Moved by the nationwide demonstrations following the untimely deaths of Freddie Gray and Michael Brown, Prince decided to let his voice be heard. On May 10, he released his new song, “Baltimore,” which honors the memories of Gray and Brown, who both died from injuries sustained during encounters with police officers. Many feel their deaths were two more examples of an ongoing pattern of the police using excessive force when dealing with African Americans. The song is a call for peace and an end to the unrest that has taken hold across the country. It also condemns police brutality and gun violence, which continues to cut short too many young lives in the United States—especially in low-income urban communities. Prince wrote and produced the song as well as played all the instruments. The song has a gorgeous melody and some sterling guitar work from the Purple One. And soul/R&B singer Eryn Allen Kane sweetens the groove with her soulful vocals.
On May 11, the multitalented musician performed alongside his backing band, 3RDEYEGIRL, before a sold-out crowd at Baltimore’s Royal Farms Arena for his second “Dance Rally 4 Peace” concert. Prince debuted “Baltimore” during the show. A portion of the concert’s proceeds will go to Baltimore-based youth charities. According to a statement released by LiveNation, the concert is meant to be a “catalyst for pause” and was done “in the spirit of healing.”
Baltimore resident Freddie Gray died from a spinal injury sustained while he was arrested last month. He fell into a coma while in police custody as he was being transported in a police van. Before falling into a coma, Gray pleaded for medical care but none was given. He died a week later. The 25-year-old's death ignited a new string of protests and riots across the country with people again decrying police misconduct and abuse.
His Royal Badness hosted the first “Dance Rally 4 Peace” concert on May 2 at his Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, near Minneapolis. When Prince announced the concert via social media, he asked attendees to wear gray in Freddie Gray’s honor. He and 3RDEYEGIRL treated the audience to 41 minutes of blistering rock and gutbucket funk. Some of the songs on the set list included “Chaos & Disorder,” “Guitar,” “Dreamers,” “Plectrumelectrum” and a cover of Tommy James & The Shondells’ classic “Crimson and Clover.”
And in an uncharacteristic move, Prince shared the entire concert on his new Soundcloud page. He closed out his concert with these parting words: “Do me a favor and take care of each other, all right? It don’t matter the color; we are all family.”
Full "Dance Rally 4 Peace" concert at Paisley Park Studios
The Bee Gees were at their absolute funkiest on this irresistible hard-bumpin’ track, which was released in the U.S. in early 1977. The famed English-Australian trio released a lot of great grooves in their day, but none were quite as funky as this joint. “Boogie Child” is a potent slice of blue-eyed funk. The group’s signature falsetto harmonies bring this track to its maximum groovosity. And Barry Gibb ably holds down the lead vocals, while brother Maurice serves up a dope bass line; the percolating keyboards and the funky guitar licks keep the groove crackling. The track also boasts a terrific bridge and an infectious sing-along chorus. And the tight horns nicely accentuate the groove. It’s one of the top-selling group’s most underrated tracks.
“Boogie Child” was written by all three Bee Gees (Robin, Maurice, and Barry Gibb). It was the third single from their 2x platinum album Children of the World (1976). The song performed well on the charts, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #31 on Billboard's R&B singles chart; however, it was overshadowed by the album’s monster chart-topping disco smash “You Should Be Dancing.”
In addition to singing lead vocals, Barry Gibb played acoustic guitar on “Boogie Child” as well as provided backing vocals. Maurice and Robin also sang background vocals. Other musicians who played on the track included Dennis Bryon (drums), Alan Kendall (electric guitar), Blue Weaver (keyboards, synthesizer), Gary Brown (saxophone), Joe Lala (percussion), and the brass ensemble, the Boneroo horns. The song was produced by the Bee Gees, Karl Richardson, and Albhy Galuten.
The Bee Gees went on to even bigger success with their contributions to the massively successful Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, released in November 1977. The multiplatinum-selling soundtrack shot the group to the stratosphere, making them one of the biggest music acts in the world during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. However, none of their other releases could get close to the wicked funkiness of “Boogie Child."
