P Funk mythology - P Funk mythology The bands Parliament, Funkadelic and related offshoots (see List of P Funk members) are collectively referred to as the P Funk. A series of concept albums and live shows, primarily from Parliament and Funkadelic, have a group of recurring characters, themes and ideas that are collectively referred to as the P Funk mythology. Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide") 1 Parliament 2 Funkadelic 3 The Many Identities of Bootsy Collins Parliament On Chocolate City (Parliament, 1975), the titular first track concerns a DJ character, who inspired the Lollypop Man (aka the Long Haired Sucker). According to George Clinton (who shares credit for the song with Bernie Worrell and Bootsy Collins), he was frustrated that radio stations refused to play his songs and invented his own.
Foot Soldiers (Star Spangled Funky) - The singer is the foot soldiers' thrill instructor (possibly the same one as in Uncle Jam, though sung by Clinton instead of Wynne) and exhorts his charges to get Funky. This is intended as being the national anthem of Funkadelic (see P Funk mythology). Personnel Lead Vocal: George Clinton Critical response:.
Funky Dollar Bill - is hard/My name is dollar bill" Complete lyrics at the Motherpage "Funky Dollar Bill" concerns, ironically, unFunkiness. Materialism and consumerism (recurring themes on this album) are characterized as leading to a complete lack of Funk (meaning, in context, soul, heart and joy, see P Funk mythology). Much of the song deals with what people will do for money, even as it leads only to a joyless, unFunky existence. Personnel Lead Vocals: Tawl Ross Piano, Organ: Bernie Worrell.
Mommy, What's a Funkadelic? - no solos (the presence is another characteristic of Funkadelic). Songwriter: George Clinton Memorable Lyrics: Funkadelic "will do you no harm, other than pee in your Afro" "My name is Funk/I am not of your world" "I am Funkadelic/Dedicated to the feeling of good" "If you will suck my soul, I will lick your funky emotions." George Clinton said this to Dave Letterman many years later. His response: "Yuck." Complete lyrics at the Motherpage The song describes both Funk (see P Funk mythology) and Funkadelic, explaining the purpose and meaning of both. Personnel Lead Guitar: Eddie Hazel Rhythm Guitar: Tawl Ross Bass: Billy Nelson Organ: Mickey Atkins Drums: Tiki Fulwood Vocals: George Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, Grady Thomas.
Into You - poisoned land/I can't get into something I don't understand/I can't into a bad romance/I can't get into a love that ends in a chance" Complete lyrics at the Motherpage The singer declares that he is incapable of being a part of a society that is sick and demented. Presumably, he would prefer to live in Funkadelia (see P Funk mythology). Personnel: Lead Vocals: Ray Davis, Junie Morrison, Ron Ford Bass: Bootsy Collins Critical response:.
Grooveallegiance - complete tabs] Songwriters: George Clinton, Junie Morrison, Bernie Worrell Memorable Lyrics: "Funkadelica is/You know, the nation,/Uh, you know, I would like to, live under" "Pledge a groovallegiance to the funk/The United Funk of Funkadelica" "Let me take you by the hand/And spread the funk across the land/It's not hard to understand/Headin' for the master plan..." Complete lyrics at the Motherpage This is particularly notable for the introduction of the fictional country of Funkadelica, which can be seen as a version of the United States wherein Funk runs the country (see also P Funk mythology). With Funk crossing the land, the inhabitants minds (and, presumably, their booties) have been freed. Personnel: Lead Vocals: Junie Morrison Bass: Skeet Curtis Critical response:.
Uncle Jam - or something/I want all you young ladies to stick your chests out/And get your hips to move!" "You said you'd be ready, if he called on you/Now he's a righteous kind of leader/Just demanding funk and groove from you" Complete lyrics at the Motherpage This is song from the point-of-view of Uncle Jam himself, the leader of the Funk Army (see P Funk mythology). The part is song by Philippe Wynne; he is the funkiest "thrill seargent" in the world and demands that his soldiers get Funky. Personnel Lead Vocals: Phillipe Wynne, George Clinton Critical response:.
Eddie Hazel - December 23, 1992) was a pioneering guitarist in early funk music in the United States. Born in Brooklyn in 1950, Hazel grew up outside Plainfield, New Jersey because his mother, Grace Cook, wanted her son to grow up in an environment without the pressures of drugs and crime that she felt pervaded the city. She worked in Brooklyn as a silk presser; Eddie occupied himself from a young age by playing a guitar, given to him as a Christmas present by his older brother, as well as singing in church. At age 12, Eddie met Billy Bass Nelson, and the pair quickly became close friends, singing and playing the guitar, soon adding Harvey McGee, a drummer, to the mix. In 1967, The Parliaments (a Plainfield-based doo wop band headed by George.
