Faze-O - Slow Funk: The Atlantic Years (2024)

Along with the likes of the related Ohio Players, Slave, and Heatwave, Faze-O are among the reasons why Dayton, Ohio lays claim to the title of funk capital of the world. Active during the latter half of the '70s, Faze-O scored a Billboard Top Ten R&B hit out of the gate with "Riding High" (1978), the hypnotic and kicked-back title song from their debut album. The quintet charted again with the casual title tracks from Good Thang and Breakin' the Funk, their second and third Atlantic-distributed albums, both of which were out by the end of the decade. "Riding High" became a sample source for dozens of hip-hop producers, particularly throughout the '90s.

Faze-O evolved from Phase Three, a Dayton band that featured bassist Tyrone Crum. Through a series of lineup changes, Phase Three became Faze-O in 1975 with Crum joined by guitarist Ralph Aikens, keyboardist Keith Harrison, percussionist Robert Neal, Jr., and drummer Roger Parker. Most of the members shared lead and background vocal duties. They were considering a move to Atlanta when Clarence Satchell of Ohio Players offered to produce them. After they signed an Atlantic distribution deal for their own She Records, they recorded Riding High, released in 1977. The title song, written by the band and Satchell, and arranged by the Ohio Players, entered Billboard's R&B chart the following March and eventually peaked at number nine. The parent LP was pushed to number 98 on the main album chart (number 19 R&B). Good Thang, the follow-up, was issued late the next year, and peaked at number 40 on the R&B chart with help from its Rick James-style title song, a number 43 R&B hit. Still working closely with Satchell, Faze-O put together Breakin' the Funk, their third and final album, and released it in 1979. As with the first two albums, its easy-grooving title song was the only single, though it didn't fare quite as well, landing at number 63.

After the band's subsequent breakup, Harrison went on to join Heatwave (for Candles and Current) and Dazz Band (in time for "Let It Whip"), while Parker moved on with Slave (the Show Time era) and Steve Arrington's Hall of Fame. Various configurations of Faze-O performed into the 2010s. A new album was in the works in 2021, when Neal died. Parker died in 2023. © Andy Kellman