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<blockquote>There is a part in the song where there's a breakdown. It's guitars and it's right before the second verse and Billy Beck does one of those inhaling-type screeches like ] did to reach her high note or ] does to go octaves above. The DJ made this crack and it swept the country. People were asking us, "Did you kill this girl in the studio?" The band took a vow of silence because you sell more records that way.<ref name="Billboard">{{Cite book |last=White, Adam |title=The Billboard Book of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits |last2=Bronson, Fred |publisher=Billboard Books |year=1993 |isbn=0823082857 |pages=188 |name-list-style=&}}</ref></blockquote>
<blockquote>There is a part in the song where there's a breakdown. It's guitars and it's right before the second verse and Billy Beck does one of those inhaling-type screeches like ] did to reach her high note or ] does to go octaves above. The DJ made this crack and it swept the country. People were asking us, "Did you kill this girl in the studio?" The band took a vow of silence because you sell more records that way.<ref name="Billboard">{{Cite book |last=White, Adam |title=The Billboard Book of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits |last2=Bronson, Fred |publisher=Billboard Books |year=1993 |isbn=0823082857 |pages=188 |name-list-style=&}}</ref></blockquote>
The legend appears to have evolved from an incidental comment made by an unidentified ] ] during a radio broadcast, probably in late 1975 or early 1976.<ref>{{cite article |date=May 18, 2003 |title=Years after its '70s heyday, band still riding a 'Love Rollercoaster'|url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/lifestyle/2003/05/18/years-after-its-70s-heyday/50341302007/|article=SCT|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> <ref>{{cite article |date=May 25, 2003|title=Ohio Players recount career roller coaster |url=https://www.chron.com/entertainment/music/article/Ohio-Players-recount-career-roller-coaster-2116686.php|article=Chron|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> The legend spread and mutated in several variations, probably as a result of ] having repeated it on the syndicated radio show ] in early 1976.<ref name="Graff">Graff, Gary, and Durchholz, Daniel. Rock 'n' Roll Myths: The True Stories Behind the Most Infamous Legends, p. 50-51. United States, Voyageur Press, 2012.</ref> The most common variation was that the scream was from Ester Corbet, a model who appeared on the cover of the album being recorded,who was stabbed by a band member, manager or engineer during the recording sessions asaresultof an elaborate backstory involving the artwork on the album cover.<ref name="Graff"/> Less common variations identify the "victim" as a band member's girlfriend or cleaning woman.<ref name="Graff"/>
The legend appears to have evolved from an incidental comment made by an unidentified ] ] during a radio broadcast, probably in late 1975 or early 1976.<ref>{{cite article |date=May 18, 2003 |title=Years after its '70s heyday, band still riding a 'Love Rollercoaster'|url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/lifestyle/2003/05/18/years-after-its-70s-heyday/50341302007/|article=SCT|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> <ref>{{cite article |date=May 25, 2003|title=Ohio Players recount career roller coaster |url=https://www.chron.com/entertainment/music/article/Ohio-Players-recount-career-roller-coaster-2116686.php|article=Chron|access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref> The legend spread and mutated in several variations, probably as a result of ] having repeated it on the nationally syndicated radio show ] in early 1976.<ref name="Graff">Graff, Gary, and Durchholz, Daniel. Rock 'n' Roll Myths: The True Stories Behind the Most Infamous Legends, p. 50-51. United States, Voyageur Press, 2012.</ref> The most common variation was that the scream was from Ester Corbet, a model who appeared on the cover of the album being recorded purportedly stabbed by a band member, manager or engineer during the recording sessions.<ref name="Graff"/> Subsequent variations included an elaborate backstory involving the artwork on the album cover as a motive for the stabbing.<ref name="Graff"/> Less common variations identified the "victim" as a band member's girlfriend or cleaning woman.<ref name="Graff"/>
"Love Rollercoaster" is a song by American funk/R&B band Ohio Players, originally featured on their 1975 album Honey.
It was composed by William Beck, Leroy Bonner, Marshall Jones, Ralph Middlebrooks, Marvin Pierce, Clarence Satchell, and James Williams. It was a number-one U.S. hit in January 1976, and became a Gold record. In Canada, the song spent two weeks at number two.
Urban legend
The song has been the subject of a persistent urban legend since its release. A distinctive high-pitched scream is heard in the background fairly early in the song (between 1:24 and 1:28 on the single version, or between 2:32 and 2:36 on the album version). According to the most common legend, it was the voice of an individual being murdered live while the tape was rolling. Jimmy "Diamond" Williams explained that the scream was nothing eerie or disturbing:
There is a part in the song where there's a breakdown. It's guitars and it's right before the second verse and Billy Beck does one of those inhaling-type screeches like Minnie Riperton did to reach her high note or Mariah Carey does to go octaves above. The DJ made this crack and it swept the country. People were asking us, "Did you kill this girl in the studio?" The band took a vow of silence because you sell more records that way.
The legend appears to have evolved from an incidental comment made by an unidentified Berkeley, Californiadisc jockey during a radio broadcast, probably in late 1975 or early 1976. The legend spread and mutated in several variations, probably as a result of Casey Kasem having repeated it on the nationally syndicated radio show American Top 40 in early 1976. The most common variation was that the scream was from Ester Corbet, a model who appeared on the cover of the album being recorded purportedly stabbed by a band member, manager or engineer during the recording sessions. Subsequent variations included an elaborate backstory involving the artwork on the album cover as a motive for the stabbing. Less common variations identified the "victim" as a band member's girlfriend or cleaning woman.
For this version, an animated music video was made directed by Kevin Lofton. In the video, the members of the band are shown performing the song and riding together with other characters on a gigantic roller coaster, while playing some scenes from the film.
^ Graff, Gary, and Durchholz, Daniel. Rock 'n' Roll Myths: The True Stories Behind the Most Infamous Legends, p. 50-51. United States, Voyageur Press, 2012.
"RPM Top Singles" (PDF). RPM. February 21, 1976. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
