Most say that Aerosmith is the American Rock band of all-time...Although there are a number of FUNK bands from back-in-the-day.....I say that none of them had/or still have what Cameo has put up. CAMEO is the FUNK band of all-time. They didnt get BIG major/crossover play until WORD UP, but their catalog before and after WU, speaks volumes of their role in the R&B/FUNK genre. Larry, Nathan, Tomi & Charlie, they are and were the core of this true funk LEGEND...I dont think they have ever gotten their due, on what has been a STANKY career.
[Edited 7/24/07 16:15pm]
[Edited 7/24/07 16:15pm]

Cameo is indeed one great band
I prefer their earlier stuff to their eighties synthier stuff. I think Word Up! is very, very overrated.

FuNkeNsteiN said:

Word Up!

It's an excellent comparison. They were two bands formed in the '70s whose careers were changed, for better or for worse, by a huge mainstream hit in 1986.

FuNkeNsteiN said:

So do i. Word up is not as good as their earlier work despite it's chart
success.

My (second) favorite funk group. Cameooooosis!

hey what about larry blackmoon being ashamed of funk when he said in an interview "that cameo is not a funk band)?

MsLegs said:

Legs...in all due respect...I never COMPARED the two to each other in a musical sense!! It was an analogy on the fact that BOTH were PIONEERS of their respected genres. Indeed, both are great live bands, cause they are musicians 1st and foremost. I agree that their early recordings are what my whole point is based on(before WU). I would take the NPG over Cameo anyday, but would take Cameo over any other funk artists of their same time.

Peace

NPG

AlexdeParis said:

Thank you Alex....I'm glad you feel me!!

NPG

She's Strange tore the shingles from the sucker when I was a wee youth but Candy was the atom bomb that went off while everyone was staring at the Word Up bottle rocket. Back n Forth still a titanic groover.

thebanishedone said:

yeah.. i remember that interview

The premise of this thread is a strawman.

Cameo is definately great but I like The Barkays better.

vainandy said:

Caemo is the truth,along with Rick James they are my favorites.

coming with The Time to Baltimore in September!!

Funk Fest

phunkdaddy said:

I think what help propel Cameo's "Word Up" was the video. At that time, Cameo was still known as a HUGE FUNK BAND (similar to the Bar-Kays, LTD, etc.). By the time the 80s came along and HUGE funk bands died, Cameo downsized and re-invented themselves. When they came out with the Word Up album and people saw Larry in the cod piece, it became a big marketing project that propelled the song to a big hit.

I really think that Cameosis and Knights of the Sound Table are excellent albums and surpass Word Up anyday.

I dig Cameo but I also found myself hating "Word Up" though "Candy" still makes me dance from time to time.

I dig "I Just Want to Be", "Sparkle", "Back and Forth", "Shake Yo Pants" and "She's Strange".

Timmy84 said:

Don't forget "Flirt".

uPtoWnNY said:

Oh yeah... I love the instrumentation to that one and how they kept going "Fliiiiirt..."

Timmy84 said:

Yeah, that sh!t is tight, especially the bass.

uPtoWnNY said:

That bass was something nasty. I forgot to mention "Single Life" too. I love the bass in that one and the bridges.

Abdul said:

Absolutley.

Cameo was the tightest band I had seen aside from P and the NPG in a long time..when I saw them about 1 year ago!!!! Very hot performance.

NPGman said:

Well, you know they like to... keep it hot!