Prince had only work with handfull of Funk music originators,innovators

and famous funk musicians

George Clinton,Maceo,Chaka ,Stevie Wonder,Larry Graham but the list ends there?

Why no Bootsy,James Brown,Sly Stone,Cameo ,Brothers Johnson,Garry Shider,

many other great funk musicians.

Did Prince ever tried to work with these people on a song or a project?

[Edited 8/26/11 21:43pm]

I tend to think that Prince prefers not to dilute his signature sound/style by listening or working with other musicians. Then it could be easily said that he stole this or that. That's why Prince colabs are far and few in between. If I'm not mistakened, he mentioned that himself.

Prince DID remix a James Brown song, which happened to be a duet with Aretha Franklin, so u can add these 2 names on the list

He also offered Chocolate to Brown, who turned it down.

Don't forget Patti Labelle and Nona Hendyx (both Labelle alumnis), Mavis Staples, several Sly & The Family Stone ex-members, and quite a bunch of the next generation's "legends" such as Lenny Kravitz, Common, Q-Tip...

I guess working with people is something that happens or doesn't happen. Sometimes u push fate a little by making a phone call but most of the time u just meet people and feel like doing something together. Prince ain't gonna take his Funk phonebook and call every one after the other to make a record

Still, a dude who's worked with Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Larry Graham, Chaka Khan, Maceo Parker, Lenny Kravitz, Patti Labelle, etc., and let's not forget non-funk artists such as Madonna, No Doubt, Ani DiFranco...

I think that's pretty HUGE already...

I agree with databank. That is a big list.

I can't see P working with Cameo. P and Larry have HUGE egos..it wouldn't work. Sly is a victim of his demons and I can't see P wasting energy trying to work with Sly.

And I've already told the story about P and Garry Shider almost going at it in the studio during

the "Graffitti Bridge" sessions.

Prince is a funky musician, and made some funky songs, but he was never really a Funk artist. Stevie Wonder the same. Chaka was funk with Rufus, but solo, she is r&b. Being more pop orientated, he worked with those guys. Patti Labelle, Nona Hendrix, Mavis...those are Soul/R&B singers, not Funk per se.

Would love Bootsy and Prince to get on stage and jam hot!

Agree Prince was never and all out funker - i think he realised that to have longevity he needed to break the white audience with rock/pop etc - plus he is too much of a musician to be tied down to one genre (as great as Funk is, i'm glad P isn't regarded as a funk act as he would probably be washed up by now!)

databank said:

Prince DID remix a James Brown song, which happened to be a duet with Aretha Franklin, so u can add these 2 names on the list

It wasn't a James Brown song - it was a song by Narada Michael Walden and Jeffery Cohen (the original also produced and arranged by Narada Michael Walden) and, as far as artist credits go, it was released on Aretha's then current album, 'Through the Storm', which featured duets with various artists, one of whom happened to be James Brown. The single release was accompanied with her own composition, with the single, 'Gimme Your Love' credited to Aretha Franflin and James Brown (with Brown appearing courtesy of CBS Records / Scotti Brothers).

there is a reason why so many people who have different musical tastes are Prince fans. He is too talented to just keep himself in one genre. That being said, he has recorded all out funk like The Black Album and Exodus.

leonche64 said:

Prince is a funky musician, and made some funky songs, but he was never really a Funk artist. Stevie Wonder the same. Chaka was funk with Rufus, but solo, she is r&b. Being more pop orientated, he worked with those guys. Patti Labelle, Nona Hendrix, Mavis...those are Soul/R&B singers, not Funk per se.

Of course he's not ONLY a funk artist. He's not ONLY any style of artist.

But he absolutely IS a funk artist. And a pop artist. A rock artist. Etc....

People who say Prince isn't funky must think they know better than George Clinton what the funk is.

George thinks he's funky so anyone who says he isn't is just FUNKED UP!

Stevie Wonder is funky too!!

djThunderfunk said:

leonche64 said:

Prince is a funky musician, and made some funky songs, but he was never really a Funk artist. Stevie Wonder the same. Chaka was funk with Rufus, but solo, she is r&b. Being more pop orientated, he worked with those guys. Patti Labelle, Nona Hendrix, Mavis...those are Soul/R&B singers, not Funk per se.

Of course he's not ONLY a funk artist. He's not ONLY any style of artist.

But he absolutely IS a funk artist. And a pop artist. A rock artist. Etc....

People who say Prince isn't funky must think they know better than George Clinton what the funk is.

George thinks he's funky so anyone who says he isn't is just FUNKED UP!

Stevie Wonder is funky too!!

And right on cue...Re-read my post I explicitly said Prince was indeed funky.

leonche64 said:

djThunderfunk said:

Of course he's not ONLY a funk artist. He's not ONLY any style of artist.

But he absolutely IS a funk artist. And a pop artist. A rock artist. Etc....

People who say Prince isn't funky must think they know better than George Clinton what the funk is.

George thinks he's funky so anyone who says he isn't is just FUNKED UP!

Stevie Wonder is funky too!!

And right on cue...Re-read my post I explicitly said Prince was indeed funky.

You also explicity said he was not a funk artist. As if, to be a funk artist, he must not also be a pop artist or a rock artist, etc.. You seem to demote him from funk artist to simply "funky" because of his wide range.

It's semantics that I disagree with.

He is a funk artist AND he is a pop artist, etc...

IMO, and in the opinion of many "experts" on funk, Prince being an artist of many styles does not take away from him also being a funk artist.

[Edited 8/27/11 13:08pm]

djThunderfunk said:

leonche64 said:

And right on cue...Re-read my post I explicitly said Prince was indeed funky.

You also explicity said he was not a funk artist. As if, to be a funk artist, he must not also be a pop artist or a rock artist, etc.. You seem to demote him from funk artist to simply "funky" because of his wide range.

It's semantics that I disagree with.

He is a funk artist AND he is a pop artist, etc...

IMO, and in the opinion of many "experts" on funk, Prince being an artist of many styles does not take away from him also being a funk artist.

[Edited 8/27/11 13:08pm]

Ok, lets put it this way. I answered the question on the premise that the OP was asking why Prince did not work with more "Funk" Originators. Those being the people that, back in the day, you would go to a record store, and go into the "funk" section, you would find their records. Artist such as Paliment, Funkadelic, One Way, Brothers Johnson, Brides of Funkenstein, The Bar Kays, Bootsy's Rubber Band, The Ohio Players. As a music genre, this was funk.Which Prince album would you put in that section? Some songs yes, but not an entire work.

I was not demoting Prince at all. My point was he has worked with a lot of those guys, but there would not be a reason for him to work with more people in that genre, unless he was exclusive to that genre. For example, Tim McGraw is a country singer. He has done duets with Faith Hill, Kenney Chesney, and a bunch of other country artist. He also had a big hit with the rapper Nelly. Now one would not expect him to then show up on Public Enemy or Wu Tangs next release just because of the Nelly connection.

Prince has worked with tons of pop artist. It makes sense in that that is where the majority of the music interest is. But he also works with classical composers, where the public interest is not as great. The song "Bambi" came out in 1979, a few years before the glam metal thing took off. The power chords and solos easily fit in that genre, but it is ludicrous to say he is a heavy metal artist, especially when the next song that comes up is "Still Waiting".

I guess it does become a semantics discussion. And by saying the opposite, we are actually saying the same thing. You say he fits in every category, and I say he fits in none of them.

I do remember that back in the 80's the Southern US record store chain called Starship Records and Tapes had a separate section called Minneapolis. That seemed appropriate.

leonche64 said:

djThunderfunk said:

You also explicity said he was not a funk artist. As if, to be a funk artist, he must not also be a pop artist or a rock artist, etc.. You seem to demote him from funk artist to simply "funky" because of his wide range.

It's semantics that I disagree with.

He is a funk artist AND he is a pop artist, etc...

IMO, and in the opinion of many "experts" on funk, Prince being an artist of many styles does not take away from him also being a funk artist.

[Edited 8/27/11 13:08pm]

Ok, lets put it this way. I answered the question on the premise that the OP was asking why Prince did not work with more "Funk" Originators. Those being the people that, back in the day, you would go to a record store, and go into the "funk" section, you would find their records. Artist such as Paliment, Funkadelic, One Way, Brothers Johnson, Brides of Funkenstein, The Bar Kays, Bootsy's Rubber Band, The Ohio Players. As a music genre, this was funk.Which Prince album would you put in that section? Some songs yes, but not an entire work.

