Parliament /Funkadelic's topics - tribe.net

PEOPLE, what ch'all doin'?

2008-02-09T00:45:38Z

Standing on the verge of gettin' it on, or WUT?

O

http://www.overtonloyd.com

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 4 replies

It's gonna get funky sun night .. la ....

2007-09-27T01:04:56Z

http://www.meltcomics.com/events/archives/00000213.html

ARTISTS:
George Clinton (funk music innovator/artist: Parliament-Funkadelic)
Overton Loyd (artist: Parliament-Funkadelic)
Hideki Nakajima (art director/designer: code/Ryuichi Sakamoto/stop-rokkasho.org)
Man One (graffiti artist: Crewest)
Kiyoshi Takami (designer: View From Above)
Ritzy Periwinkle (photographer/designer)
Sage Cole (artist)
Kofie One (graffiti artist: Draftsmen)
Marka 27 (graffiti artist: Minigods toys)
Brent Rollins (designer: ego trip)
Ishiura (designer: TGB design.)
B+ (photographer/filmmaker: mochilla, keepintime, brasilintime)
Hilda Garcia (visual artist)
Naheed Choudhry (photographer: naheedence)
Keith Tamashiro (designer: Soap Design)
Diana McClure (photographer)
Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca (artist/writer: chamanvision, Axis, Los Hermanos, Deep Space)

LOCATION: Melt Gallery at Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90046
phone: 323.851.7223
hours: 11 am to 10 pm everyday
www.meltcomics.com

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

Special P-Funk Guess in our Tribe!

2007-07-19T04:03:10Z

the Artist for parliament Funkadelic is in our tribe!

i must admit i'm star stuck ... ;-)

http://www.overtonloyd.com/

Bio http://www.overtonloyd.com/bioframeset.htm

His blog @ http://www.iamnation.com/overvision/

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 2 replies

What Da Funk ..

2007-07-19T03:43:37Z

www.youtube.com/watch

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

The whole story of the P-FUNK

2007-06-19T08:24:01Z

Have you senn this video footage?

This is awesome. We want the funk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7yyT7K-5jg

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

PFunk Artist - Art Collection

2007-06-18T00:00:01Z

It seems collector's are collecting madd-Overton Loyds!
What do you think of this site?

http://www.overtonloyd.com

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 1 reply

What song is this??

2007-03-20T23:07:19Z

I heard it on the radio (college of course) and called the station and he really didn't know which album it was on b/c he was playing off compilations. It was so cool I would love to hear it again. Name, Album? Anything is appreciated!!

"If you and me were babies, we'd sit in a cradle...blaf blah blah"

And "if you were one, and I was two, you would be pink, and I would be blue"...

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 12 replies

Bootsy picture/s...

2007-03-10T17:55:59Z

i'm asking for a BIG favor from the fellow funkateers in this tribe: i'm planning on getting a tattoo of "The #1 Funkateer", Boosty Collins - but i'd like to get one where he's wearing his "exhaust pipe" boots(circa. "This Boot Was Made For Fonkin'!").
...problem is, finding a good picture(or any, really) seems to be next to impossible(for whatever reason), so, i'm turning to all y'all for help. i'm gonna' keep on lookin' 'round the internet(& in the real world), but if any of y'all has a good pic of Bootsy with those boots on, P-L-E-A-S-E post it on here!!

any help is greatly appreciated.

thank you.

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 4 replies

Atomic Dog (Mixman re-mix by Sir Dan Fazejam)

2006-12-16T10:50:03Z

Sir Dan...
my stage name....:

http://jfiddude.googlepages.com/AtomicDogMixman-SirDanFazejam.mp3

This computer software that made this is called "Mixman"

http://www.mixman.com/

DQ

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 3 replies

Mothership Connection “swing low I wanna ride”

2006-08-18T13:17:28Z

Alright funkateers, why not chime in and let us know your out there?

perhaps shout us out you're favorite "P.Funk slogan ( We Wants To Get Funked Up)"

give it up yah, for the innovators Geroge Clinton and the whole funk mob!

Starchild here,

Citizens of the Universe, tribe Angels.
i have returned to claim the Pyramids.

I am the Mothership Connection.

Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry us home!

Time to move on
Light years in time
Ahead of our time back before time
Free your mind, and come fly
with me

Swing down, sweet chariot
Swing low, and let me ride

I wanna ride I wanna ride!

-George Clinton Parliament, Mothership connection

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 8 replies

anyone seen lately??

2006-07-05T11:37:21Z

so George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic are playing at a nearby city next Sun. and i am curious who else will be playing with them. Anyone seen them lately and can tell me who else is playing in da band these days......

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 2 replies

How 'bout commenting on my blog bitches??

2006-06-30T14:37:09Z

GC is in it? Did we ever figure out that tune...the baby thing? Hmmmm.

http://people.tribe.net/suzizzle/blog/8d2b833a-8516-46c3-878a-fd2fab634898

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

CELEBRATING EDDIE''S B'DAY BEGINNING THIS WEEK

2006-04-04T14:14:19Z

Check out http://bulletin.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.read&messageID=735478221&MyToken=007ea416-eedd-4a1d-8313-782ede299b95

http://www.myspace.com/eddiehazel

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT / FUNKADELIC

2006-03-08T05:29:14Z

George Clinton is the single most influential figure in the history of funk, the mastermind behind both Parliament & Funkadelic.

Clinton started his career in junior high, founding The Parliaments, a barbershop doo-wop ensemble, which scored a major hit with "I Wanna Testify" in 1967. Clinton then began experimenting with harmonies, melody and rhythm and taking cues from the psychedelic movement, forever setting himself apart from the Motown era.

By the early 1970’s, the group’s tight songs evolved into sprawling jams around the funkiest of rhythms. They dropped the "S" from the band name and Parliament was born. Around the same time, Clinton spawned Funkadelic, a rock group which fused psychedelic guitar distortion, bizarre sound effects, and cosmological rants with danceable beats and booming bass lines which became the definition of funk.

Funkadelic made a number of Earth shattering concept albums, focusing the politics facing the planet, with titles like Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow, Maggot Brain, and America Eats It’s Young.

Parliament & Funkadelic dominated and revolutionized the music scene in the 1970’s, capturing 40 R&B hit singles and racking up four #1 hits: "Flashlight," "One Nation Under a Groove," "Aqua Boogie" and "(Not Just) Knee Deep." Clinton’s collaborators included master keyboardist Bernie Worrel, guitarist Eddie Hazel, bassist Bootsy Collins, saxophonist Maceo Parker, trombonist Fred Wesley. On stage, spectacle ruled the day, with an enormous mothership, outrageous costumes, and marathon performances.

In the 1980’s, George Clinton emerged as a successful solo artist. He released Computer Games with the #1 hit single "Atomic Dog," produced The Red Hot Chili Peppers pioneering Freaky Styley, and signed onto Prince’s Paisley Park label. He also began to experiment with the urban hip-hop music scene, as a generation of rappers reared on P-Funk began to name-check him.

