It's All About Funk

Ok, so we have a good number of articles on various types of genres of hard rock, emo, and all that crap (hey, I sometimes enjoy all that crap). I mean, I did see a couple of articles that weren't on those types of music. One on rap and one on ska, yay for those who had the nads to try and educate the masses of teenagers who forgot to take the Zoloft this morning who usually come to this website.

Now, we all know that classic Rock is cool. Led Zep, Hendrix, Beatles, the good stuff. But did you know that at the same time, there was another wonderful musical movement going on at the same time? It was called Funk, and it was basically (well to put it in a nutshell) Black folks classic rock. That doesn't mean that you have to be a 40 year old black man to enjoy funk. No, funk is out there for everybody (except complete jerks) and just like classic rock, was played by a wide variety of people. Now, let me first tell you a little bit about how you can know if you're listening to funk...

You'd first know this by:

01. A more complex and conspicuous bassline. The bass is much more emphasized and celebrated in funk than it is in most rock n' roll.

02. Scratchy and somewhat high pitched guitar. Funk players love the wah wah pedal and often use high minor chords which they play in a scratchy and constant rhythm. Needless to say, guitar is often times more of a rhythm instrument than a melody instrument when it comes to Funk.

03. There will probably be a much wider variety of instruments in a funk band than in a rock band. Rock just needs vocals, bass, drums, guitar done. However, Funk, keeping very close to jazz roots, will often use trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and almost always includes the keyboards or synthesizers of some sort.

04. A wider vocal range. Most rock and roll has one guy singing, with some backup vocals comin in every now and then. Funk, however, will often have the whole band singing different vocal parts in order to create harmony, and sometimes different members will sing solos. This is very similar to a vocal group like the Temptations or maybe the Four Tops, except with more instrumentation in the music.

05. Smoother, more orthodox vocals. Funk bands usually have singers who are actually good singers in non-band form, unlike very many rock bands who have guys who can yell (not to dis these guys or anything, just tellin the truth) I mean, could you honestly imagine Steven Tyler of Aerosmith singing a lullaby or singing a hymn in church.

That's some of the main ways to tell that you're listening to a funk band or song. The best way to tell you're listening to a funk band is if you're listening to a song and your toe starts tapping while your head starts bobbing rhythmically back in forth, and you find yourself trying to do a good Stevie Wonder impersonation while using your keyboard as a piano. Like I'm doing right now.

Now here are some superstitions about Funk

01. Funk is disco: they're completely different. The two main distinctions between Funk and disco are as followed: 1) Disco sucks; 2) Funk kicks ayasss!

02. George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic are great examples of the best kind of funk: haha no. Actually that's my opinion, not a big George Clinton fanatic.

03. All Funk has been sampled for rap songs: Not all of them, but most of them have (actually that's just a joke, I really don't know the percentage of Funk songs that have been rapped over, but I know very many rap songs that all are using the same funk song, most of them by George Clinton)

Now let's go over a short history of Funk, including it's modern manifestations.

First, there was jazz. Everyone knows a little bit about jazz. It was a popular form of black music in the thirties that had an infectious rhythm and very free moving melodies. People loved to dance to jazz. It was good stuff. Jazz continued to inspire many artists over the next few decades and continues to today. Now Jazz was the main squeeze in the more Northern and urban areas of the country, down in the Southern rural parts, blues and country were the two most popular forms of music. As you may already know, when country artists began playing blues and vice versa, rock and roll was born.

Meanwhile, Jazz pretty much evolved within itself, eventually leading to Rhythm and blues which is basically a more rigid, constructed, and more importantly; coherent version of jazz. Versions of this early R&B would be Sam and Dave, Ben E. King, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Ray Charles, and a young Stevie Wonder. Another term for R&B was Soul music.

As the late fifties and sixties rolled by, soul music seemed to blend with rock and roll more, but was still called soul music (however, with our 20/20 hindsight, we will call this Pre-Funk). Along with it's fusing with rock and roll, soul (I mean pre-funk) gained a much more free and emotional attitude (which kind of regressed it back to jazz in some sense). This produced artists like James Brown, The Isley Brothers, The Barkays (their main hit "Soulfinger"), Booker T. and the MGs (their main hit "Green Onions") among others.

