Wild Cherry (band)
Wild Cherry | |
|---|---|
 Wild Cherry in 1977 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Mingo Junction, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres |
|
| Years active | 1970–1979 |
| Labels |
|
| Past member(s) |
|
Wild Cherry was an American funk rock band. They formed in Mingo Junction, Ohio, in 1970. They are among the first rock bands to embrace disco. However, they originally played hard rock. The band released four albums. Yet, they are mostly seen as a one-hit wonder for "Play That Funky Music".[1][2] The band experienced several lineup changes in its 9 year history. Rob Parissi is the sole consistent member.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 1976 to commercial success. It peaked at number five on the Billboard 200. The lead single, "Play That Funky Music", topped the Billboard Hot 100. It also appeared in the top 10 of several international charts. Their following four singles and two albums Electrified Funk (1977) and I Love My Music (1978) were not as successful. After the release of their fourth and final album, Only the Wild Survive (1979), Wild Cherry disbanded. The band has never reunited. Despite this, Rob Parissi continues to play their songs as a solo artist.
Musical style
[change | change source]Wild Cherry's musical style has been described as funk rock,[3] blue-eyed soul[4] and disco.[5] They originally formed as a hard rock band.[1]
Band members
[change | change source]Final lineup
[change | change source]- Rob Parissi – vocals, guitar (1970–1979)
- Donnie Iris – guitar, vocals (1978–1979)
- Cooke Michalchick – bass, vocals (1978–1979)
- Ronald Beitle – drums, percussion (1975–1979)
- Mark Avsec – keyboards (1975–1979)
Previous members
[change | change source]- Ben Difabbio – drums, vocals (1970–1975)
- Louie Osso – guitar, vocals (1970–1973)
- Larry Brown – bass, vocals (1970–1973)
- Coogie Stoddart – guitar, vocals (1973–1975, 1977–78)
- Joe Buchmelter – bass (1973)
- Bucky Lusk – bass (1973–1975)
- Allen Wentz – bass, synthesizer, vocals (1975–1978)
- Bryan Bassett – guitar (1975–1978)
- Bobby Pizzoferrato - bass (1980's-1990's)
Timeline
[change | change source]
Discography
[change | change source]Studio albums
[change | change source]| Year | Title | US [6] |
US R&B [7] |
NLD [8] |
NOR [9] |
Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Wild Cherry | 5 | 1 | 12 | 17 | |
| 1977 | Electrified Funk | 51 | 33 | — | — | |
| 1978 | I Love My Music | 84 | 54 | — | — | |
| 1979 | Only the Wild Survive | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||
Compilation albums
[change | change source]| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Play the Funk |
| 2002 | Super Hits |
Singles
[change | change source]| Year | Title | US [11] |
US R&B [12] |
CAN [13] |
BEL (FL) [14] |
GER [15] |
NLD [8] |
NZ [16] |
UK [17] |
Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | "You Can Be High (But Lay Low) / Tomorrow Morning" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1971 | "Something Special on Your Mind / You Took the Sun Away" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1972 | "Get Down / I Wrote This Song for You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1973 | "Get Down / Livin' & Lovin'" (reissue) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1973 | "Show Me Your Badge / Bring Back the Fire" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1975 | "Voodoo Doll / Because Your Love Is Mine" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1976 | "I Feel Sanctified" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Play That Funky Music" | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 42 | 4 | 4 | 7 | ||
| 1977 | "Baby Don't You Know" | 43 | 41 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Hot to Trot" | 95 | 62 | — | — | — | — | 17 | — | ||
| "Hold On (With Strings)" | 61 | — | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978 | "123 Kind of Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "I Love My Music" | 69 | 49 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "This Old Heart of Mine" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979 | "Try a Piece of My Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
References
[change | change source]Notes
[change | change source]- 1 2 Breihan, Tom (September 13, 2019). "The Number Ones: Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on February 26, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ↑ Patton, Alli (April 27, 2023). "7 One-Hit Wonders of the 1970s". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- ↑ "Hottest music album covers". India TV. March 11, 2015. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ↑ "Wild Cherry, Named For Cough Drops, Eyes Gold". Billboard. Vol. 88, no. 43. Nielsen Business Media. October 23, 1976. p. 54. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ↑ Prato, Greg. "Wild Cherry AllMusic Bio". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ↑ "Wild Cherry Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ↑ "Wild Cherry Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- 1 2 "Discografie Wild Cherry". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Discography Wild Cherry". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ↑ "American album certifications – Wild Cherry – Wild Cherry". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ↑ "Wild Cherry Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ↑ "Wild Cherry Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ↑ "RPM Magazine Singles - Search results". Library and Archives Canada. July 17, 2013.
- ↑ "Discografie Wild Cherry". ultratop.be/nl (in Dutch). Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Suche nach Wild Cherry". charts.de. (in German). Retrieved February 1, 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ "Discography Wild Cherry". charts.org.nz. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Wild Cherry | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
- ↑ "British certifications – Wild Cherry". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 10, 2022. Type Wild Cherry in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
Sources
[change | change source]- Bogdanov, Vladimir (2003). All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul. Backbeat Books. p. 746. ISBN 978-0-87930-744-8.