New York-bred groove outfit Cameo brought their original brand of funk to the music game with their impressive debut album Cardiac Arrest in 1977. The collection boasts some really strong funk grooves as well as some top-flight ballads. You can definitely hear influences of well-known funk acts of the day sprinkled throughout the album, including Parliament-Funkadelic, Kool & the Gang, and the Commodores. This collection captures Cameo in the process of cultivating their own unique sound and putting their special flavor on the funk, which they dubbed “C-Funk.” And with each subsequent album, the band continued to refine their singular “C-Funk” sound until they became influential trendsetters in their own right. The band had one of the most distinctive funk styles of the 1980s—along with Prince’s famed Minneapolis sound and Roger & Zapp's potent synth-driven electro-funk.
The album kicks off with the bumpin’ high-energy funk groove “Still Feels Good.” The track has a super-tight horn arrangement and some nasty guitar licks. It's followed by “Post Mortem,” another hard-hitting funk track. This nasty groove features some stellar horn work, and bassist William Revis lays down some funky bottom.
“Smile” is a great ballad that has some soothing synth work from Gregory Johnson. And Tomi Jenkins elevates the track with his strong lead vocals.
“Funk Funk” is the album's centerpiece. Revis's supremely funky bassline anchors this mammoth groove, and the horns are on fire. Drummer and bandleader Larry Blackmon is at the helm on this cut and gives the lowdown on the “C-Funk” concept with his trademark eccentric humor. This cut stands apart from the other tracks on the album as a truly original and potent slice of funk. You can hear the band finding their own distinct voice on this funkalicious track.
The irresistible dance-floor rump-shaker “Rigor Mortis” is almost as strong as “Funk Funk.” The powerful groove boasts a badass bassline that lured folks to the dance floor back in the day. The track also has a terrific horn-laden bridge.
“Find My Way” is an infectious disco groove. Jenkins serves up a superb vocal performance on this elegantly arranged dance track. And the song also contains some cool wah-wah guitar licks, further enhancing the track’s disco flavor.
The band keeps the groove momentum going with the upbeat “Good Times.” Revis's sturdy bassline drives this kinetic track, and Johnson provides stellar synth work.
The album closes out on a mellow note with the soulful, heartfelt ballad “Stand By My Side.” The track is highlighted by some top-notch vocal work from Jenkins and vocalist Kurt Jeter.
Cardiac Arrest was produced by Blackmon, who wrote five of the album’s eight tracks on his own. He co-wrote "Post Mortem" with Gregory Johnson and penned "Rigor Mortis" with Nathan Leftenant and Arnett Leftenant. "Find My Way" was written by singer-songwriter Johnny Melfi. The album was released on Chocolate City Records, which was a subsidiary of Casablanca Records. The collection performed well on Billboard's R&B album chart, peaking at #16. It reached #116 on the Billboard 200. Also, three tracks from the collection charted on Billboard's R&B singles chart: “Funk Funk” (#20), Rigor Mortis (#33), and “Post Mortem” (#70). And “Find My Way” shot to #3 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart.
Cameo’s full lineup during the recording of Cardiac Arrest was the following: Larry Blackmon (drums, percussions, lead and backing vocals); Eric Durham (guitar); Tomi Jenkins (lead vocals); Gregory Johnson (piano, synthesizer, electric piano, vocals); William Revis (bass); Charles Sampson (acoustic and electric guitar); Nathan Leftenant (trumpet); Kurt Jeter (vocals); Arnett Leftenant (saxophone) and John Kellogg (backing vocals).
Cardiac Arrest was an auspicious debut and put the band on the map in the R&B and funk scene. It's a definite must-have for true funk lovers. The fact that Cameo was able to create such a huge buzz right out the gate in a crowded field of great funk artists was a testament to the band’s exceptional talent and singular style. With this album, the band showed that they were a funky force to be reckoned with. It was the first shot fired in setting off the glorious “C-Funk” era.
Following Cardiac Arrest, the band went on to release a ton of great music in the ensuing years and became one of the most prominent funk acts of the ‘80s. And the anthemic funk classic “Word Up!” catapulted the band to superstar status worldwide in 1986.
