My personal pick goes to Luv N Haight the opener of Sly's masterpiece There's A Riot Going On. The album itself is all-but relentelessly narcotic and lazy in feel but this thing boogies like a motha and still manages to fit in with the rest of it: If you take all the fundamental characteristics of funk: syncopation, bottom, wah-wah, percussiveness, danceability, this song comes out on top(bottom?) in just about all them.
[Edited 4/26/06 0:59am]

"Billy Jack" by Curtis Mayfield. Slooooo-oooo--ooow.

Flashlight.....pfunk

That's tough.....

But for my personal pick, I guess I'm gonna say "Holy Ghost" by the Bar-Kays (long version, of course), because of all those, fundamental characteristics you mentioned....I just have to Move when I hear that song ...tried Not movin'....can't do it,

...

and I know no one asked, but my next 5 would be:

Funky Stuff/More Funky Stuff - Kool and The Gang

Jungle Boogie - Kool and The Gang

Flashlight - Parliament

Sing A Simple Song - Sly and The Family Stone

Fencewalk - Mandrill


...
[Edited 4/26/06 8:37am]

"betcha can't eat just one".....


so here's five (not in order)

Hair - Graham Central Station
Flashlight - Parliament
Soul Vaccination - Tower of Power
Fencewalk - Mandrill
Super Stupid - Funkadelic
(honorable mention) Sexy MF - Prince

Well..if you have name 5:
Flashlight- PFunk
Scarlet Pussy - Prince
Skintight- Ohio Players
Get up on the down Stroke - PFunk
Bootsy.....pick one.

Dang!!!!

Funkiest jam??!!!!

Dang!!!

This is impossible!! You gotta throw Dr.Funkenstein in there,though!Oh,also "sir nose d'avoidoffunk"!!That bassline and the group singing is unstoppable!!Sir Nose makes you get that ugly funk face on yer mug!I'm also partial to Prince's "cookie jar".

It would be better if you did an "elimination" thread. Just a suggestion. Between the JB's, Parliament, Bootsy, Mandrill, Sly, AWB, Rick, Prince and too many other artists to name, this is an impossible task.

SLIDE by SLAVE

Thankyoufalettinmebemyselfagain--Sly. One of the ultimate grooves. Did I spel that right?

Dead on It--Prince. Don't like the beginning, but this just gets so funky.

Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk. Parliament. Deep deep funk from the masters.

Doing it to Death--James Brown. "in order for me to get down I got to get in D!"
[Edited 4/26/06 12:20pm]

Reach for it: George Duke

Graycap23 said:

Skintight and Fire: Ohio Players
Faze -o : riding high

How can I pick only 1?

Right now I'm feeling "Make It Funky" and "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing..." by James Brown.

Oh and "Lady Cab Driver".

DorothyParkerWasCool said:

YES. Same goes to the ones who picked the Bar-Kays' "Holy Ghost" and S&TFS's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)".

12-inch version of P's "Shockadelica" puts the fiyah to me as well.