Flashlight (song)
Encyclopedia
"Flash Light" is a song by funk
band Parliament
, released in December 1977 on the album Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome
. It was the first #1 R&B hit by any of the P-Funk
groups and reached #16 on the Pop charts. The song is frequently played at United States sporting events. The track became Parliament's second certified million selling single, following "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)
".
The song's distinctive bass line is often attributed to Bootsy Collins
and was originally written for him. However, the line was actually performed by Bernie Worrell
on 3 connected Minimoog
synthesizers. Collins still contributed to the track by handling drum duties. Lead vocals were by bandleader George Clinton
, while Bootsy's older brother Catfish Collins played rhythm guitar. "Flash Light" continued the "Fake the Funk/Your nose will grow/Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk" concept
that began with Bootsy's Rubber Band's "The Pinocchio Syndrome". The success of "Flash Light" would greatly influence not only funk music, but also new wave and hip-hop.
In 2004 Rolling Stone
ranked "Flash Light" #199 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
band Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
, released in December 1977 on the album Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome
Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome
Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome is a funk album by Parliament, released in 1977 .The album is considered to be one of the best in Parliament's catalog...
. It was the first #1 R&B hit by any of the P-Funk
P-Funk
P-Funk is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and the distinctive style of funk music they performed...
groups and reached #16 on the Pop charts. The song is frequently played at United States sporting events. The track became Parliament's second certified million selling single, following "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)
Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)
"Give Up the Funk " is a funk song by Parliament. It was released as a single under the name "Tear the Roof off the Sucker ". It was the second single to be released from Parliament's 1976 album Mothership Connection "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" is a funk song by Parliament. It...
".
The song's distinctive bass line is often attributed to Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
and was originally written for him. However, the line was actually performed by Bernie Worrell
Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
on 3 connected Minimoog
Minimoog
The Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...
synthesizers. Collins still contributed to the track by handling drum duties. Lead vocals were by bandleader George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
, while Bootsy's older brother Catfish Collins played rhythm guitar. "Flash Light" continued the "Fake the Funk/Your nose will grow/Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk" concept
P-Funk mythology
The P-Funk mythology is a group of recurring fictional characters, themes and ideas related in a series of concept albums and live shows, primarily from George Clinton and his founded bands Parliament and Funkadelic....
that began with Bootsy's Rubber Band's "The Pinocchio Syndrome". The success of "Flash Light" would greatly influence not only funk music, but also new wave and hip-hop.
In 2004 Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
ranked "Flash Light" #199 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Appearances in other media
- Played in the 1998 movies Can't Hardly WaitCan't Hardly WaitCan't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by various...
and How Stella Got Her Groove BackHow Stella Got Her Groove BackHow Stella Got Her Groove Back is a 1998 romance film, directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. The film stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg and Regina King. This film is an adaptation of Terry McMillan's bestselling novel by the same title... - Played during the credits in the 1999 movie Muppets From SpaceMuppets from SpaceMuppets from Space is a 1999 science fiction comedy film and the sixth feature film to star The Muppets, and the first since the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson to have an original Muppet-focused plot. The film was directed by Tim Hill, produced by Jim Henson Pictures, and released to theaters...
- Played in the 2001 movie How HighHow HighHow High is a 2001 stoner comedy starring Method Man and Redman, written by Dustin Lee Abraham, and director Jesse Dylan's debut feature film. Entertainment Weekly rated it third in their "Best Stoner Movie" top ten list...
- Played in the 2005 movie Roll BounceRoll BounceRoll Bounce is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written by Norman Vance Jr. and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The film stars hip hop artist Bow Wow as the leader of a roller skating crew in 1970s Chicago. The film also stars Nick Cannon, Meagan Good, Brandon T...
- Played in the movie "Set It OffSet It OffSet It Off is a 1996 action and crime film directed by F. Gary Gray, and stars Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise , as four close friends in Los Angeles, California who decide to plan and execute a bank robbery...
" - Played in the King of The HillKing of the HillKing of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
episode "The Fat and the Furious" - Played in an episode of The Bernie Mac ShowThe Bernie Mac ShowThe Bernie Mac Show is an American sitcom featuring comic actor Bernie Mac and his wife Wanda raising his sister's three kids: Jordan, Bryana and Vanessa. The show aired for five seasons , concluding with a half-hour series finale on Fox....
(Go Bernie, It's Your Birthday-6/22/2004) - Played during the segment Entertainment News on The HardlineKTCKKTCK , is a sports talk radio station based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The station, currently owned by Cumulus Media, has been made popular by the incorporation of humor alongside the sports talk....
- Played in an episode of Everybody Hates ChrisEverybody Hates ChrisEverybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
- Played in the 2003 video game True Crime: Streets of LATrue Crime: Streets of LATrue Crime: Streets of LA is an action-adventure video game developed by Luxoflux and published by Activision for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube in November 2003 and the first game in the True Crime series...