By 1990, Clinton had become recognized as the godfather of modern urban music. Beats, loops and samples of P-Funk appeared on albums by OutKast, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, De La Soul, Fishbone, and many, many others. As Clinton has said, "Funk is the DNA of hip-hop and rap." Clinton also teamed up to create new recordings with artists like Too $hort, Digital Underground, Ice Cube, Q-Tip, Coolio and Redman. In 1996, Clinton released his most recent solo album The Awesome Power of a Fully Operational Mothership, which reunited him with Bernie Worrel and Bootsy Collins.

In 1997, George Clinton & Parliament / Funkadelic were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Guitar Center’s Hollywood Rock Walk, and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award at the NAACP Image Awards. In 2002, SPIN magazine voted Parliament/Funkadelic #6 of the 50 Greatest Band of All Time.

At the dawn of the new millennium, the Parliament/Funkadelic juggernaut has shown no signs of slowing down, remaining active on the recording and touring fronts. The line-up includes both original band members, such as guitarist Gary Shider, guitarist Dewayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, guitarist Mike Hampton, and bassists William "Billy Bass" Nelson and Cardell "Boogie" Mosson, along with fresh new voices with sometimes as many as 30 people appearing on stage at once. In the summer of 2002, George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic completed an ambitious world tour of the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan.

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 1 reply

are we ready to funk?

2005-11-05T11:55:53Z

sat 10th at the fillmore sf~

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 3 replies

George Clinton

2005-09-10T04:14:36Z

http://www.georgeclinton.com/

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

2 Great Live Funk CDs

2005-06-22T05:36:02Z

I like the following George Clinton live CDs

"Live At the Beverly Theatre"

http://www.duke.edu/~tmc/motherpage/albums_gcpfas/alb-beverly.html

"Funk Um Agin"

http://www.musicmatic.de/P/PFunkAl4.htm

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 1 reply

Zulu Nation...Infinity Lessons

2005-06-21T19:37:18Z

THE INFINITY LESSONS

http://www.zulunation.com/

This has been given to you for a reason.

Open your hearts to embrace the pull of the Universal tide. The bridge has been built. Now is the time for us to cross into the next dimension of Togetherness that the New Age has brought.

Don't fight what you can feel.

Every One of Us is truly a divine creation, each unique in nature, the result of a spark from the Fire in the heart of God. The Age of Aquarius is truly here. This is a time for our self identity to be revealed. We are all divine beings. After 26,000 years, as enough of Humanity reaches this realization, an effect is created on all human beings. The Force of Truth is pressing on us. The Force has cracked the dam, which restrains Human consciousness and has allowed an unstoppable flowing energy to be released.

This Force of Truth is gaining more momentum every day, as more people feel it's effects.

Don't fight the flow. Let it carry you to our true destiny, Unity.

The illusion of separateness is the dam that blocks the stream of consciousness. Overcome the illusion; expand your circle of compassion.

Love One Another

As the circle expands, our collective consciousness grows, bringing us to ever-higher realizations of divinity.

As we are individually aligned with our true nature, the whole of humanity is strengthened, By focusing on your own development you serve all of humanity.

At different times in history, certain fully realized beings have come to teach us by. Revealing different parts of the plan for the development of humanity as a 'Whole. These teachings have all focused on the universal truths, and have taught about the power of Love. Do unto others, as you would have them do to you.

Multiplied and exponential growth...as more and more of us discover the truth inside.

The New World is Inside You.

Zulu Kings brings forth the vision that we may all exist in harmony. We celebrate our divine nature, and appreciate

Our individual contributions to the good of the group...

This is the true nature of the Age of Aquarius. Through coming together with music and dance, We Unite.

Since the beginning of time people have danced as a way of communing with the higher power. People have danced in prayer, for fertility, to help their crops grow, to communicate with spirits, and to celebrate Life.

Dancing is a meditative way for many of us to experience visions of Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect, and transmits these Visions to humanity

As we align our mind, body and spirit we become aware of the natural pull to that which is right. "Thought" is replaced with "Feel".

We are all like stars in the constellations above; we exist in relationship to each other. In the galaxy of human consciousness no one is alone. We all live together.

Be as one Spirit, one Soul, leaves of one tree, flowers of one garden, waves of one ocean.

Be Who You Are,

The Truth is inside

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 1 reply

Universal Zulu Nation tribe >

2005-05-26T22:31:07Z

You are welcome to join!
http://australia.tribe.net/tribe/188611ff-2d68-40f8-912c-f467e52c15a1?r=10365

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 1 reply

Clinton and P Funk in FL 4/21/05

2005-04-30T07:45:24Z

It was my 4/21/05 @ State Theater in Pinellas. Previously, the P Funk played a fair
show at Jannus Landing. I would rate that a 2. This show was a solid 7.
I remember "Give Up The Funk" (they skipped the intro) "Bounce" "Maggot Brain" "Knee Deep"
I went to the 3 row center and shouted at the band. Gary Shider was having some guitar problems but it didn't matter. the others fill in..He grabbed a Strat and I was yelling STRAT!
Greg Thomas did a semi-sing a long on Knee Deep, Kid Funkadelic did his solo which was awesome!
Worell came out on stage later just to walk around.George got some joints from the audience when they played "Some Stank"

Many times they cranked it up and I thought the roof would rip off. I was barking as soon as Atomic Dogs started.
The chicks on stage were flashing everyone. The band was grinding on them. Near the end they played One Nation
and we all sang. Later they pointed to the crowd in the back, there was just about 60 people left. I looked
next to my friend and Clinton was in the audience. We could have touched him but we were still rocking. Waddy
played a small solo and threw his stick at J. The show was over. Kash started a chant but the crowd
had left the show so we walked out and I saw P-nut Johnson at the entrance and shook his hand and said
'Thanks...awesome!' he smiled and paused, I walked away holding the stick J caught.

George Clinton
Greg Thomas
Bennie Cowan
Michael Hampton
Bernie Worrell
Dewayne McKnight
Gary Shider
Frank Waddy
Lige Curry
Robert Johnson
Eric McFadden
Cordell Mosson
Shonda Clinton
Kim Manning
Carlos SirNose McMurray
Tray Lewd ?
Clip?

Other Drummer(s?)
Men keyboards
Men singers

Songs I remember:
Bernie Worell Solo
Alice in my Fantasies
Cosmic Slop
Bop Gun
To the window to the wall
Up For the Down Stroke
Bounce 2 This
Knee Deep/Sentimental Journey
Give Up The Funk
Some Stank and I Want Some
Hard As Steel
Flashlight/Horn Solos
UnDisco Kidd
Maggot Brain
Blackbird Instrumental
Swing down, sweet chariot stop and let me ride
Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow
One Nation Under Groove
Atomic Dogs
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
Kash Solo
Crowd Chant

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 1 reply

Who wants to get funked up?

2005-04-15T13:12:06Z

I know I do.

How often do you funk?

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 5 replies

in concert

2005-04-06T04:30:58Z

Hey hey hey all

Who here has had the pleasure of seeing George Clinton and the Funkadelics in concert?

I have, 3 times, when I lived in Detroit. Bootsy worked the diaper with the star sunglasses and everything. I even had to sing on the mic as George took the funk down into the audience. They just kept it going, characters coming on and off stage and funk flowed. I still got some on me. hee hee ;)

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 2 replies

Games Dames and Thangs

2005-03-26T00:09:22Z

Eddie Hazel ~Games Dames and Thangs

Anyone have any comments about the rhino records reissue
of this hard to find funk classic?