One artist took this Rock Attitude and Soul Rhythm to a whole new step, and he was the Great Sly motherfriggin' Stone!!! (sorry he's my favorite, I gotta give him super-props and btw, his middle name isn't motherfriggin' nor is his last name Stone, it's actually Stewart) Sly and the Family Stone became one of the most popular bands to come out of the late sixties, a racially and culturally diverse group who had an audience that was very diverse as well. They played along with the most popular rock bands of the day at Woodstock in 1969 yet at the same time topped the R&B charts. Their impressive repertoire includes the songs "Dance To The Music", "Everyday People", "Everybody Is A Star", "Thank You (Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" and other lesser known but just as kick ass tunes as well.

Other artists caught onto this new type of music pioneered by the likes of Sly and James Brown (there were others but I consider these two to be the most important funk pioneers). Many of the Funk artists were bands that had already been around for years but had there main popularity during the 70's Funk age, like Stevie Wonder, whose Funk era tunes are among his most well known (Superstition, Higher Ground, Sir Duke, etc.) Others were songwriters who had been writing for Soul artists for years but had big hits as performers in the seventies. People like Issac Hayes, who was writing most of Sam and Dave's songs but had hit mass popularity as an artist himself with his album Hot Buttered Soul and his score for the movie "Shaft". Another example is George Clinton, but I forgot who he wrote for before gaining popularity with Parliament Funkadelic.

Many of the new artists who had become popular for the first time during the Funk era include the Ohio Players, Wild Cherry, War, Kool and the Gang, the Dazz band, and the O' Jays (which was a vocal group). Along with this came a number of rock bands who took a shot at funk, most notably the Rolling Stones song: "Miss You".

Unfortanately, many funk artists began experimenting with a cruel mistress, no not drugs (although they did that too). No, this was something much worse which would probably be the big nail in funk's coffin: Disco. The word itself sends a shiver down my spine, maybe because it makes me think of my mom dancing with her friends after a long day at work and a wine cooler. ~shudder~ Disco (shudder) took the free spirit and the intelligent yet accessible attitude of funk, and cut it's balls off. Armed with synthesizers and polyester, the man attacked funk, luring great artists like the Ohio Players and Kool and the Gang like Bugs Bunny with a carrot into a deviant world of flashy lights and early metrosexuality. So, Please, Don't confuse KC and the Sunshine band with Funk, because if Republican mothers of two beautiful blonde haired children can dance to it, it ain't funk.

Disco almost killed Funk. Funk had not gained enough mainstream popularity by the time Disco had so the average idiot on the street who wasn't a purist still had some difficulty telling the difference; and when Disco, like all stupid fads, suffered a huge backlash in the 80's, Funk suffered as well. This was because a lot of people were getting into funk by first getting into disco. You could dance to funk just like you can dance to disco, yet funk has so much more as some were finding out. But when no one gave a living crap about disco, no one gave a living crap about funk. Black music became R&B primarily, only with synthesizers. Some artists actually did this very well, like Micheal Jackson, and Hall And Oates (ok they weren't black but they still did Soul really well back in the eighties). Funk still lived though through some of the most popular artists of the day like Rick James and Prince. But as Rick James and Prince lost popularity, Funk seemed to go out of the mainstream, but it was still alive.

Funk lived for a few years symbiotically with Rap music. Rap was really beginning to gain mainstream popularity in the late eighties and early nineties, and many of the Rap artists had grown up listening to funk, using many funk songs as samples for their songs or producing breaks that were very heavily Funk influenced (ex: Aint Nothin But A G Thang and pretty much the entire album The Chronic By Dr. Dre).

In the mid-nineties, a Punk rock band had many chart toppers, and the whole time being heavily influenced by Funk. They were the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and with Flea's complex basslines and John Frusciantes's silent yet extremely skilled guitar playing, The Red Hot Chili Peppers brought back raw funk right under the noses of former Disco fans. As the Chili Peppers got older, they got better (at least in my opinion which is right anyways). They became more outspoken about their Funk influence and along with George Clinton's cameos in about a billion movies, funk began to have a rebirth.

