Funk of Ages is the second solo album by former Parliament-Funkadelic

Parliament-Funkadelic

Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...

 keyboardist 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...

. The album was released in 1990 by Gramavision Records. The album includes contributions by numerous guest musicians including David Byrne

David Byrne

David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...

, Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock

Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...

, Keith Richards

Keith Richards

Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...

, Vernon Reid

Vernon Reid

Vernon Reid is an English-born American guitarist, songwriter, composer, and bandleader. Best known as the founder and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Living Colour, Reid was named #66 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.Critic Steve Huey writes, "[Reid's]...

, and Phoebe Snow

Phoebe Snow

Phoebe Snow was a fictional character created by Earnest Elmo Calkins to promote the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The advertising campaign, based on a live model, using impressionistic techniques and a fictional character, was one of the first of its kind.-The advertising...

, as well fellow 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...

 band mates 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...

, Maceo Parker

Maceo Parker

Maceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...

, Gary Cooper, Doug Duffey, and Mike Hampton

Mike Hampton

Michael William Hampton is a left-handed former Major League Baseball pitcher. During his career, Hampton was well known for being one of the best hitting pitchers of his time, as well as for his large contract and frequent injuries.-Early career:Mike Hampton was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in...

.

Track listing

1. "Sing" (Worrell, Michael Hampton
   Michael Hampton
   Michael Hampton is a funk/rock guitarist. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic....
   
   , David Byrne
   David Byrne
   David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
   
   ) 4:34
2. "B.W. Jam" (Worrell, Gary Cooper, Joe Polanco) 3:30
3. "Funk-A-Hall-Licks" (Worrell, 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...
   
   , Cooper, Doug Duffey) 5:20
4. "Ain't She Sweet" (Yellen, Ager) 5:02
5. "Y-Spy" (Worrell, Steve Jordan
   Steve Jordan (musician)
   Steve Jordan is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, musical director and Grammy Award-winning artist, who has made a name for himself as a producer from the Bronx in New York City. A graduate of the Fiorello H...
   
   , Charley Drayton
   Charley Drayton
   Charley Drayton is an American multi-instrumental musician and producer, who has played as a drummer and bass guitarist for many bands and artists and is currently the drummer in Australian rock bands Divinyls and Cold Chisel....
   
   ) 4:27
6. "Real Life Dreams" (Worrell, D Nyce) 4:43
7. "Beware of Dog" (Worrell, Doug Bowne, M Bowne) 2:37
8. "Straight Ahead" (Worrell, Sheila Washington, John Denicola, Patty Maloney, G Small) 3:59
9. "Don't Piss Me Off" (Worrell, Jerry Harrison
   Jerry Harrison
   Jerry Harrison is an American songwriter, musician and producer...
   
   , C Midnight) 4:26
10. "Volunteered Slavery/Bern's Blues/Outer Spaceways" (R Roland/Worrell/Sun Ra
    Sun Ra
    Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
    
    ) 4:45
11. "At Mos' Spheres" (Worrell) 3:55
12. "Real Life Dreams On" (Worrell, D Nyce) 1:39

Personnel

• Sing
• Synthesizer, Organ, Synth Bass, Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell
• Drums: Steve Ferron
• Guitar: Michael Hampton
  Michael Hampton
  Michael Hampton is a funk/rock guitarist. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic....
  
  , Jimmy Ripp
  Jimmy Ripp
  Jimmy Rip is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, who is known for his work with Jerry Lee Lewis, Mick Jagger, Michael Monroe and the former Television band leader Tom Verlaine.Rip began playing guitar at the age of six....
  
  
• Electric Sitar: Jimmy Ripp
• Percussion: Larry Fratangelo
• Background Vocals: David Byrne
  David Byrne
  David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
  
  , Gary Cooper, Sheila Washington

• B.W. Jam
• Clavinet, Synthesizer, Synth Bass, Percussion: Bernie Worrell
• Drum Programming, Synth Horns, Samples, Sequencing: Joe Polanco, Gary Cooper
• Horns: Uptown Horns
• Background Vocals: Bernie Worrell, Gary Cooper, Sheila Washington, Steve Washington, Jenny Douglas-Foote

• Funk-A-Hall-Licks
• Clavinet, Synthesizer, Organ, Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell
• Bass: 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...
  
  
• Drums: Steve Jordan
  Steve Jordan (musician)
  Steve Jordan is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, musical director and Grammy Award-winning artist, who has made a name for himself as a producer from the Bronx in New York City. A graduate of the Fiorello H...
  
