What happened to funk?

[bass12]

And the Funk Brothers were Funk from both sides of the aisle.
Funk is an attitude, no one ethnic group has a copyright on "The One"-just ask Phil Chen.

I never think of the Funk Brothers as being funk.

 

[bassinplace]

I'm 59 grew up and played in height of the funk era.

Yes, for my generation it's dead. There are a handful of bands out they'd like tower of power that are still hanging in there.

What gets me is why do you younger folks think rhcp is funk, no way?

Because some of the late 80's/early 90's bands from LA such as RHCP and Fishbone had the funk as a primary element of their sound that they were mixing with other rock influences.

They were trying to carry on the tradition in their own way by incorporating the sounds that influenced them as well as coinciding with the time that hip hop first got big, which drew heavily from funk sources as well. Those artists were breathing new life into the funk at the time.

 

[bassinplace]

I never think of the Funk Brothers as being funk.

Me neither. But I always think of James Brown as funk, and they called him the "Godfather of Soul".

 

[Roy Vogt]

I never think of the Funk Brothers as being funk.

 

[bass12]

Me neither. But I always think of James Brown as funk, and they called him the "Godfather of Soul".

Well, that's because James Brown was a soul singer long before he was a torchbearer of funk.

 

[Roy Vogt]

Me neither. But I always think of James Brown as funk, and they called him the "Godfather of Soul".

 

[bass12]

Motown had some funky stuff in the 70s but my impression is that the players on those sessions were generally from outside the Funk Brothers fold.

 

[bassinplace]

Well, that's because James Brown was a soul singer long before he was a torchbearer of funk.

Hm, didn't know that, but it makes sense.

 

[bassinplace]

Sure, I've heard this song many times. He was still always the "Godfather of Funk" to my mind though.

 

[Roy Vogt]

The Funk Brothers (including Bob Babbitt) were recording pretty much anything coming out of Detroit for the label until they moved in the early 70s. If you're thinking of Sly and the Family Stone and James Brown as being the proto-Funk bands, the Motown guys were following the lead dictated by the producers and arrangers, which was funky psychedelic Soul.
The latter day Motown tracks included Wah-Wah Watson and Dennis Coffey on guitars and Bob Babbitt on bass. Check out one of Bob's finest hours and the only bass solo on a Motown release:

 

[Roy Vogt]

Not everything that has Funky in the title is funky. Exhibit A:

Sorry, you're going to be evicted from Funkytown with that annoying synth-bass and Robo-groove....

 

[5StringBlues]

 

[bassinplace]

LOL!!!

 

[bluewine]

Because some of the late 80's/early 90's bands from LA such as RHCP and Fishbone had the funk as a primary element of their sound that they were mixing with other rock influences.

They were trying to carry on the tradition in their own way by incorporating the sounds that influenced them as well as coinciding with the time that hip hop first got big, which drew heavily from funk sources as well. Those artists were breathing new life into the funk at the time.

I don't care what they were trying to do, they butchered the genre. Your a younger guy. That might be your funk, but it's certainly not mine. They carried something on, but it wasn't the tradition.

It's a shame that you guys don't even know what funk is. It's not your fault, you were just born to late.

 

[lucas vigor]

I don't care what they were trying to do, they butchered the genre. Your a younger guy. That might be your funk, but it's certainly not mine. They carried something on, but it wasn't the tradition.

It's a shame that you guys don't even know what funk is. It's not your fault, you were just born to late.

I have to say I agree 100%.

RHCP are funk, like Lady Gaga is Queen. In other words, not one bit.

I feel the same way way about the "prog rock" threads where it is one heavy distorted band after another...basically metal bands with odd time signatures...but that ain't prog! Prog is guys with capes playing 5 keyboards at once, and 4 of them are hammond organs!

Funk to me, is Slave, Lakeside, etc....always has been!

RIP Mark Adams!

 

[Kwesi]

Suddenly I'm seeing all this old stuff. What about the new ?

 

[mozilla314]

There was, pretty much, no real new funk
after the mid-nineties. You've got guys like
D'Angelo and Prince still representing funk at their live shows, but I grew up a teenager of the 70's with Ohio Players, EWF, Cameo, Larry Graham, Brothers Johnson, etc.....There's nothing new that compares to that stuff.

 

[bluewine]

Suddenly I'm seeing all this old stuff. What about the new ?

I'm sorry, but the old stuff isn't old, it's just right.

Funk out to rhcp, but please, don't invite me to the party.

 

[bluewine]

There was, pretty much, no real new funk
after the mid-nineties. You've got guys like
D'Angelo and Prince still representing funk at their live shows, but I grew up a teenager of the 70's with Ohio Players, EWF, Cameo, Larry Graham, Brothers Johnson, etc.....There's nothing new that compares to that stuff.

God bless you. Don't foget about sly stone. I even go back to dyke & the blazers.

It's really sad. I was at a 3 band show a few weeks ago.


I was leaving right before the last band came on. A young Guy told me I should stay for the last band.


I asked why, he said the band was really good. He said " their pure funk"

I stayed for one song. It wasn't pure funk, it was pure crap.

 

[slamzilla]

Reminds me of that awesome phrase, "I may be old but I got to see all the cool bands". I am thankful to count myself in that bunch. Funk on brothers!