Cygnus64 Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Use A quick answer, the first thing that pops in your head. Avoid scrolling to see other answers before you answer, I'm looking to see if there is a consensus: Q. Who is the Father of Funk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Loving Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 George Clinton "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morizzle Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 James Brown It's not a clone, it's a Suzuki. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meisenhower Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 For me, the big three in order are: James Brown (who had Bootsy Collins playing bass for him). 'Nuff said. Sly Stone rarified it with Larry Graham slapping the bass like never before. George Clinton for taking funk to new psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoodlioopy level. YMMV Yamaha C7 Grand, My Hammonds: '57 B3, '54 C2, '42 BC, '40 D, '05 XK3 Pro System, Kawai MP9000, Fender Rhodes Mk I 73, Yamaha CP33, Motif ES6, Nord Electro 2, Minimoog Voyager & Model D, Korg MS10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Force Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 James brown. Steve Force, Durham, North Carolina -------- My Professional Websites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linwood Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Speakin' of funk; dig these "kids" [video:youtube] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b3maniac Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 James Brown Yamaha MOXF8, MOXF6, Radial Key Largo, Yamaha DXR 10's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 James Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus64 Posted November 21, 2010 Author Share Posted November 21, 2010 Yeah, I was thinking James Brown. I wrote a tempo indication in a chart, "Funkfather". I was thinking James Brown and was wondering if others would see it that way. Then again, some of the classical cats wouldn't know who that was, unless they saw "The Blues Brothers" or the Rocky movie. Isn't his "official" title The Godfather of Soul? That's how he is listed in Rocky 4 (3?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Speakin' of funk; dig these "kids" [video:youtube] Wow. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PianoMan51 Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 james brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonksDream Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Use A quick answer, the first thing that pops in your head. Avoid scrolling to see other answers before you answer, I'm looking to see if there is a consensus: Q. Who is the Father of Funk? Cab Calloway, followed by James Brown, then George Clinton. Instrumentation is meaningless - a song either stands on its own merit, or it requires bells and whistles to cover its lack of adequacy, much less quality. - kanker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrokeys Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 How 'bout the Meters? and a whole bunch of other New Orleans players. James Brown certainly put it on the national map though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adan Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 Haven't read the other replies, but I would think the answer lies somewhere in the evolution of New Orleans music. Lee Dorsey comes to mind, but for all I know he wasn't the first to play the sound we now call funk. edit: ok, I've read the other replies, and maybe we're interpreting the question differently. I was thinking Father of Funk being sort of like "Father of our Nation"= George Washington, not that he was the greatest president, just the first. Wouldn't disagree with James Brown being the among the greatest, but did he create that sound? Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro Home: Vintage Vibe 64 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottom End Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 I believe James Brown is more the Godfather of Soul. The Motown studio musicians were calling themselves the Funk Brothers in the early '60's, as well. I don't think "Funk" has one father, anymore than Jazz, Blues, or Rock 'n' Roll. Remember, way back when, musicians were checking each other's sound out on music circuits and smoky clubs, long before any act got on wax, or got radio play. "Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richwhite9 Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 It would be a war as to who was first but Brown moved away from straight soul and blues to funk signatures in 1964 [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr76jCr9c1k Which is kind of like a tame 'Shotgun' By 1965 he was full bore funk and all the elements were there. [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT57-69Z0PE&feature=fvst Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 Charley Patton A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridog6996 Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 James Brown edit: Now that I'm reading what others have written, the idea of "funk" may not have started with James Brown, but there shouldn't be any question that he introduced it to the world. My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogmonkey Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 The quick answer is James Brown, without hesitation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 First thought, James Brown. A moment later, I remember New Orleans street beats as probably being the first funky beats ever played. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksoper Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 @Linwood: Like Moonglow said, "Wow." The future is in good hands. 9 Moog things, 3 Roland things, 2 Hammond things and a computer with stuff on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longfuse Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 James Brown's first regular drummer Clayton Fillyau came up with some of the first drum patterns to have a funky design to them, if not feel. Brown supposedly 'vocalised' the rhythm for Cold Sweat to Clyde Stubblefield and that's how that true funk rhythm started. They were all drawing on Latin music, in particular the Boogaloo. Check out Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock (1962) or Mongo Santamaría's (slightly later) version, or the 1957 original version of Louie Louie by Richard Berry. No, it's not funk, but it has elements of it and these tracks are representative of the music that was in the air at the time. [video:youtube] [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEOOte8YkbQ As for the Meters, they used to back early Lee Dorsey sides and it isn't funk (although of course they became a great funk band and they did record funky stuff with Dorsey too). However, because of the Latin tinge in New Orleans music there are elements of Funk in the early R&B stuff. One person pulled it altogether though, and that was James Brown. End of... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillplaying Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 JB for me. I was in a comedy club in Ohio twenty years ago and one of the (guitar playing) comedians asked the crowd if they liked Prince? Not much of a response from the punters and he says "Anyone like any funk?" and someone shouts "Grand Funk Railroad." I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus64 Posted November 22, 2010 Author Share Posted November 22, 2010 one of the (guitar playing) comedians There's a joke or an oxymoron in there somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Discotheque Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 http://www.myspace.com/dirtyloopsswe Funky centaurs....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pale Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 James Brown. Custom handmade clocks: www.etsy.com/shop/ClockLight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 I think there's a psychological thing going on here. The phrase "Father of Funk" made me think James Brown first, but then I thought about it and said to myself, "that's probably not quite right" and started to think about some other cats. But the phrase made me think of JB, accurate or not. "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus64 Posted November 22, 2010 Author Share Posted November 22, 2010 But the phrase made me think of JB, accurate or not. This is precisely why I asked. It's not quite accurate for the Godfather of Soul. I turned in the chart then wondered "I wonder how people will interpret that"? What I was really thinking about was the "Living in America" feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meisenhower Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 I would consider Living in America to be some of James Brown's "less" funky music (aside from the odd ballad). It grooves but doesn't hit hard like what would be considered real funk. It's not even close to The Payback, Mother Popcorn, Make it Funky, Hot Pants and Super Bad. YMMV Yamaha C7 Grand, My Hammonds: '57 B3, '54 C2, '42 BC, '40 D, '05 XK3 Pro System, Kawai MP9000, Fender Rhodes Mk I 73, Yamaha CP33, Motif ES6, Nord Electro 2, Minimoog Voyager & Model D, Korg MS10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus64 Posted November 22, 2010 Author Share Posted November 22, 2010 I would consider Living in America to be some of James Brown's "less" funky music (aside from the odd ballad). It grooves but doesn't hit hard like what would be considered real funk. It's not even close to The Payback, Mother Popcorn, Make it Funky, Hot Pants and Super Bad. YMMV What popped in my head was the tempo and the brass. If someone asked me to pick one person that personified Funk for me, I would say George Clinton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.