  
• Keyboard: Herbie Hancock
  Herbie Hancock
  Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
  
  
• Guitar: Keith Richards
  Keith Richards
  Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
  
  , Jimmy Ripp, Bootsy Collins
• Saxophone: Maceo Parker
  Maceo Parker
  Maceo Parker is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown's hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones...
  
  
• Background Vocals: Gary Cooper, Sheila Washington, Jody Bell, Doug Duffey

• Ain't She Sweet
• Arrangement: Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins
• Piano, Synth Bass: Bernie Worrell
• Bass, Drum Programming: Bootsy Collins
• Synthesizer: Bernie Worrell, Herbie Hancock
• Percussion: Larry Fratangelo
• Banjo: Jimmy Ripp
• Vocals: Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, Gary Cooper

• Y-Spy
• Clavinet, Synthesizer, Organ, Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell
• Drums: Steve Jordan
• Bass, Snare, Lap Steel Guitar: Charley Drayton
  Charley Drayton
  Charley Drayton is an American multi-instrumental musician and producer, who has played as a drummer and bass guitarist for many bands and artists and is currently the drummer in Australian rock bands Divinyls and Cold Chisel....
  
  
• Guitar: Keith Richards, Steve Jordan
• Percussion: Steve Jordan, Charley Drayton
• Vocals: Steve Jordan, Gary Cooper, Loren Qualls

• Real Life Dreams
• Organ, Clavinet, Synthesizer, Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell
• Drums: Sly Dunbar
  Sly Dunbar
  Lowell "Sly" Fillmore Dunbar is a drummer.-Biography:Dunbar, whose nickname was reportedly given for his passion for Sly & the Family Stone, launched his musical career while still in his adolescence, playing with a local group, The Yardbrooms, at the age of fifteen...
  
  
• Bass: Robbie Shakespeare
• Guitar: Jimmy Ripp, Steve Jordan
• Percussion: Larry Fratangelo, Gary Cooper
• Background Vocals: Sheila Washington, Jody Bell

• Beware of Dog
• Clavinet, Organ, Synthesizer: Bernie Worrell
• Guitar: Vernon Reid
  Vernon Reid
  Vernon Reid is an English-born American guitarist, songwriter, composer, and bandleader. Best known as the founder and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Living Colour, Reid was named #66 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.Critic Steve Huey writes, "[Reid's]...
  
  
• Drums: Doug Bowne
• Bass: Jimmy Hawkes
• Saxophone: Maceo Parker

• Straight Ahead
• Clavinet, Synthesizer, Synth Bass, Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell
• Drums: Steve Ferrone
  Steve Ferrone
  Steven "Steve" Ferrone is a British drummer.He was a member of the Average White Band, and has recorded and performed with numerous other high-profile acts, including Slash, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Scritti Politti...
  
  
• Guitar: Jimmy Ripp
• Bass: Warren McRae
• Background Vocals: Gary Cooper, Sheila Washington, Patty Maloney,

John Denicola, Michael Camacho, Doug Duffey

• Don't Piss Me Off
• Synthesizer, Synth Bass, Samples: Bernie Worrell
• Lead Vocals: Phoebe Snow, Gary Cooper
• Organ: Jerry Harrison
  Jerry Harrison
  Jerry Harrison is an American songwriter, musician and producer...
  
  
• Drums: Dennis Chambers

• Volunteered Slavery
• Producer: Bill Laswell
  Bill Laswell
  Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
  
  
• Organ, Electric Piano: Bernie Worrell
• Vocals: Bernie Worrell, Gary Cooper
• Chatan, Conga, Tambourine, Bells: Aïyb Dieng
  Aïyb Dieng
  Aïyb Dieng is a Senegalese drummer and percussionist specializing in hand drums. He has recorded one solo album , and has worked with a wide range of musicians but is perhaps best known for his long-term association with prolific bassist/producer Bill Laswell.-Biography:He was born and raised in...
  
  

• At Mos' Spheres
• Producer: Bill Laswell
• Organ: Bernie Worrell

• Real Life Dreams On
• Organ, Clavinet, Synthesizer: Bernie Worrell
• Drums: Sly Dunbar
• Bass: Robbie Shakespeare
• Guitar: Jimmy Ripp, Steve Jordan
• Percussion: Larry Fratangelo, Gary Cooper