It is right now where we are witnessing this rebirth, be it through some pop bands like Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake (hate them both, but sigh, have to admit their funkiness) or an artist who completely kicks it back to the olden days and does funk style (Like Andre 3000 of Outkast and his song Hey Ya). Funk is making a comeback, and expect to see more funk in the years to come (after all, I've got a band).

Thanks for reading this extremely long article. Now, here's some music you should consider purchasing or illegally downloading if you are interested in Funk.

Sly And The Family Stone: Greatest Hits

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Californiacation

Rick James: Street Songs

Prince: 1999

Outkast: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Issac Hayes: Hot Buttered Soul

James Brown: Any James Brown album will do

Steely Dan: Aja (hey they're pretty funky too)

That's pretty much all I can think of right now, so hope you enjoyed the article, good night, and may the Funk be with you.

Comments

[Freepower]

You sure the chillis older stuff couldnt be more funky?

Anyway, good article, the funk rocks,and im addicted to the groove myself.

[DisgruntledDuck]

"John Frusciantes's silent yet extremely skilled guitar playing"

Lol-i know what you mean, but :P

Ok article, but a bit too opinionated.

[Captain Colon]

Good article, but I would've suggested an older RHCP album like Blood Sugar Sex Magik, much funkier IMO

[Dlawso]

I dont likte Funk... I guy at school destroyed that music-style...

[mr.freeze]

VERY opinionated article...

Also, I think you seriously underestimate the importance of soul as an independent style.

[Unseen_hero]

what about funk incorporated into other genres? 80's alternative and underground minutemen, nomeansno, mr. bungle dude-ette man.

[StuartR]

Thank you, there is not enough funk on UG!

[nirvanarhcp]

wooo.. RHCP and Outkast ae both cool. Maroon 5 is alright

[Name Eman]

Good article, but I would've suggested an older RHCP album like Blood Sugar Sex Magik, much funkier IMO

yeah definately, even older perhaps, freakey styley is probably the funkiest, produced by George Clinton himself, got songs like brothers cup, blackeyed blonde etc etc..

but yeah, finally someone who likes this music

funk on

[Lacquer_Head]

great article, i love funk BUT the chili's funky stuff is more likely from the 80's like the uplift mofo party plan and freaky styley.. with hillel slovak on guitar

[marmite]

freaky styley is prolly the most funky the chili peppers have done.... oh and check out that lady - isley brothers cool track...

[ILIKEMUSICALOT]

I actually enjoy funk a lot, but a lot of classic rock just isn't my style.

[Pyro128]

I (heart) RHCP

[NUBIENLOC76]

what happened to Bootsy Collins ???

[EV0L]

glad to see an article on funk as i consider myself somewhat of a funk musician. Also so many great musicians came out of funk like eddie hazel, hillel slovak, bootsy collins, george clinton, just to name a few. I think that my favourite funk bands/artists are sly and the family stone, james brown, too parliament/p-funk/funkadelc, and the ohio players (RHCP but i dont really consider them much of a funky band seeing how they only had 3 albums that were truely funky and then their funk guitarist o.d.ed and then they got john... yeah...)

[horazonblade]

I really enjoyed this artical alot, I was wondering FunkyMatt, you got an email or messanger I can contact you with (Email me with it rather then posting it

[Neon Knight]

hm cool artical, i enjoy funk, it with blues is my main escape from my typical Metal, Hard Rock, Classic rock and Reggae scedual....Super Freak and Let it Whip rock.

speaking of which the guitar intro to let it whip is pretty decent, and in Play that Funky Music White Boy they have a pretty damn good solo (that song rox btw).

oh yeah and Hendrix had alota funk influences too.

[hen]

The Chili's blood sugar sex magik is alot more funky than californication

[Mini_Jimmy_Page]

YEA DONT NAME EARTH WIND AND FIRE I SEE HOW IT IS
lol

[thequeenisdead]

not a bad article. you forgot the almighty meters though. they're definitely up there with james brown and sly.

[Kenney333]

an article about funk is greatly apprechiated, as i am so fond of funk guitar, although superstition #2 is blasphemy.

[SingingSabre]

Funk is amazing.

If you don't know what funk vocals sound like, watch the Apprentice. The theme song is by the O'Jays.