It's on repeat on my ipod!
I love it!!

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 5 replies

P-Funkin Gear

2005-03-18T18:52:58Z

Any ideas on where I can get or have made some dope P-Funkin' gear?
I am not looking for t-shirts, I am looking for album cover/concert type stuff.
"What ever it is... it's got to be funky!"
CraigyB!

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

Fuzzy Haskins

2005-01-27T06:31:15Z

I just picked up a reissue of Fuzzy's "A Whole Nother Thang" and "Radio Active" packaged together as " A Whole Nother Radio Active Thang. " It's not too bad? Any comments?

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

Funkateers...cool sites

2004-12-23T10:00:13Z

All right you funkateers, it's time to get funked up

http://www.georgeclinton.com/

http://www.newfunktimes.com/ (really good)

Big up to the RHCP, Fishbone, Ohio players, ...and who else?

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 7 replies

RHCP

2004-12-22T23:33:06Z

Big up! to one of my favorite groups of all time

It's the Red Hot...Chilli....Peppers hehehahah! yeah!

funk it up flea

http://rhcprock.free.fr/

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 1 reply

pfunk

2004-11-29T20:58:39Z

is this tribe dead or what? anyone going to Parliament Funkadelic on nov 12th at the grand, SF?

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 4 replies

Bootsy website

2004-11-29T03:08:17Z

Check out the Bootsy intro...

http://www.bootsycollins.de/

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 7 replies

Motor Booty affair

2004-09-20T06:52:40Z

All through out that album, There are references to Metaphysics. Easter island, Bermuda Triangle, The Raising of Atlantis. Any thoughts?

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 6 replies

P Funk mythology

2004-09-19T07:55:34Z

Thanks to Aeion for getting me into finding meanings.

I found this on the web...

P Funk mythology

The bands Parliament, Funkadelic and related offshoots are collectively referred to as the P Funk. A series of concept albums and live shows, primarily from Parliament and Funkadelic, have a group of recurring characters, themes and ideas that are collectively referred to as the P Funk mythology.

Parliament

On Chocolate City (Parliament, 1975), the titular first track concerns a DJ character, who inspired the Lollypop Man (aka the Long Haired Sucker). According to George Clinton (who shares credit for the song with Bernie Worrell and Bootsy Collins), he was frustrated that radio stations refused to play his songs and invented his own station (called W-E-F-U-N-K) and a DJ to man it.

On Mothership Connection (Parliament, 1976), Starchild first appeared (inspired equally by Sun Ra's "Black Noah" and Jesus Christ); he is a divine alien being, who came to earth from a spaceship (his arrival is "the Mothership Connection") to bring the holy Funk (with a capital "F": the cause of creation and source of energy and all life), to humanity.

As it turns out (according to The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein (Parliament, 1976)), Starchild secretly worked for Dr. Funkenstein, the intergalactic master of outer space Funk, who is capable of fixing all of man s ills, because the "bigger the headache, the bigger the pill" and he s the "big pill" ("Dr. Funkenstein," from The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein).

Dr. Funkenstein s predecessors had encoded the secrets of Funk in the Pyramids because humanity wasn t ready for its existence until the modern era. The titular "clones" are the Children of Productions whose job is to ensure that everyone is on the One. Starchild s nemesis is ''Sir Nose D Voidoffunk ("Sir Noise Devoid of Funk" from Funkentelechy Vs the Placebo Syndrome (Parliament, 1977)).

Inspired by The Pinocchio Theory of Bootsy s Rubber Band Sir Nose attempts to end the Funk because he is too cool to dance. He is the master of the Placebo Syndrome, which causes unFunkiness (a combination of stupidity and no dancing). His goal is to place the minds of all humanity into a state called the Zone of Zero Funkativity. Starchild, on the other hand, uses his Bop Gun ("Bop Gun (Endangered Species)," from Funkentelechy Vs the Placebo Syndrome) to achieve Funkentelechy for all humanity.

With the Funky powers of the Bop Gun (which are augmented by the Flash Light....Shine the light on them suckas!!!''), Starchild causes Sir Nose to reach Funkentelechy, and find his Funky soul. He then dances away the night.

Sir Nose s return (along with ally Rumpofsteelskin) is detailed on the Motor Booty Affair (Parliament, 1978). Here, Sir Nose is both too cool to dance and swim, but Mr. Wiggles and the good citizens of Atlantis (a place where one can swim underwater without getting wet) cause Sir Nose to dance the Aqua Boogie.

On Gloryhallastoopid (Parliament, 1979), Sir Nose s machinations are undone by the Big Bang Theory, which reveals that the Funk caused the creation of the universe.

Sir Nose s last appearance is on Trombipulation (Parliament, 1979), where he traces his ancestry back to the Cro-Nasal Sapiens, who were especially Funky, leading Sir Nose to reclaim his Funky heritage, along with his son, Sir Nose Jr.

Funkadelic

Funkadelic albums are rather more ethereal and abstract when compared to Parliament s. One central concept is Maggot Brain (Maggot Brain (Funkadelic, 1971)), and a song on that album), which is a way of thinking which allows one to forget one s troubles, above which one must rise or else drown along with all the maggots of the Earth.

One Nation Under a Groove (Funkadelic, 1978) introduces Funkadelia, a nation wherein the Funk rules and can t be either stopped or labeled. The people of Funkadelia are called Funkateers (as are P Funk fans) and are led by Uncle Jam. Their mission is to rescue dance music from the doldrums (unFunkiness).

The Funk is described on the very first song (Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?) of the very first Funkadelic album (Funkadelic), in the lines "... my name is Funk/I am not of your world/Hold still, baby, I won't do you no harm/I think I'll be good to you".

On the second album, Free Your Mind... And Your Ass Will Follow, Funk is said to lead to the Kingdom of heaven, which is described as being "within" (the titular song). "Funky Dollar Bill" (off the same album) describes multiple unFunky priorities, all revolving around materialism and consumerism, which have taken over all that is good and true in society (including, on "Eulogy and Light," religion).

The album The Electric Spanking of War Babies refers to the Vietnam War, as characterized by George Clinton.

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 1 reply

Rick James

2004-08-07T07:11:30Z

One of the best to ever do it...

Love goes out to the one and only...Rick James

His last interview with All Hip Hop.com
================
Rick James: Fire And Desire
By Jigsaw

Everybody has a reason to love Rick James. Whether it ’s his celebrated musical legacy or his outspoken nature. Hell, if you are media, his ability to generate headlines for living a defiant rock star lifestyle is reason enough to praise him. Rick ’s life is one massive canvas that ’s still being painted. In his past, he ’s blessed us with hits like “Super Freak (Part 1), ”which does not begin to quantify his legacy. He also served two years in prison after being convicted of assaulting and kidnapping a woman. Similarly, his time behind bars does not mark the totality of his legacy.
Recently, Rick has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from ASCAP and spoofed by comic Dave Chappelle, a different sort of tribute. AllHipHop.com talked and talked and talked and talked with Rick. The interview will be presented in an ongoing series, because frankly, its one of the most interesting dialogues to be featured on this site. Remember: HE'S RICK JAMES, B***H!!!!

