Let’s put together a playlist of songs that are surprisingly funky from bands that are not really known for their funk skills. I’m not looking for funky covers (Superstition by Stevie Ray Vaughn, or Love Rollercoaster from RHCP) since those were already funky songs. Anything by Red Hot Chili Peppers wouldn’t count anyway, since they’re already pretty funky. Nothing by James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Rufus, Prince, etc.
I’ll start:
Funk #49 by The James Gang
Looking for Clues by Robert Palmer
Iffy:
Shakey Ground by the Temptations – super funky, but should the Temptations be disallowed? I’d include it – My Girl, etc., aren’t really funk, but Shakey Ground is one of the funkiest songs ever.
If you’re going to link to a YouTube video, please also mention the name and artist, since YouTube is blocked for me during the day.
I saw a youtube reaction video where the reviewer was big time surprised with the bass line from Megadeth’s Peace Sells But Who’s Buying. Getting right down, she was.
I assume most people who aren’t too into the Grateful Dead think of them as a “hippie band” and probably don’t associate them with funk…Shakedown Street was always pretty funky, and (slightly breaking the rules here), their live versions of “Dancing in the Streets” in the late 70s could get incredibly funky.
The Crunge is basically a parody of a James Brown song (“I can’t find the bridge!”), but can something in 5/4 time (or 9/8?) really be funk? But, it is pretty funky anyway.
Something I found out only recently is D’yer Mak’er is basically pronounce “Jamaica” – get it? And it’s reggae.
If anyone really doesn’t know this, it’s very old English “joke”…
Set up: My wife’s gone to the West Indies
Stooge: Jamaica?
No, she went of her own accord!
Meanwhile, if you have the technology (LP turntable) and a copy of Pink Floyd’s Echoes, try playing the middle instrumental* section at 45 rpm, report back with findings.
The Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down” is kinda funky in a slow-burning, R&B way.
I don’t think many people would consider the band Talking Heads to be funky, but James Brown was a big influence. I remember when their (IMO) underrated album “Naked” was released, a DJ with a new music program on a local NPR station played snippets from “Naked” side-by-side with snippets from James Brown songs to very convincingly demonstrate that influence.
The Sweet is some band. Every song I know by them sounds like a different band. This song (yes, funky!) sounds as different from Love Is Like Oxygen as that song is as different from Ballroom Blitz. Amazing!
For some reason, this song reminded me that the solo in the middle of Fascist Groove Thang by Heaven 17 is pretty funky.
Bass is undeniably funky and inspired by James Jamerson and others. But Duran Duran were new wave dance pop, so perhaps not best described as a “non-funky” band. Depends on what your definition of that is.
