PRAYZEHYMN Online | where gospel music lives [Funky Sensations]

ALMOST THIRTY YEARS TO THIS DATE, our parents and relatives jumped on the Mothership to jam to an irresistible, earthy sound that was unlike its predecessors. Filled with raw, drenching-sweat, soaked in sexual ecstasy and inner rage, enlarged by the mysterious energy of the cosmos, The Funk led the way for a generation of African-Americans whom were deeply affected by the terrorizing times of segregation, racism, social deprivation and the Vietnam War. The end result of this sound was truly the essence of the Black Experience; placing the roots of the African traditions into the authentic musical styles birthed on American soil. It is true, without any question, that blues, birthed in the cotton patches and salvage plantations of rural Mississippi, was birth on the land of America. Because of the horrendous treatments and cruelty delivered unto them from their selfish masters, slaves reacted to these horrible conditions with song and music. The blues and spirituals emerged from this. Jazz, another African-influenced art form, also bears its birthplace on American soil. And all three of these styles were essential in creating and defining what we know today as gospel music. History traces that jazz, blues, and the invention of the simpler and appealing sounds of rhythm-and-blues, which was a brilliant culmination of the two, all merged into making funk music. When you hear the rhythmic and the swinging arrangements from real musicians, along with the organization of band leaders and their sections, sounding off to a brilliant work of art filled with freedom of expression, you are hearing the foundations of jazz. When you hear the seductive sway and risqu'e and melancholy lyrics and human emotions upon a soulful bassline, you are hearing the foundations of blues. And when you hear the danceable, finger-snapping infectious grooves of a lovable melody, surrounded by a radio-friendly lead vocal, you are hearing the foundations of R&B. Put all these components and ingredients together and you have The Funk.

Funk music is still considered, to this day by most critics, to be a fad or a cultural response that climaxed as an outward expression of uncontrollable creativity. If anything, mainstream American culture views funk as a sub-genre built upon foolishness...nastiness. But it is the complete opposite. According to Rickey Vincent, author of the book "Funk: The Music, the People and the Rhythm of the One", he explains that "funk is a musical mixture". "The tempo," he explains, "can be a slow, sexual gyration, or a high-energy fist-in-the-air romp. As long as there is rhythm, as long as their is togetherness, as long as there is a vibe --- it's funk." And while the rhythms and groovy instrumentation may feel a bit too raunchy for conservatives, Howard C. Harris describes in his book, The Complete Book of Improvisation, Composition and Funk Techniques, the chemistry of a funk groove:
"Funk is a style of music in which elements of jazz, pop, rock, gospel and the Blues are fused to create a rhythmic, soulful sound. Funk thrives on rhythm, and the art of it depends on the level of togetherness between the performers. It is, in essence, togetherness in motion."

Like blues, jazz and early R&B, gospel music was a major influence for The Funk's early development. The gritty, soulful delivery of Rev. James Cleveland on "Peace Be Still", recorded with the Angelic Choir of Nutley in 1963, along with the reaction from audiences during its live recording session, helped revolutionize the world of soul music and became a mediator for secular artists in order to express their faith and viewpoints lyrically. Plus, Cleveland's performance, drenched with enough stamina to raise the dead, encouraged its generation to put "their all" into their craft. Other important benefactors to the origin of funk music surrounded artists like Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke, Dorothy Love-Coates and Clara Ward. Most importantly, Ward played a significant role in shaping the scope of both R&B and early funk with her flamboyant fashion trademarks and elaborate shows, which encouraged artists like Little Richard, to go beyond the status quo. The call-and-response tag, a systematic exchange of interaction with the preacher and his or her congregation, was also highly useful in creating the bandleader image of the classic years of funk music. Musical maestros like George Clinton of Parliament, Frankie Beverly of Maze, Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire and Larry Blackmon of Cameo were stage favorites and reduplicated the energies and strategies that made gospel music so effective into funk's rich infrastructure.

The earliest documented recording of funk is hard to trace, since you can hear funk even in the earliest of Motown's pop hits, even in the Southern expressions of soul on the Stax record label with artists like Booker T. & the M.G's, Otis Redding and Sam & Dave. And while many music followers accredited the style to the most popular icon of the funk empire, George Clinton (a.k.a. P. Funk), it was the Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown, which embodied the creative formula for The Funk. His intense workouts, carefully exhibited on vinyl, featured the gospel-enlightened exhorting, scatting, shouting and screeching that surrounds the evolutions of funk music, while Brown's sax player, Maceo Parker blasted his inspired cadence with the mega-jazzy arrangements on songs like "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" and "Out of Sight". Hard to even believe that the James Brown prototype we know of from his funky/R&B outfits of the late 60s and early 70s is a bonafide reconstruction from his soul/gospel early days.

Funk, making its manifested appearances in the early 70s, eventually captured the ears of the industry, even though serious funk bands and artists didn't earn the matter of respect they deserved. The global response to funk music was to create a pop-flavored twist to funk - which lead to disco music. Vincent said it best that "disco is the simplified form of nonethnic, electronic-sounding dance music...the essence of disco is a repetitive simulation of the rawness of black funk". But groups like The Brothers Johnson, the Isley Brothers, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, the Ohio Players, Slave, the Commodores, WAR and Kool & the Gang kept the live musician set alive with thunderous results. Solo artists including Rick James, using his punk-funk sound on songs like the electrifying "You And I" and "Cold Blooded", and Prince, whom stormed to the top with his cool blend of rock, pop and R&B on cuts like "Soft and Wet" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover" also kept real live music alive while the sound of the ages was slowly drifting towards the easy and inexpensive-to-duplicate, electronic sound. Before the 1980s emerged, more funk and disco groups had emerged to the forefront like never before - hoping to keep real instrumentation alive. Parliament-Funkadelic, two separate groups which were the creation of George Clinton, lead funk through a successful period from 1976 through 1979. This was, and is considered by most music critics, to be the creative zenith of the funk genre. And with addictive tunes, staged by elements of black rock and fused with gospel-soul formulas, like "Up For The Down Stroke", "(Not Just) Knee Deep", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Of The Sucker)", "Dr. Funkenstein", "One Nation Under A Groove" and "Flashlight", Clinton and his crew proved that funk was more than just a fad. While both bands secured the finest of musical brilliance with group members such as Eddie Hazel, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell, Funkadelic-Parliament also scored with blending gospel and soul influences into the funk world with the usage of spiritual awareness, the lyrical phrasing of Negro spirituals ("Swing low, sweet chariot and let me ride"), the belting gospel-tinged framework of the late Phillip Wynne (formerly of the Spinners) as a lead vocalist and analogies that looked like modern-day revelations on moral plights such as social injustice, poverty and racism. And while James Brown possessed the roots of funk, George Clinton and his P-Funk machine inherited the drive of the funk and made it a visible force in American culture.

While the earthiness of funk bears a dirty image like its early ancestors of the blues, gospel music played its part in helping to cultivate the many realms surrounding funk's distinctive sound. Deep bass, heavy rhythms, charismatic song structures, infectious singing and delivery --- necessities found in gospel music --- they all help to make funk what it is. Today's generation of gospel artists are finding their way into The Funk; revealing a heart to be different, to be radical and to be funky. Songs like "Better", "Alive" and "Going To Another Level", in which are staples at a concert for Integrity Music recording artist Israel Houghton, fall in the lines of Earth, Wind and Fire mixed with the historic Philly sound (O'Jays, MFSB). His intention for the jams - to showcase busy horn arrangements on a groovy, upbeat rhythm - good enough to make you wanna' dance. Contemporary gospel icon Tye Tribbett is also known for using The Funk on cuts such as "No Way (The G.A. Chant)", "Mighty Long Way" and his latest single "Victory". It is also remarkable to note that his staged performances are just a step away from being as revolutionary as the Time (with Morris Day) and as flashy as a James Brown concert. The Funk has even worked its way into the gospel choir scene, with familiar traces found on records by Joe Pace, Hezekiah Walker & the Love Fellowship Choir, Excelsior, The Remnant and L. Spenser Smith & Testament. It is clear that funk helped pioneer the rap and hip-hop movements and to exclude the samples and foundations heavily used from funk records, the bulk of modern music would be faceless. This easily explains why gospel artists are looking to The Funk for creative abilities and fresh insight. Walter Hawkins did it with "Until I Found The Lord", Thomas Whitfield used funk to create "God Wants Our Praises", Darius Brooks took a page from funk's handbook to pen "Great Things", and now, gospel is recreating its own history. This time, The Funk is being celebrated as a serious artform and is finally being viewed by the gospel industry as one of Gospel's brightest descendants.

