Wild Cherry -

Wild Cherry was an American funk-rock/soul band that released four albums through 1979 on Epic/Sweet City. In 1976, they scored a No. 1 hit with “Play That Funky Music.”

Members: Robert Parissi (lead vocals, guitar), Ben Difabbio (drums, vocals, 1970-75), Louie Osso (guitar, vocals, 1970-73), Larry Brown (bass, vocals, 1970-73), Larry Mader (keyboards, vocals, 1970-73), Coogie Stoddart (guitar, vocals, 1973-75, 1977-78), Joe Buchmelter (bass, 1973), Buckie Lusk (bass, 1973-75), Allen Wentz (bass, synthesizer, vocals, 1975-78), Bryan Bassett (guitar, 1975-78), Ronald Beitle (drums, percussion, 1975-79), Mark Avsec (keyboards, vocals, 1975-79), Donnie Iris (guitar, vocals, 1978-79), Cooke Michalchick (bass, 1978-79)

Background

Wild Cherry formed in 1970 in Steubenville, Ohio, when singer-guitarist Rob Parissi assembled drummer-vocalist Ben Difabbio, singer-guitarist Louie Osso, bassist-vocalist Larry Brown, and keyboardist-vocalist Larry Mader. Parissi grew up in neighboring Mingo Junction and graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. He took the Wild Cherry name from a box of cough drops after a brief hospital stay. The group worked clubs across the Ohio Valley, northern West Virginia panhandle, and Pittsburgh area.

Wild Cherry financed an initial sequence of regional singles through self-operated labels. The group released “You Can Be High (But Lay Low)” (b/w “Tomorrow Morning”) on WC’s Where It’s At in 1970 and “Something Special on Your Mind” (b/w “You Took the Sun Away”) on WC II in November 1971. Wild Cherry followed with “Get Down” (b/w “I Wrote This Song for You”) on W.C. III in 1972.

Terry Knight signed Wild Cherry to Brown Bag Records, which operated through United Artists distribution. The group released “Show Me Your Badge” (b/w “Bring Back the Fire”) in November 1972 with Ken Hamann producing. Wild Cherry followed in April 1973 with a Brown Bag reissue of “Get Down” (b/w “Livin’ and Lovin’”). Osso, Brown, and Mader left across this period; Parissi recruited guitarist-vocalist Coogie Stoddart and bassist Joe Buchmelter, followed at bass by Buckie Lusk.

Wild Cherry reached A&M in January 1975 with “Voodoo Doll” (b/w “Because Your Love Is Mine”). Jeff Barry co-wrote and produced “Voodoo Doll.” The single failed to generate an album deal, and Parissi dissolved the lineup and left band work for a local restaurant-management job.

Pittsburgh guitarist Bryan Bassett approached Parissi as the earlier lineup dissolved and asked Parissi to contact him in the event of another band. Parissi called Bassett several months afterward, and the two auditioned rhythm players. Bassist-vocalist Allen Wentz and drummer Ron Beitle completed the new quartet. Wild Cherry returned to the regional club circuit with rock sets across the Pittsburgh-area market. Bassett recalled four-set engagements and regular work across Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Cleveland, and Columbus.

Wild Cherry added dance and funk material as Pittsburgh clubs moved away from rock bookings. At the 2001 Club on the Pittsburgh North Side, a patron directed a request for funk music toward Beitle. The drummer relayed the phrase to Parissi, who began “Play That Funky Music” on a drink-order pad at the club and completed the final verse on the drive home.

The quartet financed a recording of “Play That Funky Music” for placement in local jukeboxes. Wild Cherry recorded at Cleveland Recording Company with engineer Ken Hamann, whose connection with the band extended back to the Brown Bag period. Hamann brought the recording to Sweet City Records, a Cleveland operation run by Carl Maduri. Parissi planned “Play That Funky Music” as the reverse of a cover of the Commodores song “I Feel Sanctified,” but Maduri favored the Parissi original as the lead side. Wild Cherry signed with Sweet City under Epic/CBS distribution and returned to Cleveland Recording Company for the debut album with producer Parissi and engineer Hamann.

Discography: