R&B/Funk Ballads

Dr. Cheese · #1 08-21-2006, 06:11 PM

I feel that around the mid 1970's, r&b ballads moved much closer to funk with fewer chord changes and much heavier beats. To me, the song that most signals this change was "Can't Hide love" by Earth Wind & Fire with Verdine White on bass. I think that song pretty much set the mold for funk ballads. The Gap Band's "Yearning for Your Love" with Robert Wilson was crucial too. Anthony Jackson dropping those low notes on Chaka's slow jams also signaled another change along with Stevie Wonder's keyboard bass on "That Girl." What are some other crucial funk ballads?

burk48237 · #2 08-21-2006, 09:19 PM

Two other EW & F tunes come to mind right away, "After the Love has Gone" and "Reasons". What about Marvin Gayes, "Let's Get it On"? That tune definitely had a different vibe then most of the other R & B ballads of the time. Well here's the rest of my list of influential R & B Ballads:

Try a little Tenderness/Otis Redding
Ain't No Sunshine/Bill Withers
If you don't know me by Now/Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
Your Precious Love/Marvin Gaye and Tammy Turrell
The Closer I get to You/Donnie Hathaway and Roberta Flack
Georgia on my Mind/ Ray Charles
Me and Misses Jones/ Billy Paul
People Get Ready/The Impressions

It's a start anyway.....

Dr. Cheese · #3 08-21-2006, 09:33 PM

All those are nice tunes, but I'm thinking about ballads with a funk feel. I heavy rythm, no or few chord changes, and prominent, repititive basslines. Like I said, The Gap Band's "Yearning for Your Love" is a good example.

markjazzbassist · #4 08-21-2006, 10:16 PM

the commodores - easy
the isley brothers - voyage to atlantis, for the love of you, don't let me be lonely tonight

the ohio players - heaven must be like this, it's your night

jumbosilverette · #5 08-21-2006, 10:51 PM

The Isley Brothers really are an R&B ballad group, a very funky one.
Check out "That Lady Pts. 1 and 2," "If You Were There," "What It Comes Down To," "Sunshine (Go Away Today). By Average White Band, "School Boy Crush," "Got The Love." The Spinners, "Rubberband Man." There's so many and my middle-aged mind has been addled by too much cheap reefer. Have fun.

Dr. Cheese · #6 08-21-2006, 10:58 PM

AWB is a good one for funky ballads like "A Love of Your Own" and their version of "If I Ever Lose This Heaven." A great Isley Brothers funk jam/ballad is "Footsteps in the Dark" from Go for Your Guns.

MixBass · #7 08-22-2006, 01:50 AM

Cameo: Love you anyway, KILLER bass line

JimK · #8 08-22-2006, 04:52 AM

"Love Changes"-Mothers Finest

Also, maybe it's me but "Can't Hide Love" & Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love"...very, very similar?

More AWB slow 'ballad' Funk-
"Your Love Is A Miracle" (from the album with one of the best covers ever...Warmer Communications)
"Love Your Life" from Soul Searching

...and-
"If I Ever Lose This Heaven" is one of my all-time favourites; as I was just sitting here 'playing it in my head'...it is not a tune with just a couple of chord changes, there's a chord per bar, IIRC. Anyway, don't wanna nitpick. Another tune in the same vibe from the same album is "Why".

Dr. Cheese · #9 08-22-2006, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

"Love Changes"-Mothers Finest

Also, maybe it's me but "Can't Hide Love" & Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love"...very, very similar?

More AWB slow 'ballad' Funk-
"Your Love Is A Miracle" (from the album with one of the best covers ever...Warmer Communications)
"Love Your Life" from Soul Searching

...and-
"If I Ever Lose This Heaven" is one of my all-time favourites; as I was just sitting here 'playing it in my head'...it is not a tune with just a couple of chord changes, there's a chord per bar, IIRC. Anyway, don't wanna nitpick. Another tune in the same vibe from the same album is "Why".

Great post, I was playing a few of those songs last night, and you are very right about the chord changes. Some like "Can't Hide Love" actually have a lot of changes, it's just that it maintains a funk feel.

Glad you mentioned "Love Changes!" That was very much the kind of funky ballad I'm thinking about.

JimK · #10 08-22-2006, 11:35 AM

More that just popped into my head...all by Rose Royce-
"Wishing On A Star"
"Ooh Boy"
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore"

...and I had forgotten that Joyce Kennedy was in Mother's Finest.

How 'bout "Soft & Easy" by The Blackbyrds & "Sail On" by The Commodores?
...I'm trying to recall how "Zoom" by The Commodores went; drawing a total blank. Dammit, hate when that happens.

ZonPlyr · #11 08-22-2006, 02:15 PM

How about "What You Won't Do For Love" by Bobby Caldwell, few chord changes and a decent slap line. I love playing that tune.

Woodchuck · #12 08-22-2006, 02:18 PM

"Thoughts of Old Flames" - Pleasure (awesome!)
"Love's Train" - Con Funk Shun
"Happiness Togetherness" - Heatwave
"Tell Me If You Still Care" - SOS Band

As for EWF, you gotta throw "Wait" in the mix.

Woodchuck · #13 08-22-2006, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

How 'bout "Soft & Easy" by The Blackbyrds & "Sail On" by The Commodores?
...I'm trying to recall how "Zoom" by The Commodores went; drawing a total blank. Dammit, hate when that happens.

"Zoom baby,
I'd like to fly away!"

The bassist, Ronald LaPread, and his wife wrote that song. They decided to record it, but she died before the session. They said that it was hardest session ever. They all kept breaking down during the recording. Also, check out "High on Sunshine".

Vandelay · #14 08-22-2006, 02:31 PM

I think I have a few great examples, they meet the criteria -- repetitive bass lines, few chord changes, driving beat:

* "Use Me" by Bill Withers
* "Love And Happiness" by Al Green
* "I'll Take You There" by the Staples Singers
* "It's Too Late" by Carole King

Dr. Cheese · #15 08-22-2006, 02:51 PM

"Thoughts of old Flames" that's wild Woodchuck! I was playing that song yesterday and this morning. I found an old tape of Pleasure's
Future Now in my cassette box and I was reminiscing.

Carlo Tanori · #16 08-22-2006, 02:59 PM

''Sweet Thing'', by Chaka Khan.

Carlo T.

JimK · #17 08-22-2006, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodchuck

"Love's Train" - Con Funk Shun

I knew there was some Con Funk Shun slow jams...I'm trying to conjure up some Raydio & Brick.
Or how about "After You Love Me Why Do You Leave Me"? by Harold Melvin?
Or George Benson's "Midnight Love Affair" from Give Me The Night?

Or some '80s stuff like Evelyn King's "Love Come Down"?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woodchuck

"Happiness Togetherness" - Heatwave

I like that tune a lot. It's in "3", right?
I really, really like the other 'slow' one off that album..."Mind Blowing Decisions".

JimK · #18 08-22-2006, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vandelay

"It's Too Late" by Carole King

Love that tune...pretty jazzy.
There is also a nice cover by The Isleys.
...which reminds me, I gotta pick that Isleys' album up.

Woodchuck · #19 08-22-2006, 03:19 PM

How 'bout this one: "Gigolos Get Lonely Too" - Time?

markjazzbassist · #20 08-22-2006, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimK

I really, really like the other 'slow' one off that album..."Mind Blowing Decisions".

+1

i forgot about heatwave and pleasure. good stuff.

side note, good to hear all the average white band being mentioned, im a big fan.

what about some brothers johnson? "so won't you stay", "all about the heaven", and "i'll be good to you"