AllHipHop.com: I would like to congratulate you, because it seems as though you are making a comeback and you are all over the place now.

Rick James: Yeah, I am definitely resurfacing in the world of entertainment. Back into the “bump and grind. ”I am very happy about that, it feels good. I am learning a lot and I have matured a lot. I have a son, I have a family and I am taking life a lot more serious now.

AllHipHop.com: What are your plans? I know you have the movie coming out …

Rick James: Well I have the movie we ’re working on that ’s coming out and the book Memoirs of a Super Freak which is an autobiographical book. It was a great thing for me to do the writing, and that happened when I was locked down so it was very introspective, as far as my life is concerned. It gave me insight on musicians, a business aspect, as well knowledge on drug addiction and all that stuff.

AllHipHop.com: So you wrote it while you were incarcerated?

Rick: Yes I did, I wrote it while I was in prison, got a chance to look introspectively at myself and it was like therapy.

AllHipHop.com: I want to speak a little bit about Dave Chappelle, because he has infamously parodied you …

Rick: He is making a lot of money off of me, that son-of-a-b***h …

AllHipHipHop.com: He just resigned with Comedy Central for quite a bit of money [reports say $50,000,00 …

Rick: I know.

AllHipHop.com: What did you think of the skit, I mean obviously you were part of it but …

Rick: I laughed, I think it was funny, it was satire, and it was fun. You know people are too serious about things nowadays. A lot of people were expecting me to get offended, f**k no! Dave is a good friend of mine. So is Charlie Murphy, and I actually lived that life and to look at myself now, and to look back on my life and see how insane I was, is pretty funny to me. I used to do things like “I ’m Rick James b***h! ”and kinds of stuff.

AllHipHop.com: Oh you really used to say that?

Rick: Of course I used to. “Show my your t*ts b***h ”and all that stuff, it was my world and I was the king of it. So if you lived in it, and you didn ’t do what I said, then get the f**k out! When I look back on it, the insanity of it all; the drugs- when I made the statement about “Cocaine is one hell of a drug ”- cocaine - that was the foundation of our party atmosphere, it was about that.

AllHipHop.com: What about the whole drug scene, some rappers are experiencing those kinds of problems …

Rick: One thing about rappers that I have noticed is that most of them smoke blunts, and that ’s their big thing. But they smoke a blunt and they can ’t remember their rap. So that could probably be worse than cocaine. You don ’t really see a lot of rappers using cocaine; it is kind of a phased-out drug for them. Maybe because they saw their mother and fathers go under or there is some kind of psychological ramifications that they ’re dealing with, but not lot of rappers use cocaine.

AllHipHop.com: Did you ever do crack or anything like that?

Rick: Crack is for poor people.

AllHipHop.com: There are some rumors that DMX is having problems with crack.

Rick: Well, I hope that DMX is all right and I hope that it is just rumors. Basically, cocaine is cocaine, and a drug is a drug. But people don ’t realize that the biggest drug in the world is alcohol, that ’s worst than cocaine. This drug that eats up 5-6,000-brain cells every time you take a drink, that do not replenish themselves. There is a lot of money in that too. And tobacco, now those are serious drugs.

AllHipHop.com: Yes, but you are talking business now.

Rick: Yes, but cocaine is business too …but if you want to talk about a serious drug, alcohol that is the number one drug.

AllHipHop.com: Right, I feel you on that. Business rules America.

Rick: The THC content in marijuana eats away your endorphins; it trains your endorphins to act totally different. So that is like not a good thing, alcohol kills thousands of brain cells in a single drink, I mean we have billions, but still. Cigarettes destroy your lungs. So if you think about it, you walking down the road and the guy on the bus is smoking a pack of cigarettes, then what can you really do that is healthy? I mean everybody is an addict for something, few of us will admit it. I am not in denial about my addiction. I live it everyday.

AllHipHop.com: As corny as this sounds, I am addicted to candy, personally. I drink juice to get my sugar now.

Rick: Candy is a horrible thing. Because of the sugar content there is a risk of diabetes and all that you know.

AllHipHop.com: Are you touring or anything? I know that you and Teena were going to tour …

Rick: Me and Teena been on tour since November …

AllHipHop.com: I thought it was a great thing when she got signed to Cash Money Records …

Rick: I don ’t know how great a thing that was. I think it gave Cash Money legitimacy that I don ’t think they had because Teena is a legitimate talent. But she is very old school, she isn ’t Missy Elliot or Beyonce and I don ’t know if Cash Money can necessarily produce her.

AllHipHop.com: Her album in its first week sold more than Ghost Face Killah ’s album did.

Rick: But her whole album has not sold more than 180,000 records, so something is wrong somewhere.

AllHipHop.com: It is very hard to get somebody over 30 on these music video channels.

Rick: Let me tell you something, old school stations are the largest stations in the country. There is a bigger window. When the Temptations put out an album it goes double platinum, this shows you that people in their 30 ’s 40 ’s and 50 ’s don ’t give a f**k about rap. I mean do you think people in there 40 ’s and 50 ’s go out and buy a Snoop Dogg album? Think about it. They are buying Temptations, Miles Davis, and on and on. They are not going to go out and buy f**king Eminem or Britney Spears. So there is a very large window out there starting at 30 to about 60. That ’s millions and millions of records. If there wasn ’t, I would give up and I wouldn ’t be releasing this double album. The album has a chance because young kids don ’t run it, old school stations do.

AllHipHop.com: New Edition was on the radio and the program director came on the radio to say why they wouldn ’t be playing much New Edition, because their demographic stops at 25.

Rick: New Edition, I don ’t consider New Edition an old school group. I mean New Edition opened up for me. But I don ’t consider them your quintessential old school group, like the Commodores or the Ohio Players or Frankie Beverly. They come between a very strange line. They never had giant record sales that could compete with us. I mean we were selling stadiums out with this stuff, and that ’s a big difference. Bobby broke out for them, Bel Biv Devoe and on and on. The demographic for New Edition would be very hard to assess. With Rick James it ’s simple if you like music.vI make millions of dollars a year with not even recording.

AllHipHop.com: Where does your money come from?

Rick: Mary J. Blige, had a number one record last year with Ja Rule and Jennifer Lopez, Old Dirty Bastard, Will Smith, LL Cool J. That ’s where it comes from.

AllHipHop.com: How much money did you get off of Hammer “Can ’t Touch This ”?

Rick: I don ’t know $30-40 million dollars. It was an 80/20 deal; it ‘s the largest selling Rap record of all time. We sold like 100 million records.

