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).
Cameo dropped this hot party
track back in 1979. With this blazing cut, the famed New York City band showed once again that they didn’t play when it came to funk. Aaron Mills’s savagely funky bass line powers this sick groove, and Wayne Cooper and Tomi Jenkins bring some church to the proceedings with their
soulful vocals. Bandleader Larry Blackmon
anchors the track with his rock-solid drumming.
Cool sonic flourishes, such as random simian sounds from
Jenkins on the cuicaand
Gregory Johnson’s squiggly synth vamps, help augment the track’s fun party
vibe. Also, Arnett Leftenant (sax), Nathan Leftenant (trumpet) and Carl Harleston
(trombone) keep things nice and funky with their tight horn volleys.
The groove is marked by Cameo’s singular funk sound—brisk
rhythm guitar licks, thunderous beat, unique vocals, off-center humor, ferocious bass,
stellar synth work, and the unrestrained joy the band always exhibited while
playing.
Penned by Larry Blackmon and Gregory Johnson, “I Just Want
to Be” was a single from the band’s fourth album, Secret Omen, released in 1979. The song was a big hit, reaching #3 on the
U.S. R&B singles chart.
This is one of Cameo’s tightest grooves and the perfect track
to play when you need to get booties shakin’ ASAP at a party or club.
Keyboard maestro and P-Funk co-founder Bernie Worrell headed back home to the Mothership on June 24 after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 72.
Worrell’s imaginative keyboard work was an integral part of P-Funk’s unique sound. Through his wizardry on the keys, he infused a fantasy/sci-fi element into the legendary funk-rock-soul collective’s ever-expanding sonic palette.
And in addition to his tremendous contributions on keys, Worrell had a hand in the writing of many of P-Funk's best and most-recognized classics, including “Mothership Connection (Star Child),” “Flash Light,” “Cosmic Slop,” “P.Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up),” “Aqua Boogie,” “Red Hot Mama,” and “Do That Stuff.”
He was without a doubt one of P-Funk’s most invaluable architects. So in honor of the Wizard of Woo, I’ve made a list of a few of my favorite Bernie Worrell moments on wax. Here they go:
Flash Light [Parliament - Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome, 1977]
Worrell's iconic Minimoog synth bass line drives this raucous, supremely funky dancefloor classic. His other synth work throughout track is also stellar.
"Let Me Be" [Parliament - Chocolate City, 1975]
Worrell's inspired keyboard work illuminates this sterling Parliament cut. You can hear his deep classical roots here.
"A Joyful Process" [Funkadelic, America Eat Its Young, 1972]
Worrell drops megadoses of clavinet-driven funk on this appropriately titled instrumental.
"Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" [Parliament - Motor Booty Affair, 1978]
The Woo master serves up another stupidly funky Minimoog bass line on this monster booty-shaker. And in addition to the bass line, Worrell elevates the track to its maximum funkatude with his amazing keyboard work and a slow-burn synth solo.
"Tales of Kidd Funkadelic
(Opusdelite Years)" [Funkadelic - Tales of Kidd Funkadelic, 1976]
This desolate masterpiece showcases Worrell’s singular genius on the keys.
"Sir Nose D’Voidoffunk (Pay Attention - B3M)" [Parliament - Funkentelechy vs. The Placebo Syndrome, 1977]
Worrell brings some sci-fi flavor to the bizarre but exceedingly brilliant “Sir Nose D’Voidoffunk.”
"Smokey" [Funkadelic – Hardcore Jollies, 1976]
This superb Funkadelic cut features some low-end magic from Worrell on the moog synth bass. And he takes the funk up a notch with a badass solo on the melodica.
Music icon Prince died on Thursday, April 21, less than a week after he was briefly hospitalized for the flu. The cause of his death has not yet been determined. He was 57.
Prince was one of the most multifaceted artists in pop-music history. The breadth of his talents seemed limitless. He could do it all—and do it all well. He was a talented singer, a gifted multi-instrumentalist (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, etc.) and a consummate songwriter, arranger and producer. Probably not since Stevie Wonder had a music superstar had such a wide and varied skillset.
In addition to his many amazing accomplishments in the recording studio, the Purple One will also be remembered as one of the most electrifying performers to ever hit the stage. Onstage, he melded James Brown’s raw, explosive energy with Jimi Hendrix’s galvanic rock-star charisma. A Prince concert was by turns rowdy dance party, wild rock show and rousing church revival. He never let his audience down and always brought everything he had to the stage.
Additionally, Prince was a true music innovator. He cultivated his own unique sound and never deviated from his musical vision. He got over on his own terms without compromising his art or toning down the sometimes controversial themes in his songs.
His Royal Badness also smashed through the sometimes constrictive boundaries that come with the designation of R&B artist. The musician’s restless creativity couldn’t be contained within a single music genre. His sound was a potent mix of styles, which included funk, rock, soul, gospel, pop, jazz, rockabilly, R&B, new wave, synthpop and even some avant-garde. He was always pushing the envelope with his music and testing new ideas.
With landmark albums like Dirty Mind, 1999 and Purple Rain, Prince brought the Minneapolis sound to the masses. Its widespread influence can be heard in numerous music genres today.
And Prince was as daring thematically as he was sonically. He brazenly took on taboo sexual themes in his music as well as spiritual ones—sometimes in the same song. His desire to unite spirituality and sexuality in song was one of the things that made him such an intriguing and provocative artist. He also tackled hot-button political and social issues on his records.
Prince’s gender-bending androgynous image—particularly throughout the 1980s and early ‘90s—was almost as controversial as some of the more ribald themes in his music. In his early days, he’d wear women’s underwear onstage, thigh-high socks and high-heeled boots.
Whether he was doing it for the shock value or because he really wanted to dress that way, it took some serious guts to go onstage like that in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s in Minneapolis. In his later years, he toned down his flamboyant attire considerably, especially after he converted to the Jehovah’s Witness faith in 2001. However, his adventurous spirit in the studio never subsided. He continued to experiment and expand his sound to the end.
His Royal Badness was without question one of the most important artists of the last 30-plus years in modern music. His music has touched millions across the globe and influenced a generation of musicians and performers. Legions of young music artists cite Prince as being a major influence and inspiration.
The worldwide outpouring of love and endless tributes over the last few days show just how significant an artist Prince was and the tremendous impact he’s had on music and entertainment. On April 21, the world lost an incredible talent, who left behind an amazing musical legacy.