[triggsy]

funk is one of the aspects of playing im realy interested into exploring,Great article,i must say you disected it really well and pointed out some bands that have a funk edge that i really had not realized even though it was staring me in the face.Good job!

[applax]

Dont forget about Incubus. Their earlier stuff has a really funky sound. Great article it was really good I didnt really know a lot about funk until now but I love to listen to it.

[Diminishedfaith]

my band is heavy progressive metal funk.....with primus influence and tool and stuff like rick james bass and all that funky stuff

[sirpsycho85]

well yeah older RHCP is funkier, but by recommending californication (which i think is the best anyway) it shows a different direction funk could go in.

[Bassplayer17]

I totally disagree with your biased thoughts on Disco and on your recommendation for Californication as a 'funky' album, it is RHCP's 2nd least funky album (the least funky being By The Way), for taht category I wouldn't have suggested anything past BSSM..

[psychodelia]

I do a lot of funk with guys at school, it's pretty fun music.

I think "The Chicken" by Jaco Pastorius is considered funk, it's a great song anyway.

[eightplanet]

im sure hendrix could have been said in the article, being the first guy to make a wah pedal funky.

[Biohazard]

Earth Wind and Fire dude! COME ON!

BSSM is way more funky by the way (get it by the way...)

[FunkyMatt]

OK OK OK, so Californiacation isn't the funkiest RHCP album, but it is one of their best (in my opinion) I understand that the early Chili Peppers were much funkier, but imo, they were not nearly as good as they are now. And yes I know George Clinton produced Freakey Styley, but as I said before George Clinton is not exactly the epitome of funk as many people describe him to be (he was mainly copying Sly and Miles Davis and putting it on acid for his work)

Any extremely biased opinions here were meant as either satire against the bias often shown on these types of columns, OR is actual truth that you are bias against because you there has to be SOMEONE out there to say that SOMETHING is biased no matter what it is (EX: Disco Sucks is not an opinion, it's a proven scientific fact; and since it's the most popular form of music among the homosexual community, we also can concur that Disco is in fact gay; not that there's anything wrong with that)

Yes I was banging my head against the wall for forgetting Earth Wind and Fire, I can't believe I did that stupid stupid stupid!!!

About Unseen hero's point about Funk being used in other genres during the eighties; yes I'm completely aware of Mr. Bungle and the like, but was I was trying to scratch Funk's surface and help explain it a bit more for beginners. Mr. Bungle, and the Underground Minutemen did not reach NEARLY the popularity of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and did not have nearly the impact on Funk that the Peppers did, so I just left them out.

Mr Freeze, why you gotta be so cold? I mean first of all how is my article VERY opinionated? (As I said before, Disco actually does suck). And tell me, Preytell, how did I underestimate Soul as an independent genre? I went over a lot of soul in my article, if there's one thing that I should have added, it was that soul is actually a combination of Jazz and Blues, but I forgot to mention that.

Anyways, Thanks for all the great reviews. Really good to know there's a lot of funky people out there. And for those of you who only know funk by the RHCP and therefore got pissed at me for not having the same favorite peppers album as yours, well, frankly, UP YOUR'S WHITEY!!!


-FunkyMatt

[Emenius Sleepus]

lmao good article dude, clever, fresh and original, but at the same time informative. 5 stars and to hell with small imperfections

[Emenius Sleepus]

oh by the way Jane's Addiction has.. or had... some funk influence in their music I believe. I could be wrong though

[Biohazard]

Anyways, Thanks for all the great reviews. Really good to know there's a lot of funky people out there. And for those of you who only know funk by the RHCP and therefore got pissed at me for not having the same favorite peppers album as yours, well, frankly, UP YOUR'S WHITEY!!!


-FunkyMatt

i love you

[PianoBlackSP]

Fame by David Bowie is a good one to. Bowie has a smal bit of funk stuff, but it ends up bein a bit freaky in the end

[punkrockdude455]

WHOO GRAND FUNK RAILROAD!!! my gravestone is gonna say "Ran over by the Grand Funk Railroad."

[GibsonBlues]

My nickname is the "Grand Master of Funk."

Article made me laugh! Informative as well...

5 stars!

