I have seen threads recently on Cameo, Confunkshun and others but not much for the Bar-Kays who occupy that same second tier of funk greats (below the P-Funks, Princes, Rick James, EWFs, Ohio Players and Isleys of the world). I am talking about the band that emerged as a funk powerhouse in the mid-1970s and not their Soul Finger earlier years. Sure, they were extremely derivative and came close to outright ripping off songs and sounds of some of those top tier acts, but they did it with such skill that they were still enjoyable and SO funky. And they were also adept at ballads and soulful midtempo tracks. Admittedly they were also adept at run-of-the-mill album filler too.

Of course the 1970s stuff like Too Hot to Stop, Holy Ghost and Move Your Boogie Body are classics, and they hit their popular cross-over peak in the early 1980s with Freakshow on the Dancefloor, but deep into the 1980s they were still producing slamming slabs of funk at a time when so few were. I am speaking of cuts like Your Place or Mine, Certified True and Struck by You. Even later in the 1990s they showed they could still rip like the old days with the deep and nasty 48 Hours album track Master (anyone hip to this one?).

So watcha all think, any love for the Bar Kays???

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I was crazy for SEXOMATIC back then. Damn, what a funktastic track that was ! But their albums always left me kind of ...... Not to mention their latest releases

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CityPhantom said:

Barkays fan here. They were probably the best live funk band in their prime or pretty damn

close. They always put on a good show and Larry would never allow the crowd to be lazy.

They get a bad rap around here for their penchant of creating songs based on the top 10 but

when they chose to do their own thing Barkays style they knocked it out the park with Holy Ghost,

Flying High On Your Love album, the Injoy album, Boogie Bodyland, Body Fever, Traffic Jammer,

She Talks To Me With Her Body, etc. They have a few hidden gems I like You Can't Run Away, Girl I'm On Your Side, Attitudes, More And More, Work It Out.

@Hard Core Jollies I'm familiar with the 48 hrs album. The Slide was popular in my area. My

favorites from that album were She Can Get It, Irresistable, If Loving You Is Wrong cover with

Evelyn Champagne King, and X N Yo Sex. Master was a funky inspirational tune.

Hit & Run

I think the Too Hot to Stop album stands up next to just about any great funk album of the 1970s. I like every track. After that their albums were hit and miss for me, but when they hit they killed it.

[Edited 6/15/15 20:43pm]

the Nightcruising album is a classic with kickass jams like "Hit & Run","Freaky Behavior","Traffic Jammer",and the title track,this album is their masterpiece.

Propositions and Dangerous are strong albums,as well.The Bar Kays are an incredible band who knew how to groove! Put on one of their albums and the party has started

I really miss the days when funk bands were around.Today's kids don't know what they missed out on!

Yeah, I like them.

The rip-off factor's so obvious when listening to some tracks I just have to have a laugh at it. In any case, I like their overall sound more than I like Confunkshun or Cameo, and many others. There's not so much of that cheesy 70s disco or disposable 80s pop aftertaste present in their music. The records that sound like Parliament are the ones that I like the most.

Often derivative of other funk bands but very good at getting to the core of what FUNK is all about! I certainly respect them a lot.

them doggone Kays

The seldom mentioned "The Happiest People in the World" and "You've Been'' are like heaven on tap. Cue the tracks.

Identity said:

"Move Your Boogie Body" another one of their great jams

phunkdaddy said:

This seems like it's gonna be a great show

SoulAlive said:

phunkdaddy said:

This seems like it's gonna be a great show

Yep, certainly does! I would kill to see Bar-Kays and Loose Ends here in The Netherlands.

listening to the Nightcuising album right now

SoulAlive said:

Definitely those 3 Mercury joints are amazing. Light of Life was mostly a dud except I'll Dance.

Slow Funk

[Edited 6/24/15 22:24pm]