The late, great jazz drummer/composer Idris Muhammad had clubs, parties and discos jumpin’ with this bodacious dance-funk track back in the day. This cut hits you right in the bump zone and will have you breaking for the dance floor in record time. Wilbur Bascomb’s percolating bass line drives this kinetic groove, while Muhammad keeps things funky with his tight drumming. And there is no shortage of cowbell on this irresistible cut. Additionally, the track features a scorching solo from late guitarist Hiram Bullock. And the soulful vocals are provided by Frank Floyd, Kenny Williams and Zachary Sanders.
The song is the title track off Muhammad’s fifth studio album, which was released on Kudu Records in 1977. The collection was produced and arranged by David Matthews. The producer co-wrote “Turn This Mutha Out” with Tony Sarafino. The song climbed to #21 on the U.S. Billboard R&B singles chart. The elegantly smooth dance track “Could Heaven Ever Be Like This” is another single from the album that charted, peaking at #68 on the U.S. Billboard R&B singles chart and #76 on the Billboard Hot 100. And it shot to #2 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Idris Muhammad was born Leo Morris on November 13, 1939 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He began playing drums at the age eight and was performing with jazz bands by the time he was 16. The talented musician is recognized as one of the most innovative drummers in soul music and had worked with legendary music acts such as Sam Cooke, Jerry Butler, Sonny Stitt, Roberta Flack, George Benson, John Scofield, Grover Washington, Jr. and Curtis Mayfield. And he played on Fats Domino’s Rock ‘n’ Roll classic “Blueberry Hill” when he was just 16. Muhammad also worked extensively with jazz greats Lou Donaldson, Ahmad Jamal and Pharoah Sanders. Also, he was the house drummer at Prestige Records from 1970 through '72.
The famed drummer/composer was quite an eclectic artist. He took on a number of different styles during his long, distinguished musical career, including jazz, funk, R&B, soul, fusion, post-bop, soul-jazz, bebop, dance and jazz-funk. And he played on some of the best soul-jazz tracks ever recorded. In the 1960s, the musician changed his name to Idris Muhammad after converting to Islam. And in the ‘70s, he released a string of stellar albums that are now prized among funk, soul-jazz and R&B fans.
Muhammad’s music was introduced to a new generation via hip hop. A slew of celebrated hip-hop artists have sampled his music for their tracks, including Nas, Eminem, Drake, 2Pac, the Notorious B.I.G. and the Beastie Boys.
The legendary drummer died at the age of 74 on July 29, 2014, leaving behind a wealth of great music and performances. He’s remembered as one of the greatest soul-jazz drummers of all time.
Legendary R&B/funk/jazz band Earth, Wind & Fire were at the peak of their popularity and success when they released their eighth studio album All ‘N All in late November of 1977. They were probably the biggest African-American band in the world at the time, boasting legions of fans of all races and nationalities across the globe. However, the mega-talented outfit didn’t rest on their laurels and broke new sonic ground with this amazing collection. It’s a highly creative work but still very accessible to a wide audience.
The album is chock-full of musical gems and is extremely cohesive; all the songs complement one another, with one song flowing seamlessly to the next. The lead single, “Serpentine Fire,” is a rhythmic masterpiece—fusing funk, African, gospel, soul and Latin in one explosive package. The track has a really unique percussion-laden groove; and it boasts a monstrous bass line and a super-tight horn arrangement. Also, the dynamic intro sounds like the band is bursting out of a volcano. In short, this is massive RHINOCEROS FUNK. The song was a big hit, spending seven weeks atop the U.S. Billboard R&B singles chart and peaking at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The other big hit from the collection is the majestic, uplifting “Fantasy.” The song is superbly arranged and orchestrated, and Philip Bailey delivers a sterling lead vocal performance. It charted at #12 on the U.S. Billboard R&B singles chart and at #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s one of Earth, Wind & Fire’s best-known tracks and still gets a lot of play on the radio.
The hyperkinetic “Magic Mind” is one of the band’s most underrated songs. It’s about striving to achieve your highest potential in all aspects of life, taking risks and not being afraid to fail—as well as not allowing the negativity in the world to consume you. The song’s title refers to how powerful the human mind is and the endless things you can accomplish if you fully utilize it. The potent, hard-driving groove boasts some incredible playing from the celebrated Phenix Horns; and Verdine White keeps things nice and funky with his impeccable bass work.