(Not Just) Knee Deep - is credited to George Clinton, Jr., allegedly as a gift from George Clinton, Sr (the actual songwriter), for his graduation from high school. This song seems to be about both the singer and the girl from "Freak of the Week", discovering the hidden powers of Funk (see P Funk mythology) and their love of dancing to funk music. Memorable lyrics: "She did the freak, boy was it neat, yeah./She's a freak/The girl is a freak, the girl never misses a beat, yeah yeah" "...when she dance she sets the world on fire" "I got ants in my pants and I need to dance/Chicken ain't lickin', the moose wasn't cookin'/Oh, but your music grooved me, it moved me/That music and the beat HA!/Started tryin' liberating my feet/Can this be me, immersed in.
Be My Beach - Collins) had been with the group some time, he adopted his first stage persona (See "The Many Identities of Bootsy Collins"; P Funk mythology) in this song. Description of music: Complete tabs at [external site with complete tabs] Songwriters: George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell Memorable Lyrics: "I'd just like to be your bridge over troubled waters mama" "Bridge Over Trouble Waters" is a song by Simon and Garfunkel "Come Saturday night/When all but the moon is fast asleep I'll watch the sun rise/And leap into your eyes" "She's a lot of fun. Think that she's the only freak been born/As a matter of fact, she's not the only sand at the beach/Or to be exact, there's a whole lot of beaches" Complete lyrics at the Motherpage This song introduces Bootsy,.
Bootsy Collins - Ohio), best known as Bootsy Collins, is a pioneering funk bassist, singer and songwriter. With his brother, Catfish Collins, and Kash Waddy and Philippe Wynne, Collins formed a group called The Pacesetters in 1968. Until 1971, the Pacesetters were the backing band for James Brown, and were known in that context as The JB's. 1972 saw both of the Collins brothers, along with Waddy and Wynne, joined Funkadelic. Bootsy played on most of their early albums, garnering several songwriting credits as well. His bass playing was hard, driving and rhythmic, and has been very influential in the development of Funk, Heavy Metal and Soul music. He also took the name "Bootsy" during this time, adopted it as part of an ever-evolving character, an alien rock star who grew gradually more alien,.
Concept album - various influences that can drive one mad The Six Wives of King Henry VIII - Rick Wakeman (1973) - One instrumental piece about each wife Quadrophenia - The Who (1973) - Four personalities in one alienated mod Tales from Topographic Oceans - Yes (1973) - This concept album is based on the four part Hindu Shastric scriptures Desperado - The Eagles (1973) - Old western outlaws Preservation Act 1, Preservation Act 2 - The Kinks (1973, 1974) - The rise of a greedy developer and his fall at the hands of a moralizing dictator, set in and around a quaint English village. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis (1974) - A young man gets the opportunity to fix his past mistakes The Power and the Glory - Gentle Giant.
Stone of Destiny - historically kept at the now-ruined abbey in Scone, near Perth, Scotland. It is also known as Jacob's Pillow and as the Tanist Stone. In Celtic mythology, the Lia Fail was a magical stone brought to Ireland by the Tuatha de Danaan. When the rightful King of Ireland put his feet on it, the stone was said to roar in joy. This is believed to be the origin of the Stone of Destiny. Traditionally, it is supposed to be the stone which Jacob used as a pillow. It was originally supposed to have been used as the Coronation Stone of the early Dalriada Scots when they lived in Ireland. When they invaded Caledonia, it is said to have been taken with them for that use. Certainly, since the time of Kenneth Mac.
Standing on the Verge of Getting It On - is one of the most popular Funkadelic albums among fans, and considered an essential Eddie Hazel-album. This is a much more cohesive album than the previous Funkadelic forays; it sticks with a musical style (hard-edged funk) throughout, instead of veering through genres. Track Listing: Red Hot Mama (George Clinton, Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrell) Alice In My Fantasies (Clinton, Grace Cook) I'll Stay (Clinton, Cook) Sexy Ways (Clinton, Cook) Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On (Clinton, Cook) Jimmy's Got A Little Bit Of Bitch In Him (Clinton, Cook) Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts (Clinton, Cook) Personnel: (all the below is from the liner notes) Spaced Viking; Keyboards & Vocals: Bernie Worrell Tenor Vocals, Congas and Suave Personality: Calvin Simon A Prototype Werewolf; Berserker Octave Vocals: Fuzzy Haskins World's Only Black Leprechaun;.
