Clyde Stubblefield, one of music’s most influential and acclaimed drummers, died on Feb. 18 from kidney failure. He was 73. Stubblefield’s creative drum patterns on James Brown’s seminal grooves provided the foundation for the blossoming funk sound of the mid-1960s through early '70s. And he has not only influenced countless funk musicians but also legions of artists and producers in hip hop.
Stubblefield was a member of Brown’s band from 1965 to 1971. And during his tenure with the Godfather, he played on funk classics such as “Cold Sweat,” “I Got the Feelin’” “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud,” “Mother Popcorn,” and “Ain’t It Funky Now.” And he was featured on Brown’s Cold Sweat and Sex Machine albums. Stubblefield also brought his powerful drumming talents to Brown’s legendary concerts.
Additionally, Stubblefield held the distinction of being one of the most sampled drummers in hip-hop history. His iconic drum break on Brown’s 1970 single “Funky Drummer” has been sampled on more than 1,000 songs. Some of the notable artists who have sampled the drum break for their tracks include Public Enemy, Run D.M.C., LL Cool J, Nas, Mos Def, the Beastie Boys, Dr. Dre and Boogie Down Productions.
Upon hearing the news of Stubblefield’s death, Roots drummer Questlove wrote, “The Funky Funkiest Drummer of all Time. Clyde Stubblefield thank you for everything you’ve taught me. The spirit of the greatest grace note left hand snare drummer will live on thru all of us.”
Stubblefield's impact still resonates strongly today in funk, hip hop, R&B, breakbeat and many other music genres. Rest in peace funky drummer.
Influential funk artist Walter “Junie” Morrison died on January 21. Morrison’s daughter, Akasha, confirmed the news via his Facebook page last Thursday. He was 62. The cause of his death has not been made public.
The gifted multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, producer and arranger made a tremendous impact on the music world through his association with two legendary funk outfits--the Ohio Players and Parliament-Funkadelic.
The Dayton native joined the Ohio Players while still in his teens in the early 1970s. Morrison served as keyboardist, lead singer, songwriter, arranger, producer and musical director for the band. He contributed to the writing and producing of sterling tracks such as “Pain,” “Pleasure” and “Ecstasy.”
And Morrison wrote and produced the quirky funk classic “Funky Worm” (1973) on his own. It was the band’s first single to reach number one on the R&B charts, as well as their first gold record. Morrison also provided the comical “Granny” voice on the track; and his inventive synthesizer solos—played on an ARP Pro soloist—have been widely sampled on hip-hop records--233 songs according to the WhoSampled site. Moreover, Morrison’s synth work on “Funky Worm” has been much-emulated by West Coast hip-hop producers, becoming a staple of the G-Funk sound of the ‘90s.
The musician left the Ohio Players in 1974 and released three solo albums—When We Do, Freeze and Suzie Super Groupie—before he began working with P-Funk in early 1978. He made major contributions to Funkadelic’s landmark album One Nation Under a Groove. His original composition formed the template for the album’s influential title track. Additionally, he contributed to the writing of nearly every track on the album.
Other P-Funk albums in which Morrison contributed his myriad talents include Parliament’s Motor Booty Affair and Gloryhallastoopid; and Funkadelic’s Uncle Jam Wants You. He and George Clinton co-wrote the brilliant funk/dance classic “(Not Just) Knee Deep” for the Uncle Jam album. Morrison also provided the song’s incredibly funky Mini-Moog bassline. The oft-sampled track has also had a huge influence on hip hop.
Additionally, Morrison played keyboards and co-wrote songs for Clinton’s 1982 album Computer Games, which contained the iconic funk Anthem "Atomic Dog." Clinton is said to have called Morrison “the most phenomenal musician on the planet.” Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of P-Funk in 1997.
Morrison continued to work with Clinton and P-Funk off and on over the years as well as releasing more solo albums: Bread Alone (1980), Junie 5 (1981), Evacuate Your Seats (1984) and When The City (2004).
In addition to P-Funk, Morrison produced music for other artists, including two tracks on Soul II Soul’s 1995 album Vol. V: Believe (“Universal Love” and “I Care”).
Morrison’s music spans generations. Artists young and old have shown their appreciation for his invaluable musical contributions. Solange Knowles recently paid tribute to him on “Junie,” a song from her critically acclaimed album A Seat at the Table (2016).
The legendary groove master will be greatly missed by funkateers, hip-hop heads and general music lovers alike.
Bass dynamo Nik West recently released her hot new single “Bottom Of The Bottle.” This irresistibly funky track showcases West’s prodigious bass skills and impressive vocal talent. The song boasts an infectious melody that’s supported by a dope bass-thumpin’ groove. West also throws a cool little rap into the mix. The track is accompanied by a vibrant, colorful music video, which nicely complements the song.
In a recent interview with Vibe magazine, West explained that "the song is about letting go of all of your worries, and instead of wondering why bad things happen, and instead of drowning yourself with the negative, don’t let hard times keep you down for long. Live your life to the fullest and try to see the good in it all. Smile, whistle, sing, dance even if you’re at the bottom of the bottle."
The talented young musician/singer/performer has definitely been living life to the fullest and making a name for herself in the music game in the process. She has been receiving tons of praise for her incredible prowess on the bass as well as her electrifying live performances and strong vocal abilities.
