Comments on: Lee Osler - Back To Ypsilanti

By: lekeisha

lekeisha — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:09:48 +0000

omg thats my dads song!!! my name is lekeisha osler i guess im kinda late though. im definitley gonna mention this to him!!

By: Karyn

Karyn — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:29:09 +0000

I can’t get enough of the song. I plan to start out each morning that I wake up in Tipsy Hipsilanti with a dance to that song. It’s great!

By: Cousin Geoff

Cousin Geoff — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:59:01 +0000

Are you trying to get inside my head, George Tait

Cool website/show…

For those who ask about downloading this….the reason we have an audio player instead of a link to download is that we are posting this to listen to/review only - and for educational/historical purposes under the Fair Use laws. Posting a link to download would be a way to distribute this material, which we are not authorized to do.

I’ll gladly make a copy for a friend and give it to him/her in person for free, which is perfectly legal, but I can’t turn the CV blog into a download site - we have too much to risk as a legitimate business (record store).

I do appreciate the interest and I’m glad you enjoyed Lee’s song.

Also - Amanda - I’m pretty sure that you could get all the lyrics by listening to the song and writing them down. Maybe I’ll try to do that and post them when I get a chance.

By: George Tait

George Tait — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:46:59 +0000

I’d love to download this as well - any chance of that?

By: JDAllinder

JDAllinder — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:09:12 +0000

This kicks ass! Where can I download it?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Does anyone have the Lyrics for “Back to Ypsilanti”????

By: Cousin Geoff

Cousin Geoff — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:32:40 +0000

That bass was great on Back to Ypsilanti - and I’m assuming you were the vocals near the end, “going back to Ypsi…”. I’d love to hear “One God” - was it pressed on 45? Did Lee record anything else? I haven’t found anything else or heard of anything else, and Back to Ypsilanti copies don’t surface very often, although I have two copies in my personal collection. If you have any extra copies of anything and would like to have it posted on the site, let me know.

One more thing to add while I’m visiting this thread again…we had an event at the Corner Brewery in Ypsi and the DJ was spinning some old stuff. I walked up and gave him Back to Ypsilanti to put on and the place went crazy - people clapping and up and dancing. It’s amazing how uplifting the song is. The DJ was blown away and asked if it was for sale, and I said no but told him about it. I always tell people it is the greatest song ever recorded and in a way it is. Even my 18 month old daughter dances like crazy when I put it on.

Thanks again for dropping by with the great Lee Osler info. It’s important to preserve that history and we all appreciate your contribution.

By: Billy Wilson/ Motown Alumni Association

Billy Wilson/ Motown Alumni Association — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:08:40 +0000

Lee also wrote a song called “One God, One World” another song that I played on.
Billy

By: Cousin Geoff

Cousin Geoff — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:00:57 +0000

Billy,

Amazing stuff! I had no idea about the Soulmates. Thanks so much for your contribution to this thread. I will be checking out and linking to the Motown alumni site.Tell Lee to drop by and comment some time!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:08:22 +0000

Interesting facts about Lee Osler … Lee was one of the lead singers of a group called the SoulMates. They were the Miracles (Motown group) of Ypsilanti. They were so popular, they they were the only group that could fill a 1,500 to 2,500 seat auditorium every show! I know … I went to all of them. Lee was the Smokey Robinson of the group, and as far as we were concerned, was better than Smokey! I remember once going to see the Soulmates at Ypsilanti High School, and got there to late and had to take the nose bleed seats way in the back. My friends and I were really excited … nose bleed seats or not! When Lee started to sing … the girls ran up to the stage, and stasrted to pull on his clothes. I thought to myself …”I want to be just like him”, and I wanted to play behind him as a Bass player! A few years later I gotthat chance, and I was thrilled. About a year or so of playing with him, I finally got to tell him what started my career … I told him about seeing him, and the women pulling on his clothes … he said “You seen that? I was so embarassed about that … ” I said are you crazy … women pulling on your clothes, adoring you to that degree … I would have killed for that” He said “Yeah, I would have killed to … those where my sisters messing around … they embarassed me!” I said ….HUH???!?!?!

