delbert Payne (keyboards and vocals), Donald Payne (bass), Craig Moreland (guitar and vocals), Earl Davis (drums and vocals), Michael Roberts (tenor sax). The 1985 records credits only Al Carey.

This 1972 ad proving once again that EVERY club band in 1972 played the theme from "Shaft"!

There is not much else available about the band from archive sources. Jay Harmon, who later had a 45 on Cleveland Unlimited, was an early member playing sax, according to his bio. June Carey, Al Carey's sister, was a featured singer for the band. El Carey, a brother was also a member. Delbert Payne was in the band A-T-R in 1975.

Discography:
LP - Musicol acetate c. 1973
LP- S/T - Westbound 6110, 1979
Freaky People Pt 1 / Freaky People Pt 2 - Westbound 55420, 1979
Only You / Only You - Playground no #, 1985