“I’ll Write A Song for You” is a gorgeous ballad that features an exquisite vocal performance from Bailey. This track illustrates what a truly gifted vocalist he is.
The urgent, high-energy “Jupiter” is about a wise and benevolent extraterrestrial who travels to Earth to spread a message of love and positivity. The band’s flawless musicianship elevates this supersonic groove to the stratosphere. The primitive-sounding “In the Marketplace” interlude is a great lead-in to “Jupiter.” It takes the listener from ancient times to high-velocity futuristic funk. And Maurice White provides some great Kalimba work on the interlude.
The powerful ballad “Be Ever Wonderful” showcases Maurice’s impressive vocal chops. Another track in which he shines on lead vocals is the luminous mellow jam “Love’s Holiday.” And it features a terrific guitar solo from Johnny Graham. “Love’s Holiday” is followed by the irresistible interlude “Brazilian Rhyme,” which has a marvelous vocal arrangement and some splendid bass work from Verdine. Even the interludes are first-rate on this album. This could stand on its own as a full song.
The band flexes its jazz muscles on the fusion-jazz instrumental “Runnin’.” The song features some dazzling keyboard work from Larry Dunn and excellent solos from saxophonist Don Myrick and trumpeter Michael Harris.
All ‘N All was produced solely by Maurice White, who also helped write the majority of the album’s tracks. It’s one of EWF’s most successful albums, both critically and commercially. The collection climbed to the summit of the U.S. Billboard R&B album chart, where it remained for nine weeks; and it peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 pop album chart. It also charted in the top 20 in several other countries and made the top 10 in Canada and the Netherlands. The collection went triple platinum and was the best-selling R&B album of 1978. And it received high marks from music critics. Additionally, the album won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group or Chorus; and “Runnin’” landed the band another Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental.
Earth, Wind & Fire outdid themselves with All ‘N All—one of the landmark albums of the late ‘70s and a jewel among the band’s acclaimed oeuvre.
Celebrated Jamaican rhythm section Sly & Robbie thrilled funk and reggae music lovers with their inventive 1987 album Rhythm Killers. In the 1980s, the talented musical duo began transitioning to a more electronic sound, a significant departure from the rootsy reggae of their earlier work. And this album captures them at the peak of their new sonic direction. The musicians utilized contemporary technology and electronic equipment for this record, including a Fairlight CMI synthesizer and electronic drums.
Rhythm Killers, released on Island Records, offers a terrific cross-genre stew of funk, reggae, hip-hop, rock, world beat and dancehall. The collection showcases drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare’s tremendous musical chops, which earned them the distinction of being one of the world’s greatest rhythm sections. The duo brought in Bill Laswell to produce the album. The bassist/producer is known for his experimental, avant-garde production work and was the ideal choice for this ambitious effort.
Probably the strongest track on Rhythm Killers is the irresistible “Boops (Here To Go).” The song is about a dude with no game who tries to buy the affections of the ladies, but instead gets played by them. It’s a really unique-sounding track, which effectively melds hip-hop, reggae and funk. Everything just clicks on this cut, and it immediately grabs your attention with its singular groove. And it features Jamaican reggae singer/rapper/toaster Shinehead, who serves up an inspired rap performance. Moreover, this track contains one of my favorite Star Trek puns: “Bass, the final frontier.” You just know you’re in for some heavy-duty, unalloyed funk with that line.
“Let’s Rock” is a high-octane funk/rock cut that features funk legend Bootsy Collins, who provides some nasty guitar work and a cool vocal performance. This track just smokes and has an urgency about it, and Sly & Robbie’s potent rhythms ably power this monster groove. Also, singers Bernard Fowler and P-Funk alumnus Gary “Mudbone” Cooper contribute some funkified vocals. And guitarist Pat Thrall delivers some wicked rock-tinged licks, while the dynamic strings further increase the track’s groove quotient.
"Rhythm Killer" is an infectious reggae/hip-hop track that boasts a dope bass line, a bomb-ass beat and a great descending string arrangement from Karl Berger. And Shinehead returns with some more tight bars.
