The Time's "Cool": Smooth Funk From The Baddest Boys In Prince's Court

This bumpin' chunk of Minneapolis funk was The Time's second single off their self-titled debut album. The Time began as one of Prince's side projects. The Purple One formed the band in 1981 as an outlet for some of his more straightforward R&B and funk grooves, which freed him up to experiment with other music genres on his own recordings. Prince co-wrote "Cool" with Revolution guitarist Dez Dickerson.  Prince produced and arranged the track as well as played all the instruments on the song's original recording. The groove has a smooth flow and is quite funky.

Prince adds some nice little touches that really spice up the track, such as tapping soda bottles with forks and spoons throughout the song. And Prince and Revolution keyboardist Lisa Coleman's background vocals add some extra flavor to the track. On this cut, The Time's lead singer Morris Day assumes his swaggering player persona that he later made famous in the film Purple Rain. You really need to listen to the full 10-minute-plus album version to completely appreciate the full impact of the groove. The long version has a nice guitar solo as well as some funky bass slapping and cool synthesizer vamps.

The Time are probably more recognized for their later hits, such as "Jungle Love" and "The Bird," but "Cool" is a killer groove that is often overlooked or underappreciated by funk fans. The original members of The Time are quite a talented bunch, and two of them went on to even bigger success after leaving the band. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis became a much sought-after production team, producing hot tracks for a slew of big names in the music biz, including Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Gwen Stefani, Usher and Chaka Khan. The duo's crowning achievement was their stellar production work on Janet Jackson's groundbreaking album Control. And Jesse Johnson is a gifted guitarist and talented songwriter who produced some great music as a solo artist, including the funkified hit song "Crazay," featuring Sly Stone. And Morris Day currently fronts a revamped lineup of The Time, which maintains a solid fan base.

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Related blog entries:

"777-9311" by The Time

"100 Watts of Funky" by Jesse Johnson

Larry Graham's Ten Funkiest Bass Lines

Larry Graham's slap-and-pop technique revolutionized modern bass playing. The legendary musician is a pivotal figure in the bass world because of his phenomenal bass-playing skills and innovations on the instrument. He has influenced a generation of bass players, and his influence can be heard everywhere today in various music genres. The funk master has created a number of great bass lines over the years as a member of Sly & The Family Stone and later with his band Graham Central Station. I put together a list of my ten funkiest Larry Graham bass lines. Starting with number ten, here they go:

10) It's Alright - Graham Central Station

Larry's slingshot bass line catapults the groove to its funkiest capacity.



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9) Hair - Graham Central Station

Larry was always coming up with interesting and unique bass lines, and this is one of his most creative riffs. And if you're a bass player, it's a blast to play.



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8) Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa - Sly & The Family Stone

Larry puts some extra stank on this nasty groove with an incredibly funky bass line.



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7) Earthquake - Graham Central Station

A bass-playing extravaganza where Larry rocks out as hard as he funks.



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6) Turn It Out - Graham Central Station

Larry and GCS drop three megatons of funk on this explosive groove.


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5) It's the Engine in Me - Graham Central Station

Larry goes on the warpath on this massively funky slap-and-pop workout.



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4) Pow - Graham Central Station

Learning to play this bass line has sort of become a rite of passage for aspiring funk players. As a teen, I spent many hours trying to learn it and had the blisters to prove it. I never quite got it totally down pat, but it wasn't for lack of trying.



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3) Hey Mr. Writer - Graham Central Station

Funky ode to none other than Mr. Sly Stone. Larry's powerhouse bass line sounds like the engine of a funk locomotive.


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2) The Jam - Graham Central Station

Larry delivers yet another ridiculously funky bass line on this appropriately titled track. Each GCS member gets a solo on this one. I heard this cut played everywhere back in the day. It's one of the band's most recognized grooves.



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1) Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly & The Family Stone

Well, here it is, the granddaddy of all slap bass lines. This is the one that started it all. There's no telling how many people decided to pick up the bass after hearing Larry lay down this new, innovative, and extremely funky style of playing. This groove set off a new era in funk music, and players everywhere started slappin' and poppin'. Thank you indeed, Sly and Larry.