I was not demoting Prince at all. My point was he has worked with a lot of those guys, but there would not be a reason for him to work with more people in that genre, unless he was exclusive to that genre. For example, Tim McGraw is a country singer. He has done duets with Faith Hill, Kenney Chesney, and a bunch of other country artist. He also had a big hit with the rapper Nelly. Now one would not expect him to then show up on Public Enemy or Wu Tangs next release just because of the Nelly connection.

Prince has worked with tons of pop artist. It makes sense in that that is where the majority of the music interest is. But he also works with classical composers, where the public interest is not as great. The song "Bambi" came out in 1979, a few years before the glam metal thing took off. The power chords and solos easily fit in that genre, but it is ludicrous to say he is a heavy metal artist, especially when the next song that comes up is "Still Waiting".

I guess it does become a semantics discussion. And by saying the opposite, we are actually saying the same thing. You say he fits in every category, and I say he fits in none of them.

I do remember that back in the 80's the Southern US record store chain called Starship Records and Tapes had a separate section called Minneapolis. That seemed appropriate.

I think it is safe to say that the base of all Prince's music is funk.

his rock songs fgunks,his ballads are groovy and in no way Bambi relates to Glam Metal

leonche64 said:

As a music genre, this was funk.Which Prince album would you put in that section? Some songs yes, but not an entire work.

---

I guess it does become a semantics discussion. And by saying the opposite, we are actually saying the same thing. You say he fits in every category, and I say he fits in none of them.

I'd put Black Album & Exodus in the funk section. The Time & Madhouse albums too!

and yes, I do believe we are saying the same thing but with a different point of view.

Ever read Rickey Vincent's Funk: The Music, The People, And The Rhythm Of The One? If not, I recommend it. It's THE book on the genre. Vincent includes any significantly funky artist regardless of whether or not they also are known for other styles of music. There's a decent section on Prince. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Fun...0312134991

thebanishedone said:

I think it is safe to say that the base of all Prince's music is funk.

his rock songs fgunks,his ballads are groovy and in no way Bambi relates to Glam Metal

Yes it does. It's funky. It rocks. It's metal!

...and all with Pop asthetic.

Glam metal is pop music with heavy metal solos and look.

Bambi is take no prisoners hard rock cut

thebanishedone said:

Glam metal is pop music with heavy metal solos and look.

Bambi is take no prisoners hard rock cut

It's both. It's definitely Pop AND Metal, and, if you require the "look" to be glam, then, IMO, that requirement is met as well.

thebanishedone said:

Prince had only work with handfull of Funk music originators,innovators

and famous funk musicians

George Clinton,Maceo,Chaka ,Stevie Wonder,Larry Graham but the list ends there?

Why no Bootsy,James Brown,Sly Stone,Cameo ,Brothers Johnson,Garry Shider,

many other great funk musicians.

Did Prince ever tried to work with these people on a song or a project?

[Edited 8/26/11 21:43pm]

Bootsy? what's he gonna do with him? jam with him untill bootsy can't jam no more?

JB? dead. ST? good as dead. SW = funk? please, that man is no GC or JB. He is PURE SOUL.

all the rest should play with Prince to get funky instead of the other way around.

lawd...

[Edited 8/28/11 18:08pm]

Tremolina said:

thebanishedone said:

Prince had only work with handfull of Funk music originators,innovators

and famous funk musicians

George Clinton,Maceo,Chaka ,Stevie Wonder,Larry Graham but the list ends there?

Why no Bootsy,James Brown,Sly Stone,Cameo ,Brothers Johnson,Garry Shider,

many other great funk musicians.

Did Prince ever tried to work with these people on a song or a project?

[Edited 8/26/11 21:43pm]

Bootsy? what's he gonna do with him? jam with him untill bootsy can't jam no more?

JB? dead. ST? good as dead. SW = funk? please, that man is no GC or JB. He is PURE SOUL.

all the rest should play with Prince to get funky instead of the other way around.

lawd...

[Edited 8/28/11 18:08pm]

I love it when he does like he & Stevie during both a Wonder concert then again on Stevie's birthday during a Prince concert. They tore up Very Superstition.

djThunderfunk said:

leonche64 said:

As a music genre, this was funk.Which Prince album would you put in that section? Some songs yes, but not an entire work.

I guess it does become a semantics discussion. And by saying the opposite, we are actually saying the same thing. You say he fits in every category, and I say he fits in none of them.

