Funkadelic (album)
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Funkadelic was the debut album by the American funk band Funkadelic, released in 1970.
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"Mommy, What's a Funkadelic"
The strong bass guitar and rhythm, a future trademark of Funkadelic (along with the finale, a long jam session), is established on this song, though there are no solos (the presence is another characteristic of Funkadelic).
- Lead Guitar: Eddie Hazel
- Rhythm Guitar: Tawl Ross
- Bass: Billy Nelson
- Organ: Mickey Atkins
- Drums: Tiki Fulwood
- Vocals: George Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, Grady Thomas
"I Bet You"
This song was later covered by the Jackson 5 on ABC.
The song is more R+B and soul-inflected than most of the album, and much more so than the rest of Funkadelic's career. The Parliaments (a predecessor of Funkadelic with many of the same people) had recorded it earlier.
Songwriters: George Clinton, Pat Lindsey, Sidney Barnes
Personnel
- Vocals: Parliament, Eddie Hazel
- Guitar: Eddie Hazel
- Keyboards: Earl Van Dyke
- Bass: Bob Babbitt
- Drums: Tiki Fulwood
"Music for My Mother"
The vocals are of primary interest here (from Motown sessionman Herb Sparkman). It is, essentially, a blues song, featuring harmonica-like singing.
The song explains how the singer, while traveling through Keeprunin', Mississippi, hears the sound of funk music and then proceeds to get funky himself.
Personnel
- Vocals: Herb Sparkman
- Bass: Billy Nelson
- Guitar: Eddie Hazel
- Drums: Brad Innis
"I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody's Got a Thing"
The song is particularly notable for Ray Monette's (also of Rare Earth) epic guitar solo.
Personnel
- Lead Vocals: Fuzzy Haskins
- Guitar: Ray Monette
- Drums: Tiki Fulwood
"Good Old Music"
The song was originally recorded by The Parliaments. The songwriter of the song is George Clinton.
The song describes a time "When the funk it was goin' strong" and the people "rocked it all night until daylight".
"Qualify and Satisfy"
This song begins as a blues song, and then evolves into a blistering, funky form of psychedelia. The sparse lyrics of "Qualify and Satisfy" are a singer's words to a woman, explaining that he would make a better lover than her current man, though he is "not conceited by no means".
Written by George Clinton, Eddie Hazel and Billy Bass Nelson; lead vocals by Calvin Simon; drums by Tiki Fulwood.
"What Is Soul"
The first half of the song reiterates many of the same points as Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?, namely that funkadelic and the funk (see P Funk mythology) are alien in origin but not dangerous. The second half attempts to answer the question posed by the song's title.
Other album info
Personnel:
- Lead Guitar: Eddie Hazel
- Rhythm Guitar: Tawl Ross
- Bass: Billy Nelson
- Organ: Mickey Atkins
- Drums: Tiki Fulwood
- Vocals: George Clinton, Fuzzy Haskins, Grady Thomas, Calvin Simon, Ray Davis
Uncredited contributors and sessionmen included: Bob Babbitt, Brad Innis, Ray Monette, Herb Sparkman, Earl Van Dyke and Bernie Worrell
Critical response:
- "it retains perhaps a greater sense of classic '60s soul and R&B"
- The All Music Guide (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Aeyd9ke9t7q79)
Other external links:
- the Motherpage (http://www.duke.edu/~tmc/motherpage/albums_funkadelic/alb-funkadelic.html)