LOL … FUNNY AS HECK NOW!!LOL

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:42:34 +0000

I’m Billy Wilson the president of the Motown Alumni Association (MotownAlumni.com), I’m also the Senior Talent Director for Hitsville Venture LLC. We work with artists such as The Temptations, The Four Tops, George Clinton, Mary Wilson of the Supremes, Freda Payne and many other major artists. I was very, very surprised to here this recording, because I was the bass player on the recording! I don’t remember but I think I was on the background on the end of the song also! It’s been a longtime. Lee is a very, very good friend of mine, and was my idol back in the day. So I was very, very proud to have played for him through out the years. I’ve moved on to play with major artists and perform for millions of people, but I am still an Ypsi-Gypsi. Once an Ypsi-man always a Ypsi -man!!

By: Cousin Geoff

Cousin Geoff — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:00:22 +0000

Thanks for dropping by again Myra with the info on your dad. Hope to type to you again too!

By: Myra Amison

Myra Amison — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:51:06 +0000

Hi its me i know i havent been on this web site since oct. 25 i just wanted to say hi to you and see if your web site is still on and guess what my dad is still making songs and he’s up in Michigan with my twin sister Tyra the one you talked to Nov. 7 so all i wanted to do is tell you that i love your web site and that i will keep checking in with you hope to type to you again bye

By: Cousin Geoff

Cousin Geoff — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 00:51:45 +0000

LaWanda, I’m going to write an article about you and your dad…keep those links coming…

By: LaWanda Lee

LaWanda Lee — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:49:31 +0000

Find more videos like this on Nationwide Artist Spotlight

By: LaWanda Lee

LaWanda Lee — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:01:23 +0000

http://www.broadjam.com/artists/home.php?artistID=43348 for new music from My FAther Lee Osler

By: Cousin Geoff

Cousin Geoff — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:43:03 +0000

Oh, no, I wasn’t hating. If you read my original post, you’ll see that “Back To Ypsilanti” is my favorite record in my collection. There’s nothing but love for Lee here.

The Bob Marley reference was about all the children that Bob Marley had that went on to be great singers themselves: Stephen, Ziggy, Damian, Ky-Mani among the most well known.

Now there’s been at least four of Lee’s children who have left comments here, most of whom are singers themselves. I think that’s really cool.

A true story is that when my wife was still pregnant with my own daughter, we used to play “Back To Ypsilanti” really loud and every time, without fail, she would start moving and kicking. Now she’s one, and she dances to the song every time. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love this song when I’ve played it. Being from Ypsi, I can appreciate it even more. After I posted this song on this website, it lead to a revival of the song around town and I’ve even heard it gaining popularity outside of Michigan.

Now, I know that, despite the song’s greatness, Lee is by no means Bob Marley. But there’s something to be said about the great unknowns in the music world, and Lee was one of those. That’s what record collecting is all about. Who’s to say that with a lucky break here or there, Lee couldn’t have hit it big? He certainly had the talent and the band that backed him up produced an absolute classic modern funk sound that was IT back in 1983.

Thanks for stopping by Tyra Lee…If you see your dad, tell him that we’re interested in other music he may have done and to leave a comment here one day.

By: Tyra lee osler :)

Tyra lee osler :) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:19:32 +0000

hey dats my daddy he can sing please dont hate

I LOVE U DADDY;)

By: Cousin Geoff

Cousin Geoff — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 01:31:59 +0000

Lee Osler is the new Bob Marley.

Thanks for stopping by, Louis. Keep the Osler sound alive.

By: Louis Amison

Louis Amison — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:52:24 +0000

hey um washington lee osler is my dad and he says i have a voice like him so i will be washington lee osler IIII