The album also contains covers of two ‘70s R&B classics: the Ohio Players’ funk/dance smash “Fire” and the Pointer Sisters’ 1973 hit “Yes We Can Can.” Sly& Robbie’s cover of “Fire” is pretty solid but not as good as it could have been. They didn’t really bring anything new, unique, or interesting to their rendition, which is disappointing considering all the great talent involved in this project. It just makes you want to go listen to the original version. Their cover of “Yes We Can Can” is better but still not great. I would have preferred listening to some original Sly & Robbie tracks in place of these two rather uninspired covers.
The album’s final track, “Bank Job,” is one badass groove—boasting tight vocals, a sterling string arrangement and some killer bass work from Robbie. The track features the late Rammellzee, who was a highly influential graffiti, hip-hop and performance artist. This was an excellent song choice to close out the album.
With the exception of “Fire” and “Yes We Can Can,” Laswell, Sly and Robbie contributed to the writing of all the album's tracks. And Bootsy helped pen “Boops (Here To Go),” “Let’s Rock” and “Bank Job.” Also, Bootsy and Mudbone weren’t the only P-Funk alums who appeared on the album. P-Funk keyboard maestro Bernie Worrell brought his considerable skills to the mix. Some of the other notable musicians who played on the album included acclaimed saxophonist/flautist and composer Henry Threadgill; Senegalese percussionist and drummer Aïyb Dieng; jazz-fusion guitarist Nicky Skopelitis; and the late, great Cuban percussionist Daniel Ponce.
Upon its release, Rhythm Killers received mostly positive reviews from music critics and charted in the UK (#35), Sweden (#44), New Zealand (#12) and the Netherlands (#75). "Boops (Here To Go)" spent 11 weeks on the UK Singles chart, peaking at #12; and it charted at #22 on the U.S. Billboard Dance Club Play Singles chart. NME Magazine ranked Rhythm Killers at number 25 on its 1987 year-end best albums list. And "Boops (Here To Go)" ranked at number 18 on the magazine's best singles list.
On the whole, Rhythm Killers is a very strong effort and a must-have for Sly & Robbie fans, as well as funk and reggae aficionados. Although it’s a highly creative and experimental album, Sly & Robbie never lose sight of the FUNK, which is why it’s such a rewarding listening experience. It’s at once inventive, super-funky and accessible.
R&B/funk/jazz band Pleasure are widely known for their bass-driven funk classic “Glide.” The track is beloved by funk fans and bass players alike. However, the Portland, Oregon-bred band recorded a number of other stellar tracks that barely get any play these days. “Glide” kind of overshadows the rest of the band’s oeuvre, and that’s a shame because gems like “Space Is the Place Place” often get overlooked.
Not to be confused with avant-garde jazz innovator Sun Ra’s composition of the same title, Pleasure’s “Space Is the Place” is an infectiously funky groove. The track is brimming with funk and soul. And the musicianship is impeccable. Nathaniel Phillips’ bass work is smooth, fluid and very funky. Guitarist Douglas Lewis serves up some fretboard funkiness, including a smoldering solo. The cool vocal arrangement has some early Earth, Wind & Fire flavor, with lead singer Sherman Davis delivering a strong, soulful vocal performance. The late, great Bruce Carter works his rhythmic magic on the drums.
The song has a positive message about finding inner peace through mentally transporting yourself from the negativity in the world and discovering a new space: “In search of an outer groove/You don’t have to move /You’ll find a place.”
“Space Is The Place” is a track from Pleasure’s fifth album Future Now, released in 1979. The song was penned by Nathaniel Phillips and percussionist Bruce Smith. The album also contains the band’s biggest hit “Glide.” There are also several other strong cuts on this impressive collection.
The lineup for Pleasure, when they recorded Future Now, was the following: Nathaniel Phillips (bass, vocals); Bruce Carter (drums); Donald Hepburn (keyboards, vocals); Marlon “The Magician” McClain (guitar, backing vocals); Bruce Smith (percussion, backing vocals); Dennis Springer (tenor saxophone); Sherman Davis (lead vocals, backing vocals); Michael Hepburn (keyboards, vocals); and Tony Collins (trumpet, flugelhorn). And guitarist Douglas Lewis, who played on "Space Is The Place" and "Universal," would officially become a band member on Pleasure's next album Special Things (1980).
