Friday, June 18, 2010

P-Funk Legend Garry "Starchild" Shider dies at age 56


On June 16, P-Funk guitarist/singer Garry Shider passed away after battling lung and brain cancer. He died just a month short of his 57th birthday. Shider first worked with the Funk Mob on the Maggot Brain album (released in 1971) and officially became a member of the band in 1972. Shider brought his versatile guitar-playing skills and great vocal talents to the iconic funk/rock collective and was instrumental in helping the band forge its unique sound. Shider was also a great showman and often donned a huge diaper while performing onstage, which earned him the nickname "Diaperman." His other moniker was "Starchild."

Shider was also a talented songwriter. Some of the songs he co-wrote for P-Funk include "Do That Stuff," "One Nation Under a Groove" and "Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples." And he contributed to the writing of George Clinton's influential funk anthem "Atomic Dog." Shider also brought his soulful, gospel-drenched vocals to a number of P-Funk jams, including the classic Funkadelic cut "Cosmic Slop."

With Shider's passing, the world just got a little less funky. Play on brother Starchild and continue funkin' into eternity.


Here's Shider displaying his strong vocal chops and great stage charisma on "Cholly (Funk Gettin Ready to Roll)" from the One Nation Under a Groove LP.


And here's a diaper-clad Shider doing his thing on a live version of "Cosmic Slop."

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Ten Favorite Summer Jams

Summer's almost upon us again, so I thought I'd make a list of my ten favorite summer jams.

1)"Summer" - War

For me, this is the ultimate summer jam. It has a nice breezy vibe goin' on. It's a really soothing jam, one you can just kick back and listen to while drinking a beer or just chillin'. It's also a great song to listen to while cruising on a warm summer day. Beautiful song.

Listen to it here.
Download at Amazon

2)"Hot Fun In The Summertime" - Sly & The Family Stone

Whenever I hear this song, it takes me back to when I was a kid visiting my relatives in Ohio during the summer. Really cool song.

Listen to it here.
Download at Amazon

3)"Best of My Love" - The Emotions

This song always reminds me of a bright summer day when I hear it. It's a timeless pop/soul classic penned by Maurice White and Al McKay from Earth, Wind & Fire, and The Emotions' voices are in top form on this song.

Listen to it here.
Download at Amazon

4)"In The Summertime" - Mungo Jerry

This song has an irresistible, goofy charm to it. It was the British folk/jug/rock/blues band's biggest hit. The song never gets old.

Listen to it here.
Download at Amazon

5)"Mr. Blue Sky" - Electric Light Orchestra.

This song always puts me in a summer mood, no matter what time of year it is. It's one of the happiest jams I've ever heard and is my favorite ELO cut.

Listen to it here.
Download at Amazon

6)"Master Blaster (Jammin')" - Stevie Wonder

I like how Stevie fuses reggae with his own unique sound on this song. An excellent summer jam and a great addition to Stevie's massive catalog of hits.

Listen to it here.
Download at Amazon

7)"Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys

This brilliantly crafted pop song sounds like hordes of people hitting the beaches in Southern California during the summer. Brian Wilson's stellar songwriting chops are in clear evidence on this classic.

Listen to it here.
Download at Amazon

8)"Holiday Road" - Lindsey Buckingham

This joyful jam was used for the 1983 hit comedy Vacation starring Chevy Chase. The song fit perfectly for the fun summer film.

Listen to it here.

9)"California Love" - Tupac Shakur

Rap legend Tupac Shakur collaborated with beat maestro Dr. Dre and funk master Roger Troutman for this prodigious rap anthem. In 1995 people all over Los Angeles were bumpin' this track in their cars. It sort of became the LA theme song of '95. It's a great song to blast out of your car while cruising, especially during the summer.

Listen to it here.
Download at Amazon

10)"Summer in The City" - The Lovin' Spoonful

An infectious, hook-filled summer classic. In my view, a list of great summer tunes wouldn't be complete without this song on it. The song pulls the listener in from the very first note.

Listen to it here.
Download at Amazon