The Slave Funk Band – Music to Get Funky To

The Slave Funk Band is a music group specializing in funk music. Their music is characterized by a heavy groove and often features horns and percussion. If you’re looking for music to get funky to, The Slave Funk Band is a great choice!

Introduction

Few people know that the name “The Slave Funk Band” was actually chosen as a joke by the group’s founder, Mike Gordon. He figured that since most funk bands at the time were fronted by big, tough-looking black men, a white band called “The Slave Funk Band” would stand out. And he was right – the name caught on, and the band became one of the most popular funk groups of the 1970s.

The Slave Funk Band was known for their high-energy live performances, which often featured complex choreography and elaborate stage sets. Their music was a mix of original songs and covers of popular R&B and soul songs. They were one of the first white bands to successfully integrate funk into their sound, and their music had a strong influence on later funk bands like Parliament-Funkadelic and The Gap Band.

The Slave Funk Band disbanded in 1981, but they reunited in 2013 for a series of successful reunion shows. They continue to perform occasionally, and their music is still beloved by fans of funk around the world.

History of the Slave Funk Band

The Slave Funk Band is a nine-piece band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band is known for their high-energy live shows and theirrelease of three studio albums.

The Slave Funk Band was formed in 2010 by brothers Mike and Steve Boudreau. The band has gone through several lineup changes since its inception, but the current lineup consists of:

Mike Boudreau (vocals, guitar)
Steve Boudreau (vocals, trumpet)
Marcus Rezabek (vocals, trombone)
Benjamin Sherwood (vocals, saxophone)
Andrew Pokorny (keyboards)
Adam Januszewski (bass)
Jacob Cramer (drums)
Joshua Denny-Keyser (percussion)

The Slave Funk Band has been described as “a party on stage,” and their music has been variously described as “funk,” “soul,” and “afrobeat.” The band’s influences include James Brown, Funkadelic, Parliament, Earth Wind & Fire, and Miles Davis.

The Slave Funk Band’s Music

Slave was an American funk band from Ohio, best known for the 1980 hit single “Watchdog”, which peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The group was formed in Dayton, Ohio in 1977 by singer-songwriter and keyboardist Frank Waddy, guitarist Danny Tate, bassist Leroy Taylor, and drummer Greg Thomas.

Waddy and Tate had been members of the house band at George Clinton’s nightclub in Cincinnati, The Safari Club, where they met Thomas and Taylor. After the Safari Club closed, the four musicians moved to Dayton and formed Slave. The group began playing local clubs and recorded their debut album, Show Time, in 1978.

The album spawned the singles “Watchdog” and “Just a Touch of Love”, both of which were major hits on the R&B charts. “Watchdog” peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band’s only top 40 hit. Slave followed up with the albums Stone Jam (1979) and Funkservative (1980) before disbanding in 1981.

In 1995, Waddy reformed Slave with new members singer Charles scates, guitarist Maurice Jackson, bassist Darryl Brooks, and drummer James Murphy. The group released the album Feelin’ da Flake (1995) before once again disbanding. Waddy later formed a new version of Slave with bassist Marcus Miller and drummer Woody Cunningham; this lineup released two albums, Back from da Dead: An Odyssey of Soul Funk & Boogie music (2009) and Funkanova (2010).

The Slave Funk Band’s Legacy

The Slave Funk Band was a short-lived but influential funk band from the early 1970s. The band was led by singer/songwriter William “Bill” Bedford, who was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Louisiana. The band’s sound was a mix of R&B, Soul, and Funk, with a heavy groove and Bedford’s powerful vocals.

The band only released one album, titled “Get Funky,” but the album has been considered a Funk classic. It has been sampled by numerous Hip Hop and R&B artists over the years, including Dr. Dre, Erykah Badu, and Kendrick Lamar.

The Slave Funk Band broke up in 1974, but their impact on Funk music is still felt today.

Conclusion

We’ve come to the end of our exploration of The Slave Funk Band and their music. We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about this unique band and their place in the history of funk music. As we mentioned, they were one of the first bands to fuse elements of funk, soul, and rock into a new and exciting sound. If you’re a fan of funk music, or just looking for something fun and different to listen to, we highly recommend checking out The Slave Funk Band.