# Surprising funk from non-funky bands **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2019, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268 "2019-10-25T12:09:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2019, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/61 "2019-11-01T21:18:09Z")
Would [Urgent](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcb-Fsx_phM) from **Foreigner** count? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2019, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/62 "2019-11-01T23:13:27Z")
Thomas Dolby - “Hyperactive” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8mHgzK_3lNo/maxresdefault.jpg "Hyperactive! (2009 Remastered Version)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mHgzK_3lNo) ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/63 "2019-11-01T23:57:30Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Thomas Dolby - “Hyperactive” > [https://youtu.be/8mHgzK\_3lNo](https://youtu.be/8mHgzK_3lNo) I love Dolby, like Hyperactive, but think he had much funkier tracks on the Aliens Ate My Buick album. [Aliens Ate My Buick - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_Ate_My_Buick) ‘May the Cube be With You’ is the obvious choice on that album, but ‘Airhead’ has some funk to the rhythm. Though George Clinton is listed as having written ‘Hot Sauce’, I don’t think it’s as funky as other tracks on the album. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2019, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/64 "2019-11-02T07:14:18Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > Go well before “Naked”, and listen to “Fear of Music,” and “Remain In Light.”. Songs like I Zimbra, Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless: all have that funk rhythm I think the OP is looking for. This is key though with the Heads: listen to the live stuff. IMHO, for a lot of their studio tracks, they were way too tight and rigid. Their live music was much more free flowing. There’s an Italian broadcast of one of their concerts, floating around YouTube. Before the Stop Making Sense tour. Great versions of the above songs in that concert. Add a few tracks from _Speaking In Tongues_: [Girlfriend is Better,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK7hC8p5DJ0) and [Making Flippy Floppy.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xphLY5ucIpQ). Let me keep wandering around youtube, and I’m sure I’ll find some more. Again, I think the live tracks are better, ([Stop Making Sense](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bjnRrvx88Y), [that RAI concert](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wp2qhoop9U) I mentioned earlier, but the studio stuff is still awfully funky. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/65 "2019-11-03T11:25:28Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > Add a few tracks from _Speaking In Tongues_: [Girlfriend is Better,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK7hC8p5DJ0) and [Making Flippy Floppy.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xphLY5ucIpQ). Let me keep wandering around youtube, and I’m sure I’ll find some more. > > Again, I think the live tracks are better, ([Stop Making Sense](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bjnRrvx88Y), [that RAI concert](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wp2qhoop9U) I mentioned earlier, but the studio stuff is still awfully funky. Tina Weymouth added a lot of funk to the Talking Head, but I agree that Girlfriend is Better is a winner. I’ll add it. **Nobody** , that song isn’t that funky – do they have any really funky deep tracks? **Shoeless** and **GG** , which Dolby song should I choose? I know Hyperactive and it is pretty funky. I’ll give the others a listen. I’ll reduce the Stones selection to Hot Stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/66 "2019-11-03T12:49:08Z")
Joan Osborne - “[Spider Web](https://youtu.be/aCfmM9HZfVY)” _I dreamed about Ray Charles last night_… ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/67 "2019-11-03T13:12:40Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Joan Osborne - “[Spider Web](https://youtu.be/aCfmM9HZfVY)” > > _I dreamed about Ray Charles last night_… OK, added! Thomas Dolby has very few songs on Spotify and Hyperactive isn’t one of them. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/68 "2019-11-03T15:09:46Z")
Difficult-to-categorize Austrian band, KONTRUST, can get pretty funky! [Hey DJ!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwhPOlIuSXM) ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/69 "2019-11-03T17:05:48Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Tina Weymouth added a lot of funk to the Talking Head, but I agree that Girlfriend is Better is a winner. I’ll add it… Bernie Worrell may have had a little to do with it too… Do take a listen through Fear of Music and Remain in Light though. For Dolby, I’d recommend May The Cube Be With You as his funkiest song. At least the one that sounds the most like he’s aping Funkadelic. I’d link, but copying/pasting youtube links on mobile is a PITA. Easy to google. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/70 "2019-11-03T17:08:40Z")
