This is it’s own page rather then a post because I’ll be adding to it and I don’t want it to scroll nor do I want it to dominate the front page – so here it is, a compilation of Funkage. It may get organized at some point even.
While primarily a compendium of music videos, info, links and thoughts will invariably intrude.
Considering that The Ohio Players were releasing albums throughout my teenage years, and considering the sleeves those albums came in… Not as good as a Playboy, but better than the underwear section of Mongomery Ward by a long shot.
Huge bonus that this is some of the meanest funk on the planet.
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Commodores – Machine Gun
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The Gap Band was another serious funk band. “You Dropped a Bomb On Me” was a great cut, but “Party Train” was a magnitude better. The video is awesome as well. The reason I posted “Early in the Morning” is not just that it too is magnumly funkalicious, but because it has flaming drumsticks. That, Grasshopper, is mean funk…
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Zapp was a couple of brothers from Cincinnati, Lester and Roger Troutman. Roger was an old friend of Bootsy Collins. The talk box broke new ground and was used by several artists over the years.
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The Bar-Kays had backed some major R&B artists at Staxx Records then changed direction and music label in the early 70’s to some success. They did “Son of Shaft” and that deserves our respect if naught else. I like the meaner funk, ergo “Give it Up”.
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BONUS! 2 Johnny Guitar Watson links!
Johnny Guitar Watson is funk. Don’t try to give me any lame-ass arguments that so-and-so is more funkified than Johnny Guitar, it ain’t so, go away now. Playing professionally since 1954 he played with many of the blues greats including Sam Cooke and George Duke (a big fave of mine) and pioneered guitar and music techniques for decades.
“Space Guitar” is from 1954. Yes, you heard me, NINETEENFIFTYFOUR! Some serious shredding. Rolling into the funk era of the 70’s those guitar chops made for some heavy, grinding funk.
While George Clinton is rightly the Godfather of Funk, Johnny Guitar Watson is Funk’s Pimp.
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One of my bro-in-laws (I have several, but he’s obviously one of the cool ones…) turned me on to Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Freaky Styley” album and I was hooked. Produced by George Clinton, and it has his fingerprints all over it. In short; a post-punk band takes on a range of funk styles and totally kicks its ass.
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What?! You think I’d dare omit the P-Funk crew and the aforementioned Godfather of Funk? RIP Star Child in June 2010, may your MotherShip always be funkified.
From another one of the P-Funk crew, Bootsy Collins
The Ruffled Crow 