# Funk me up **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091 "2004-02-08T06:21:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/1 "2004-02-08T06:21:40Z")
My current project is taking a more funk related turn. I’ve not been exposed to very much of it (at least not in it’s pure funk form) and need some great funk tracks for sound reference and mixing down our own tracks. I’ve got a couple of George Clinton tracks (Flash Light, Atomic Dog, ect) as well as the standards like “Play that Funky Music” and “Brick House”,. but I NEED MORE! So, my teeming mutha funkers,. hit me with some tracks I should give a listen to. ---
**Author:** ![Flipstrip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f6c823/32.png) [@Flipstrip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipstrip)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2004, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/2 "2004-02-08T08:54:21Z")
The Gap Band, can’t go wrong with them (just get a “Greatest Hits” CD). Dunno what sort of usual suspects you have, but “Jungle Boogie,” by Kool and the Gang, “Love Rollercoaster” by the Ohio Player, “Love Machine – Part One” by the Miracles, “Let It Whip,” the Dazz Band, and “Word Up” by Cameo. Hope this helps! ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/3 "2004-02-09T15:09:19Z")
**Tower of Power** - “Give Me the Proof”, “Walkin’ Up Hip Street” **Sly & the Family Stone** - “I Wanna Take You Higher”, “Sing a Simple Song”, “Thank You Fa Lettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin” **Isaac Hayes** - “Shaft” **The Temptations** - “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”, “Cloud Nine”, “Psychadelic Shack” **The O’Jays** - “For the Love of Money” **James Brown** - take your pick, they’re all funky. You can also make a case for some **Prince** songs like “Let’s Go Crazy” and **Queen** ’s "Another One Bites the Dust. Hope that helps you bring some funkativity to the blahs. ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/4 "2004-02-09T15:38:38Z")
Welcome, my son. Lou Donaldson- _Alligator Boogaloo, Mr. Shing-a-Ling, Hot Dog_ Lonnie Smith- _Move Your Hand, Live at Club Mozambique_ James Brown - anything you can get your hands on, as already stated The Meters - _Funkify Your Life_ (though any of their anthologies are good) Isley Brothers - _Ultimate_ (same) Parliament - _Mothership Connection, Clones of Dr. Funkenstein, Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome_ Funkadelic - _Let’s Take It To the Stage, Cosmic Slop, Standing on the Verge of Getting It On, Tales of Kidd Funkadelic_ Graham Central Station Station - _Ain’t No Doubt About It_ The JB’s - _Pass the Peas_ (James Brown’s backing band) That’s a good start, anyway! ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/5 "2004-02-09T15:45:31Z")
Three posts and no **Jamiroquai**? Heathens! Get thyself a copy of _A Funk Odyssey_. ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/6 "2004-02-09T15:54:30Z")
Sorry, you wanted individual tracks. :o My most recent funk mix- “Ride On” Parliament “Water” Graham Central Station “Funky President” James Brown “Hercules” Neville Bros. "Straight Cold Player " Lenny Kravitz “Brown Funk” Christian McBride “Let’s Play House” Parliament “Don’t Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky” Ripple “One Nation Under a Groove” Funkadelic “Stoned to the Bone, Pt. 1” James Brown “Psychoticbumpschool” (live) Bootsy Collins “Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples” Parliament “Fight the Power” Isley Bros. “Blow Your Head” The JB’s “Funkify Your Life” Meters “Root Down and Get it” Jimmy Smith “Big John is My Name” Rare Earth “Nappy Dugout” Funkadelic “Yum Yum Gimme Some” Fatback Band “Chamelon” Herbie Hancock “It’s Alright” Graham Central Station “Mug Push” Bootsy Collins ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/7 "2004-02-09T16:14:04Z")
> [@slortar](#): > > Three posts and no **Jamiroquai**? Heathens! > > Get thyself a copy of _A Funk Odyssey_. Sorry, I **love** funk, but to me Jamiroquai just sounds like some skinny, white, English kid doing a Stevie Wonder imitation. ☹ For the real funk, you can’t go wrong with anything involving Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, James Brown, Maceo Parker, Clyde Stubblefield, and Fred Wesley (preferrably something with more than one of them participating). Just listen to JB’s “Funky Drummer” on endless loop if you want to get to the essence of funk. That song is so funky, I can smell it all the way over here, across the Atlantic. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/8 "2004-02-09T16:19:36Z")
JB’s-era James Brown is among the funkiest music ever recorded, and laid the template for most of the funk that came afterwards. Several players, including Fred Wesley, Bootsey Collins, and Maceo Parker, were later recruited by George Clinton and formed the core of the mid-70’s version of Parliment Funkadelic. Look for “Doing it to Death”, “The Grunt”, the aforementioned “Pass the Peas”, “Blessed Blackness”, and my personal favorite “Giving Up Food for Funk”. The 2-disc JB’s box set is invaluble. The other big name to look for is Curtis Mayfield. “Move On Up” and “Don’t Worry (If There’s Hell Below, We’re All Gonna Go)” are from his 1970 debut solo album (he was with The Impressions before that) and are absolutely stunning. The beginning of the latter track is downright scary. The _Superfly_ soundtrack from 1972 is another absolute essential recording. The whole thing is dynamite. No one ever used strings in funk as effectively as he did. I will take the shocking stance, for a Memphian, that Mayfield’s funk was superior to Issac Hayes’ _Shaft_. On a mellower tip, Suggie Otis’ _Information Inspiration_ is a great overlooked gem that was recently re-released. As for Prince, the funkiest stuff he did was in the _Controversy_ and _1999_ eras. Beyond that, Prince moved out of pure funk and became a genre unto himself. “Sexy Motherfucker” is New Power Generation-era Prince, but it’s still among his funkiest. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/9 "2004-02-09T16:25:39Z")
Oh, and if you’re interested in some not so mainstream variants of funk, you should take a look at Go-Go (from Washington, D.C.). Look for anything from Chuck Brown, Rare Essence, Trouble Funk, or The Junkyard Band. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/10 "2004-02-09T16:27:37Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > On a mellower tip, Suggie Otis’ _Information Inspiration_ is a great overlooked gem that was recently re-released. > > . I love Shuggie Otis, and _Information Inspiration_ is most excellent. Another name to look for: the **Brothers Johnson**. They did a really nice version of Otis’ Strawberry Letter 23. Earth Wind and Fire did some nice stuff too. ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/11 "2004-02-09T16:37:08Z")
I almost forgot… **Stevie Wonder** - “Higher Ground” (later covered by the Chili Peppers) ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/12 "2004-02-09T16:37:12Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > Beyond that, Prince moved out of pure funk and became a genre unto himself. “Sexy Motherfucker” is New Power Generation-era Prince, but it’s still among his funkiest. There’s one loong funky-ass jam on his _Crystal Ball_ 4-cd thing called, I think, “Corrine (Bacon Skin)”? All bass and drum, a thing of beauty. The vocal is flat-out hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/13 "2004-02-09T17:20:05Z")
\*Take A Little Trip Take A Little Trip Take A Little Trip And See \* Gotta have a little _Lowrider_ from **WAR**. ---
**Author:** ![doomraisin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d78d45/32.png) [@doomraisin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doomraisin)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funk-me-up/228091/14 "2004-02-09T17:21:17Z")
Rhino records has a multi-volume series called “In Yo’ Face: The History of Funk.” Full of great stuff, a must-have for anyone wanting a killer funk collection. Highly recommended.