AllHipHop.com: That ’s crazy …

Rick: Yea, but it isn ’t anymore crazy than opening a magazine and seeing Puffy Combs or Master P are the richest young guys in the country. That ’s insane and these guys don ’t know anything about music. Master P told me, “Ricky if I had a fingertip of your talent, ”I said, “N***er, you already have 700 million dollars! ”Puffy is sitting there not doing a thing, putting his face on everything making $800/900 million. In our day, we couldn ’t release our record, and distribute them, we had to deal with the Mafia or major companies. If we made $1.75 we were doing great, that ’s why I charged Motown one million dollars an hour. I was one of the first blacks to get a million an hour. But that ’s because I know that if they steal five copies, they are going to charge you for such and then be part of RIAA. So I said if they are going to f**k me, then I am going to make sure that I get paid. But it ’s a big difference now; these kids are sitting on 600/700 million dollars for records that will never get recorded again. You think anybody is going to re-record 50 Cent? You think there is going to be a standard or something for Eminem? Frank Sinatra has been here since I was 3 years old, he has to be about 80 years old and he is still going strong [sales wise].
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p076.ezboard.com/fpolitica...acefrm34.showMessage
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posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 1 reply

Maceo Parker

2004-05-29T16:28:40Z

"Everything's coming up Maceo," concluded DownBeat Magazine article...At the time Maceo was a remembered by aficionados of funk music as back-seat sideman; appreciated by those in the know, but not well known on the music scene of the time.

More than a decade later Maceo Parker is enjoying a blistering solo career. For the past ten years Maceo has been building a new funk empire, fresh and stylistically diverse. He navigates deftly between JB's 1960's soul and George Clinton's 1970's freaky funk while exploring mellower jazz and hip-hop.

Throughout the United States, Europe and Japan he has garnered unusual simultaneous respect as both an unrivaled musical legend and a hip, contemporary artist. Today Maceo headlines over 250 performances a year worldwide to sold-out audiences of college fans and old-school music aficionados alike. Over this time he has collaborated on recordings with such diverse acts as, Ani DiFranco, Prince, De La Soul, Jane's Addiction and Dave Matthews Band.

Raised in Kinston, North Carolina, Maceo was born into a musical family: both his parents played gospel music in their church. But his uncle, who headed local band the Blue Notes, was his first musical mentor.

At age 8 Maceo picked up the saxophone, and his brothers Melvin (7) and Kellis (9) chose drums and trombone respectively. The three Parker brothers formed the Junior Blue Notes and grew up admiring such heroes as David "Fathead" Newman, Hank Crawford, Cannonball Adderley and King Curtis."I was crazy about Ray Charles and all his band, and of course particularly the horn players" .When Maceo reached the sixth grade, their uncle let the Junior Blue Notes perform in between sets at his nightclub engagements.

It was his first experience of the stage that perhaps goes some way to explaining a love affair with performing that has increased rather than diminished with time. By age 15, Maceo Parker had forged his own style on the tenor sax. "I thought about Maceo Parker plays Charlie Parker, and then I thought how about Maceo Parker plays Maceo Parker, what would it be like to have young sax players listening to me and emulating my style of playing..." and thus the Maceo sound was born.

By the time Maceo and Melvin were attending the A & T College in Greensboro, the two were seasoned pros. On an evening in 1962 (while Maceo was out of town with another band), Melvin was performing with a local band, when James Brown wandered in for some late night food.

Impressed with the young drummer's style, that night James told Melvin, "If there's ever a time when you're not a student and you want a job with me, you got it, automatically." Both brothers would approach J.B. a year and a half later. "I really wanted Melvin," Brown remembers in his autobiography James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, "but I figured I had to hire Maceo, too, if I wanted to get his brother. I didn't know what I had got!"

Maceo grew to become the lynch-pin of the James Brown enclave for the best part of two decades. There would be other projects and short hiatuses during this time, including a brief spell overseas when he was drafted, and in 1970 when he left to form Maceo and All the Kings Men with some fellow J.B. band members (the two albums from this period are on a constant reissue cycle even some thirty years later.)

In the mid '70's Maceo hooked up with Bootsy Collins, and George Clinton and his various incarnations of Funkadelic and Parliament. He now had worked with the figure heads of Funk music at the height of their success, from the breathtaking shows of James Brown to the landing of the Mothership Maceo has been as close as it gets to some of the most exciting moments in musical history, contributing his unique sound as a constant point of reference.

In between his own touring during 2002 Maceo squeezed in time with Prince and his One Nite Alone tour (US, Europe, and Japan). The tour received huge critical acclaim and Maceo's presence excited reviewers and audiences alike.
2003 looks like coming up roses once again, with the new album receiving heavy attention in Europe and Maceo himself receiving a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation for his contribution as a sideman to the genre of R & B.

Maceo says that during his college years he considered teaching as a career until he discovered that most musical educators wanted to be performers, and his love for performing took over, for which we are all grateful. His contributions - bordering on creation - to funk have sealed his place in history, as both a musician and a legend. You could say he became the educator he set out to be, he just took the slightly longer route.

He's still doing it. And that to me makes a really legendary person"

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

Fred Wesley

2004-05-29T16:20:48Z

Fred Wesley

"We speak of love and happiness :
for me, happiness is Fred Wesley playing his horn..."
James Brown

Fred Wesley was born in 1943, the son of a high school teacher and big band leader. Like Alfred Pee Wee Ellis, his first love was jazz, until he joined the Ike and Tina Turner Review in 1962. A period with Hank Ballard and the Midnighters and Army service preceded his first term with James Brown (1968-70), a brief Los Angeles period led to a second (1971-5) stint with the Godfather of Soul, then the versatile trombonist went on to featured roles with both George Clinton as a member of Funkadelic and Count Basie as Al Grey's replacement.
Fred 'The Man'.

"I had the chance to become the first black milk delivery man in Mobile and I was about to take the job when I got a call from Waymon Reed. Waymon Reed was now playing for James Brown and he told me that the band needed a trombone player..."4
So in 1967 Fred began playing with James Brown on a fixed salary rather than gig money and because he was playing virtually every night there was little chance to practise jazz. In 19,0 he became the music director of this band; arranging, producing and co-writing.

"When I was with James, I did James Brown work. I completed his creations, I followed his blueprints...[He would give me horn things to write, but sometimes maybe it would be incoherent musically and I would have to straighten it out, so to speak. When it came out of my brain, it would be a lot of James Brown's ideas and my organisation. The same thing would happen with ail other instruments. So James Brown was the instigator, he would start things.."

The James Brown hits Doin' It To Death'and Papa Don't Take No Mess were Fred Wesley's own tunes. He also got into writing film music co-writing scores for the movies 'Black Caesar' and 'Slaughter's Big Rip-off. Fred was with James Brown for 11 years and in 1 g78 he decided to move on. He then joined up with George Clinton which seemed like a natural progression from James Brown.

"Being a creative person myself you kind of get tired of doing somebody else's thing. George Clinton came to me and offered me an opportunity to "do what you wanna do, give me something good man! It was like, okay, you've been to college, you got your degree. you're Doctor of Funk now. here's a chance of putting it into action! It was almost a natural flow into the P.Funk thing. When I first heard those Mothership Connection tracks, the rhythm tracks Bootsy had laid down, it freaked me out. Boy, I said, this is some new funk, this is where it's going. I'm going to get a chance to be in on the first of the new stuff! I'm in! It was like saying goodbye to the old and hello to the new."