[thefinalcut]

* Funk/Disco is nice to implement in playing. It has the easiest chords to learn, and can even get your foot in the door to Jazz chords.

How can you like funk and hate disco that much?
BTW: "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones is DISCO!

[teej]

lovin the bass

[A-Mi-eeke]

Doobie Brothers, David Bowie.... It was cool, but can ya imagine doobyin yo funk?
Make my funk the P-Funk

I heart George Clinton

[Steve Cropper]

Good article covered the basics of funk well. Albeit a bit opinionated. I still like it though and I give it 4.5 stars. Many of the 60's R&b artists could be seen as a pretext to soul also. Like Otis Redding and Sam & Dave. Also you can't really pigeon hole Booker T & the MG's because they were a fairly versatile band and could back an artist of any genre equally as good as they would with R&B.

[FunkyMatt]

I didn't really mean to pigeonhole Booker T and the MGs, Soul is a very versatile music within itself so I don't think naming them as an artist of that particular genre is pigeonholing them. Besides, you would have to be very versatile as a musician to be the house band for a record company! (I think in BookerT and the MGs case, it was Vox.)

Disco is to funk what Good Charlotte, Aviril, and Simple Plan are to Punk. Miss You by the rolling stones uses very little (if any) synthesizers and has shreds of legitimacy and intelligence in it, so therefore isn't disco. HA!

Sorry I just hate disco, but this is the last place I thought I'd ever find people defending it. I hate disco because it almost killed Funk.

[UtBDan]

a LOOO..T of your information is wrong.


And disco didn't almost kill funk. Punk did. Disco damaged funk, undeniably; but kill it? Hell no.

[FunkyMatt]

What information is wrong? Please tell.

I didn't say disco killed funk, I say it ALMOST killed funk, funk, like most any genre or idea, never dies completely, it just wains in popularity.

If anything punk REVIVED funk. Reason being was many punk artsists (like the RHCP) began to use funk influences in their music. Their popularity lead to a renewed interest in funk. So there, Up the Butt Dan.

[phil_axe-man]

did you miss average white band and tower of power? to me theyre key artists of the funk genre.

[thefinalcut]

Don't take this as me tryin' to one up you or something like that, it's just a friendly debate over some points you made. I only like a dozen or so disco songs, and I can't believe I'm defending now but here we go...

I agree with your assessment on disco/funk relationship. I think you know Disco doesn't have to have synthesizers, as earlier disco had full orchestration. AND "Miss You" IS DISCO! We should have a poll on that one! Since you like that song, and it is DISCO, it would prove my point YOU DO LIKE DISCO! HA HA HA!

[FunkyMatt]

Phil Axe Man: I know of Average white band and tower of power, and I tried to mention as many funk bands as I could HOWEVER, I couldn't get around to anybody. Do you expect an article on punk to include EVERY punk artist?

Miss You is actually Funk (or disco) influenced Rock. The only way we could REALLY find out if it's funk or disco is by asking the actual Rolling Stones themselves, and they'd probably forget because they're really old. lol

[IThinkNot]

I'd say Robert Randolph and the Family Band are a good funk band. "I Need more Love" makes me want to get up and dance all crazy-like everytime I hear it.

[Shoestick]

YOU LEFT OUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF FUNK:

Rhythm

You have sinned. The most obviuos way to recognize funk is the rhythm.

[Nelsean]

Didnt the ohio players have the voice of a murdered woman in one of there songs?

[littledrmmr4]

funk music is the shiznit. "lay down and boogie and play that funky music till you die!"

[FunkyMatt]

Shoestick: I mentioned rhythm a few times in my article.

The best way to tell you're listening to a funk band is if you're listening to a song and your toe starts tapping while your head starts bobbing rhythmically back in forth,

Jazz had an infectious rhythm and very free moving melodies

What does R&B stand for? RHYTHM AND BLUES!!!

One artist took this Rock Attitude and Soul Rhythm to a whole new step

The only thing you really CAN say about the rhythm of funk, is that it is more emphasized in funk than in other forms of music. Other than that, a funk rhythm can be pretty much anything and doesn't have to follow some sort of pretext.