Red Hot Mama - universe/Who is this bitch?" "Ride on red hot mama/Girl, you sure look good to me" Complete lyrics at the Motherpage The song begins with a spoken word intro (which ends with the first quote above) that seems to be describing a woman who has the effect of rendering a person unFunky (see P Funk mythology). The second section is sung and includes the second quote above as the refrain. It is not clear whether the first woman is the same as the "Red Hot Mama" from the second section. Personnel: Lead Vocals: George Clinton, Eddie Hazel Guitars: Eddie Hazel, Ron Bykowski Critical response:.
Parliament (band) - article focuses on Parliament, but will gloss over much of the band's history, for which see P Funk, an integrated history of Parliament, Funkadelic and related groups. Parliament was originally The Parliaments, a doo-wop group based out of George Clinton's Plainfield, New Jersey barber shop. The name was soon abandoned due to legal issues with Revilot and Atlantic Records, and most of the same people recorded under the name Funkadelic, which consisted of The Parliaments' backing musicians, most importantly Billy Bass Nelson. Soon, Parliament was created in addition to Funkadelic and the two bands consisted of essentially the same people (see List of P Funk members), though both released albums under their respective names. The legal problems with the name "The Parliaments" were resolved in 1970, and Clinton signed all of.
What Is Soul - ankles and ashy kneecaps" "Soul is chitlins foo yung" "...orange haze, orange haze, it ain't purple no more" This is probably a reference to "Purple Haze", a song by Jimi Hendrix Complete lyrics at the Motherpage The first part of the song reiterates many of the same points as Mommy, What's a Funkadelic, that Funkadelic and the Funk (see P Funk mythology) are alien in origin but not dangerous. The second part attempts to answer the question of what a soul is (see the five conclusions above). The song also contains the sound of someone smoking marijuana out of a bong. Personnel Lead Vocals: George Clinton.
One Nation Under a Groove - Groove is a 1978 (see 1978 in music) album by the American funk band Funkadelic. It was released on Warner Brothers Records. One Nation Under a Groove is the most critically lauded Funkadelic album in their entire discography. It is widely considered one of the best funk albums of all time, and is one of the most influential albums of the 70s. It was the first album to include keyboardist (and frequent songwriter) Junie Morrison, one of the primary causes of the album's brilliance. The album also marks the pinnacle of Michael Hampton's development as a guitarist, which can be followed in the previous albums as he matured from a seventeen-year old prodigy to the disciplined and tightly controlled master of the instrument evident on this album. It is a very.
Maggot Brain - a 1971 (see 1971 in music) album by the American funk band Funkadelic. It was released on Westbound Records. This is the definitive album of the Eddie Hazel-era of Funkadelic, and one of the most influential albums in funk-metal, and rock and roll in general. The music swings through psychedelia, hard rock, gospel and soul music, with tremendous variation between each track. Track Listing: Maggot Brain (George Clinton, Eddie Hazel) Can You Get To That (Clinton, Ernie Harris) Hit It And Quit It (Clinton, Billy Bass Nelson, Garry Shider) You And Your Folks, Me And My Folks (Clinton, Judie Jones, Bernie Worrell) Super Stupid (Clinton, Hazel, Nelson, Tawl Ross) Back In Our Minds (Fuzzy Haskins) Wars Of Armageddon (Clinton, Tiki Fulwood, Ross, Worrell) Personnel: Lead Guitar: Eddie Hazel Rhythm Guitar: Tawl.
Mothership Connection - Mothership Connection Mothership Connection is a funk album by Parliament, released in 1976 (see 1976 in music). This concept album (see P Funk mythology) is usually rated as one of Parliament's best. Mothership Connection was the first P-funk album with Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley, who had left The JB's, James Brown's backing band. Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide") 1 Track listing 2 Personnel 3 Chart positions Track listing P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up) (Clinton/Collins/Worrell) - 7:41 Mothership Connection (Star Child) (Clinton/Collins/Worrell) - 6:13 Unfunky UFO (Clinton/Collins/Snider) - 4:23 Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication (Clinton/Collins/Shider/Worrell) - 5:03 Handcuffs (Clinton/Goins/McLaughlin) - 3:51 Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Mothersucker) (Clinton/Collins/Worrell) - 5:46 Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples (Clinton/Collins/Snider) - 5:10 Personnel Bernie Worrell - Synthesizer, Keyboards Michael Brecker - Horn Maceo Parker.
