In 1966, producers Jerry Kasenetz & Jeff Katz recorded the “Louie Louie” take-off “Beg, Borrow & Steal” with Brooklyn band the Rare Breed (featuring John Freno on vocals & lead guitar, Barry Stolnick on keyboards, Alexander “Botts” Norbett on bass, Joel Feigenbaum on rhythm guitar and Tony Cambria on drums) . After one more single the band broke up, but K&K still believed the song was a hit and re-released it as the Ohio Express. The name was based on their tactic of breaking songs in the Midwest market to gain national traction; the bid worked well enough to get it to #29 on the charts.

Now in need of an actual group, they hired Mansfield, Ohio band Sir Timothy & The Royals featuring guitarists Dale Powers and Doug Grassel, bassist Dean Kastran, organist Jim Pfahler and drummer Tim Corwin who quickly recorded a parent album which was padded out with tracks from Joe Walsh’s first group the Measles. Due to the collapse of parent company Cameo-Parkway Records, Super K Productions took the band with them to Neil Bogart’s new Buddah Records. Their first single for the new label proved a pivotal moment: songwriter Joey Levine cut a demo of “Yummy Yummy Yummy” for them to record, but Bogart insisted the demo was the hit and was released as-is. From then on Levine would be the voice of nearly all their singles; the band recorded the remainder of their Buddah debut LP, but were demoted to a touring only group and Levine would record the remainder of their final two albums. Pfahler was the first to leave and was replaced with George J. “Buddy” Bengert III; Powers and Kastran were drafted into the army and Corwin left to be replaced with C. J. Lindercamp on bass and Louis Gomez on drums. (Gomez’s brother Richie Gomez was drafted to become a guitarist for the 1910 Fruitgum Company; both would later appear in disco group Hudson County.)

Among the final singles released under the Ohio Express name, Kasenetz & Katz turned to Britain to tap new talent. Songwriter & future 10cc member Graham Gouldman recorded “Sausalito” at the newly opened Strawberry Studios, while seasoned singer-songwriter John Carter wrote & sang on “Cowboy Convention” and “Love Equals Love.” One final single, “Wham Bam,” was released as Ohio Ltd. in 1973; this recording was actually done by Gerard Kenny. The name was retired when K&K took a hiatus from recording in the early 70’s, although various groups with and without original members have since toured under the name.

Buddy Bengert passed away on February 14, 1998. Jim Pfahler passed away on March 10, 2003 at the age of 54. Doug Grassel died from fibrosis of the lungs in Germany on September 21, 2013 at the age of 64.