Wild Cherry (band)

Wild Cherry was an American funk rock band formed in Mingo Junction, Ohio, in 1970. They released four albums. The group experienced several lineup changes in their 9 year history, with Rob Parissi being its sole consistent member.

Their self-titled debut album was released in 1976 to commercial success, peaking at number five on the Billboard 200. The record spawned the single "Play That Funky Music", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and 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) appeared on Billboard charts, but failed to replicate the sales of their debut. After the release of their fourth and final album, Only the Wild Survive (1979), Wild Cherry disbanded.

Wild Cherry achieved brief success internationally but are deemed a one-hit wonder for "Play That Funky Music", which is one of two works by the band to be platinum-certified (the other being their debut album).

History

Early lineups (1970–1974)

Rob Parissi (lead vocals and guitar) was raised in the steel-mill town of Mingo Junction, Ohio. He graduated from Mingo High School in 1968 and formed the band Wild Cherry in 1970 in Steubenville, Ohio. The band's name, 'Wild Cherry', was taken from a box of cough drops. Parissi had intended to record the song as the B-side to a cover version of the Commodores' "I Feel Sanctified", but the label suggested it as the A-side instead.

"Play That Funky Music" became a huge hit when released in 1976, peaking at number one on both the Billboard R&B and pop charts. A lawsuit related to "Ah! Leah!" inspired Avsec to become a copyright lawyer.

Allen Wentz moved to New York City and became a session synthesizer specialist, playing on many records and jingles. He has worked with artists ranging from Luther Vandross and Roberta Flack to Cyndi Lauper.

Bryan Bassett became a producer and engineer at King Snake Studio in Sanford, Florida. He has played with Foghat and Molly Hatchet, and he has also served as a board governor for the Florida Chapter of NARAS.

Parissi moved to Miami, Florida in 1979 and formed a tour band with Bobby Caldwell. He and his wife, Ilona, established a scholarship endowment for his former consolidated high school, now named Indian Creek High School, and he returns every year to do a charity fundraiser.

Ron Beitle (1954–2017) performed with several rock bands, including Nied's Hotel Band in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania. He died in 2017.

Musical style

Wild Cherry's musical style has been described as funk rock blue-eyed soul, disco, and R&B. The band originally formed as a hard rock band.

! style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|US R&B

! style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|NLD

! style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|NOR

!Certification

| 1976

| Wild Cherry

| style="text-align:center;"| 5

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

| style="text-align:center;"| 12

| style="text-align:center;"| 17

RIAA: Platinum

| 1977

| Electrified Funk

| style="text-align:center;"| 51

| style="text-align:center;"| 33

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1978

| I Love My Music

| style="text-align:center;"| 84

| style="text-align:center;"| 54

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1979

| Only the Wild Survive

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| colspan="7" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Compilation albums

Play the Funk (2000)
Super Hits (2002)

Singles

{| class="wikitable"

|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions

! Year

! Album

! style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|US

! style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|US R&B

! style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|CAN

! style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|BEL (FL)

! style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|GER

! style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|NLD

! style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"|UK

! Certifications

| 1970

| "You Can Be High (But Lay Low) / Tomorrow Morning"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1971

| "Something Special on Your Mind / You Took the Sun Away"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1972

| "Get Down / I Wrote This Song for You"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1973

| "Get Down / Livin' & Lovin'" (reissue)

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1973

| "Show Me Your Badge / Bring Back the Fire"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1975

| "Voodoo Doll / Because Your Love Is Mine"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="2"|1976

| "I Feel Sanctified"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| "Play That Funky Music"

| style="text-align:center;"| 1

| style="text-align:center;"| 2

| style="text-align:center;"| 6

| style="text-align:center;"| 42

| style="text-align:center;"| 4

| style="text-align:center;"| 7

BPI: Platinum

| rowspan="3"|1977

| "Baby Don't You Know"

| style="text-align:center;"| 43

| style="text-align:center;"| 41

| style="text-align:center;"| 55

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| "Hot to Trot"

| style="text-align:center;"| 95

| style="text-align:center;"| 62

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 17

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| "Hold On (With Strings)"

| style="text-align:center;"| 61

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| style="text-align:center;"| 78

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| rowspan="3"|1978

| "123 Kind of Love"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| "I Love My Music"

| style="text-align:center;"| 69

| style="text-align:center;"| 49

| style="text-align:center;"| 70

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| "This Old Heart of Mine"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| 1979

| "Try a Piece of My Love"

| style="text-align:center;"| —

| colspan="10" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Wild Cherry (band)

History

Early lineups (1970–1974)

Musical style

Compilation albums

Singles

See also

References

Notes

Sources

External links