"Clinton began to evolve and refine funk as an aesthetic, a marketing ploy, a black cultural battle-plan and a way of being if not a spiritual discipline. And it gave rise to a product line that spanned a half-a-dozen labels and a multitude of supporting acts and side projects: Parlet, Brides Of Funkenstein, Bootsy's Rubber Band, the Horny Homs, [Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, (saxophones), Rick Gardner, (trumpet), and Richard 'Kush' Griffith, (trumpet)], and solo LP's by Eddie Hazel and Bernie Worre"
Fred was pivotal with his funky horn arrangements as well as his clean trombone sound.

In essence Clinton and mainman Garry Shider took care of the Chorale...Bootsy Collinsl hotrodded the rhythm section while Worrell, abetted by another James Brown alumnus Fred Wesley, poured every bit of his extensive training into the horn, string and keyboard arrangements which might go from the baroque to the funkybutt to the Schoenbergian at the drop of a hat, never failing to score and underscore, compel and propel the lyrical liquid from outer spaced

P-Funk was famous for its heavily flunked, outlandishly costumed party atmosphere. But behind all me glitter and outer space references there was a more serious message. George Clinton was very politically aware of me racial situation in America at that time. Parliament and P-Funk metamorphosed from Clinton's original band Funkadelic whose lyrics were influenced by the anarchic Yippies and the militant collectivism of the Black Panzers.

The new band was musically more polished but Clinton's underlying message was still there but well hidden. His astute social commentary in me guise of 'interplanetary funksmanship' would be a great influence on me black radical bands mat followed.

"...Without Clinton and P-Funk's intervention in the major labels' attempts to whitewash the sound and content of black music, there would probably be no Afrika Bambeatea, no Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and certainly no Public Enemy, or no Living Colour and Fishbone either."

Fred Wesley first became apparent on the world stage during his period with James Brown as band leader and then as front man for the J.B.'s. He and alto saxophonist Maceo Parker were the principal soloists and they had completely different and contrasting styles that complimented each other perfectly.

After joining the James Brown band it was not long before he was contributing his own ideas and compositions. Wesley co-wrote the 1971 James Brown hit 'Get On The Good Foot' and most of the tunes on the Fred Wesley and the J.B.'s albums. If one listens to the albums that Wesley has had significant input; from James Brown through the J.B.'s, Parliament and the Homy Homs to the present, it is possible to see the way his compositional and arranging skills have developed.

"l try not to repeat myself. Thetis number one. I try to develop some sounds with the hams. Usually we used four to six hams and I just tried to do as many different things with that combination of horns that I could. That's why it gets more complicated I guess. I'm trying not to repeat what I've already done before."

"I write music in two different ways, I call myself a 'song craftsman'. Sometimes somebody will tell me to write a song about such and such and I would create something. I did that a lot with James Brown. However, there are some things that I call 'gifts from God. This is when I am just sitting at the piano or just riding along and the words or the music come to me."

Fred Wesley has the reputation for being the funkiest trombone player in the world and it would be very hard for anyone to dispute this. In this article I have attempted to show why he richly deserves this title. There is no one on the scene who plays the funk as well or as hard as Wesley. When it comes to trombone playing Fred admits that his style is set the way it is. This is evident when one listens to and compares many of his funk solos.

Fred Wesley is now concentrating his efforts on producing and writing songs. He has an impeccable track record in this area of his musicianship and I very much look forward to hearing his work.

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

FAQ P.Funk

2004-05-21T17:44:15Z

Q. What's the deal with Star Child, Sir Nose, Maggots, Clones, Funkateers, Honkateers, Flash Lights, Casper, Bootzilla, Bop Guns, and all the other characters in the Chocolate Milky Way Galaxy?

P.Funk sure had a way of coming up with characters and little phrases that kept snowballing as more albums were made. Eventually, a complete self-referential P.Funk mythology was born, where the forces of funk, fun, intelligence and sex would battle the forces of boredom, the status quo, oppression, stupidity, frigidity and falsehoods.

The seeds were sewn on Chocolate City. The DJ character on the title tune inspired Lollypop Man (alias the Long Haired Sucker), who was the DJ on "P.Funk". George has said that since the radio wouldn't play his tunes, he might as well invent his own radio station (W-E-F-U-N-K) and DJ. Mothership Connection brought us Starchild, a divine being who came down from the Mothership to bring Funk to earthlings.

It was revealed on The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein that Starchild was the agent of Dr. Funkenstein, mastermind of outer space funk. The secrets of funk were laid in the pyramids, because humanity wasn't ready for it...until now. Dr. Funkenstein is creating Clones known as the Children of Productions who will go out and make sure everything is on the One. Dr. Funkenstein can fix all of man's ills, because the bigger the headache, the bigger the pill; and he's the big pill.

Starchild would not be unopposed, however. On Funkentelechy Vs The Placebo Syndrome, Starchild's arch-enemy Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk is unleashed. Inspired by the Pinocchio Theory of Bootsy's Rubber Band ("If you fake the funk, your nose will grow"), Sir Nose is driven to stop the funk. He's too cool to dance; he represents the Placebo Syndrome, which causes people to stop thinking and stop dancing. He wants to put your mind to sleep and extend the reach of the Zone of Zero Funkativity.

Starchild is ready for him, having been given the Bop Gun by Dr. Funkenstein. He is ready to strive for Funkentelechy for all. This literally means "the actualization of funk rather than its potential"; in other words, that everyone has the funk in them, they just have to realize it and reach for it. Using the Flash Light on the Bop Gun, Starchild zaps the Nose and makes him dance. He finds the Funk and goes crazy, and everyone dances away into the night.

But it can't last long. Sir Nose returns with an ally, Rumpofsteelskin. This time the battle rages underwater, on Motor Booty Affair. The unfunky Nose is too cool to swim or dance, but with the help of Mr. Wiggles and the denizens of Atlantis (where you can swim underwater and not get wet), they make Nose dance the Aqua Boogie. Sir Nose tries again on Gloryhallastoopid, but he's undone by the Big Bang Theory: Funk set the whole universe in motion. He pops up one last time on Trombipulation, tracing his ancestors (Cro-Nasal Sapiens) back to the pyramids and understands his own funky heritage. His offspring, Sir Nose, Jr, promises to be funky forevermore.

Then there's Bootsy. His laid-back character was born on "Be My Beach", sort of a funny Jimi Hendrix. On Stretchin' Out, Bootsy becomes Casper the Friendly Ghost (or is it the Holy Ghost?), coming out of his sheet to say a friendly "boo!". He's ready to educate the little ones at his PsychoticBumpSchool. On Player of the Year, he transforms into Bootzilla, a rhinestone rock star of a doll designed by Funk-A-Tech, Inc. He can sing and dance and play for you, unlike Barbie dolls. Bootsy was regarded as a lighter side of the funk, with sillier lyrics talking to his Geepies. His musical style was far more disciplined than Funkadelic, however, with tighter rhythms and arrangements.

Q.What are the politics of the funk?

It's varied over the years. The early Funkadelic albums talked a lot about justice, poverty, and freedom, with America Eats Its Young being the most overtly political. The lyrics dealt harshly with those who had no compassion for the poor and helpless ("Biological Speculation"), hyprocisy ("If You Don't Like The Effects, Don't Produce The Cause"), and stratification between classes

Yet the group rarely sought to preach, preferring a more indirect approach to the problems of the day.
and another cry against politics ("Come In Out Of The Rain", featuring the great line, 'People keeping waiting for a change, but they ain't got enough sense to come in out of the rain').

