The Space-Age Funk of George Clinton

In the 1970s, Parliament-Funkadelic created some of the most innovative and boundary-pushing music of the era. Led by the visionary George Clinton, the collective’s sound was a unique mix of R&B, soul, rock, and funk that was unlike anything else being made at the time.

Clinton’s Early Years and the Birth of Funk

born in Kannapolis, North Carolina in 1941, George Clinton was Drawing from a diverse set of influences, Clinton would go on to found the bands Parliament and Funkadelic and become one of the most influential figures in funk music.

Clinton’s childhood in Kannapolis, North Carolina

Clinton was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on July 22, 1941. His mother, Julia Fnklin, was a homemaker, and his father, paymaster George Clinton Sr., worked for a local cotton mill. When Clinton was three years old, his family relocated to Plainfield, New Jersey. Growing up in Plainfield, Clinton began participating in doo-wop groups as a teenager and he would often sneak into clubs to hear James Brown perform. It was during these formative years that Clinton began developing his musical taste and style which would later come to be known as “funk”.

Clinton’s time in the Air Force and his early musical experiences

George Clinton was born in Kannapolis, North Carolina in 1941. He joined the Air Force in 1956, where he was first exposed to the music of James Brown and Parliaments. After his discharge in 1960, Clinton studied electronic music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He then moved to Detroit, where he worked with Motown Records as a staff songwriter and producer.

In 1966, Clinton formed a band called The Parliaments, which would later become Parliament-Funkadelic. The band combined elements of soul, R&B, and psychedelic rock to create a unique sound that came to be known as “funk.” Over the next few decades, Parliament-Funkadelic became one of the most influential and successful bands in history, releasing a string of classic albums and singles.

The Rise of Parliament-Funkadelic

Hailing from Plainfield, New Jersey, George Clinton founded the Parliament-Funkadelic collective in the 1960s. Mixing elements of soul, R&B, and psychedelic rock, Clinton created a new subgenre of music known as Funk. With its heavy basslines and trippy lyrics, Funk quickly found a home among the African-American community. As the leader of Parliament-Funkadelic, Clinton introduced the world to a new style of music that would go on to influence generations.

The formation of Parliament-Funkadelic

In the 1960s and early 1970s, Parliament-Funkadelic was a dominant force in American music. The band’s massive output of music – including hit singles, albums, and live performances – helped to define the sound of funk and make it one of the most popular genres of the time.

The story of Parliament-Funkadelic begins with George Clinton, a Michigan-born musician who started his career in the doo-wop and R&B world of the 1950s. Clinton’s bands – including The Parliaments and Funkadelic – began experimenting with new sounds in the late 1960s, blending elements of soul, rock, and psychedelic music. This unique mix of styles made Parliament-Funkadelic one of the most innovative and influential bands of their era.

In the 1970s, Parliament-Funkadelic reached new heights of popularity with a series of hit singles and albums. The band’s music – which often featured political and social commentary – helped to shape the sound and style of funk for years to come. While Parliament-Funkadelic is no longer active, their legacy continues to influence many contemporary artists.

The success of Parliament-Funkadelic

In the 1970s, a new musical style emerged that combined elements of soul, funk, and rock into a funky, disco-infused blend. This style, which came to be known as Parliament-Funkadelic, was spearheaded by George Clinton, a former member of the doo-wop group The Parliaments. Clinton assembled a team of talented musicians, including bassist Bootsy Collins and guitarist Eddie Hazel, and created a new sound that would ultimately have a profound impact on popular music.

Parliament-Funkadelic’s first album, “Maggot Brain”, was released in 1971 to critical acclaim. The record featured Hazel’s groundbreaking guitar work on the title track, which has been cited as one of the greatest guitar solos of all time. The band followed up with a string of successful albums throughout the 1970s, including “Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome” and “One Nation Under a Groove”.

In the 1980s, Clinton disbanded Parliament-Funkadelic and pursued a solo career under the name George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars. The All-Stars had success with the album “The Electric Spanking of War Babies” and the single “Atomic Dog”, which became one of Clinton’s most well-known songs. Clinton continued to record and perform with various members of Parliament-Funkadelic throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

George Clinton’s Later Years

Even though Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic collective hadn’t had a hit in years, Clinton’s individual star power was still very much in effect in the late ’90s. He collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Primus, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Wu-Tang Clan, and Lil’ Kim.

Clinton’s solo career

George Clinton’s post-Parliament years were, in many ways, more interesting and innovative than his work with the band. Not only did he continue to explore the sonic possibilities opened up by Parliament’s revolutionary melding of funk, rock, and R&B, but he also began to experiment with psychedelia, disco, and pop. In the process, Clinton became one of the most popular figures in black music, scoring several crossover hits and working with a wide variety of artists. Although his sales declined somewhat in the ’80s, Clinton’s music continued to evolve; by the end of the decade, he was incorporating techno and house into his ever-expanding cosmic funk vision.

Clinton’s work with other artists

In the 1990s, Clinton began working with a wide variety of artists, including P-Funk bandmate Bootsy Collins, Deee-Lite, Ice Cube, Chuck D, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maceo Parker, Prince, and Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell. As a solo artist, he released The Cinderella Theory in 1994 and Hey Man,…Smell My fingerprint in 1996. These albums contained remixed versions of Clinton tracks and new material. In 1997 Clinton appeared as himself in The PJs.