By Deardra Shuler
The great George Clinton recently brought his funk to Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in the Bronx, New York, via his avant garde bands Parliament/Funkadelic. Parliament-Funkadelic created a genre of unique music known as 'P-Funk' (Pure Funk) made popular in the 1960s-70s. As originators, within this funky, funky music genre, Parliament-Funkadelic became known for their unique brand of psychedelic music wherein they experimented with various harmonies and melodies.
Parliament-Funkadelic's frenetic harmonies gave life and fresh air to the psychedelic music generation giving cohesion to the hippie aesthetic. Birthing a style that emerged with brilliant swirling colors and hallucinogenic imagery. Funk gave birth to artists such as the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company, the Fugs and the Velvet Underground, Sly and the Family Stone, the Chambers Brothers, as well as the wildly popular Beatles and Rolling Stones.
When I spoke with George Clinton, he and his collective bands were on tour. “I can’t wait to get back home to New Jersey. I am in Tallahassee, Florida as we speak,” howled George who opened the interview barking. “We are also touring Europe and just recently returned from Japan. Africa is also on the tour schedule. We plan to perform in Madagascar," said George. "We have been in and out of the U.S. Right now, the Bronx is in our sights. I’m glad because my home is in New Jersey, so I will be home for a few days before we rock in the Bronx. As soon as we finish the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts gig, I will be heading to Finland and the Netherlands, “continued the talented and unconventional funkmeister who hopes to get some time off to go fishing. “I love to fish. I actually caught a shark in Florida. But what the “Funk” can I do with a shark? So, I threw him back. However, catching it was really something!” said Clinton as he mused over his fish tale.
George Clinton and his band have been together for many years, ever since he originally formed the Parliaments in Newark, New Jersey, at age 15. “That was back in 1956. Frankie Lyman had his hit out, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” at that time. Parliament was just getting started. We were singing doo-wop back then,” remarked Clinton. “Eventually we ended up at Motown. When that faded out, I started a group called Funkadelic. Funkadelic was my back-up band behind Parliament. They are two separate bands but we all play together at the same time on stage. We are always doing something. Back in the day when Parliament didn't have a regular album, I would put out an album with Funkadelic. Funkadelic did the psychedelic music. Funkadelic came out with “Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow” and “Maggot Brain.” There were 10 of us then; 5 singers and 5 musicians,” noted George, whose bands revolutionized the music scene in the 1970s.
Parliament recorded “Chocolate City in 1975, following up with a single entitled “Flashlight.” Flashlight became their signature song. The band went on to release a series of hits including “The Motor Booty Affair,” “Gloryhallastoopid,” “Trombipulation” and “Aqua Boogie.”
“We Got the Funk,” was our first million dollar seller,” explained the music genius who wrote songs for the Jackson Five and the Supremes while at Motown. “Funk, to me, means do the best you can do and after that… “Funk it!” laughed Clinton who boosted the bands popularity with spectacular theatrical shows which included a huge spaceship. “We called it the “Mothership.” It was a million dollar stage set. The Mothership actually landed on the stage and was 60 feet across. We landed it at Madison Square Garden a couple of times. During that period, everybody was playing with us,” recalled George. “Sly Stone played with us for a time and was one of the few performers who actually stepped out of the Mothership. Jimi Hendrix played with us before we went psychedelic and before he became the Jimi Hendrix Experience,’ stated Clinton. “We copied Jimi's mastery of the psychedelic guitar. Eddie Hazel was our lead guitar player and the only person that could play anywhere near Jimi, while at the same time write his own songs. In fact, we put out a song entitled “Maggot Brain.” A lot of people thought that song emulated Jimi's sound.
"The Mothership guaranteed excitement. People just loved it. We would have as many as 60 or 70 folks playing on stage. Since the Mothership production was pretty costly we stopped for awhile but brought it back in 1996. We plan to do it again some time next year,” stated Clinton who has captured 40 R&B hits singles and recorded 3 platinum albums. Clinton released “How Late Do You Have 2 BB4UR Absent?” and “The Gangsters of Love” in 2008.
As a solo artist, Mr. Clinton was signed to Capitol Records for a while, wherein he played with the P-Funk All Stars. That collaboration released “Computer Games,” Loopzilla, “Atomic Dog,” “Nubian Nut,” and “Do Fries Go With That Shake,” etc.
Known as the Godfather of Modern Urban Music, Clinton has inspired artists such as the Outkasts, Snoop Dog, Missy Elliott, Dr. Dre, Busta Rhymes and Fishbone. He sang with Tupac Shakur on the song “Can't C Me” from Tupac's album “Eyez on Me.” Worked with the WuTang Clan on their song “Wolves,” from their album “Diagrams” and wrote the vocals for the ground breaking release “Freaky Styley” with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Most recently, George did an amusing puppet show project slated to be aired on Nickelodeon.
“Once I put out a musical piece, I rarely revisit it,” explained George. “I am always changing. I can’t think about “One Nation” “Atomic Dog” or “Knee Deep,” because if I have that on my mind, I can’t come up with a new sound. I don't really listen to my music from the past unless I bump into someone playing it. I released “Gangsters of Love” and “How Late Do You Have 2 BB4UR Absent?” pretty much at the same time. Those tunes are a departure from my early days. Having done those two recordings in 2008, I have already returned to the recording studio. We are presently working on an entire album of Motown material,” said Clinton, a recipient of several awards including “The Heroes Award,” “Lifetime Achievement Award,” and the “NAACP Image Award.”
George Clinton has also been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
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