Parliament's most famous political song was probably "Chocolate City", urging the use of the vote rather than violence to change the system. Beginning around the Mothership Connection era, Parliament's message was hidden in the whole Starchild allegory. Starchild represented life, freedom, sex and positive energy. His opponent, Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk, represented hyprocrisy, constriction, repression of emotions and actions, and death. The true message was that everyone had a choice; everyone could move towards maximum funk in their life.

Their most brilliant and subtle song on this topic was "Funkentelechy", mocking the consumer society. When Clinton asks, "Would you trade your funk for what's behind the third door?", he's asking you how much your life is worth. Will you trade your soul, your integrity, in order to achieve something that's ultimately meaningless? It's clear that they believe it's never too late for anyone; in "Flash Light", even Sir Nose finds the funk.

He particularly comes down hard on the government's so called War On Drugs, brilliantly satirizing it from the point of view of a government pawn in "Dope Dogs". 'There's more profit in pretending that they're stopping it than selling it' goes the line, a sharp distillation of the nature of the problem.

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 0 replies

Mobile Mothership

2004-04-22T18:06:33Z

Any suggestions on creating a low tech mobile mothership?
Non mobile suggestions are also welcome.

posted in Parliament /Funkadelic - 7 replies

Bootsy Bio

2004-04-16T07:42:48Z

Substitute music for sports, and it's the life story of William "Bootsy" Collins. Born in the West End of Cincinnati Ohio, he was a staff musician at King Records by the time he was 15. At 17 he was touring the world with James Brown.

At 50, he's still finding new worlds to conquer. It's hard to think of another musician with a 30-plus year career who has remained as diverse and as contemporary as Bootsy.

He's been on heavy MTV rotation this year with "Weapon of Choice," his collaboration with Fatboy Slim. The two also have a song, "Illuminati," on the new Lara Croft Tomb Raider soundtrack.

The British DJ will appear on Bootsy's forthcoming album […]. Modeled on Santana's Supernatural, the disc will feature high-profile artists collaborating with the R&B great. […]

Bootsy also will appear on the forthcoming Gov't Mule CD.

"It's just a blessing to be able to work with all these different people and to still be around and can do it."

He speaks quietly, thoughtfully, a marked contrast from the bigger-than-life Bootsy persona. But Bootsy is a man of contrasts.

The star-bass wielding, party monster Bootzilla is also a gentle family man, a loving father to his son, aspiring rapper Bill Jr., and a devoted son to his late mother, Nettie Lee Collins, who struggled to raise three kids as a single parent.

Before her death in 1997, she lived in a house he built for her a few hundred yards from his own. His sister Brenda lives there now. Bill Jr. and his family (yes, Bootsy is a grandfather) live in the third home on the property.

Family has always been important to Bootsy (a childhood nickname given him by his mother. When he asked her why, he says she told him, " "Cause you look like a Bootsy.' "). He started playing guitar at 8, because his elder brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins played guitar. "Havin' no dad in the house, Cat was like my idol, the guy I was looking up to, wanting to please."

But few 16-year-olds have much patience for little brothers. Catfish (a nickname Bootsy gave him, because, he says, "He looked like a Catfish.") had bought a new red Epiphone guitar and a small amp, Bootsy recalls. His brother forbade him to touch it, but Bootsy had other plans.

"He had a paper route, delivering the Enquirer, and I had him timed, when he would leave, when he was supposed to get home. I said, "OK, I got about an hour.' "

Catfish surprised him by coming home in mid-route. "That was the saddest day of my life," Bootsy recalls.

Mama Collins calmed Bootsy by promising him a guitar of his own. But money was tight for an African-American woman raising three kids alone in late '50s Cincinnati. It was four years and a paper route of his own later that Bootsy got his first guitar, a green and white Silvertone from the Sears store on Reading Road in North Avondale.

His second favorite appliance was the TV.

"I grew up on Casper, Huckleberry Hound, all the cartoons on TV, usually at a neighbor's house, 'cause it took us a while to get a TV. But when we did get a TV, I was wearin' it out with all the cartoons."

He hasn't changed that much. A plastic Casper the Friendly Ghost hangs from his keychain. His studio is filled with figurines, dolls and rugs of Bugs Bunny and other cartoon characters. The Three Stooges, too.

By 14, Bootsy was playing his first gigs, starting with teen talent shows and gospel groups.

That's when he was noticed by Wilbert Longmire, a respected local jazz guitarist who played blues and R&B, and a friend of Catfish's.

One New Year's Eve, when his bass player dropped out of a gig, Mr. Longmire called Bootsy.

"I said, "Hey man, come on, you're playing.' He said, "What?' He was around 14 years old and I must have been in my 20s, but I knew he had enough talent. ... He could always ... fit in 'cause he had a good ear. Bootsy had a rare gift."

He had something even more important, Mr. Longmire adds. After a couple of years of his brother and other older musicians refusing to let him play, Bootsy had a musical chip on his shoulder.

"He had the fire and the desire. When you want to get in and nobody will let you, that's a terrific incentive."

Back then, Bootsy was switching between bass and guitar, as was his brother. One night, Catfish needed a guitarist for a club date. Unable to find anyone, and tired of Bootsy's begging, he hired his kid brother.

The problem was, "I only knew two songs, "Memphis' was one of them, and I don't remember the name of the other one.

"I played those two songs for like 2 1/2 hours, until Cat couldn't take it no more. And he said, "I've had it up to here, man, you take the bass, give me the guitar.' "

From then on they were a team, playing every night in local clubs. It was a lifestyle that didn't fit with high school, and Bootsy convinced his mother he should drop out in 10th grade.

"I just wanted to play, I just had my heart set on it, and she said OK. I think she really believed in me, and that's probably what helped push me. I just felt that I had to be the guy to make something happen. I wanted to take care of Mom. She gave us all she had to give. And I just never forgot that."

Things began happening in the mid-60s, when Cincinnati was a hotbed of R&B. James Brown, cranking out hits at King Records, led the roster of artists.

As the Pacesetters, first with drummer Will Jackson and then with Frankie "Kash" Waddy, the brothers became the hot young group in town. One night at a club, a man from King invited them to the Evanston studio.

"That was the entry," Bootsy says. "We did any and everything that they asked. We didn't know what the heck we were doing, but at the same time, we had an ear for whatever they wanted."

The group became King's rhythm section for the next year-and-a-half, playing dozens of sessions, from R&B to country. "Man, that was such an education," Bootsy says.

That led to several tours for the Collins brothers, first backing Hank Ballard ("The Twist"), then singer Marva Whitney. Both acts were part of James Brown Productions.

It was not quite the big time. On tour with the lower-level King acts, musicians were rarely paid and frequently sneaked out of hotels to avoid the bill. But at 16, it was all good to Bootsy.

"We just wanted to get out there, and when we didn't get paid, it was like, "OK ... ' It just became so routine we didn't even feel we were doing nothin' bad, "OK we didn't get paid, so we have to sneak out the back.' "

The Pacesetters were in Cincinnati, playing local clubs, when they got The Call: James Brown wanted them to play with him, that night. Figuring his opening act had canceled, the band headed to the airport and Mr. Brown's private Lear jet. It was Bootsy's first plane ride.

