(Apr. 4, 2003) LOS ANGELES -- No artist will ever match the P.Funk experience of the '70s. Parliament, led by George Clinton, was the Uncut Funk -- hip-shaking grooves, ear-splitting guitars, classical keyboards, jazzy horns, massed choral vocals and high concept lyrics. This was extraterrestrial, psychedelic ... The B-o-m-b. Today, when artists sample the funk, they go to Parliament.


Today, when music fans want to blow their minds, they go to Parliament.

Now Parliament comes to them with the reissue of three Uncut Funk classics, each digitally remastered and expanded with bonus tracks. The Parliament Remasters (Mercury-IDJ/UMe) of UP FOR THE DOWN STROKE (1974), CHOCOLATE CITY (1975) and MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION (1975) will each be released April 8, 2003.

UP FOR THE DOWN STROKE is the transition from funk to P.Funk. After losing the Parliament name in the late '60s, Clinton regained it and signed with Neil Bogart's Casablanca label in 1974. Four of the eight songs on Parliament's first album for the company are remakes of tracks originally cut as singles on small labels in the late '60s: "Testify," "All Your Goodies Are Gone," "Whatever Makes My Baby Feel Good" and "The Goose." Of the others, the title track hit #10 R&B and remains a P.Funk classic. The album reached the R&B Top 20.

The bonus tracks are an alternate mix of "Up For The Down Stroke" with additional vocals (previously issued only on 1999's PARLIAMENT: THE 12" COLLECTION AND MORE), an alternate "Testify" that was included on early vinyl pressings of the LP but later replaced, and "Singing Another Song," a never-before-released unfinished jam from the sessions.

CHOCOLATE CITY was Clinton's Big Payback to D.C., the first major city to give his Parliafunkadelicment Thang mad love. The house par-tay rocks with the title track (a #24 R&B hit) and "Ride On," the contemporary gospel vibe of "Let Me Be," the disco of "Together," the Unifics' homage "I Misjudged You," and the jams "What Comes Funky," "If It Don't Fit (Don't Force It)," "Big Footin'" and "Side Effects." Again, the album went R&B Top 20.

Invited to the party for the first time anywhere are alternate mixes version of "I Misjudged You" and "If It Don't Fit," and the session outtake, "Common Law Wife."

MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION is Parliament's mainstream breakthrough. Charting #4 R&B, the album was also #13 pop and certified platinum. "Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk)" went #5 R&B/#15 pop and both "Star Child" and "P.Funk" were Top 40 R&B. The bonus track is the promo radio version of "Star Child (Mothership Connection)."

Parliament's core urban audience and now, finally, the crossover crowd were digging on the P. They still are.

this is cool!


I already have that cd of P-Funk 12" songs (from Polydor, I believe)
but I now see that there was a reason I put off buying the Parliament catalogue on cd..!


NOTHING like the TRUE FUNK of Parliament.

They set the bar for PURE FUNK

SO HIGH

that NO 1 will probably ever approach it,
much less match it or
(gasp!)
surpass it.


For ever & for always:


MAKE MY FUNK THE P-FUNK
I WANT MY FUNK UNCUT
MAKE MY FUNK THE P-FUNK
I WANTS TO GET FUNKED UP

I WANT THE BOOOMB
I WANT THE P-FUNK!

I already have the whole P-Funk catalogue on CD. Why do they always have to release re-issues with tempting bonus tracks and re-mastering? hehe

Essence said:

Uh,,,$$$ u feel me?

Oh yeah! Now we're funking.

These discs needed remastering badly as the originals were done in the late 80's(when I bought my CDs!).

Still, nothing is quite the same as owning these albums on vinyl with the crazy sleeves!

Mothership Connection's cover with GC in those silver platform boots!

3 funky. Oops, got a 3 on it!

's what I'm talkin' about!

They started the Funkadelic reissues last year, it's time for Parliament now. Can ya dig it, CC?

BlurredEye said:

i only have a few things 2 say... put a glide in ur slide and a dip in ur hip and get on down 2 the mothership... ya know i went down south..they had the doobie brothers blue magic it was cool...but lemme ask u 1n question do u like doobie in ur funk? oohhh!!!

Essence said:

I really understand where you're coming from here, Essence. I purchased The Ohio Players' Funk On Fire anthology back in '95, only to find out they recently remastered and re-released the collection...

Hell Yeah!!

Cool


It's just about time for me to update my P-Funk collection anyway.

I can't think of one major artist/group who hasn't remastered at least one of their albums other than Prince.It's pretty sad.

todd305 said:

Yeah, it's like anything popular, if there's money to be made they'll keep updating for further sales.

PhilG said:

The Beatles?

Anybody knows if they will re-release
The clones of Dr.Funkenstein?
That´s probably my favourite P-Funk album.
/peace Manki

Well, I bought Up For The Down Stroke today mainly for The Goose. And they did a pretty good job of remastering. I just wish that they would do The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein and Motor Booty Affair.
[This message was edited Tue Apr 8 12:58:37 PDT 2003 by chickengrease]

I wish I had ALL the Parliafunkadelicmentation albums all on vinyl, but I got some of them on CD (only about 6 of em)