“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. Also, the groove is augmented by a tight horn arrangement and Quincy Jones’ flawless production.

This mega-funky joint was a single from the talented duo’s third studio album Blam! (1978). It was co-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 Reichenbah (trombone) and Lawrence Williams (saxophone). The track peaked at #45 on the U.S. R&B singles chart.

Blam! was produced by Quincy Jones. It topped the U.S. R&B album chart and climbed to #7 on the U.S. pop album chart. 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).