Review of Funkadelic's Hardcore Jollies

Hardcore Jollies (1976) was Funkadelic's last guitar-driven, rock-oriented album before the band shifted toward a more dance-based sound that characterized the landmark One Nation Under a Groove and its excellent follow-up, Uncle Jam Wants You. This was also Funkadelic's first album with Warner Bros. after recently parting ways with independent label Westbound Records. Hardcore Jollies is probably the Funk Mob's most underrated album. It doesn't get a lot of love from critics or P-Funk fans, but there are some hidden gems to be found on it.

The album kicks off with the monster rock/funk track "Comin' Round the Mountain," which was written by George Clinton and guitar wizard Eddie Hazel (under his commonly used pseudonym Grace Cook). Hazel delivers a scorching solo near the end of the track, and legendary drummer Buddy Miles holds the groove down with some killer beats. "Comin' Round The Mountain" was the perfect track to set off Hardcore Jollies proper.

Next track up is "Smokey." Penned by Clinton and Garry Shider, "Smokey" is flat-out brilliant. The track is difficult to categorize. I would describe it as extraterrestrial gospel/funk. Glenn Goins's incredible, gospel-drenched vocals will send shivers down your spine. Bernie Worrell's sludgy synth bass creeps beneath the groove like bubbling swamp ooze, and Shider and Goins trade some nasty rhythm guitar licks. The spooky background harmonies are provided by P-Funk vocalists Mudbone, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, Garry Shider, Grady Thomas and Ray "Stingray" Davis. "Smokey" is one of those tracks that just floors you upon first listen and addicts you immediately.

"If You Got Funk, You Got Style" has kind of a Parliament-like flow going on. It's not surprising that the song was written by Clinton, Worrell and Bootsy, the writing team behind some of Parliament's biggest hits. However, the track sounds a bit more freaky than most Parliament cuts. The song delivers a truckload of funk. Clinton brings his signature freaky-pimp ghoul singing voice, which fits quite nicely on this track. And Ray Davis's bass vocals add some extra flavor to the song. The "go ahead" chant is an irresistible hook, and Bootsy lays down some mean space bass.

The title track "Hardcore Jollies" is a blistering rock/soul workout that showcases Michael Hampton's considerable chops as a guitar slinger. Here, Hampton shows why he became the lead guitarist for P-Funk following Hazel's exit from the band.

"Soul Mate" is a freaky kind of love song with Clinton handling the lead vocals. Not one of my favorite Funkadelic songs, but it's a solid ballad.

A live version of the band's 1973 classic "Cosmic Slop" features some more great axe work from Hampton as well as some tasty licks from Shider and Goins. Recorded live in Hangar E at Stewart Airfield in Newburgh, New York, during rehearsals for the P-Funk Earth Tour, this version is a bit faster than the original but still maintains its power to move the listener.

"You Scared The Lovin' Outta Me" is a great ballad that contains another fantastic vocal performance from Goins. And Mudbone provides some cool background vocals. Another underrated gem.

The album ends with  "Adolescent Funk." The song has a real chill, laid-back vibe. There are no lyrics, just some scattered background vocals. Worrell shines on this track, displaying his prodigious keyboard skills. It's a nice, mellow way to close out the album.

Another great thing about this album is Pedro Bell's amazing cover art. It's one of Bell's best works and my favorite Funkadelic album cover. So there's a lot to love about Hardcore Jollies.

Full Hardcore Jollies album

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Related blog entries:

Album Review of Funkadelic's Standing On The Verge of Getting It On

Review of Eddie Hazel's Album Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs

Bootsy Stretches Out His Funky Rubber Band On Late Night TV

Bootsy blew the doors off the hinges with a massively funky performance of his hit "Stretchin' Out (In a Rubber Band)" on the late night television show Night Music back in 1989. The funkster was joined by sax legend David Sanborn and the late, great guitarist Hiram Bullock for the funk session. P-Funk veteran Gary"Mudbone" Cooper and powerhouse duo Pretty Fat provided backup vocals. Late night television rarely gets this funky. You can damn near smell the funk up on the stage. The premise of the short-lived Night Music (1988-1990) was to bring together a diverse selection of musicians from different genres and have them find common ground musically. Shame the show didn't have a longer run.




Related blog entry: Bootsy's Rubber Band Performing "I'd Rather Be With You" Live In Houston

Epic All-Star Tribute To George Harrison

Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, Prince and Dhani Harrison pay tribute to George Harrison with an epic cover of the former Beatles' classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Petty and Lynne do a terrific job on the lead vocals, and Prince blows the audience away with a gut-wrenching guitar solo. I like that big smile of approval George's son, Dhani, gives Prince during the solo at 4:44-4:48. The performance took place at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2004 where Harrison was inducted posthumously for his impressive work as a solo artist. This was the second time the music legend had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was first inducted in 1988 alongside the other members of the Beatles. He no doubt would have dug this incredible tribute.

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