Additionally, the Arizona native has worked with big-name music artists such as Prince, Marcus Miller, Bootsy Collins, Lenny Kravitz, Steven Tyler, George Clinton/Parliament-Funkadelic, John Mayer, and Dave Stewart. And she has appeared on the cover of a slew of bass musician magazines and has been featured in a number of publications, including Vanity Fair,Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone, and Afropunk, among others.
West has some gigs lined up next month. Check out her website to keep up with tour dates and new music releases.
James Brown burned up the charts back in 1971 with his sizzling hit track “Hot Pants,” a funky ode to the women’s sexy fashion shorts.
This cut finds the legendary funk master completely immersed in his pure groove element. This is funk straight with no chaser as only the Godfather could do it.
Guitarists Hearlon "Cheese" Martin and Robert Coleman underline the funk with some sassy licks while bassist Fred Thomas and drummer John “Jabo” Starks adeptly anchor this killer groove.
The smokin’ horn parts are provided by Fred Wesley (trombone), St. Clair Pinckney (tenor saxophone) and Jimmy Parker (alto saxophone). The track also boasts a great bridge, where Brown lets loose with some primal funk screams.
Brown co-wrote “Hot Pants” with Wesley. The song, also produced by JB, topped the R&B charts in the U.S. and reached #15 on the pop charts. It was released as a three-part single on his label People Records in 1971. It’s one of his most popular ‘70s hits, which he’d often perform in concert.
“Hot Pants” has been sampled by a slew of rap artists, including Eric B. & Rakim, “Paid in in Full (Seven Minutes of Madness – the Cold Cut Remix),” MC Hammer, “Pump it Up,” and Gang Starr, "2 Steps Ahead.”
Additionally, some of Brown’s funk associates recorded Hot Pants-themed tracks, including “Hot Pants Road” by the J.B.’s and "Hot Pants - I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming” by Bobby Byrd.
There’s nothing like a shot of some Purple Funk to help
overcome post-election withdrawal, and this exhilarating clip is just the
ticket. It’s a video of Prince and his band performing his monster funk track
“D.M.S.R.” at a Detroit show during his Musicology Live 2004ever tour.
This clip is another reminder of what a phenomenal talent
the world lost with Prince’s untimely passing last April. His Royal Badness
brought heaps of energy, charisma and raw funk to this roof-rattling performance.
The funk here is nasty and unrelenting. Prince and his band had the paint peeling off
the walls at Detroit’s legendary Joe Louis Arena with this massively funky performance.
The Purple One was backed by a crew of some of the baddest players on the planet for this explosive set. Horn legend Maceo Parker scorched the
stage with his dazzling sax work, and trombonist Greg Boyer served up a bodacious ‘bone
solo. And rounding out the dynamic horn section was sax diva Candy Dulfer, who
helped augment the funk with her powerhouse playing.
Additionally, bassist Rhonda Smith and drummer John
Blackwell didn’t miss a drop of funk and flawlessly anchored the groove with their
tremendous chops. And guitarist Mike Scottcontributed some tasty chicken-scratch licks.
This performance also showcased Prince’s wicked sense of
humor; one of the highlights has him and band members doing the “pimp-step”
dance in unison.
This clip captures the excitement and energy of a Prince
concert and displayed what an incredible live performer he was. The artist never
left his audience disappointed, always delivering that pure uncut funk that kept booties shakin', heads bobbin' and armpits stankin'.
RonKat Spearman graced the funk world with this wicked groove back
in 2009.It’s a deliciously funky cut in
which the multitalented musician displayed his versatility in the
studio. RonKat wrote, produced and arranged the
track, as well as played all the instruments.
"Funky Dance Transformer" boasts a powerful beat and an irresistible chorus
delivered by the soulful female backup singers. RonKat augments the funk with some cool talkbox work and
mechanized vocal effects.Additionally, he serves up a scorching guitar solo
and a smooth rap performance. The song touches on the power of funk--and by extension the power of music in general--and how it can be used as a weapon to eradicate hate and racism. This is a groove that any true funk lover can appreciate, and it
still sounds just as funky and fresh after many repeated plays.
RonKat is a P-Funk veteran. He toured with George Clinton and
Parliament-Funkadelic as a P-Funk All-Star for 10 years. In 2010, he took a
hiatus from touring with the legendary funk outfit to focus all of his energies
on his own band, Katdelic, one of the hottest funk acts in the Bay Area.
Visit Katdelic’s website to keep up with all of the band's performance
dates and new music releases.
British songwriter, producer and musician Rod Temperton died
today following a battle with cancer. He was 66. Temperton was best known for penning the Michael Jackson classics
“Off The Wall,” “Rock With You” and “Thriller,” which is one of Jackson’s most iconic tracks and a worldwide Halloween anthem. The gifted songwriter also
wrote the gems “The Lady in My Life” and “Burn This Disco Out” for MJ.
In addition to his work with Jackson, Temperton was the
keyboardist and primary songwriter for the popular disco/funk band Heatwave, where he penned the ‘70s dance-floor hits “Boogie Nights" and “The Groove Line.” He also wrote the classic soul ballad “Always
and Forever” with Heatwave.
Temperton was a prolific and sought-after songwriter/producer
and had written tracks for celebrated artists such as Herbie Hancock, George
Benson, Patti Austin, Donna Summer, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, the Brothers
Johnson and James Ingram, among many others.
He was also nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar in 1986 for "Miss
Celie's Blues," which he co-wrote with Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie for
The Color Purple (1985).