[craig_thomson]

Chilis rock, end of story. And yeah their really old stuff like uplift mofo and freakee stylee were the best. Hillel slovak was the absolute man and anyone who disagrees i won't listen to so save your breath. Anyway, enough chilis rant...good aricle! Nice to see someone cares about real music still and not just these shittey-ever-expanding-newfangled-metal-offshoot genres!

[Steelrod]

Good Props to SLY MOTHER FRIGGIN STONE the man was a genius, also at the very same time that funk made its debut, a man maned robert nesta marley was bringin the other heavily bass infulenced genre. George clinton was good too, but I wanna party with bootsy!!!

[-EmptySoul-]

beginnings of incubus was very funky too..like fungus amungus stuff

[Punk Poser]

I love that song shaft.
"SHAFT. watch cha mouth boy. just talkin' bout shaft. we can dig it."
btw "Anther one bits the dust" by Queen is funk. Right?

[the_cheat22]

gatta love those bass lines... any bassist can play rock, but funk is for the talented (and Flea)

I'm Rick James bitch!

[UtBDan]

"Up the butt Dan"? Wow, you're such a great writer and you're so incredibly mature! I admire your endless wit and endless knowledge of the genre known as funk.





Oh wait. No I don't.
Grow up.

[TheFlash]

Great article but you did forget a lot of musicians.
you did forget bootsy and I would've also liked to see stanley clarke up there (my personal favorite, one of the ones that made slap bass popular) also Blood Sex Sugar Magik, especially Sir Psycho Sexy and Mellowship Slinky in B Major, is a very good Phunk (punk funk) album. I also think Les Claypool should've been included in Funk's comeback. Some fusion, a lot of wierdness, but very funky.

[eat my dick]

whatever stupid!!!..

[lifeguard]

Hey good article. It was informative and opinionated in a non-abrasive way. And thanks for mentioning the article about ska! (Mine...all mine...) Will you be my friend?

[5:15_Whofan]

funny ass article. i don't particularly like listening to funk, but as a guitar player and especially as a BASS player, i enjoy playing it very much.

ps
i do listen to funk, but rock and roll is in my soul-always nice to take a break from the mainstream, however

funny article, and who cares if he's biased? he's right!

[civ182]

woa... long but excellent!
funk on!

[the_cheaptrick]

incubus has some pretty hard rocking funk metal stuff.

[dogsballs]

goody artikhil

[LosLobos]

we need more members bringing other forms of music to the cutting block. Rock only would be boring funk rocks. James brown is amazing

[Biohazard]

the_cheaptrick:
incubus has some pretty hard rocking funk metal stuff.

yeah wasn't fungus amongus a funk influenced album? wither way their bassist is amazing.

[numetaldude]

funk is awesome! fungus amongus was definitely funk-influenced, just listen to "hilikus" and "psychopsilocybin"..

there's a band here in the philippines that's just an AWESOME funk band.. funk rock to be exact, but it's all the same. maybe you can download some of their songs through kazaa. they won't mind. they're disbanded anyway. they're called "POT". I suggest the songs "Yugyugan Na", "Panaginip", "Fishcake", and "Ulitin". They also have a mellower funk track called "Piece of This". All great songs!

[numetaldude]

i'm just ecstatis that someone actually cared to write an article on funk! kudos!

[fender22]

id say californication is one of the chilis least funky albums...i dont know what ur talkin about. listen to blood sugar. it has some of the deepist funk riffs

[Biohazard]

philippino funk. i HAVE to hear this. and once again, thank you for reminding everyone that funk kicks every genre's ass.

[rjc_15]

It's a good article, and I love funk, but how could you forget Morris Day and the Time? Those guys are funky. Not only that, the Incubus album Fungus Amongus was one of the funkiest things I have ever heard, but not enough people know that so you get away with it. Lol. Kidding. Good article.

[iamjosh]

good article, at least ya admitted you were opinionated.

i would have mentioned was(not was) in your descirption of funk's comeback, they were a fantastic band.

[nacho420]

am i the only one who thinks that this is a shit artical. WAY TO OPINIONATED. You can't say that they have a wider variety of insturments or that they can sing better then steven tyler. It's all opinion, don't state it as fact. Your a *** nut.

