Funkadelic (album)

Music and lyrics

The album showcases a strong bass and rhythm section, as well as lengthy jam sessions, future trademarks of the band. The album contains two remakes of songs from The Parliaments, an earlier band featuring George Clinton: "I'll Bet You" and "Good Old Music".

"Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" and "What is Soul" contained the beginnings of Funkadelic's mythology, namely that "Funkadelic" and "the Funk" are extraterrestrial in origin but not dangerous. "What Is Soul?" is answered by one of the lyrics describing it as "a ham hock in your corn flakes".

"I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody's Got a Thing" was particularly notable for a guitar solo by Rare Earth's Ray Monette.

Reception and legacy

In conjunction with the release of Funkadelic, Westbound Records circulated a promotional single called "Focus on Funkadelic" to radio stations. The single features six snippets of tracks from the LP.

Mojo later called Funkadelic "the best blues-influenced, warped acid rock you're likely to hear". AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier said the recordings are "essentially conventional soul songs in the spirit of Motown or Stax -- steady rhythms, dense arrangements, choruses of vocals -- but with a loud, overdriven, fuzzy guitar lurking high in the mix". He deemed the album "a revealing and unique record that's certainly not short on significance, clearly marking the crossroads between '60s soul and '70s funk". Robert Christgau was less enthusiastic, jokingly referring to Clinton as "someone from Carolina who encountered eternity on LSD and vowed to contain it in a groove"; in reference to "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" and "What Is Soul", he wrote "you get high marks for your questions, guys."

"I'll Bet You" was later covered by The Jackson 5 on their album ABC, and sampled by the Beastie Boys for their song "Car Thief". The 2005 CD reissue also contains their version of "Can't Shake It Loose", which was recorded two years prior by Diana Ross & The Supremes on their album Love Child. In more recent years, The Red Hot Chili Peppers have combined the main riff of "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" and certain parts of the lyrics from "What Is Soul?" in live shows, a version which appears as a B-Side on their 2002 single "By the Way".

Track listing

Notes

Tracks 8-11, 14 are mono recordings.

Personnel

Note: Exact records of all personnel on all songs have been lost.

Funkadelic

Eddie Hazel – lead guitar, backing vocals on "Mommy, What's What's A Funkadelic?",vocals on "I Bet You" & "Can't shake it loose", All Lead Vocals on "Open Our Eyes", bridge vocals on "I got a thing"

Lucius "Tawl" Ross – rhythm guitar

Ramon "Tiki" Fulwood – drums on (1,2,4,5,6,7,9,13)

Billy "Bass" Nelson – bass guitar on (3,4,6); backing vocals, Lead vocals on "Good Old Music"

Mickey Atkins – Hammond organ on (5,6,7)

The Parliaments

George Clinton – lead vocals on "Mommy, What's A Funkadelic?" & "What is Soul", vocal on "Cant'shake it loose"

Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins -vocals on "I Bet You" and "Good Old Music"

Calvin Simon – lead vocals on "Qualify and Satisfy"; vocals on "I Bet You" and "Can't shake it loose"

Ray Davis – vocals on "I Bet You"

Grady Thomas – vocals on "I Bet You"

Additional musicians

Ray Monette – guitar on (2,9)

Bob Babbitt – bass guitar on (1,2,9)

Bernie Worrell – Hammond organ on (4)

Earl Van Dyke – Hammond organ on (2,9)

Brad Innis – drums on (3)

Gasper Lawal – conga on (3)

Herb Sparkman – lead vocals on "Music for My Mother"

Additional vocals by Hot Buttered Soul.

Production

Produced by George Clinton

Engineering by Milan Bogden, Russ Terrana, Ed Wolfrum, Bryan Dombrowski

Artwork design by The Graffiteria