Released August 1971 (1971-08) Genre Funk | Format 7" | |
B-side "Make It Funky (Part 2)" Recorded July 13, 1971, Rodel Studios, Washington, D.C. Length 3:15 (Part 1)
4:05 (Part 2) | ||
"Make It Funky" is a jam session recorded by James Brown with The J.B.'s. It was released as a two-part single in 1971, which reached #1 on the U.S. R&B chart and #22 on the U.S. Pop chart. It features the band members chanting the song's title and a prominent organ part played by Brown himself. Bobby Byrd also contributes vocals and a spoken intro. Brown recorded a continuation of the song, titled "My Part/Make It Funky", which was released as a second two-part single and charted #68 R&B. Parts 1 and 2 of "Make It Funky" were included on the 1972 compilation album Soul Classics, while Parts 3 and 4 appeared on the album Get on the Good Foot.
Live versions of "Make It Funky" appear on the albums Revolution of the Mind and Live at the Apollo 1995. Brown also remade the song for his 1992 album Universal James under the title "Make It Funky 2000".
Ice-T sampled "Make It Funky" in a song of the same name on his 1987 album Rhyme Pays.
In 2005, the bassline to all four parts was ranked at number 2 in Stylus Magazine's list of the "Top 50 Basslines of All Time". The whole session is 12:46 long, the version on Make It Funky : The Big Payback (compilation album)
Personnel
with The J.B.'s: