P-Funk (also spelled
P Funk or
P. Funk) is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with
George ClintonGeorge Clinton is an American singer, songwriter 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 began his work as a solo artist in 1981. He has been called one of the most prominent...
and the
Parliament-FunkadelicParliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. They are the main performers of the soul and funk subgenre known as P-Funk and performed under the names Parliament and Funkadelic , and also in a score of offshoot groups and solo ventures...
collective and the distinctive style of
funkFunk is an American music genre that originated in the late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul 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...
music they performed. The P-Funk groups had their heyday in the 1970s and continue to attract new fans thanks both to the legacy of
samplesIn 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. This is typically done with a sampler, which can be a piece of hardware or a computer program on a digital computer. Sampling is also...
they bequeathed to
hip hopHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
and the live shows that the bands continue to perform.
The etymology of the term
P-Funk is subject to multiple interpretations.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'P-Funk' Start a new discussion about 'P-Funk' Answer questions from other users |
P-Funk (also spelled
P Funk or
P. Funk) is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with
George ClintonGeorge Clinton is an American singer, songwriter 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 began his work as a solo artist in 1981. He has been called one of the most prominent...
and the
Parliament-FunkadelicParliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. They are the main performers of the soul and funk subgenre known as P-Funk and performed under the names Parliament and Funkadelic , and also in a score of offshoot groups and solo ventures...
collective and the distinctive style of
funkFunk is an American music genre that originated in the late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, soul 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...
music they performed. The P-Funk groups had their heyday in the 1970s and continue to attract new fans thanks both to the legacy of
samplesIn 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. This is typically done with a sampler, which can be a piece of hardware or a computer program on a digital computer. Sampling is also...
they bequeathed to
hip hopHip hop music is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, and is commonly based on concepts of loop, rapping, freestyle, DJing, scratching, sampling and beatboxing. The music is used to express concerns of political, social, and personal issues...
and the live shows that the bands continue to perform.
Etymology
The etymology of the term
P-Funk is subject to multiple interpretations. It has been identified alternately as an abbreviation of "Parliament-Funkadelic", "pure funk" or "Plainfield Funk", referring to
Plainfield, New JerseyPlainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 47,829.Plainfield was originally formed as a township on April 5, 1847, from portions of Westfield Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. On March 19,...
, the hometown of the band's original line-up. The liner notes of CD versions of the
Motor Booty AffairMotor Booty Affair is an album by funk band Parliament. Released in 1978, it contains two of the group's more popular tracks, "Rumpofsteelskin" and "Aqua Boogie ". The album title refers to the music coming out of "Motor town" Detroit in the 70's. "Motown Records" was producing hit after hit and...
album suggest that the "'P' stands for 'Pure.'" The breakout popularity of Parliament-Funkadelic elevated the status of
P-Funk to describe what is now considered to be a genre of music in its own right.
Musical characteristics
Musical elements that characterize the P-Funk style include:
- spacey synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument that is capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies...
melodies and washes provided by keyboardist Bernie WorrellGeorge Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known for his work with Parliament-Funkadelic and Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.-Biography:Worrell was born in...
and others
- prominent, squelching electric bass
The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
lines provided by Bootsy CollinsWilliam "Bootsy" Collins is a 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...
or performed in his style
- jazzy, insouciant horn section
In music, a horn section refers to two separate groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a band...
arrangementIn music, an arrangement is either a rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material or a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch, such as a lead sheet...
s performed by The Horny HornsThe Horny Horns were a horn section associated with Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy's Rubber Band led by trombonist Fred Wesley. The group also featured saxophonist Maceo Parker and Rick Gardner and Richard 'Kush" Griffith on trumpets.While they are best-known for their contributions to other...
- raucous group vocals on songs' choruses alternating with sung or spoken vocals on the verses
- a mixture of funk and rock
Rock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current, which is made louder with an instrument amplifier and a speaker. The signal that comes from the guitar is sometimes electronically altered with guitar effects such as...
styles, the latter being more prominent on Funkadelic's recordings
- steady, relatively unobtrusive drumming with few or no drum solo
A drum solo is an instrumental solo played on a drum kit. A drum solo may be set or improvised, and of any length, up to being the main performance....
s
- lyrics devoted to exposition of the 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....
, sex and drug-related humor, and sociopolitical satireSatire is often strictly defined as a literary genre or form; although in practice it is also found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods,...
, often in the context of a concept albumIn popular music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical". Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs...
- sophisticated use of multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole. This is the most common method of recording popular music...
technology and studio effects by producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
George Clinton
- more "played" sound, with little of the precision of disco
Disco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
and post-discoThe term post-disco has multiple meanings. Sometime after 1990, an Allmusic editorial contributor used "post-disco" in an attempt to isolate a dance music genre in the era between the indistinct "end" of disco music and the equally indistinct emergence of house music...
danceThis article is about dance music in general. You may also be looking for electronic dance music or dance-pop.Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
forms.
Key P-Funk bands and musicians
Key P-Funk bands and musicians include:
- Parliament
Parliament was an African American music 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:...
- Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an African American music band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
- Bootsy Collins
William "Bootsy" Collins is a 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...
/ Bootsy's Rubber Band
- George Clinton
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter 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 began his work as a solo artist in 1981. He has been called one of the most prominent...
- Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known for his work with Parliament-Funkadelic and Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.-Biography:Worrell was born in...
- Eddie Hazel
Edward Earl "Eddie" Hazel was a pioneering and influential guitarist in early funk music in the United States, most famous for his lead guitar work with Parliament-Funkadelic...
- Garry Shider
Garry Marshall Shider is an American musician and guitarist. He has been musical director of the P-Funk All-Stars for much of their history. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.-Childhood:Shider was born in...
- Walter Morrison
Walter "Junie" Morrison or simply Junie Morrison is a musician and producer born in Dayton, Ohio. Morrison was a producer, writer, keyboardist and vocalist for the funk band the Ohio Players in the early 70s, where he wrote and produced their first major hit, "Funky Worm"...
- The Brides of Funkenstein
The Brides of Funkenstein was a funk musical group originally composed of singers Dawn Silva and Lynn Mabry.Previously background singers for Sly Stone, Mabry and Silva joined the P-Funk collective in 1977. George Clinton named the group The Brides of Funkenstein was a funk musical group originally...
- 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...
- Parlet
Parlet was a female spinoff group from P-Funk formed by veteran background vocalists Mallia Franklin, Jeanette Washington and Debbie Wright. Washington and Wright were the first female members in Parliament-Funkadelic in 1975....
- Fred Wesley
Fred Wesley is an American jazz and funk trombonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s and 1970s.Wesley was born in Columbus, Georgia, the son of a high school teacher and big band leader...
- Michael "Clip" Payne
Michael "Clip" Payne is an American musician. He has been a member of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective since 1977...
- Zapp
Zapp is a soul and funk band formed in 1978 by brothers Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman, Tony Troutman and Terry "Zapp" Troutman...