Black Guy Funk Music: The George Clinton Story
Black Guy Funk Music: The George Clinton Story is a blog that explores the life and work of one of the most influential figures in funk music.
Introduction
Black guy funk music is a term used to describe a genre of music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The term was coined by George Clinton, who is credited with creating the style of music. Black guy funk music is a combination of African-American musical styles, such as soul and R&B, with elements of funk and rock. Clinton’s band, Parliament-Funkadelic, was one of the most popular black guy funk bands of all time.
Black guy funk music has been influential on many other genres of music, including hip hop, electronic dance music, and pop. Many black guy funk songs have become hits on the pop charts, and the genre has produced some iconic musicians, such as Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins and singer Rick James.
Early Life and Career
George Clinton was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on July 22, 1941. His father was a worker in a cotton mill and his mother was a homemaker. When Clinton was three years old, his family moved to Plainfield, New Jersey. It was here that he formed his first band, The Parliaments, in 1956. The band originally consisted of Clinton and some of his friends from high school. They would play at local clubs and talent shows. In the early 1960s, The Parliaments recorded a few singles that were moderately successful. One of these singles, “(I Wanna) Testify”, reached the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1967.
In 1968, the band’s name was changed to Parliament-Funkadelic (also known as P-Funk). This marked the beginning of Clinton’s musical experimentation with funkadelic (a blend of funk and psychedelic rock). Over the next few years, P-Funk released a series of successful albums including “Maggot Brain” (1971), “One Nation Under a Groove” (1978), and “Mothership Connection” (1975). These albums established George Clinton as one of the pioneers of funk music.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Clinton collaborated with a number of different artists including Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Ice Cube. He also continued to release albums with Parliament-Funkadelic. Some of these albums includes “The Electric Spanking of War Babies” (1981), “Themothership Connection: Live from Metropolis Studios” (1997), and “How Late Do U Have 2BB4UR Absent?” (2008).
George Clinton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. He is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award fromthe American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a musical collective headed by George Clinton, and mostly active from 1967 to 1983. Its style has been variously described as psychedelic funk, soul, and rock. The band scored multiple hit singles, including “(Not Just) Knee Deep” (19 Me”, “Flash Light” and “One Nation Under a Groove”, and have been referred to as one of the foremost innovators of funk music. The collective’s extensive recordings were supervised by Clinton, who has been referred to as the group’s principal producer. He continues to exert a significant influence on the music industry.
Later Career
George Clinton’s later career has been defined by his work with Parliament-Funkadelic, which he co-founded in the 1970s. The group has toured extensively and released a number of successful albums, including 1980’s Funkadelic album and 1981’s The Mothership Connection. Clinton has also been involved in a number of solo projects, including 1984’s Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends and 1986’s R&B Skeletons in the Closet. In the 1990s, Clinton toured with his own band, the P-Funk All-Stars, and released the album Dope Dogs in 1996. He has continued to tour and record with both Parliament-Funkadelic and the P-Funk All-Stars into the 2000s, releasing the album How late do U have 2BB4 UR Absent? in 2008.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Black Guy Funk Music: The George Clinton Story is a great documentary that delves into the life and work of one of the most influential musicians of our time. If you’re a fan of funk music, or just want to learn more about the genre, this is a must-watch.
