Marlon McClain has quietly served as a powerful force in funk and soul history, best known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the influential band Pleasure. McClain helped craft a body of work that has proven remarkably durable—equally revered by soul aficionados and heavily mined by hip-hop producers decades later.
During the half dozen years beginning in 1975, there weren’t many groups that provided the fun and funk like Portland, Oregon band Pleasure. Originally formed in the early 70s as a merger of two local bands, The Franchie and The Soul Masters, Pleasure delivered a number of hits that epitomized the joy and pure musicianship of many of the great R&B and funk acts of the era.
During the band’s Imperial Period, Pleasure consisted of McClain, drummer Bruce Carter, bassist Nathaniel Phillips, keyboardists Donald Hepburn and Michael Hepburn, saxophonist Dennis Springer, trombonist/guitarist Dan Brewster, vocalist Sherman Davis, and percussionist Bruce Smith.
Helped by sax legend Grover Washington, Pleasure signed with Fantasy Records and producer Wayne Henderson. It began a great collaboration the led to a series of memorable albums and number of major hits, including “Joyous” (which was sampled endlessly by hip-hop acts over the years), “Yearnin Burning,” and the group’s signature hit, “Glide.”
Beyond the band, McClain built a reputation as a versatile collaborator, producer, and session guitarist. During and after Pleasure’s run, he worked with a range of soul, funk, and jazz artists, contributing guitar, songwriting, and arrangement skills that reflected his refined musical sensibility. His credits include work with Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, The Whispers, and jazz-funk icon Norman Connors, among others.
After Pleasure’s split in the early 80s, McClain issued a single solo LP before largely stepping away from the spotlight for a few years. He became the guitarist for The Dazz Band in 1994, and has continued in that role for over three decades. He also returned to recording in 2010 with the album TBC (To Be Continued) in 2010. It began a second fertile period as a recording artist. In the 2020s, he issued two fun albums, Funky Fridays, Vol. 1 and Funky Fridays, Vol. 2, which presented new material rooted in classic funk values.
McClain currently consults with several independent record labels and artists, and is also actively manages several artists, including guitarist Tim Bowman, artists/producers Da Beatfreakz, songwriter/producer Keith Hetrick, and his own son, singer/songwriter Brando. And is recognized around the world as a musician’s musician: a guitarist, songwriter, and producer whose understated excellence helped shape funk’s golden era and continues to resonate across soul, R&B, and hip-hop culture.
By Chris Rizik