[folksinger]

hey .. as if you said Steven Tyler is bad singer who couldn't do funk! have you heard their older stuff? They used to do straight blues and funk before like 'Get a Grip'. I could definitely picture tyler singing a lullaby or a hymn at church.

[FunkyMatt]

MORRIS DAY and the Time. ARGH I was actually trying to recall that guys name while writing the article so I could mention them. I knew his band was called the Time but I couldnt for the life of me remember that guy's name. Thanks rjc_15.

[Hosscat]

FUNK RULES!!

I understand it's difficult to do a piece on a whole music genre without missing some good musicians and even partial music "scenes". Others have mentioned Avg. White Band and Tower of Power, essentials. I haven't seen anyone mention the METERS (now the Funky Meters). They were pioneers of Funk in the late sixties and early seventies in New Orleans. If you don't have any of their music.....

[Hosscat]

oh, shite. Forgot to mention Herbie Hancock & his 1974(?) Funk album "headhunters"..... a must for funk aficionados.

[Hosscat]

Oh, yeah, don't forget The Brothers Johnson

[Slasriani]

up ye chillis! iv got every album, and love them all (even one hot minute, it rocks!!!) theyr early stuff was godly funk, bit rough round da edges bt hey, nd hillel was great. has anyone ever heard fleas bass solo???

[KENZI]

too long to read in one lesson, i'll continue later

[ringobassist]

No mention of Average White band pfft, the song 'cut the cake' is undeniably funky, and for getting people into funk people should listen to 'play that funky music'(white boy) by Wild cherry. All this arguing about the chilis, it doesnt matter how funky californication is its just a suggestion to get people into funk so people will slowly be eased into the wonders of earlier chilis stuff.

[mangablade]

thats pretty good explanation of origin of funk and who still uses it now, but you coulda added that big difference between rock band bassists and funk bassists is a technique called slap bass, if your a bass player, you should obviously know that funky basslines would not exist without slap bass ( i mean there are some without, but most have atleast some slapping) and even Flea loves to slap. you might not know how to slap if you havnt played for a year, but once you know ur theory, and feel more than comfortable with "standard" style of playing, try using slap, its a bit hard to understand at first, but it sure adds a LOT of funk to music if ur in a rock band,, other than that ok to good article

[mangablade]

and slasriani, yes i heard fleas bass solo, good stuff, he's one of the best slap bassers still playing in a band and making albums right now imo if not the best

[folk_rocknroll]

good article

[Wojty]

I was looking for an Average White Band guitar tab when i get here... thanks to share you're knowledge FunkyMatt.. even if i didn't understand everything (i'm french ^^") i found this article interesting and funny!
Some funky guys that had not been mentioned i think :
Nils Langren Funk Unit (swedish but english lyrics)
M (Mathieu Chedid: french guitar hero
Victor Wooten (pretty sure u already know him however)

If u got funk u got style

[sweetfaceband]

i heard the funkband POT... a philippine funk band...and wow... i cant imagine philippine bands are that good... yugyugan na and piece of this is awesome... for those who are really funk fanatic listen to this band...damn...!! u can listen it through kazaa.... download it...

[ibanezza]

RHCP punk? Yeh, right... But good article overall.

[Kartman]

I'm a songwriter, writing songs that are very inspired by RHCP, Sublime, and (early) Incubus. I love funky stuff, and Im probaly the only person at meeker middle school (my school) that likes funk. I fo agree, though. I think funk will make a comeback, ex. the very poplar "Hey Ya" and "Roses" by Outkast. Great atricle, and stay funky. I do think that Mother's Milk would have been a better example of Chili Pepper's funk.

[allenm]

wooo... i saw george clinton a few months ago. man he's a showman. course i was completely ***ed up, but i'm sure i remember him being good. it was at the byron bay blues and roots festival. wooo... good to see some music on here that isn't metal. good on ya.

[phrank]

is it just me or does rage against the machine sound a tiny bit funk?

[milk_it_good]

nah, it isn't just you, Morello adds a tonne of funk. I dunno, I never enjoyed funk, it just seem slike avery shallow form of music mostly played at discos or marijuana hang-outs and orgys etc etcd. I think that's why it's associated with disco, it isn't the sort of music you slap on whilst chilling at home, or contemplating a recent sad time, it's just intoxicated dancing beats.

