The idea for this thread started as a post to vainandy's "Funk from Outer Space" thread: http://www.prince.org/msg/8/105251

Midway through my response the terms space and funk made me start to think of the words as separate musical entities and the point at which they may converge with each other.

When I personally hear the terms "space & funk", 4 names come to mind. Sun Ra, James Brown, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and a slew of corresponding recordings.

The "Space" theme (angular melodies/extended chords perhaps) can be traced back to the '50s via Sun Ra.

"Funk" to me flat-out says James Brown with "Out Of Sight" being consider by many to be the 1st "funk" recording.
(This point is frequently argued as others consider it to be the Isley Brothers recording of Testify featuring a super funky Jimi Hendrix on guitar)

The combination of the two aims me at a period of Miles and the further refinement of both leads me to a section of Herbie.

Sun Ra




James Brown




Miles Davis




Herbie Hancock


These are not complete discographies nor is every artist associated with each genre represented.
I tried to list recordings from the artists selected up to a point where they might naturally crossfade into each other.

Keep in mind that this is just a personal perspective. The point being to solicit other opinions.
With all this talk of funk today (Let's define the word Funk & Funk from Outer Space) maybe this will fit right in.

Thanks to vainandy for sparking the idea and giving me an excuse to get into this.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

Great thread my friend. Your'e dead on the money with the artists u mentioned and very perceptive on your angle regarding "space" and "funk". Yeah, Hendrix was very "other worldly" and so was Miles. Parliament basically recorded in outerspace.

blackguitaristz said:

Thanks bg.

This was one of those threads where I got in deeper than I had anticipated.
Eventually it got to the point where Sun Ra and Miles became the foundations for me with Herbie being a logical extention of the two keeping the jazz connection. Jimi would add the rock component to the mix.

Jimi slides in there right around the Magic City (Sun Ra), Cold Sweat (James Brown), pre Bitches Brew (Miles Davis) axis and had a definite effect, along with Sly, on some things Miles ended up doing. George Clinton is another building block for a space/funk/rock trinity discussion.

There's quite a few "other worldly" musicians out there.
Maybe if I get the time and energy they'll be part of a SPACE-FUNK Pt. II thread.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

Yeah, I don't think Sun Ra gets enough credit for his visual influence on George Clinton and PFunk.

Supernova said:

For sure.

Sun Ra =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= George Clinton


Sun Ra =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= George Clinton


Sun Ra =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Bootsy


Arkestra =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Parliament


No argument here.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

NICE PERSPECTIVE. I proudly consider myself an old schooler but you can break it on down further and get down to the origins. I first got into music heavily in the disco era and continued with the funk after the death of disco. Around the mid 1990s when funk was pretty much extinct, I started going back and exploring the funk of the early 1970s. It's nice to see an even older schooler who can school the old schoolers.

Good work!

Is this part of your dissertation for your Ph.D. in Funk, tA?
Would Billy Preston fit in somewhere?

FINALLY!!!!

Somebody has broke it down for the knownots!! I've been telling my friends about Sun Ra for years!! BUT, DO THE LISTEN TO ME?

Sun Ra is the Father of Spacefunk! Anyone calling themselves Funkateers or True Funk Soldiers can't without at least researching the history of Ra!



I Highly reccomend this CD as an introduction to Ra's spacefunk!

Ra's Saxophone players: Marshall Allen & John Gilmore are continuosly overlooked in the Jazz world. Believe it or not, John Gilmore was John Coltrane's inspiration for playing Space/Advante Garde Jazz!

I'll stop my ramble there.

Much Respect to the Audience for starting this thread! Dude, you have now become #1 on my list of orgers!

Oh, and it seems like someone else out there was able to put one and one together.

I always heard from the Funkateers that George Clinton got the idea of the Mothership directly from Sun Ra. ( Btw , have you seen Ra's film, Space is the Place?)

vainandy said:

Thanks vainandy.

There's plenty of folks around here that have a better grasp on the history than I do.
This just happens to be an area of music that i'm very interested in.

It's funny but I always have to catch myself when someone posts a thread labeled "old school" as it invariably ends up hovering around the '70s-'80s. For me old school means '50s-'60s.

Your "older schooler".

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

UptownDeb said:

No not really.
I wish I could get one just for doing this.

Billy Preston wouldn't be included at this level.
I know that you're referring to his Outta Space and Space Race tunes.
These are tunes i'd consider faddishly titled rather than fundamentaly "space-funk".
They don't even sound spacey. Funky yes, spacey no.

Now that synth sound he uses in Space Race can be used as a substitute for blowin'
up Martian heads if they ever film Mars Attacks! II.


That's if they can't find any Slim Whitman records of course.



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

paligap said:

I've own that movie! It's worth a watch.

There's also a couple of documetaries out on Ra: Mr. Mystery and A Joyful Noise.

Ra, actually drops some science in a Joyful Noise. I especially like the part where he's sitting in front of the White House and he's talking about how there should be a Black House. Though, Ra comes off a bit at times, well...errr....most of the time. That's why I love him though.

paint the white house black.....

sinisterpentatonic said:

Thank you Sin.
I was thinking about you when I started this.

You know I know you know.



Can you believe John Gilmore ever looked this conservative?


All hail the "Father of Spacefunk".



Spaceways Incorporated just went on my "to get" list.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

theAudience said:

Of course I know!!! I never start the day without checking my crystal ball.



And it did tell me that theAudience would be starting a Sun Ra thread for me to post on in the near future.

theAudience said:

You know there was a time when Mr. Blount himself was conservative,
but that all changed after he came out of the closet as an Alien.

Hey, hit me up man! I can hook you up with some of Ra's stuff. I even have some of that stuff he put out on his Saturn Label.

paligap said:

Oh yeah.



I don't get high, but I felt like I was after watching it.

tA



http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

sinisterpentatonic said:

Why am I gettin' dizzy all of a sudden?

sinisterpentatonic said:

Say what?

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

theAudience said:

theAudience said:

I said:

I even have some of that stuff he put out on his Saturn Label.