- Played in the American Dad!American Dad!American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
episode The Phantom of the Telethon - Currently used as background track during daily "E-News" segment on radio show The Hardline on KTCKKTCKKTCK , is a sports talk radio station based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The station, currently owned by Cumulus Media, has been made popular by the incorporation of humor alongside the sports talk....
Takeoffs
- Rapper Tupac sampled the song in "Let Them Thangs Go" from his "R U Still Down? (Remember Me)R U Still Down? (Remember Me)R U Still Down? is the second posthumous album by 2Pac, released in 1997. Although it is the second album release after his death, it is the first to be finished without the creative input of 2Pac...
" album. - Rap group Digital UndergroundDigital UndergroundDigital Underground was an alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California. It could have been considered a music "family" rather than a group, as its personnel changed and rotated with each album and tour....
uses samples of "Flash Light" in the songs "Doowutchyalike", "Danger Zone", and "Rhymin on the Funk" from their Sex PacketsSex Packets- LP :-Cassette:The cassette version of the album has 3 extra tracks, plus an extended version of "Gutfest '89"...
album, and in "Arguin' on the Funk" from This is an EP ReleaseThis is an EP ReleaseThis is an EP Release is the RIAA Gold certified second Digital Underground release, from which "Tie the Knot" and "Same Song" were featured in the film Nothing But Trouble starring Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Demi Moore, and John Candy...
. - The band Brand NubianBrand NubianBrand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three MC's: Grand Puba , Sadat X and Lord Jamar , and two DJs: DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere...
made a self-tribute song called "Brand Nubian" which interpolated a small fragment of both beat and lyrics from this song (the other song they sampled was "Rigor MortisRigor Mortis (song)"Rigor Mortis" is a song by the funk band Cameo, released on their debut album Cardiac Arrest. The song's title is a euphemism for being lonesome on the dance floor.-In the media:* "Rigor Mortis" was sampled in Brand Nubian's song '"Brand Nubian"....
" by CameoCameo (band)Cameo is an American soul-influenced funk group that formed in the early 1970s. Cameo was initially a 13-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo to avoid a lawsuit from Ohio Players, another group from that era. Since then, Cameo has recorded several...
). - Rapper Snoop DoggSnoop DoggCalvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
made a song named "Stoplight" on his album, Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$* Rolling Stone - 3 stars out of 5 - "Snoop stretches his silky flow over tracks by underground ace Hi-Tek and the unstoppable Neptunes."* Spin - 8 out of 10 - "The most spirited pop record of his career....Paid Tha Cost is Snoop unleashed."...
, which has samplesSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from "Flash Light". The skit "W Ballz" on his album DoggystyleDoggystyleDoggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...
also references the ending refrain of the song with a similar refrain using different lyrics. - Rapper Del tha Funkee HomosapienDel tha Funkee HomosapienTeren Delvon Jones , better known as Del the Funky Homosapien or Del tha Funkee Homosapien, is an American MC.-Early life and beginnings: 1990-1997:...
used samples from "Flash Light" in the song "Sunny Meadowz" on his album I Wish My Brother George Was HereI Wish My Brother George Was HereI Wish My Brother George Was Here is the debut album released by Del tha Funkee Homosapien. The title of the album is a reference to George Clinton, whose music was an influence on Del, as well as to the late pianist Liberace who would on occasion openly pine for his brother George to appear on...
. - Rapper Redman used samples from "Flash Light" on "So Ruff" from the album Whut? Thee AlbumWhut? Thee AlbumWhut? Thee Album is the debut album from American hip hop artist Redman, released September 22, 1992 on Def Jam Recordings. While taking place at Ian London Studios, North Shore Soundworks and Power Play Studios, recording sessions began in 1991 and continued into 1992...
. - Chilean funk band Los TetasLos TetasLos Tetas was a Chilean Funk band formed in 1995 by four musicians: Pepino , Rulo , C-Funk and Tea Time ....
included samples, played at slow tempo, in the song "Primavera" from the album La Medicina. - Rapper Mac DreMac DreAndre Hicks , better known by his stage name Mac Dre, was an American rapper.-Biography:Andre Hicks was born in Oakland, California but moved to Vallejo while still a child...
used a similar bass line in the song "California Livin" On the album "Young Black Brother". He also claims to listen to the "extended version" of "Flashlight" on his song "Genie of the Lamp" - A remix was released including verses by rappers Q-TipQ-Tip (rapper)Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
, Busta RhymesBusta RhymesTrevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, and Ol' Dirty BastardOl' Dirty BastardRussell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
, titled "Flashlight (The Groovemaster's Remix)." - Rapper Little BruceLittle BruceLittle Bruce, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California, best known for this 1994 debut album released on Sick Wid It and Jive Records, XXXtra Manish.- Background :...
sampled a vocal (hada dadi dadada) from "Flash Light" in his song "Mobbin' In My Old School". (the other song sampled is "The Funky Worm" by The Ohio Players)