[Gothic_ed]

good article but what was that about most rock bands not havin good singers who can only really yell? Bollocks. Still good effort and its original so you get a few stars

[EccentricLui]

I love Funk but I don't consider it a genre. It's like salt and peper it just makes everything else "taste" better i.e. rock, soul. I'm glad someone finally gave Funk it's props UG is dominated by Metal, Punk and Blues so much need break. Prince I thnk plays the best Funk guitar out of anyone and extremly underated as a guitar player. Good article though.

[carelessdrummr]

Thank God there are still sane people. funk aside from jazz and classical are is one of the most advanced and complex styles of music. i saw this as a drummer even though this is a guitar site i enjoy the depth that is in some of these articles

[Maggot penis]

I agree that funk kicks ass. and disco sucks *******. but george clinton is definitly funky though he was influenced by hard and acid rock its still great and im glad to see that people enjoy funk cause in high school i new two other people who liked it.

[druz15_UG]

Funk rock is the BEST genre!

Chili's da BEST band!

[Teetmouse]

That was a very good article. Funk is easily the best kind of music. The Red Hot Chili Pepper's have a lot of funk albums: Freaky Styley, Uplift Mofo Party Plan, and of course Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

[King Kusa]

great article funk is so cool. i love the rhcp. but i like disco dont, hate me!! i just think its so bad thats its funny to listen to i mean how can u not like boogynights! its so cheesey.

[ZeRaTuL HeLiOs]

applax wrote:

Dont forget about Incubus. Their earlier stuff has a really funky sound. Great article it was really good I didnt really know a lot about funk until now but I love to listen to it.

Thank you. How could you talk about funk influenced rock and not mention the Fungus Amungus album or even Science. He didnt even say a word about Primus.

[ClaypoolWooten]

UtBDan wrote:

"Up the butt Dan"? Wow, you're such a great writer and you're so incredibly mature! I admire your endless wit and endless knowledge of the genre known as funk.





Oh wait. No I don't.
Grow up.

Ok dumbass. First off, up the butt dan was funny as hell. Secondly, please refrain from such cliches as "grow up". And last: You suck Up the Butt Dan.
Funk kicks ass, as does Primus.

[ripplophone]

Yes, yes, yes, more funk is needed round the world to stop wars, unite peoples, etc.
Amazing to have someone dedicated enoguh to write a thorough article on a genre that hardly sees any media attention get through to it. It's good to educate the lost about the world of funk, when the average guy knows only of james brown.

btw, does anyone know of a james brown song called gravity?

[rock_guitargod]

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Californiacation?????

the funkiest album they made was Mothers Milk, followed by Blood Sugar Sex Magik!!

californiacation isnt a scratch on the funk level compared to them 2!

Check out some Average White Band and Tower of Power for some hardcore funk

n michael jackson was black when he was in his funk prime :P

[pie_man_25]

yeah, I've never really heard much funk, unless you consider weather report (with jaco pastorius) funk

[Skam127]

Yeah Red Hots recomendation for funk is cali, while thats great b4 u go for cali-funk try blood sugar, mothers milk, bloody sugar, uplift mofo party plan, blood sugar, freaky style and BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIC damit

[KurtCobain23]

RHCP kicks some serious ass dude and i agree with rock_guitargod Mother's Milk was SUPER FUNKY. WOOOOO!!!!

[MrJayremmie]

REALLY good and funk/punk/rock mix is either BSSM or Mothers milk by the Chili's. Califnornication they really started mellowing out, continuing the trend with each CD. Freaky Styley and uplift mofo party plan, even though not as good, because john was a much better guitarist than hillel (RIP my man) they are more funky.

Anyway, long live the funk, it never died!!!

[emery01]

Ahh funk... Jazz's retarded cousin.

Ps. I believe it's Californication, not "Californiacation".

[ASIAN]

james brown

[HeavyReverb]

emery01 wrote:

Ahh funk... Jazz's retarded cousin.

Ps. I believe it's Californication, not "Californiacation".

No its jazz's little brother with ADD.

RHCP didnt do much funk with Frusciante. John is way more of a psych guitarist rather than funk.