Untitled Document

60S-70S FUNK
Rephrased from Allmusic & Wikipedia Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funk

"Sex Machine", 1970 Named after a slang word for 'stink', funk was indeed the rawest, most primal form of R&B, surpassing even Southern soul in terms of earthiness. It was also the least structured, often stretching out into extended jams, and the most Africanized, built on dynamic, highly syncopated polyrhythms. As such, it originally appealed only to hardcore R&B audiences. The groove was the most important musical element of funk - all the instruments of the ensemble played off of one another to create it, and worked it over and over. Deep electric bass lines often served as main riffs, with an interlocking web of short, scratchy guitar chords and blaring horns over the top.

"One Nation Under A Groove", 1978Funk can be best recognized by syncopated rhythm, thick bass lines, razor-sharp rhythm guitars, yowlish vocals (as that of Cameo or Bar-Kays), strong rhythm-oriented brass section, percussion instruments, a cheerful mood, African tones, a dance floor audience, and strong jazzy influences (e.g. as in Herbie Hancock, George Duke, Eddie Harries, and others). Unlike nearly every form of R&B that had come before it, funk didn't confine itself to the 45-rpm single format and the classic verse/chorus song structure. Funk bands were just as likely to repeat a catchy chant or hook out of the blue, and to give different song sections equal weight, so as not to disrupt the groove by building to a chorus-type climax. In essence, funk allowed for more freedom and

Slave, "Slave", 1977improvisation, and in that respect it was similar to what was happening around the same time in blues-rock, psychedelia, and hard rock (in fact, Jimi Hendrix was a major inspiration for funk guitar soloists). The roots of funk lay in James Brown's post-1965 soul hits, particularly 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' (1965) and 'Cold Sweat' (1967). Sly & the Family Stone, who started out as a soul band influenced by rock and psychedelia, became a full-fledged (albeit pop-savvy) funk outfit with 1969's Stand!. However, the record that officially ushered in the funk era was James Brown's epochal 'Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine.' The arrangement was spare, the groove hard-hitting, and Brown's lyrics were either stream-of-consciousness slogans or wordless noises. Brown followed it with more records over the course of 1970 that

"Stand!", 1969revolutionized R&B, and paved the way for the third artist of funk's holy trinity, George Clinton. Clinton's Parliament and Funkadelic outfits made funk the ultimate party music, not just with their bizarre conceptual humor, but their sheer excess - huge ensembles of musicians and dancers, all jamming on the same groove as long as they possibly could. George Clinton developed a new kind of funk he termed P-Funk. Other prominent representatives of the genre included: Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham, Ohio Players, The Commodores, War, Earth Wind And Fire, Mass Production, Slave, Lakeside, and many more. Thanks to Sly, Brown, and Clinton, many new and veteran R&B acts adopted funk as a central style during the '70s. Funk gradually became smoother as disco came to prominence in the mid to late '70s, and lost much of its distinguishing earthiness. However, it had a major impact on jazz (both fusion and soul-jazz), and became the musical foundation of hip-hop. Thanks to the latter, funk enjoyed a renaissance during the '90s, especially among white audiences who rushed to explore its original classics. Today, hip hop artists regularly sample old funk tunes, sometimes for the purpose of waking them up to new recognition.

DISCOFUNK
http://www.disco-funk.com/

Funk meets Disco - smooth, sexy, popular!

Discofunk: A to Z:
Abba, Abbe, Ace Spectrum, Marta Acuna, Glen Adams Affair,,Patrick Adams, Afro Cuban Band, Air Power, AJL Band, AKB, Alice Street Gang, Amant, The Amazing Mr. D, Apache, Apollo, Aquarian Dream, Don Armando's Second Avenue Rhumba Band, Arpeggio, Ashantis, Ashford & Simpson, Atlanta Disco Band, Atlantic Starr, Atmosfear, Aurra, Sil Austin, Avenue B Boogie Band, Average White Band, Roy Ayers, Baby'O, Baccara, Badazz, