“Ain’t We Funkin’ Now” by the Brothers Johnson

With the release of their blazing dance track “Ain’t We Funkin’ Now” in 1978, the Brothers Johnson showed once again why they were one of the big dogs of the funk game. Louis “Thunder Thumbs” Johnson’s powerhouse bassline drives this wall-shaking groove, and his brother, George “Lightnin’ Licks” Johnson, unleashes the funk with a scorching guitar solo. The groove is augmented by a tight horn arrangement and Quincy Jones’s flawless production.

This mega-funky joint was a single from the talented duo’s third studio album Blam! (1978). It was written by Louis Johnson, Alex Weir, Quincy Johnson, Tom Bahler, and Valerie Johnson. In addition to George and Louis, some of the other players on the track included their cousin Alex Weir (rhythm guitar), Steve Schaeffer (drums), Jerry Hey (Trumpet), William Reichenbach (trombone), and Lawrence Williams (saxophone). The track peaked at #45 on Billboard's R&B singles chart and reached #43 on the UK singles chart.

Blam! was produced by Quincy Jones. It topped Billboard's R&B album chart and climbed to #7 on the Billboard 200. The LP went platinum, as did the other three Brothers Johnson albums that Q produced—Look Out for #1 (1976), Right on Time (1977), and Light Up the Night (1980).

The Brothers Johnson performing "Ain't We Funkin' Now" in 1980 at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey

"Ain't We Funkin' Now" available at Amazon