FUNK RESTING ON THE BORDER LINES OF GOSPEL
Some albums stick out better than others. And from a gospel perspective, these albums are definite winners.
1. WAR "The World Is A Ghetto" (1972) L.A's response to Parliament. WAR deals with socio-political issues such as urban citylife, Funk, soul, gospel and R&B wrapped in one. The title cut and "The Cisco Kid" show off, while gospel raises its brow on the energetic "Where Was You At"?
2. Stevie Wonder "Innervisions" (1973) Living For The City is a poignant tune dealing with injustice and issues plaguing the inner city, Jesus Children of America and Higher Ground expounds on Wonder's faith. A classic record.
3. Stevie Wonder "Songs In The Key of Life" (1976) A double-album adventure featuring "Love's In Need Of Love", "Have A Talk With God". Funky tunes like "Sir Duke", "I Wish" and "Knocks Me Off My Feet". A highly-ambitious record.
4. Curtis Mayfield "Superfly" (1972) "Freddie's Dead", "Pusherman" and the title cut were on-the-edge tunes that made the soundtrack an immediate success. It was one of the pioneering soul concept albums, with its then-unique socially aware lyrics about poverty and drug abuse making the album stand out.
5. Earth, Wind and Fire "That's The Way Of The World" (1975) "Shining Star", "Reasons" and the title cut stick out with magical enlightment. But "All About Love" and "Happy Feelin'" is just as good. Classic soul/funk collection, mixed with gospel influences.
6. Curtis Mayfield "Curtis" (1970) "(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go" is a charging piece that borderlines gospel and deep soul. The jazz/gospel combo of "Move On Up" is just as satisfying. A classic masterpiece from the early 70s.
7. O'Jays "Back Stabbers" (1972) The genius of Gamble & Huff help make this potpourri of gospel/funk/R&B a winner. "When The World's At Peace", "Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People" and the classic "Love Train" are found here.
8. Public Enemy "It Takes A Nation To Hold Us Back" (1988) Don't Believe The Hype was the big hit here, but Bring The Noise was just as great. Rolling Stone labeled the project "loud, obnoxious, funky, avant- garde, political, uncompromising, and hilarious".
9. Sly & the Family Stone "Stand!" (1969) Features the classic "Everyday People" and the energizing title cut, which stood on the ground of political self-expression. Pay close attention to the instrumental cut, "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey" and the blazing "I Want To Take You Higher".
10. Parliament "P. Funk Earth Tour" (1977) A nice live set that flows like a spirt-filled church service. All the hits are here up to 1977 along with a few studio cuts like "Fantasy Is Reality".

OTHER VALUABLE RESOURCES TO LOOK INTO:
We perish because of the lack of knowledge. Get schooled.

Rickey Vincent - Offical website of the DJ/historian and the author of Funk: The Music, the People and the Rhythm of the One. Most of the resources of this article were used from this resource.
Wikipedia: Funk Music - History, timeline, important influences and artists that shaped the funk movement.
KPFA Radio: The History of Funk - Airs on Fridays at 10 p.m. until midnight. Archives of broadcats can be heard online.
Soul Patrol Review of Funk - Review on the book written by Rickey Vincent. A bonus chart, taken from the book, highlights the dynasties that make up the evolution of funk music.
Wikipedia: P-Funk - History, facts and much more on Parliament-Funkadelic and George Clinton.