The Beginning of the End got their start performing at local Nassau clubs and hotels. These gigs showcased the band's impressive musical abilities and their dynamic mix of funk, rock, jazz, and Latin. They quickly established themselves as an exciting live act and built a dedicated following. In late 1970, the band borrowed $2000 from a relative to travel to Miami, Florida, to cut a record at Criteria Studios. “Funky Nassau” emerged from that session with “Gee Whiz It’s Christmas” as its B-side. The band released the song on their own label. It was an instant smash, selling 5,000 copies in Nassau in just two weeks. One of those 5,000 copies found its way to a jukebox at the Elks Club in Miami, where it caught the ear of Fred Hanna, the program director at the highly popular Miami radio station WMBM. Hanna borrowed the record and played it on the air, where it received enthusiastic feedback from listeners. This resulted in the band linking up with Miami-based record distributor, producer, and label owner, Henry Stone. He released “Funky Nassau” on his label Alston Records in March 1971. It was released in two parts–Part 1 on the A-side and Part 2 on the B-side.
“Funky Nassau” is a powerful hybrid of American funk and Junkanoo. “We wanted to create something new,” said Ray Munnings in an old interview, “something that was truly Bahamian. We loved funk but wanted to include elements of Junkanoo, the indigenous music of The Bahamas.” The track features a killer horn arrangement, percolating percussion, a smokin’ bass line, and cold guitar licks. Ray delivers a soulful, high-energy lead vocal performance. The badass breakdown section features a brief interpolation of the sizzling main guitar riff from James Brown’s funk classic “Give It Up or Turn It Loose,” except it’s played on the bass instead of guitar. The horns were provided by The Funky Nassau Horns, which comprised Neville Sampson (trumpet), Vernon Mueller (trombone), Kenneth Lane (tenor saxophone), and Freddie Munnings (clarinet).
Co-written by Ray Munnings and pioneering Bahamian Junkanoo artist and songwriter Tyrone “Dr. Offfff” Fitzgerald, “Funky Nassau” is a celebration of funk’s arrival in Nassau. It touches on how Bahamians embraced this exciting new sound and integrated it into their indigenous music styles. The song also covers how funk is a liberating force that emphasizes self-expression and cultural identity through music, fashion, and attitude: “Mini skirts, maxi skirts and Afro hairdo/People are doin' their own thing/They don't care 'bout me or you.” This resonated with many Bahamians, as did the genre’s underlying revolutionary sentiment of African Americans rejecting traditional norms and boldly embracing their heritage.
“Funky Nassau” had a strong performance on the U.S. charts, peaking at #5 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. And it reached #31 on the UK singles chart. The song has sold over a million copies worldwide. It has been sampled on 25 songs, including The Prodigy’s “Dirt Chamber Track 8” and the Roots’ “Table of Contents (Parts 1 &2).” Also, the song has been featured on the soundtracks of the films Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) and Elizabethtown (2005).
The band released their debut album, Funky Nassau, on Alston Records in October 1971. The nine-song collection, produced and arranged by the Beginning of the End, is a stellar offering of Bahamian soul-funk, Latin, jazz-funk, and calypso grooves. “Funky Nassau” was the only single release from the album.
The band released their self-titled second album in 1976 on Alston Records. They went for a more uptempo jazz-funk sound for this collection, which was produced by Teddy Randazzo (songwriter, producer, and arranger for Little Anthony and the Imperials). It was a solid, well-produced album, but none of its tracks made the charts. This was followed by a run of bad luck for the band, such as losing out on an opportunity to support Marvin Gaye on his ‘What’s Goin’ On " tour. Right before the start of the tour, the US Musicians Union stepped in and ordered that a U.S. band fill the slot. The band suffered another major disappointment after they had been added to a Bob Marley tour, only to have it cancelled after Marley injured his foot.
The Beginning of the End broke up sometime in 1976 due to a lack of sustained commercial success and creative exhaustion. The band is remembered for being “island funk” pioneers and popularizing funk in the Bahamas. Their classic “Funky Nassau” helped bridge the gap between local Caribbean music and international funk.
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