13 replies to this topic

[surfsunadam]

Hi all,
I'm doing a school assignment on the recording and evolution of the sound of funk from a recording point of view from James Brown to George Clinton.

I have 2 things you can help me with:
1. What are the "landmark", "groundbreaking" funk albums in your opinion?

2. Do you know any good sources of information that describe the producers, engineers, or stories of what happened in the studios to make those crazy P-Funk albums?

Thanks

[Ace]

1. In my opinion, Standing On The Verge of Getting On - Funkadelic. For more classic funk style, looking for Stretching Out - Bootsy Rubber Band.

2. Nothing better than The MotherPage: http://www.duke.edu/~tmc/pfunk.html.

[fenderfunk14]

check out james brown and george clinton

[JF4ever]

surfsunadam, on Sep 10 2009, 06:28 PM, said:

Hi all,
I'm doing a school assignment on the recording and evolution of the sound of funk from a recording point of view from James Brown to George Clinton.

I have 2 things you can help me with:
1. What are the "landmark", "groundbreaking" funk albums in your opinion?

2. Do you know any good sources of information that describe the producers, engineers, or stories of what happened in the studios to make those crazy P-Funk albums?

Thanks

are you taking a music class or something cuz my classes would never do something that kool.
2. not sure if you know this or not and not sure if you can put this in to ur report, but i no how hazel made maggot brain. he and clinton were taking acid and clinton told him to play like his mother just died and then it was play like you just found out her life was saved or something like that. but its pretty amazing how he was able to just pick an emotion and play with it. and i felt that in the song, i got all depressed in the beginning and then the song got happy. pretty amazing IMO.

[hockers]

Ace, on Sep 11 2009, 12:08 PM, said:

1. In my opinion, Standing On The Verge of Getting On - Funkadelic. For more classic funk style, looking for Stretching Out - Bootsy Rubber Band.

That's the best example that you will get, no doubt.

JF4ever, on Sep 11 2009, 10:26 PM, said:

2. not sure if you know this or not and not sure if you can put this in to ur report, but i no how hazel made maggot brain. he and clinton were taking acid and clinton told him to play like his mother just died and then it was play like you just found out her life was saved or something like that. but its pretty amazing how he was able to just pick an emotion and play with it. and i felt that in the song, i got all depressed in the beginning and then the song got happy. pretty amazing IMO.

There was a brief thread about it once before. This is a good case study to use, really quite a masterpiece. The song was recorded in just one take, there were no overdubs or anything like that.

[surfsunadam]

Cool, besides from being a great album, in what way do you think Standing on the Verge of Getting it on was a particularly groundbreaking record (in terms of record production and studio technology especially)?
I'll check boostsy's rubber band, I haven't heard that yet

Yeah I do indeed plan to cover Maggot Brain, I found an interview with Clinton where he talks about it (primary source for research). He said some great stuff about it: like it originally had drums and bass but he took them out in the mix, and Hazel was going through an echoplex pedal, and clinton had another echoplex on the mixing board, so a lot of the time you're not hearing the actual guitar, but repeat the third time around or something .. haha. It's a good example of inspiring a performance.... the only trouble is that track, although by a funk band, is not really funk, I'd put it under psychedelic blues or something

[goofyrat]

Ace, on Sep 11 2009, 12:08 PM, said:

1. In my opinion, Standing On The Verge of Getting On - Funkadelic.

i agree, one of the best albums of all time imo

[Ace]

surfsunadam, on Sep 12 2009, 01:49 AM, said:

in what way do you think Standing on the Verge of Getting it on was a particularly groundbreaking record (in terms of record production and studio technology especially)?

There are a bunch of reasons, imo:
after Maggot Brain and before One Nation, Standing was definetly the Funkadelic corner-stone;
Eddie Hazel (you know, maybe the greatest guitar player in funk music) played in an undisputed way;
this album influenced generation of musicians.

About record production...memory blank...
For sure, it isn't so much different from their previous album. Echoes, reverb, fuzzed guitars, excellent vocals tracks. Sorry, haven't listened recently.
Take a look at MotherPage.


...and take care about album cover! Maybe the answer your question is there...

[surfsunadam]

Ace, on Sep 13 2009, 10:41 AM, said:

surfsunadam, on Sep 12 2009, 01:49 AM, said:

in what way do you think Standing on the Verge of Getting it on was a particularly groundbreaking record (in terms of record production and studio technology especially)?

There are a bunch of reasons, imo:
after Maggot Brain and before One Nation, Standing was definetly the Funkadelic corner-stone;
Eddie Hazel (you know, maybe the greatest guitar player in funk music) played in an undisputed way;
this album influenced generation of musicians.

About record production...memory blank...
For sure, it isn't so much different from their previous album. Echoes, reverb, fuzzed guitars, excellent vocals tracks. Sorry, haven't listened recently.
Take a look at MotherPage.


...and take care about album cover! Maybe the answer your question is there...

Cool man.

I went down to my record store and ordered $140 worth of Funkadelic and Parliment CDs, including Standing ... and One Nation...... And I'll continue my research from there!

Other bands apart from P-Funk? Perhaps on the Jazz side?

[Ace]

Mmm...I don't know on the jazzy side...Maybe I can say Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten...

My favourite funk band are: The Temptations, The Meters, Brides of Funkenstain and Sly & The Family Stone.
That's all.
And '70s disco, of course...

Take a look at the related P-Funk bands: Bootsy, Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrel, Maceo (he sounds jazzy), so on.

... and don't forget Freaky Styley, a very good example of funk music, and Band Of Gypsys by Jimi, the best black album ever...

[Zuma]

Funkadelic - Maggot Brain is probably the most important album in the history of funk. James Brown is also a huge cornerstone, so is Herbie Hancock. Also check out George Clinton, VIP funkmaster.

[Ant]

James Brown is definatly one of my favourite, not as into George Clinton but still check him out.

Like the others are saying "Standing On The Verge of Getting On - Funkadelic" is an amazing album

[horriblemashup]

to me, the following are some essential funk records for anyone exploring that style, i could go on forever though:

sly & the family stone - theres a riot goin on
sly & the family stone - stand!
most of the parliament/funkadelic records
james brown
miles davis - on the corner
curtis mayfield - superfly
various prince records, "dirty mind" is cool
parlet - invasion of the booty snatchers
the jb's - food for thought
the meters - look ka py py
the meters - struttin
the bar kays - soul finger
cymande - cymande
isaac hayes - hot buttered soul

production wise, i think "free your mind.. ass will follow" is the most brilliant. "maggot brain" and the self titled funkadelic record are up there too

if you really want to get into detail, you should mention music that uses funk elements like lots of hiphop (especially stuff from the early 90s like de la soul, ice cube, a tribe called quest, dr. dre, snoop dogg, etc). george clinton played a huge role in hiphop music as well

[crohno]

One Nation Under A Groove, one of the best funky albums of all time