When they got to the auditorium, they found that Mr. Brown's band, the Famous Flames, had quit and, with no rehearsals, the Pacesetters were to replace them. They passed the audition and at 17, Bootsy was touring the world with one of soul music's biggest stars.

"I think Bootsy is one of the greatest bass players that ever was," Mr. Brown says. "He and Phelps and me, we cut two smashes back to back - "Sex Machine' and "Super Bad.' And we cut them both in one night."

Bootsy became a favorite of Mr. Brown, who had him ride in the Lear jet instead of the band bus and took him along when he visited radio stations. Bootsy was the only one who could get away with calling the boss "James." But at that point, Bootsy needed a father figure to rebel against, rather than look up to. In 1969, there was a lot of rebeling going on.

"I was at that age," he says. "Bands were up front singing and dressing crazy. Jimi Hendrix was on the scene. And we had to have our straight tuxes on, playing Las Vegas.

"It was a great learning thing, but it got to the point where it was just, "Man, we just want to look wild and freaky and crazy and we just want to have fun. And James didn't want us to have no fun. It was like we were in the service. We were in the military for real."

Mr. Brown fined musicians for infractions, from musical mistakes to dress-code violations to behavior. Bootsy, who still lived with his mom, didn't care about the money, but one management technique really bothered him.

"Every night, he would call us in there (his dressing room) and drop his head and say (he adopts Mr. Brown's hoarse rasp), "Bootsy, uh, you just ain't on it, you just ain't on the mark, son.' And he would do me like that every night. And that was after we were killing the people, they were laying in the aisles.

"His whole thing was to break a mug down. But I didn't know that, and I wasn't used to that, so that was my excuse to start taking acid. "Well, since I ain't happenin' I might as well not be happenin' for real.' "

The LSD dissolved what little authority Mr. Brown had over the young musician. When Bootsy broke down laughing during one such lecture, it was the last time Mr. Brown called him.

Not long after, the band was playing New York's Copacabana nightclub when they were told they would be paid half-salary. They balked and, as usual, sent Bootsy to plead their case. But things had changed. Mr. Brown called his bluff and instead of riding the Lear, Bootsy was on the Greyhound, riding home with Catfish and Mr. Waddy.

They were broke but they'd never have to wear tuxes onstage again. Enlisting Philippe Wynne, who'd sung with the Pacesetters, they formed the Houseguests, their own band with their own rules and visuals for the glam-rock '70s.

"People went crazy. We had a style and were colorful. We had been all over all these countries, picked up on a lot of different stuff and just made it our own. These things that maybe women would wear or maybe you wouldn't usually see a dude in, we wanted to do that sort of stuff onstage - the long cape with short hot pants, the chains, the fur boots, all this crazy stuff. When we came in, we were just fresh and we knew it. We took it to the stage and just tore it down."

The Spinners asked them to be their backup band. At the same time, George Clinton, leader of Parliament/Funkadelic, was looking for a band to replace the one that had walked out on him. Mr. Clinton said they could keep the Houseguests name and be billed as Parliament/Houseguests.

Mr. Wynne became a Spinner; the rest of the group joined the P-Funk psychedelic carnival.

"We got with George and freaked out for a couple of years," Bootsy says with a laugh. "It was so different. It was the kind of different that I wanted. We got a chance to really act a fool the way we wanted to, dress the way we wanted to onstage, stay up all night, meet the girls, take the girls with us in the car to the next gig. All the things that a young cat would dream of doing, we did it. That was the best time."

But there were problems. P-Funk fans refused to stop calling the band Funkadelic. And, Bootsy, schooled at the JB military academy, found P-Funk a little too crazy.

"I just learned so much from James Brown, how he took care of business and George never took care of business. And I had to kinda come up with a balance."

In 1975. he tried to find his balance with yet another off-shoot, Bootsy's Rubber Band, which included Gary "Mudbone" Cooper on vocals and, from the Famous Flames, saxophonist Maceo Parker and trombonist Fred Wesley. For a few months, Bootsy played in both bands.

Soon the hits started coming - "Body Slam," "The Pinocchio Theory," "Stretchin' Out (In a Rubber Band)," "Ahh..The Name Is Bootsy, Baby." That period is documented in the new two-CD set, Glory B Da Funk's on Me (Rhino). He began headlining arenas and festivals, topping the charts, able to afford all the drugs, women and superstar trappings he could imagine.

He didn't like it much.

"It's sad to say that, but once you get the fans, the No. 1 record, it starts being like no fun. You can't hang with the people no more, everybody's after you... It got so crazy, and then the responsibility - "Where's the bus? What happened to the truck. We gotta get a new PA.' What happened to all the fun I used to have? Now I have to take care of business. I hate it."

Five years later, in 1980, he quit.

"I just couldn't handle the pressures. I had to stop and try to figure it out. I came back to Cincinnati. I just needed some time for myself. That Bootsy thing, being Parliament/Funkadelic. I needed some time to just get away from the autographs and just find that same little guy that used to go over to King Records and just play and just have fun doing that ...

"I didn't know why I stopped, and everybody was asking me why and I didn't have no answer other than what my mother told me one time, "If you ever get to the point of not knowing what to do, just stop.' "

He gave up the road, the band, the $100,000 paydays. But he couldn't escape Bootsy.

"I was trying to get away from that, and I didn't know how to do it. There are no books on that. Nobody told me, 'cause everybody wanted me to be Bootsy. "Where's the star bass? Where's the glasses?' I never could get away from that cat, even though I had been building him all my life. That same monster that you build, it will definitely turn on you."

After a few years away from music, he met avant-garde producer Bill Laswell in 1984. The two collaborated on several projects for Bootsy the bassist instead of the star. It began a steady stream of efforts from jazz to a strange hybrid called Groovegrass that featured Bootsy jamming with bluegrass greats Del McCoury and Doc Watson.

In 1997, Bootsy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with Funkadelic. That same year he became the first recipient of the Michael W. Bany Lifetime Achievement Award at the first Cammy Awards.

He has made peace with Bootsy, found the middle ground between the glam superstar and the funk musician. Now he's passing on what he's learned to a new generation of players.

"I feel very, very blessed to be working with and guided by a person with such a deep spirit as Bootsy," Cincinnati bassist Chris "Freekbass" Sherman says. "As an artist, Bootsy has that knack to be one step ahead of pop culture and not rest on the laurels of past accomplishments, but stretch his own musical projects to a new degree."

Arriving at his current peaceful state wasn't easy. "It took me to have to come off the road to clean myself up, kind of like a rehab," Bootsy explains. "That's why I named the studio Bootzilla Rehab. This is the place where I bring in all the musicians that come in from everywhere, and it's like this is a rehab.

"When they come in, it's time to clean up. Not just drugs, but the whole lifestyle, just so they'll have a clue.

"We didn't even have a clue what we were gonna run into. I had to go through all of that other stuff to find that balance, and a lot of people don't make it through that."

By Larry Nager
The Cincinnati Enquirer

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