Episode #5: Can You Smell That Funk?

Funk. The word alone has so many connotations, yet it sounds exactly like what it is supposed to mean. That something is raw, thick, earthy, and most importantly, impossible not to dance to. Here I tried to provide a sampling of funk’s heyday, the late 1960s up through the late 1970s. This is not to say that there is no worthwhile funk before or after this period, but I think these songs and artists represent the foundation and tradition of funk in its purest form. Admittedly, I’ve included of some tracks that could be categorized as R&B, rock, soul or even jazz numbers and that may lead you to cry foul, but keep in mind that musical genres always exhibit shared roots and are continually evolving and borrowing from one another. Music is never static and funk is certainly no exception.

The first artist featured here is a perfect case in point - Sly and The Family Stone began as a psychedelic rock interpretation of soul and ultimately morphed into one of the most signature funk sounds ever. Baby Huey’s take on Curtis Mayfield’s “Hard Times,” is a solid funk-soul amalgam and the fact that it has been sampled several times by present-day hip hop artists is testament to its classic head-nod status. Perhaps an even more soulful take on funk is Labi Siffre’s “I Got The (Blues)” which boasts the source material for Eminem’s breakout single, “My Name Is.” (Check out www.whosampled.com for an awesome website that reveals similar sample origins.)

“I Bet You” by Funkadelic, George Clinton’s musical vehicle prior to Parliament, is a great example of a psychedelic variation on the funk genre of the late 1960s and very early 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad’s “Nothing’s The Same” is a masterful boogie-rock/funk hybrid. Of course , I couldn’t neglect Southern funkster legends, The Meters and Houston, Texas high school phenoms, The Kashmere Stage Band.

Clearly no funk compilation would be complete without James Brown. However, instead of including a “solo” song, I opted to close out the set with a J.B.’s song. The J.B.’s were the well-accomplished supporting outfit for The Godfather of Soul, which included the likes of Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, and “Pee Wee” Ellis.

Enjoy the funky stuff.

Track listing:
1) Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (4:50) – Sly & The Family Stone
2) Bubble (2:24) – 9th Creation
3) Ca Ba Dab (2:59) – Soulswingers
4) Hard Times (3:24) – Baby Huey
5) Impeach The President (3:25) – The Honey Drippers
6) Live Wire (2:41) – The Meters
7) I Got The (Blues) (6:33) – Labi Siffre
8) Jones ‘N (2:17) – Soulsistics
9) I Bet You (6:12) – Funkadelic
10) Nothing’s The Same (5:14) – Grand Funk Railroad
11) Cosmic Funk (5:31) – Lonnie Liston Smith
12) May The Force Be With You (6:07) – Bootsy’s Rubber Band
13) Headwiggle (4:19) – Kashmere Stage Band
14) I’m Payin’ Taxes, What Am I Buyin’ (9:29) – The J.B.’s