What is Funk?
The Princeton on-line dictionary (of all sources) defines it as
"an earthy type of jazz combined with blues and soul, containing a heavy bass line that accentuates the first beat in the bar."Doesn't exactly put you in the mood, does it?
But mood is exactly how Funk music affects you. A raw, street-inspired sound, usually in a major key, with a bass line that walks you through the song, while the horns (a staple in any good funk tune) punctuate the drum beats (or vice versa), leaving you no option but to shake what god gave you!
Funk emerged as a raw, primal fusion of R&B and Jazz, taking the focus away from the vocals, except for that one guy in the band who always yelled "Oow!" (the key discerning feature in many great funk songs). The groove was often improvised, so it was fresh and fun for the players as well as the listener.
James Brown introduced Funk with his signature grooves and hardcore rhythms that emphasized the downbeat, and brought the sound to a broad audience.
It must have been in the blood, because next there were the Isley Brothers, and then Sly & the Family Stone took it to another level, followed by George Clinton and Bootsie Collins who kicked it into high gear and paved the way for the disco, which was a dilluted and less free-flowing type of sound.
Even after Disco came and went, Funk remained with it's edgier, less refined, more honest sound. Funk still had a place, which is evident by the success of Cameo, The GAP Band, The Bar-Kays, Con Funk Shun and Kool & The Gang (arguably less funky in the 80s, but still funky).
Now this is all very academic, but music needs to be heard, so here is a list of songs that will introduce you to the crazy, over-the-top, can't-sit-still world of funk.
Starting from the early days of Capes to Faux-fur, multi-coloured fedoras, and high heels with goldfish in them, to baggy rain suits with hoods for break-dancing.
Here goes:
Get up (like a sex machine)- James BrownAny early Kool & The gang, Earth, Wind & Fire, Curtis Mayfield, Brothers Johnson, Rufus & Chaka Khan, L.T.D., Dazz Band and the list goes on...
Get Up Offa That Thing - James Brown
It's Your Thing - Isley Brothers
Dance To The Music - Sly & The Family Stone
Thank You (Falletinme be mice Elf agin)- Sly & The Family Stone
Love Rollercoaster - Ohio Players
Fire - Ohio Players
Too Hot To Stop - Bar Kays
Freakshow On The Dance Floor - Bar Kays
Too Hot To Trot - Commodores (Yes. Lionel Richie was once a funker!)
Slippery When Wet - Commodores
Ffun - Con Funk Shun
What Is Hip - Tower of Power
Cut The Cake - Average White Band
...because don't nobody want to live in a world without FUNK!!
Posts
I love all them tunes! I play an ol'school mix that begins with 2 Hot 2 Stop into Slippery When Wet ending with Shining Star by Earth, Wind & Fire. That accapella ending is good for the next transition as well. Sometimes I'll follow with Shake Yo Body Down 2 The Ground by the Jacksons. Crowds of all ages dig that set.
ReplyDeleteYou write the best blog brother! I'm gonna keep reading.
Thanks for reading my brother! I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. Those 3 songs all have that same sounding electric funk finger pick. It's almost a little suspicious. And Shake Your Body starts with that high hat that builds into a beat so it can overlap nicely with the accapella reverb at the end of Shining Star. At least that's how I understood it. Keep on doing your thing man.
ReplyDeleteSounds great!