I'd put Black Album & Exodus in the funk section. The Time & Madhouse albums too!

and yes, I do believe we are saying the same thing but with a different point of view.

Ever read Rickey Vincent's Funk: The Music, The People, And The Rhythm Of The One? If not, I recommend it. It's THE book on the genre. Vincent includes any significantly funky artist regardless of whether or not they also are known for other styles of music. There's a decent section on Prince. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Fun...0312134991

Thanks for the suggestion, I have not read that book before. But it sounds like a great source, I will pick it up.

leonche64 said:

djThunderfunk said:

I'd put Black Album & Exodus in the funk section. The Time & Madhouse albums too!

and yes, I do believe we are saying the same thing but with a different point of view.

Ever read Rickey Vincent's Funk: The Music, The People, And The Rhythm Of The One? If not, I recommend it. It's THE book on the genre. Vincent includes any significantly funky artist regardless of whether or not they also are known for other styles of music. There's a decent section on Prince. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Fun...0312134991

Thanks for the suggestion, I have not read that book before. But it sounds like a great source, I will pick it up.

You won't regret it!

No offense but Prince worked with the ones that matter and most beneficial to his music and career.

OP, you cant work with anyone.

And hey, Sly was probably 'stuck in the snow' again and Cameo and Zap were probably too busy playing 'classic disco' parties.

Kate Bush (not a funk artist but such a MAJOR artist!)

I dont get it when people underestimate the strength and influence of Prince as a funk-musician. Indeed, he is far from solely a funk-artist: he has been offering so many other musical styles during his career, and his funk is often mixed with other styles also (the same can be said about Sly Stone and George Clinton by the way), but when it comes to the minimalistic (electro-) funk he offered in the eighties (especially on 1999, the Camille album and the Black album) i think he is THE most single important figure of funk-music from the eighties.

When i think about the history of funk i see the following key-figures / developments:

'60's: James Brown, The Meters: the inventors of funk

'70's: Sly Stone (and offspring), George Clinton and his p-funk camp: mixing funk with (psychedelic) rock, soul, gospel and jazz-elements

'80's: Prince and the Minneapolis sound: stripped down, minimalistic (often electronic) funk

'90's: No real key-artists.. Funk is mostly replaced by R&B and hip-hop... but when it comes to the development of funk as a mix-form of music (which it has mostly been IMO) i see the biggest creative development in the cross-overgenre (funk/metal or funk/rock by the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, Living Colour, Urban Dance Squad, 247spyz and Rage against the machine). Next to that you see a bit of a p-funk revival in certain types of hip-hop (g-funk).

'00's: return of the electro-funk.... the use of funk-elements within techno-music (Daft Punk, Bastian etc.), indie-music (the so called punk-funk revival) and certain R&B producers who owe a lot to Princes' experiments (Timbaland, The Neptunes).

[Edited 9/7/11 9:12am]

databank said:

Kate Bush (not a funk artist but such a MAJOR artist!)

In deed. But I hate, what Prince did to her "Why should I love you". Original version was much better. Even though, the idea of these two control freaks working together is very interesting...

DaniCalifornia said:

databank said:

Kate Bush (not a funk artist but such a MAJOR artist!)

In deed. But I hate, what Prince did to her "Why should I love you". Original version was much better. Even though, the idea of these two control freaks working together is very interesting...

WAITASECOND!!! R u implying that the pre-Prince mix of Why Should I Love You? is circulating??? I'm a huge Kate Bush fan and I've never heard such a thing.

databank said:

Prince DID remix a James Brown song, which happened to be a duet with Aretha Franklin, so u can add these 2 names on the list

He also offered Chocolate to Brown, who turned it down.

Don't forget Patti Labelle and Nona Hendyx (both Labelle alumnis), Mavis Staples, several Sly & The Family Stone ex-members, and quite a bunch of the next generation's "legends" such as Lenny Kravitz, Common, Q-Tip...

I guess working with people is something that happens or doesn't happen. Sometimes u push fate a little by making a phone call but most of the time u just meet people and feel like doing something together. Prince ain't gonna take his Funk phonebook and call every one after the other to make a record

Still, a dude who's worked with Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Larry Graham, Chaka Khan, Maceo Parker, Lenny Kravitz, Patti Labelle, etc., and let's not forget non-funk artists such as Madonna, No Doubt, Ani DiFranco...

I think that's pretty HUGE already...

"Funk phonebook"? Can I get a copy?