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Related blog entries:

Graham Central Station Delivers Funky Sermon on "Water"

"Free" by Graham Central Station, Featuring Prince and Chaka Khan

Larry Graham & Graham Central Station Set To Release New Album Raise Up

Brick Adds A Little Jazz To Their Funk For Hit Song "Dazz"

Atlanta-based quintet Brick lit up the airwaves with their dance smash "Dazz" in 1976. This infectious fusion of funk, disco, and jazz had folks stampeding the dance floor back in the day. "Dazz" (meaning a hybrid of disco and jazz) is the second single off the band's debut album Good High. Ray Ransom anchors the groove with a sinuous bass line. And reed, woodwind, and brass man Jimmy Brown pulls double duty on this track, playing both the sax and flute parts. He delivers a great jazzy flute solo during the song's breakdown.

There was something quite unique about this track that made it stand out from other popular R&B and dance releases during that period. It's jazzy funk over a hypnotic dance beat. The seductive groove captured the imagination of music lovers and dance-floor junkies alike. The song beckons you to the dance floor, and you can't help but move and groove to it. Its slinky flow was perfect for doing the Body Language, a very popular dance on the urban dance scene back in the mid-70s.

"Dazz" was written by Ransom and fellow Brick members Regi Hargis Hickman and Eddie Irons. The band sings the lead falsetto vocal in unison, which works really well on this track. The song shot to number one on the U.S. R&B charts where it remained for four weeks, and it climbed to number three on the U.S. pop charts and number seven on the dance charts. It rose to number 26 on the charts in Canada and peaked at 36 in the UK. In addition to "Dazz," Brick scored other hits before disbanding in 1988.


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Related blog entry: Review of Brick's Self-Titled Second Album

Average White Band: Scotland's Funkiest Export

When funk music ruled the charts in the 1970s, Average White Band were one of the baddest R&B/funk outfits on the scene. Just looking at them you'd never imagine they could produce such monster funk. The Scottish sextet played like they were born and bred in one of America's funkiest hotbeds, spots like New Orleans, Detroit, Memphis and Philadelphia. AWB created a particularly potent brand of blue-eyed funk and soul and were significant figures in the funk revolution of the '70s.

The first song that I ever heard by Average White Band was their sizzling instrumental "Pick Up The Pieces" (1974), and I swore up and down that it was a track by James Brown's legendary band the J.B.'s and wound up having to eat my words when I found out who was really playing. It was clear that AWB were heavily influenced by Brown's super-syncopated, kick-the-doors-in funk style. But the band went beyond just being pupils of the Godfather's funk; they absorbed it and then charted out their own path--laying the funk back down with their own original flair and style.

Average White Band never faked the funk; they were no poseurs or some novelty act.  And man could these cats play! Their grooves have been recycled on numerous hip hop and R&B records, and they have influenced several bands in their own right, including the Brand New Heavies and Level 42.  And AWB could bring it on the mellow cuts as well. Check out "A Love of Your Own" and "Cloudy" for confirmation.

Average White Band was formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1972 with the original lineup of Alan Gorrie (bass, vocals, keyboards, and guitar); tenor saxophonist Malcom "Molly" Duncan; rhythm guitarist and vocalist Onnie McIntyre; Hamish Stuart (guitar, bass and vocals); drummer Robbie McIntosh; and keyboardist/saxophonist Roger Ball. In addition to James Brown, some of the band's other influences included the Isley Brothers, Marvin Gaye, Sly & the Family Stone, Donny Hathaway, the Bar-Kays and Al Green; and you can hear these influences throughout AWB's oeuvre.

Their first album, Show Your Hand, was released in 1973. The album is a solid collection of R&B tracks, but it failed to generate much interest. However, their follow-up LP, AWB (released in August, 1974), was quite a different story. The album, which was produced by legendary producer and arranger Arif Mardin, was a massive success and put the band firmly on the map. The band kicked off the album with "Pick Up The Pieces." The  track was a smash on both the R&B and pop charts, climbing all the way to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It is the band's most recognized song and is now widely regarded as one of the top funk songs of all time. Another standout track from the album is the Tower of Power-style funk burner "Person to Person." The album contains several other great cuts and went on to become a million seller.

