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Mothership Connection

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

Mothership Connection · This fourth album by Parliament came out in December 1975 on Casablanca Records. It is a concept album on the theme of space travel. George Clinton wanted to show people where, in his view, black people were still not to be seen, namely in space. He was a Star Trek fan and combined that with funk grooves in the spirit of James Brown, but with street talk. For the first time the horn players Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley played on a Parliament record; they had previously played in Brown's J.B.'s.

On the record Clinton tells the story largely in rap, with strange keyboards and plenty of rhythm. Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) became the group's first single to sell a million copies. On its release Rolling Stone called the record a parody of modern funk, but it later received wide praise. The theme became the basis of the live shows, in which a huge spaceship, the Mothership, was lowered onto the stage.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Mothership Connection (Star Child) and notice how the vocals sound almost spoken, while bass and keyboards carry the groove.

Track list

  1. 1P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)7:41Apple Music ↗
  2. 2Mothership Connection (Star Child)6:13Apple Music ↗
  3. 3Unfunky UFO4:24Apple Music ↗
  4. 4Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication (The Bumps Bump)5:05Apple Music ↗
  5. 5Handcuffs4:04Apple Music ↗
  6. 6Give up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)5:48Apple Music ↗
  7. 7Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples5:10Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗

Categories: Albums and songs