Author | Message |
Top 15 Funk Ballads of all time Everybody likes it when a strong, hard, funkateer strips down to show his softer side. I'm a love songs type of guy and funk ballads are some of the best love songs in history of music. You can agree or disagree with this list but this is what I think are the 15 best funk ballads or love songs of all time. Why 15? Because 10 is too small and 20 would be diluting this list a bit. Here it is:
1. Prince-Adore 2. The Gap Band-Yearning For Your Love 3. Rick James & Teena Marie-Fire & Desire 4. Ready For The World-Love You Down 5. Earth, Wind & Fire-Reasons 6. The Time-Gigolos Get Lonely Too 7. L.T.D.-Love Ballad 8. Roger-I Want To Be Your Man 9. The Commodores-Zoom 10. Kool & The Gang-Cherish 11. Prince-Purple Rain 12. The Bar-Kays-Anticipation 13. Cameo-Sparkle 14. Mint Condition-You Don't Have To Hurt No More 15. Bootsy Collins-I'd Rather Be With You
Honorable Mentions go to: Faze-O-Riding High, Teena Marie-If I Were A Bell, and Larry Graham-One In A Million. Peace and be wild! | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Adore and Cherish are not Funk Ballads. PRINCE: Always and Forever
MICHAEL JACKSON: Always and Forever ----- Live Your Life How U Wanna Live It | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Yeah, just because a song is by a funk group doesn't mean it's funky. You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
That's your opinion and I respect that, but there are probably others out there (including myself) that would disagree. Besides, a ballad is defined as something slow or intimate. Nuff said! [Edited 4/12/11 18:37pm] Peace and be wild! | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
True, but Funk is hard hitting and rough. The only song that's fits alow, intimate and hard hitting is I'd Rather be with You. It's Funky yet slow.
There is nothin funky about Cherish or Adore. PRINCE: Always and Forever
MICHAEL JACKSON: Always and Forever ----- Live Your Life How U Wanna Live It | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
This is a ballad I would consider funky. A song like One In A Million You is not funky at all. It's more like adult contemporary.
You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
PRINCE: Always and Forever
MICHAEL JACKSON: Always and Forever ----- Live Your Life How U Wanna Live It | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
"If I Was Your Girlfriend" could be called a "funk ballad". "Adore", well, it's more of a ballad that sounds good on an album after a funk song...
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Purple Rain?
Lol wut?
Define "funk ballad".
Most ballads are slow and unfunky so it would be hard to categorize them with the provided label.
If any Prince ballad were to be considered 'funky', It would have to be 'do me baby' simply because of the bassline.
You're so glam, every time I see you I wanna slam! | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I'd Rather Be With You is a funk ballad. Adore is not. If you want to pick a Prince song, why not Do Me Baby? That's much funkier than Adore.
Try this one on for size:
or this:
or this:
or even this:
[Edited 4/13/11 2:11am] | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
If You Want Me To Stay- Sly and the Family Stone | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
How could I forget possibly one of the funkiest songs PERIOD (which can count as a ballad because of the tempo): | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Great thread idea. I'll be back when I'm at home and have time to respond. Andy is a four letter word. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Yeah funk ballads...have to have some funk in it....or else it could not be clarified as a funk ballad. Some of those titles can be refered to as a ballad by a funkateer. Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I'm still laughing at the thought of Purple Rain being considered a 'funk ballad'. Lol What the fuck.
You're so glam, every time I see you I wanna slam! | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Just wanna add "Love's Train" by Con Funk Shun love this jam
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
The BOMB! The Funk, the whole funk & nothin' but the funk, ya dig?! | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I know he meant well; but lets be nice. He just had to be re-edumacated. Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Love the rhythm guitar, Linn and Moog bass on this track. J&T on their shit as usual.
Dam Funk too:
I Wanna Thank U 4 Steppin In2 My Life
das my shit [Edited 4/13/11 15:59pm] Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Here are some that I like:
Jamiroquai - "Butterfly"
Slave - "For The Love Of You" and "Starting Over"
Cameo - "Sparkle", "It's Over" and "Why Have I Lost You" - Version 1 - it's little funkier than the second version
Average White Band - "A Love Of Your Own"
Rufus/Chaka Khan - "An Everlasting Love"
Maxwell - "Welcome"
I can't think of any others right now.........
[Edited 4/13/11 16:00pm] [Edited 4/13/11 16:05pm] | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Purple Rain is all ROCK & ROLL. Adore is all SOUL.
Anyway:
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I don't consider any slow jams as actual funk because funk is something you can shake ass to. However, I have used the term "funk slow jams" myself when referring to slow jams that were made by funk groups because they are the best slow jams. I mean, when you got a bunch of men collaborating on a slow jam together, how can it not be sexy?
Some of my favorites are....
Sparkle - Cameo Say Yes - Lakeside Yearning For Your Love - Lakeside Something In The Past - One Way Slow Jam - Midnight Star Feels Like I'm Falling In Love - The Barkays Spacey Love - Rick James Do Me, Baby - Prince Feel Me - Cameo Goin' Through School And Love - Raydio
Andy is a four letter word. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I Want To Be Free by the Ohio Players | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
In no particular order:
1. Prince - Do Me Baby
2. The Commodores - Just To Be Close To You
3. Bootsy - I Rather Be With You
4. Roger - Computer Love (I Wanna Be Your Man & Slow & Easy are strong also)
5. Gap Band - Yearning For Your Love
6. Isley Brothers - Between The Sheets (all of their ballads can fill this list)
7. Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing (Damn near any slow cut from Marvin)
8. Rose Royce - Love Don't Live Here Anymore
9. Kool & the Gang - Summer Madness
10. One Way - If You Play Your Cards Right
11. Mary Jane Girls - All Night Long
12. Keith Sweet - Make It Last Forever
13. Michael Cooper - Dinner For Two
14. Maze - Reachin Down Inside
15. Earth, Wind & Fire - Can't Hide Love
Lots of honorable mentions:
The Brothers Johnson - Q
Quincy Jones - Tell Me A Bedtime Story
Minnie Riperton - Inside My Love
Maze - Happy Feelin'
LTD - Concentrate On You
Rick James - When Love Is Gone (and plenty of his ballads also)
Teena Marie - Portuguese Love (same thing)
Ray Parker - I Don't Think That Man Should Sleep Alone
Klymaxx - I Still Say Yes
Alexander O'Neal - If You Were Here Tonight
The SOS Band - No One's Gonna Love You
Heatwave - Sho Nuff Must Be Love
LeVert - Pop Pop Pop Goes My Mind
Con Funk shun - Straight From The Heart
[Edited 4/13/11 20:03pm] | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |