looking forward to reading this book!

An oral history with the women of Parliament-Funkadelic, from forming the band to landing the mothership.

Parliament-Funkadelic is perhaps the greatest funk band ever assembled. Yet at the time of the group’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, none of the women who helped create the sound and performed in P-Funk were invited to the ceremony and their contributions have been largely overlooked.

Mothership Connected tells the story of Mallia Franklin, Lynn Mabry, Dawn Silva, Debbie Wright, and Shirley Hayden, all of whom were instrumental in making Parliament-Funkadelic, as well as the spin-off groups Parlet and the Brides of Funkenstein, into the legends they are today. Assembled by Seth Neblett, son of the “Queen of Funk” Mallia Franklin, and filled with the voices of funk icons like George Clinton, Sly Stone, Bootsy Collins, and the women themselves, this oral history makes clear why these “architects” at the “core” of P-Funk were both essential—and erased. From Franklin introducing Bootsy Collins to Clinton, to the Brides’ top-10 hit “Disco to Go,” to the drugs that helped destroy the group, this book reveals the hidden lives and uncomfortable truths of life in P-Funk. More than sex, drugs, and rock and roll, Mothership Connected is about Black women navigating a tumultuous era and industry to become musical pioneers. Now, after decades in the shadows, these genre-defining women are finally telling their story.

P funk jam of the day: "Cookie Jar" by Parlet (1978)

(1) Parlet - Cookie Jar - YouTube

Podcast: the author,Seth Neblett,discussing his book

Where'd You Get Your Funk... - YouTube

This sounds like a good read. My favorite P-Funk women's group album is still Never Buy Texas From A Cowboy. Can't believe old George came out of retirement and is still out on the road with the latest line up of P-Funk.

MOTHERSHIP CONNECTED | Kirkus Reviews

The author,Seth Neblett,is personally invested in this story: His mother, Mallia Franklin, was a backup singer with George Clinton’s pioneering acts Parliament and Funkadelic and was later a member of the spinoff women-led group Parlet. But the family connection doesn’t incline him to soften a story that, especially by the end of the ’70s, was consumed by infighting, power plays, and epic levels of drug abuse. Before that drama, though, P-Funk was a vibrant and pathbreaking commune, and women played a substantial part in it. Franklin introduced Clinton to bassist William “Bootsy” Collins, who deeply influenced the P-Funk sound; Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva were veterans of Sly and the Family Stone and would later front the Brides of Funkenstein, Clinton’s most successful and critically admired offshoot. Neblett worked on this project for years, and he spoke to seemingly every relevant person in the P-Funk universe, from Clinton and Sly Stone and Collins to hangers-on and businesspeople. The book may be too bulky and filled with insider chatter for a casual reader, and the oral history structure restricts Neblett’s ability to put the P-Funk story in the context of larger trends in pop and R&B at the time. But the book is entertaining in itself, mainly on the strength of everybody’s candor. Misogyny was rampant, which was clear to anybody looking at Parlet and Brides record covers. (In theory, the visuals were meant to support Clinton’s Afrofuturist vision, but Franklin mocks the imagery as “space hoes.”) The disposability of the women extended to the groups’ ever-shifting lineups, in which they functioned mostly as backup singers, which is unfortunate; Neblett’s book suggests that a saner, more sober environment could have made the women stars. As Clinton succumbed to ever-deeper cocaine abuse, the women jumped (Mother)ship.

A brash and thorough accounting of a crucial element of the funk firmament.

Full Show: The Brides Of Funkenstein in Houston,Texas 3/18/79!

The Brides of Funkenstein... - YouTube

Great!
thanks for the headsup!

Thanks for this heads up as well. May sound weird, but I'm really checking for this with the hope that there'll be some Sly stories in here...

I bought Dawn Silva's book, pricey but worth it!! Just ordered this one. Thanks for the heads up. P-Funk is my favorite kind of funk. The "Tear The Roof Off" documentary also touches on the shady side of the Mothership.

PAPAROBBIE said:

purplethunder3121 said:

Can't believe old George came out of retirement and is still out on the road with the latest line up of P-Funk.

I have now seen Parliament -Funkadelic -George live twice. Once a few years ago and more recently in July of this year. They put on an amazing show. I hope George isn't doing this because he needs the money...but I fear that is the reason because it often is. Lord knows if he was paid for all the early hp-hop samples of his music, he shouldn't have to tour. He has to sit for a lot of the show. But he has a lot of younger folks around him who do most of the heavy lifting...but folks should take the opportunity to see this legend while he is still with us.

P funk jam of the day: "Ridin' High" by Parlet (1979)

Parlet - Ridin' High - YouTube