The band was riding high with the enormous success of AWB, receiving love from both critics and record buyers alike. However, tragedy struck the band before they could fully enjoy their newfound success. Drummer Robbie McIntosh died from an accidental heroin overdose while at a Hollywood party on September 23, 1974. While still mourning the death of McIntosh, the band started working on their third album, Cut the Cake, recruiting black British drummer Steve Ferrone as McIntosh's replacement. The band members managed to pull themselves together and came back funkin' harder than ever with the release of Cut the Cake in June of 1975. The album is a cracking collection of funk and R&B tracks.

The percolating title song launches Cut the Cake with a bang. On this track, the band doesn't miss a speck of funk. It's chock full of sassy guitar licks and tight horn lines. On the album's track list, "Cut the Cake" is followed by "School Boy Crush," a slow, wickedly funky groove with a sinister bass line that effectively captures the butterflies and slight sense of terror a young kid experiences upon his first crush. And the sleigh bells are a nice touch, playing up the song's childlike vibe. Gorrie and Stuart's vocal trade-offs are epic and add so much to the track. "School Boy Crush" is a funk classic and has been sampled by a slew of hip hop and R&B artists, including Janet Jackson, TLC and Eric B. & Rakim. Other highlights on Cut the Cake include the irresistible "If I Ever Lose This Heaven," the James Brown-inspired "Groovin' the Night Away" and the beautiful ballad "Cloudy," where Stuart delivers an impassioned vocal performance.  Cut the Cake was a big seller and rose all the way to number one on the R&B charts and number four on the pop charts. The band dedicated the album to McIntosh's memory.

In 1976, AWB came back strong with their fourth album Soul Searching. On this album, the band scored another great ballad with the gorgeous "A Love of Your Own." It's one of the great slow jams from the '70s. When this cut came on at parties back in the day, cats would  scramble to find a fine young lady and try to get a slow dance. The biggest hit off the album was the smooth and breezy "Queen of My Soul," which went to number 21 on the R&B singles chart. And of course, AWB brought the funk again on this album. "I'm the One" is a laid-back funk groove with a super-cool horn arrangement. Even though the album didn't have any huge hits, it still went  gold.

In the late '70s, AWB's record sales began to drop off, and their audience dwindled, a fate shared by many other great '70s funk and R&B acts near decade's end. However, the band has continued to produce great music over the years and still tours with a few lineup changes. And the band retains an extremely loyal and dedicated fan base. AWB left an indelible mark on funk and R&B music, and their legacy remains strong today.

AWB funk things up with a live performance of "Cut the Cake" on Soul Train in 1975.

AWB put some extra stank on the funk in their live performance of "School Boy Crush" on Soul Train in 1975.

Related blog entry: "School Boy Crush": Average White Band's Much-Sampled Classic That Forever Made Sleigh Bells Funky

Duwende: A Cappella Magic

Sometimes I am really thankful for youtube's existence, because it has hipped me to a number of  great musicians who I would have never known about had it not been around. And I have recently come across an amazing a capella band named Duwende on the popular video-sharing site. Duwende is made up of six very talented vocalists who are known for their singular bass-and-beatbox-driven funk/pop style. The members of the New York-based band are J. Aaron Boykin (baritone/tenor), Derrick L. Hicks (tenor), Abbey Janes (soprano), Neal Mortimer (tenor), Edward Chung (vocal percussion) and Ari Picker (bass).  - ccfldddd

Their vocal work is fluid and inventive, with rich, soulful harmonies. Each member contributes his or her own unique flavor to Duwende's sound. The band covers a wide range of styles, including funk, rock, R&B, folk, hip hop and world beat. The band has released four albums since forming more than ten years ago and first made its mark performing in traditional rock clubs and venues. Duwende has since played at music festivals, colleges and special events all around the U.S., as well as headlining major a cappella shows, including the East Coast Summit, SoJam and AcappellaStock. The band has also performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and recently played on Park City Television during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

And at the 2002 Independent Music World Series, the editors of Billboard Magazine selected Duwende as one of the "Top 6 Indie Acts in the Northeast," and the band's album Radio Screaming (2004) won Best Pop/Rock Album from The annual Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA) in 2005, with album single "I Fall" winning Best Original Song. And in 2008, Duwende's album Collective (2007) earned the band a second CARA win for Best Pop/Rock Album, as well as Best Original Song for single "Young Leaders of Tomorrow."

On May 24, Duwende will release a Michael Jackson tribute album titled Remember: The Music Of Michael Jackson, which contains covers of some of his biggest hits, including "Billie Jean," "Black or White" and "Rock With You." The members of Duwende, who cite MJ as their biggest inspiration, put their own original spin on his classic songs, showcasing the band's versatility and creativity. The collection is the band's first cover album. You can learn more about Duwende at their website.  The band is signed to independent label Duwende Music LLC.


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Duwende's cover of "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"


Duwende's cover of "Billie Jean"


Duwende performing original song "Sugar" live



Related blog entry: Duwende Performing at Java Jazz Festival

Prince Tears The Roof Off The Sucka at the Forum in Los Angeles



Photo by Fabhouse73

 His Royal Badness continues to spread the funk across the nation with his Welcome 2 America Tour and is now thrilling Los Angeles audiences on his "21 Nite Stand" residency at the Forum in Inglewood, an LA suburb. Prince brought the funk with both barrels on Saturday night, May 7, at the legendary venue. After more than 30 years in the music biz, Prince showed that he hasn't lost a step and can still electrify an audience like no one else.

 The show opened with a solid set by Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding. After Spalding completed her set, The Purple One and his band the New Power Generation hit the stage like a funky cyclone with a bumpin’ performance of "D.M.S.R." The raucous track was an inspired choice to kick off the show, getting everyone on their feet and in a party mood. Prince and his crew kept the groove factor high nearly the entire show, only occasionally slowing things down. And when Prince did slow things down, he killed. The band wowed the audience with a majestic performance of slow jam "Shhh," which climaxed with a blazing guitar solo by Prince.

Some of the other highlights included hot performances of hits "1999," "Let's Go Crazy," "Rasberry Beret," "When Doves Cry" and "Kiss." In addition, Prince and the NPG delivered a powerful, gospel-drenched reading of "Purple Rain" that took the audience to church. The set also featured a furiously funky cover of Sly & The Family Stone's classic "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)." The band also did covers of other great '70s funk tracks, such as Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music," "Love Rollercoaster" by The Ohio Players and Kool & the Gang's "Hollywood Swinging," where Prince had audience members chanting "Inglewood Swinging" in place of the original song title.

And Shelia E. received a big audience response for her roof-raising performance of her hit song "The Glamorous Life." And as he has done in previous shows, Prince had a well-known performer join him onstage for a song. This time he nabbed Nicole Scherzinger, former lead singer with the Pussycat Dolls, to perform "I'll Never Be Another Fool" with him. Scherzinger's gritty performance was a nice surprise, proving that she has some serious vocal chops that weren't fully utilized on the mostly lightweight dance/pop material she sang with PCD.

The show also featured a brilliant mashup of the Time's hit "Cool" and Michael Jackson's classic "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."

It was an incredible show from start to finish, and audience members definitely got their money's worth and then some, with Prince returning for three encores. One of the things that struck me the most about the show was Prince's supreme confidence in everything he did. He took full command onstage, and there was no question of who was running the show. They don't call him His Royal Badness for nothing.

Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This): New Wave Soul

In 1983, British synth-pop duo Eurythmics shot to stardom with their smash hit "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and its provocative music video. The song is a brilliant hybrid of sterile synth-pop and sultry soul. Annie Lennox's powerful vocal performance pushed the song beyond the cold and detached aesthetic of the genre, catching the listener off-guard. When I first heard the song, I thought for sure Lennox was black. I was like, "Who is this lady? She can blow." Musician, songwriter and producer Dave Stewart, the other half of the duo, nicely frames Lennox's vocals with a haunting and hypnotic synth groove.

I was surprised when I finally caught the video on MTV and found that the singer was a blue-eyed Scottish lass with close-cropped orange-dyed hair and sporting a man's suit and tie. The video has become an iconic classic of the early MTV era, years before the channel became a tedious reality show network.

Penned by Stewart and Lennox, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is the title track off Eurythmics' sophomore album, which is a stellar collection of songs. The duo went on to produce more great music and landed several other big hits, but "Sweet Dreams" remains my favorite Eurythmics track. It is their signature song and rightly so.



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Related blog entries:

Eurythmics perform "There Must Be An Angel (Playing with My Heart)" Live With Stevie Wonder

"This City Never Sleeps" by Eurythmics