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Funkadelic

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Funkadelic began as the backing band of The Parliaments, the doo-wop group of George Clinton from Plainfield, New Jersey. In 1967 Clinton brought in the bassist Billy Bass Nelson and the guitarist Eddie Hazel, and soon afterwards the guitarist Tawl Ross and the drummer Tiki Fulwood. When Clinton was no longer allowed to use the name The Parliaments because of a dispute with a record label, the group carried on from 1968 as Funkadelic. The band moved to Detroit and signed with Westbound.

Music and breakthrough

The first albums, Funkadelic and Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow (both 1970) and Maggot Brain (1971), mixed soul and funk with hard, psychedelic rock. Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone and the MC5 were major examples. The keyboard player Bernie Worrell became a fixture, and in 1972 Bootsy Collins and his brother Catfish joined, from James Brown's band. After the return of Parliament in 1974, almost the same musicians played in both groups. Parliament was the accessible side with vocals and horns, Funkadelic the experimental guitar band. The peak came in 1978 with One Nation Under a Groove, with a more melodic, more danceable sound. The title track spent six weeks at number 1 on the R&B chart. In 1981 the last official album appeared.

Influence

Together with Parliament, Funkadelic formed the P-Funk collective, which helped shape the funk culture of the 1970s. Many tracks from the early albums became a model for later funk, rock and hip hop artists.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to One Nation Under a Groove and notice how many voices and instruments together make one continuous groove. Hear how bass, guitar and vocals keep locking into one another, so that the song keeps rolling.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

See also

Categories: Artists