Another band that might qualify is Clutch. Particularly “A Quick Death in Texas”. [Clutch - A Quick Death in Texas - YouTube](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OOH_EXLwZq8) (And now I can select the link text in the address bar. How weird.) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/71 "2019-11-03T17:21:13Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > For Dolby, I’d recommend May The Cube Be With You as his funkiest song. At least the one that sounds the most like he’s aping Funkadelic. I’d link, but copying/pasting youtube links on mobile is a PITA. Easy to google. YouTube link: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7lJwG8A6cfk/maxresdefault.jpg "May The Cube Be With You") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lJwG8A6cfk) ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/72 "2019-11-03T22:19:35Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > **Nobody** , that song isn’t that funky – do they have any really funky deep tracks? Not that I’m aware of. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2019, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/73 "2019-11-03T23:27:22Z")
Would “Come Together” be considered funky? Probably not? **Rittersport** : This one you _won’t_ be adding…One of my old bands - Mexican Power Authority - started off “Final Dignity” (from our 141-song _Haiku…Gesundheit_ 2 X LP) with a [funky bass line](https://youtu.be/pu578LxMFuw?t=3834) (before veering into a damaged ska ditty about a nurse approaching an old patient who’s looking at the last thing he’ll ever see - a Bugs Bunny rectal thermometer). (featuring, at end of song, Jason’s wimpering, upon receiving said final dignity) There, that is my funk contribution. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/74 "2019-11-04T11:32:02Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Would “Come Together” be considered funky? Probably not? > > **Rittersport** : This one you _won’t_ be adding…One of my old bands - Mexican Power Authority - started off “Final Dignity” (from our 141-song _Haiku…Gesundheit_ 2 X LP) with a [funky bass line](https://youtu.be/pu578LxMFuw?t=3834) (before veering into a damaged ska ditty about a nurse approaching an old patient who’s looking at the last thing he’ll ever see - a Bugs Bunny rectal thermometer). (featuring, at end of song, Jason’s wimpering, upon receiving said final dignity) > > There, that is my funk contribution. Thanks! I would have added it, but no luck on Spotify. ☹ Pretty cool sound! If it’s your stuff, I think you can pay to have it added to Spotify – I don’t know how much it costs, though. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/75 "2019-11-04T14:59:42Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Thanks! I would have added it, but no luck on Spotify. ☹ > > Pretty cool sound! If it’s your stuff, I think you can pay to have it added to Spotify – I don’t know how much it costs, though. Thanks for the props - spotify’s something I considered and still might do. Bowie was mentioned earlier - can’t remember if “Golden Years” was mentioned. (not sure if there’s too much _intrinsic_ funk in DB [like there is in Talking Heads] to sorta disqualify him here.) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/76 "2019-11-04T15:33:59Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Thanks for the props - spotify’s something I considered and still might do. > > Bowie was mentioned earlier - can’t remember if “Golden Years” was mentioned. > (not sure if there’s too much _intrinsic_ funk in DB [like there is in Talking Heads] to sorta disqualify him here.) I’m going to stick with Fame for Bowie. He has a fair amount of funky stuff, but nothing like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/77 "2019-11-04T19:14:39Z")
Except, I question designating Talking Heads as “non-funky” because they always had funk at the core from the beginning. I’m convinced David Byrne taught himself to play rhythm guitar off of James Brown records. Chris Frantz is an outspoken James Brown acolyte. Tina Weymouth’s funkativity on the bass has already been noted. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/78 "2019-11-04T21:33:55Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Except, I question designating Talking Heads as “non-funky” because they always had funk at the core from the beginning. I’m convinced David Byrne taught himself to play rhythm guitar off of James Brown records. Chris Frantz is an outspoken James Brown acolyte. Tina Weymouth’s funkativity on the bass has already been noted. I get where you’re coming from. As a counter argument, I’d say that I really love that song. 🙂 It’s not like they’re Rick James or even the Red Hot Chili Peppers. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2019, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/79 "2019-11-04T23:25:48Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Except, I question designating Talking Heads as “non-funky” because they always had funk at the core from the beginning. I’m convinced David Byrne taught himself to play rhythm guitar off of James Brown records. Chris Frantz is an outspoken James Brown acolyte. Tina Weymouth’s funkativity on the bass has already been noted. Not sure if that’s addressing my post, which I admit could’ve been worded better, because I’m in total agreement about the funk element in TH. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2019, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268/80 "2019-11-05T03:02:25Z")
> [@journeyman\_southpaw](#): > > Van Halen - [Push Comes to Shove](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3aW7oofNgs) I feel like EVH was at his funkiest on “Drop Dead Legs” from 1984. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-sKxFrTHwhI/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGGUgWShLMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBSIGgC8G0Ve8DQLx5GUJtpSa_Ssg "Van Halen - 1984 - Drop Dead Legs") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sKxFrTHwhI) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surprising-funk-from-non-funky-bands/842268.md?page=5)