In case you haven’t heard, George Clinton and the Parlia-Funkadelic-ment Thang are on their last-ever tour this year. I have been a loyal Funkateer since the mid-70s, so this is bittersweet. Much as I’m going to miss them, at least we get to say goodbye on stage, instead of just having them die off…literally…before we can say goodbye (as many of them have already done, sadly–e.g. Eddie, Glenn, Bernie, Garry, etc, etc). Okay, so, some of y’all have asked me why I love P-Funk so much, and why it’s important that they be seen live, this one last time. If you haven’t seen them before, it may be hard to explain to you how much cooler your life could’ve been! 😊
Seriously, if, for example, you had been at MSG on Thursday, June 8th, 1978, for “The Landing of the Holy Mothership,” you would unna-stand. But there’s no way to re-create those days. The videos are slammin’, but not the same (check out the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ, or the Houston Astrodome concert footage from that tour. It’ll be about as close as you’re gonna get to re-living the P-Funk Earth tour.)
Let’s just say that other than maybe James Brown, Sly, Prince, EW&F, and Larry Graham, this is a level of Funk that has never been reached before…or since!
So, here are some of the songs, that made them great. To be clear, P-Funk in person is so-o-o much better than even these unbelievably funky songs. The live show was, as George called it, “A Funk Opera.” But the songs were obviously a major part of said opera.
Here are 25 that I’d recommend for those of you who are new to the Funk…and as a small sample of the good ole days for those of you who aren’t new to it. That latter group, please weigh in. I’d love to hear what your “Top 25 “is! What’d I miss that you need to add?!
My favorite 25 P-Funk songs (‘cause 10 just ain’t-a-damn-nuff’!) with apologies in advance to the ones I left off that’ll make me say, “Damn, you’re right…that should’a been on the list!”
25. Free Yo’ Mind and Your Ass Will Follow
24. No Compute
23. Night of the Thumpasaurus Peoples
22. Better by the Pound
21. Red Hot Mama
20. No Head, No Backstage Pass
19. Funkin’ For Fun
18. Not Just Knee Deep
17. Sir Nose’d D’Voidoffunk
16. Get Off Yo’ Ass and Jam
15. Super Stoopid
14. Starchild (Mothership Connection)
13. Take Yo’ Dead Ass Home!
12. Up for the Down Stroke
11. Funkentelechy
10. Chocolate City
9. Aqua Boogie (Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)
8. Maggot Brain
7. Standin’ on the Verge (of Getting’ it On)
6. Cosmic Slop
5. P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)
4. Atomic Dog
3. Flash Light
2. One Nation Under a Groove
1. Tear the Roof Off/Give Up the Funk
Arrrgghh, I can already think of another 10 or 15 that would be on almost anybody else’s top 20! To be clear, I’m purposely leaving off the various other off-shoots/spin-offs, etc. So, no Bootsy’s Rubber Band, no Roger Troutman & Zapp, no FredWesley & the Horny Horns, no Parlet, no Brides of Funkensein, etc, etc. I had a hard enough time limiting myself to 25 as it is! The one “Extra Credit” song I’ll add here is “We Can Funk” which was a P-Funk/Prince collaboration of a previously un-released Prince track, and shows up on the Prince movie soundtrack album “Grafitti Bridge.” Prince and George on the same record?! That’s gotta get in here somehow!
Well, I suggest you listen to about 5 at a time, to avoid a Funk-overload! Oh, and please, lemme know whatcha think, and what you’d add…it’s ’bout to get funky up in here!