Funkadelic (album)
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Funkadelic is the debut album by the American funk band Funkadelic, released in 1970 on Westbound Records. The album showcased 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 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.
"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. "I 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".
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   link |
| Robert Christgau | (C+) link |
| Julian Cope | (favorable) link |
| Pitchfork Media | (9.0/10) link |
| Rolling Stone |  link |
| Spin | (9/10) link |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" | George Clinton | 9:04 |
| 2. | "I Bet You" (released as a single: Westbound 150) | George Clinton, Sidney Barnes, Theresa Lindsey | 6:10 |
| 3. | "Music for My Mother" (released as a single: Westbound 148) | George Clinton, Edward Hazel, William Nelson | 5:37 |
| 4. | "I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody's Got a Thing" (released as a single: Westbound 158) | Clarence Haskins | 3:52 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Good Old Music" | George Clinton | 7:59 |
| 6. | "Qualify and Satisfy" | George Clinton, Edward Hazel | 6:15 |
| 7. | "What Is Soul" | George Clinton | 7:40 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Can't Shake It Loose" (recorded in 1969 and scheduled as Westbound W 149) | George Clinton, Sidney Barnes, Joanne Jackson, Rose Marie McCoy | 2:28 |
| 9. | "I Bet You" (Westbound W 150) | George Clinton, Sidney Barnes, Theresa Lindsey | 4:10 |
| 10. | "Music for My Mother" (Westbound W 148) | George Clinton, Edward Hazel, William Nelson | 5:17 |
| 11. | "As Good as I Can Feel" (recorded in 1969 and scheduled as Westbound W 149 (instrumental)) | George Clinton, Clarence Haskins | 2:31 |
| 12. | "Open Our Eyes" (Westbound W 150) | Leon Lumpkins | 3:58 |
| 13. | "Qualify and Satisfy" (45 version - Westbound W 150) | George Clinton, Edward Hazel | 3:00 |
| 14. | "Music for My Mother" (Instrumental 45 version - Westbound W 149) | George Clinton, Edward Hazel, William Nelson | 6:14 |
- 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
Focus on Funkadelic
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.
Later Samples
- "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?"
- "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa" by De La Soul from the album De La Soul Is Dead
- "Two to the Head" by Kool G Rap & DJ Polo from the album Live and Let Die
- "Positive ID" by Cabaret Voltaire
- "Busterismology" by The Coup from the album Steal This Album
- "Bone Hard Niggaz" by Big Mello from the album Bone Hard Zaggin
- "Secret" by Atmosphere from the EP Happy Clown Bad Dub 8/Fun EP
- "I Bet You"
- "Total Kaos" by EPMD from the album "Unfinished Business"
- "Car Thief" by the Beastie Boys from the album "Paul's Boutique"
- "Dark Skin Girl" by Del The Funky Homosapien from the album "I Wish My Brother George Was Here"
- "A Penny for My Thoughts" by Common from the album Can I Borrow a Dollar?
- "Mind over Matter" by Ice-T from the album "O.G. Original Gangster"
- "Music for my Mother"
- "Remember the Name (Funkadelic remix)" feat. Styles of Beyond by Fort Minor from the mixtape "Fort Minor: We Major"
- "Good Old Music"
- "Jimbrowski" by Jungle Brothers from the album "Straight out the Jungle"
- "Kinda I Want To" by Nine Inch Nails from the album "Pretty Hate Machine"
- "Safe From Harm" by Massive Attack from the album "Blue Lines"
- "Young Black Male" by 2Pac from the album 2Pacalypse Now
- "Intro" by Nas from the album Street's Disciple
- "A Message to the Feds, Sincerely, We the People" by Nas from the album Street's Disciple
- "D.O.C. And The Doctor" by The D.O.C. from the album "No One Can Do It Better"
- "What Is Soul"
- "Three Sixteens" by UGK from the album "Super Tight"
