80’s Funk Dance Music: United States vs. the World

Are you a fan of 80’s funk dance music? If so, you’re in for a treat! In this blog post, we’ll be pitting the best of the United States against the best of the world when it comes to this iconic genre of music. Who will come out on top?

Introduction

The 80’s was a time of change. There was a new kind of music that was created called Funk. This type of music was created in the United States and it quickly spread to other parts of the world. The popularity of Funk can be seen in the way that it influenced other genres of music, such as Hip Hop and R&B. In this paper, we will compare and contrast the Funk scenes in the United States and Europe.

The Birth of Funk

The Funk movement began in the African American community in the mid-1960s. James Brown’s “Cold Sweat” (1967) is credited as the song that started the genre. Funk created a new type of dancer, one who emphasized sex appeal and individual style. In contrast to the formal, precise movements of earlier styles such as Rock and Latin dances, funk dancers let their bodies flow with the music.

Funk also influenced fashion. The look was flashy and printed fabrics were common. Bell-bottom pants, platform shoes, and Afros became popular among both men and women.

Funk music spread quickly to other parts of the world in the 1970s. One of the earliest examples is Carlos Santana’s cover of Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (1971). Other artists who adopted funk into their music include Sly and the Family Stone, Parliament-Funkadelic, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Rick James, Kool & The Gang, Earth Wind & Fire, and Prince.

2.1 James Brown

James Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. A central figure in the development of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century popular music and dance, he is often referred to as the “Godfather of Soul”. In a career that lasted 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres.

Brown began his career as a rhythm and blues singer in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He joined an R&B vocal group, the Famous Flames, whose recording of “Please Please Please” was a hit in 1956. He then secured a record deal with Federal Records in 1956. These songs were followed by the singles “I Want You So Bad” and “Try Me”, which established him as a solo artist on the R&B charts. He reached his peak in 1965 with the single “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”, which won two Grammy Awards; it expanded Brown’s artistic repertoire to include funk music. Its success resulted in Brown performing at the first edition of the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. He continued to record hit singles throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s with influential groups such as The JBs – including 1968’s “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud” – and charted with songs such as “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine”, “The Payback”, and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”. By the end of the 1970s, Brown had moved from being famous for his live performances at black venues like The Apollo Theater to having widespread commercial success with albums such as Hot Pants (1971) and Get on Up (1974).

2.2 Sly and the Family Stone

Sly and the Family Stone were an American musical group from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Headed by singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several family members and other musicians, the band’s recordings spanned several genres and included such successes as “Dance to the Music”, “Everyday People”, and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”.

The band’s 1967 debut album, A Whole New Thing, was a critical success. The 1968 follow-up album Stand! reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned hit singles such as “Stand!”, “Everyday People”, and “I Want to Take You Higher”. The 1970 album Fresh introduced a harder funk sound featuring odd time signatures on tracks such as “In Time” and lyrics about contemporary issues such as Vietnam War protests. The 1971 double album There’s a Riot Goin’ On is regarded as one of the greatest funk albums of all time, with its murky production style becoming influential in subsequent years. By 1973 they had released four more studio albums while opening for performers such asThe Rolling StonesandThe Who on tour.

After 1974 creative differences within the group led to its disbandment; followed by Sly Stone’s drug addiction which resulted in legal troubles that prevented much activity until 1987 when he reformed the Family Stone with some new members for tour dates across Europe. The band continued to record sporadically until 1992’s Heal Yourself which featured only three original members: Sly Stone himself (who acted only as producer), his brother Rose (on lead vocals) and bassist Larry Graham.

The Rise of Funk

Funk is a music genre that originated in the early 1970s. It has its roots in African-American music and culture, specifically in the then-new style of rhythm and blues called “soul.” Funk’s earliest origins can be traced back to the works of James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and Parliament-Funkadelic. These artists combined elements of soul, rhythm and blues, and self-contained horn sections to create a new, distinctly American sound.

While funk initially found its home in African-American communities, it quickly gained popularity among all groups in the United States. By the end of the 1970s, funk had become one of the most popular genres of music in the country. During this same period, however, funk also began to develop a strong international following.

In the 1980s, funk reached its commercial peak in the United States. This decade saw the rise of artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, and Madonna, all of whom helped to bring funk to a wider audience. At the same time, however, funk was also gaining popularity in other parts of the world. In Brazil, for example, artists like Gilberto Gil and Jorge Ben Jor were creating their own distinctive versions of funk. Similarly, in England, bands like Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Fine Young Cannibals were incorporating elements of funk into their own music.

Today, funk remains an important part of both American and international music scenes. In the United States, artists like Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar are keeping funk alive for new generations of fans. And around the world, musicians from every corner of the globe continue to experiment with this unique and versatile genre.

3.1 George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic

George Clinton is American musician and the principal architect of P-Funk. His bands – Parliament and Funkadelic – developed an idiosyncratic form of funk music during the 1970s that blended elements of rock, soul, R&B, and acid jazz. He has been cited as one of the foremost innovators of funk music along with James Brown and Sly Stone. Clinton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.

3.2 Bootsy Collins

Bootsy Collins is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as a founding member of the band Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with James Brown in the 1970s. He has released several solo albums, the most recent being World Wide Funk (2017).

Collins was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and raised in nearby Elyria. He received his first bass guitar at the age of 14 and played in several local bands before being recruited by Brown as a member of The J.B.’s, Brown’s backing band. He became a key part of Brown’s “direction” or “style” team during the 1970s; Collins co-wrote and performed on many of Brown’s most influential recordings, including “Sex Machine”, “Super Bad”, and “Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine”.

In 1972, Collins began recording with Parliament-Funkadelic, which went on to become one of the most successful funk bands of all time. He remained with the group until his departure in 1981. In 1976, he collaborated with Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads on his solo debut album, Adventures in Rubber Band Land.

Collins has won five Grammy Awards and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

3.3 Prince

In the United States, Funk is often associated with African American culture, while in Europe it is more commonly associated with black popular music of the Caribbean. This disconnect is likely due to the fact that Funk originated in the U.S., with its earliest incarnation happening in the 1960s. As the genre progressed, it began to take on various international influences, which helped to shape the sound of Funk as we know it today.

Interestingly enough, one of the most well-known and successful exponents of Funk is not from the United States, but rather from Minneapolis, Minnesota – Prince. Born Prince Rogers Nelson in 1958, he was exposed to a variety of music growing up, including Jazz, Soul, R&B, and Rock & Roll. All of these genres would eventually come to influence his own unique sound.

Prince’s first album, For You (1978), was very much a product of its time and didn’t really make much of a splash outside of his home country. It wasn’t until his fourth album, 1999 (1982), that Prince began to gain some traction internationally. The title track was a massive hit all over the world and helped to increase Prince’s profile significantly.

From there, Prince continued to release a string of successful albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, cementing his reputation as one of the most talented and innovative musicians of his generation. His impact on Funk cannot be overstated – without Prince, it’s doubtful that the genre would be nearly as popular as it is today.

The Spread of Funk

In the early 1970s, American funk music began to gain popularity overseas, especially in Europe and Japan. Funk bands such as James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic were particularly popular, and their style of music soon began to influence European and Japanese musicians. As a result, a new genre of music emerged: Eurofunk. This fusion of American funk with European electronic music became popular in the 1980s, and many Eurofunk bands achieved mainstream success.

In the United States, meanwhile, funk continued to be popular among African Americans and other minority groups. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, two new subgenres of funk emerged: disco-funk and boogie-woogie. Disco-funk was a more danceable form of funk, while boogie-woogie focused on catchy melodies and grooves. Both styles were very popular in the 1980s, and many Funk bands achieved mainstream success.

4.1 Europe

When it comes to 80’s funk, Europe took a very different route than the United States. European funk was more focused on synthesizers and electronic instruments, while American funk was focused on traditional funk instruments like the bass and guitar. This difference in instrumentation led to a very different sound for each region.

Also, while American 80’s funk was focused on R&B and soul, European 80’s funk took inspiration from disco and pop music. This can be heard in the similarities between 80’s European funk and today’s electronic dance music. Many of the same synthesizer sounds and rhythms can be heard in both genres.

4.2 Brazil

As the disco fad began to wane in the United States at the beginning of the 1980s, a new style of dance music was born out of the ashes: funk. Originating in Brazil, funk took the best elements of disco – the hypnotic rhythms, catchy hooks, and party-starting vibes – and injected them with a healthy dose of raw energy and attitude. If disco was about glitz and glamour, funk was about getting down and dirty on the dance floor.

While funk never attained the same level of mainstream popularity in Brazil as it did in other parts of the world, it did produce some enduring hits, including Clube do Balanço’s “É Fogo” and Cassiano’s “Onde Você Mora.” But it was perhaps Tim Maia, one of the pioneers of Brazilian funk, who had the biggest impact on the genre with his singles “Brother Father Mother Sister” and “Nobody Can Live Forever.”

Funk quickly spread from Brazil to other parts of South America, particularly Venezuela and Colombia. In Venezuela, Juan Laya & Jorge Montiel were responsible for popularizing the genre with their track “Eso Es El Amor,” while in Colombia Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe brought salsa into the mix with their seminal song “El Malo.”

While Brazilian funk might have been overshadowed by its more famous cousin from James Brown’s homeland – American funk – it nonetheless made a significant mark on dance music history.

4.3 Japan

From the late 70s to early 80s, Japanese funk bands such as Candies, Pink Lady, and Yahowha 13 began to incorporating Western-style funk into their music. These groups would often sing in both English and Japanese, creating a unique sound that blended the best of both worlds. While most funk bands in the United States were African American, these Japanese groups were able to achieve mainstream success in their home country. They even managed to crack the American market, with Pink Lady becoming the first Asian act to receive significant airplay on MTV.

Conclusion

When it comes to 80’s funk, the United States and the world are two very different places. The United States has always been known for its love of all things funk, while the world has been a bit more hesitant to embrace the genre. However, there are a few countries that have embraced 80’s funk and made it their own. Here is a look at how 80’s funk dance music differs in the United States and the world.

In the United States, 80’s funk dance music is all about having fun and letting loose. The beats are lively and upbeat, and the lyrics are often playful and sexy. There is a strong emphasis on individual expression, and many of the dances are improvised. This is in contrast to the more structured and rigid dances of other genres such as hip hop or disco.

The world’s approach to 80’s funk dance music is much more reserved. The beats are slower and the lyrics are often more serious in nature. The dances are usually choreographed and performed by groups rather than individuals. This is likely due to the fact that most of the world’s cultures have not been as exposed to funk music as America has.

Despite their differences, both the United States and the world have produced some incredible 80’s funk tunes. From early pioneers like Parliament-Funkadelic to modern innovators like Prince, there is no shortage of great 80’s funk songs to enjoy. So whatever your taste, make sure to get out there and listen to some great 80’s funk dance music from both America and the rest of the world!