In My Opinion, I have found 4 schools of funk.

Anyone agree with me completely, halfway, not at all, or have anything to add?

1. James Brown style

2. Parliament/Funkadelic style

3. The Meters style (take a listen y'all)

4. Prince style (minny style)

feltbluish said:

5.Booga Nose funk-Arsenio (Cameo, Barkays, Confunkshun, Gap Band)

BTW the title of this thread has me dyin' for some reaspon

Electro-synth funk:

David Bowie
Eurythmics

Moonbeam said:

Help me everyone...is this funk?!?!?

feltbluish said:

David Bowie-

Fame
Fascination
Stay
The Secret Life of Arabia
Breaking Glass
Red Money
DJ

Eurythmics-

I Could Give You (A Mirror)
Cool Blue
The First Cut
Paint a Rumour
Sexcrime
I Did It Just the Same
Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves

What Ian is referring to is commonly known as electro funk. Kraftwerk started it and others took it from there. Bowie has several songs from '75-'80 that fit this category. Prince's funk-rock isn't too far removed from this style. Here is a short essay from allmusicguide describing the genre.

Electro
genre: Electronica
Blending '70s funk with the emerging hip-hop culture and synthesizer technology of the early '80s produced the style known alternately as Electro. But what seemed to be a brief fad for the public — no more than two or three hits, including Afrikaa Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and Grandmaster Flash's "The Message," neither of which made the pop Top 40 — was in fact a fertile testing ground for innovators who later diverged into radically different territory, including Dr. Dre (who worked with the World Class Wreckin' Cru) and techno godfather Juan Atkins (with Cybotron). Electro also provided an intriguing new direction for one of the style's prime influences: Herbie Hancock, whose 1973 Headhunters album proved a large fusion hit, came storming back in 1983 with the electro single "Rockit." Despite its successes (documented in full on Rhino's four-disc Electric Funk set), the style was quickly eclipsed by the mid-'80s rise of hip-hop music built around samples (often from rock records) rather than musical synthesizers. Nevertheless, many techno and dance artists continued harking back to the sound, and a full-fledged electro revival emerged in Detroit and Britain during the mid-'90s.
[This message was edited Sun Sep 15 16:21:17 PDT 2002 by TRON]

TRON said:

Yup!

4 Schools of Funk For Me :James Brown,Jimi Hendrix,George CLinton&Sly Stone. Jazz Funk Fusion of the Mid 60's through the Mid 70's equals 5 for me.

Have you ever read the book "Funk: The Music, the people, and the Rhythm of THE ONE" by Rickey Vincent?

He lists 22 differnt varieties of Funk. He has Prince classified as "Naked Funk.

lovemachine said:

I got that Book&have Visted Rickey's Web Site&Heard some of His Shows.Great Book.

You forgot Sly Stone, Doh.

lovemachine said:

That's a very good book.Last year,there was another great book called 'Funk' by Dave Thompson that y'all should check out.

TRON said:

I still gotta say, that's Techno, maybe even funk(y) techno, but not funk in its purest of "funk" measures.

Essence said:

Now don't get me wrong here, I LOVE Sly Stone! and I guess I forgot to add his name, but I, personally would group that sound w/ Parliament.

They both started out in the late 60's right? They both had that fast, kinda soul, kinda gospel, kinda doo-wop thing BUT with some kinda added "?**?"

They both kinda went into the 70's developing their sounds, and both crafting this fat, vocals (high, low and everywhere inbetween, bassy, groovy) sound. Of course Clinton's mob went into outer space with it and Sly's mob went into political/social climes.

Yes, they are different sounds, but in my opinion, not enough to say they were originators of different schools of funk.



Wait a minute, just listened to my favorites "Underdog" and "Dog", and am thinking twice about the above statement, cuz that shit don't sound like "Flashlight"!

But "Don't Call Me Nigga, Whitey..." DOES sound like Clinton.

rdhull said:

Humorous funk based on a combination of the 4 funks.

feltbluish said:

Technically, The Parliaments (later renamed Parliament) started out in the mid 50s. I think they released their first record in the late 50s - though I could be wrong about that.

Supernova said:

The Parliaments first released "Osmium" (methinks) in 1966/67 (methinks)

There very well might've been another group with that name in the mid to late 50's, but it wasn't Clinton et al...

...and like I said, "methinks..."

feltbluish said:

Actually, The Parliaments is the same group as Parliament. There may have been some personnel changes before they changed it to Parliament, but it's the same group led by George Clinton. Though I have a feeling you're right about the release year of their first record.

Supernova said:

Sorry, my reply B4 was not clear...The parliaments = Parliament, but nothing B4 '66/'67

Osmium contained some classic jams like Red Hot Mama" and "Automobile" (which is where NWA got their idea for their song/interlude, can't remember which album)

feltbluish said:

Yeah Sly deserves his own category, he's no Ohio Players/Cameo P-funk soaked act.

I agree with Maxxx's funks in genesis of the "Genre". George's empire, James, Sly and Hendrix moreso for the Band Of Gypsys.

So bred offshoots like MPLS Sound, G-Funk hip-hip hop movement etc...

feltbluish said:

The Parliaments were a doo wop group formed by George Clinton in 1955, put together in the back room of a barbershop Clinton was working at with friends Raymond Davis, Clarence Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas.

Check out their hits collection "Testify!", it's comprehensive.

Osmium came out in 1970, same year as Funkadelic's self-titled debut.

Essence said:

Thanks, Essence

It looks as though between Supernova and I, we had all the right info in there, just not in one place.

feltbluish said:

Missionary Man by the Eurythmics has a bit of chicken grease funk I think...yes? no?

Uppin thisj ust cause I like the title..the 4 funks..dont u guys think its funny, odd etc? The 4 funks lol. Oh btw 5 stars for the funks.

TheResistor said:

Funk influenced/offshoot music but not close to being mentioned in breath of James Brown, P-Funk, Sly...

there are 5 Funks

JB funk
GC funk
sLY fUNK
bOOTSY FUNK
pURPLE fUNk

Essence said:

I'm thinking more along the lines of "I Could Give You (A Mirror)," "Cool Blue," "The First Cut," "Sexcrime" and "I Did It Just the Same."

up

What about Afrobeat/funk? Fela Kuti, Manu Dibango and the rest of the African 'funksters'? Maybe not quite funk as we know it, but definitely JB influenced and definitely fonkeh!