Funk (music genre)

Funk is a music genre that combines elements of rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul. The word funk is slang for the word stink. Funk was popularized in the United States in the 1960s, primarily through the music of James Brown, and remained popular throughout the 1970s. Many other artists have left their mark on funk, including Sly Stone and his group Sly & the Family Stone; George Clinton and his bands Parliament and Funkadelic; and Jimi Hendrix and his group the Band of Gypsys.

Brief History

Funk is derived from R&B and soul. Furthermore, it is considered a primal, raw form of R&B. Funk is characterized by a strong, rhythmic groove that is typically created by jagged guitar chords, intense electric bass lines that act like main riffs, and loud horns. Like genres such as hard rock, blues-rock, and psychedelia, funk depends largely on improvisation and freedom. Generally, a funk song does not follow the standard verse-chorus structure and instead features an uninterrupted groove. Funk songs often include extended jams.

Funk can be traced back to the mid-1960s, when legendary singer James Brown transformed R&B into soul and then soul into funk. Born on May 3, 1933, in Barnwell, South Carolina, Brown began his music career in the 1950s. He formed a gospel group with Bobby Byrd, but the group soon began focusing on R&B. The group was originally called the Flames, but after Brown became the star of the group, its name changed to James Brown and the Famous Flames. James Brown and the Famous Flames had several R&B hits, including "Please, Please, Please" in 1956 and "Try Me" in 1958.

Brown soon developed a reputation as one of the most exciting live performers in the world. His album Live at the Apollo, recorded in 1962 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and released in 1963, was a testament to his exhilarating live performances. Brown then began releasing singles that featured a funky sound, beginning with "Out of Sight" in 1964. Other funk singles followed, including "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" (1965), "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (1965), and "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" (1970). These singles were some of the biggest hits of Brown's career.

Although he continued making music over the next several decades, Brown's success was, for the most part, behind him. His contributions to funk were immense, however. He was instrumental in bringing funk to the masses. He was a major influence on many funk artists who came after him. Brown is not only considered a pioneer of funk but is also regarded as one of the most influential singers of all time. Brown died of heart failure on December 25, 2006, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Impact

Along with Brown, Sly Stone and George Clinton are considered pioneers of punk. Stone was born Sylvester Stewart on March 15, 1944, in Denton, Texas. As a child, Stone exhibited great musical talent. In 1966, he formed the band Sly and the Stoners, which later became Sly and the Family Stone. The group soon cemented itself as one of the world's best funk bands.

In 1968, Sly and the Family Stone had a hit with the single "Dance to the Music." Then came a series of albums that would define funk. In 1969, the group dropped Stand!, which produced the hits "Everyday People" and "Sing a Simple Song." There's a Riot Goin' On followed in 1971. The album includes the hit "Family Affair." In 1973, the band released Fresh, which features "If You Want Me to Stay." Although the group did not have much success after this, its influence on funk is still felt today.

Born on July 22, 1941, in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Clinton was the leader of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic. In 1955, he formed a doo-wop group called the Parliaments. Over the next ten years, the group released only two singles. The Parliaments did, however, have a hit with the single "(I Wanna) Testify" in 1967. Following a dispute with the group's record label, Clinton began recording the band under the name Funkadelic in 1968. The Funkadelic lineup eventually became known as Parliament. Clinton then dropped the Parliament name, opting for Funkadelic instead.

Over the next several years, Clinton and his bandmates released much funk material as both Parliament and Funkadelic. Collectively, the bands consisted of more than fifty musicians, the most famous being Clinton and Bootsy Collins, the latter of whom had played with Brown's backing band in the past. Parliament and Funkadelic were the epitome of funk throughout the 1970s. Both groups were known for their funky party music, bizarre humor, and over-the-top live shows. Parliament's Mothership Connection (1975) and Funkadelic's Maggot Brain (1971) and One Nation Under a Groove (1978) are widely regarded as some of the most influential funk albums ever made. Mothership Connection includes "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)," "Mothership Connection (Star Child)," and "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)." One Nation Under a Groove features the title track, and Maggot Brain includes the title track, which is a ten-minute-plus instrumental track with an extended guitar solo by lead guitarist Eddie Hazel that is reminiscent of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix.

Born on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington, Hendrix inspired many funk guitarists. He formed the Jimi Hendrix Experience in the mid-1960s. He soon revolutionized electric guitar playing. He is widely regarded as the greatest guitarist of all time. Although he is considered a rock artist rather than a funk artist, Hendrix occasionally incorporated funk into his music, especially at the end of his career with the short-lived Band of Gypsys. Hendrix's new group consisted of Hendrix on lead guitar and vocals, Billy Cox on bass guitar, and Buddy Miles on drums and vocals.

The Band of Gypsys played four shows at New York City's historic Fillmore East on December 31, 1969, and January 1, 1970. The result of the shows was a live album, Band of Gypsys, which was released later in 1970. The album showcases several of the band's often funky songs from the performances, including "Who Knows," "Machine Gun," and "Message to Love." Some critics have cited "Machine Gun," which stands at more than twelve minutes long, as the crowning achievement of Hendrix's career. Many funk artists have been influenced by Band of Gypsys. Hendrix died on September 18, 1970, in Kensington, London, at the age of twenty-seven.

Bibliography

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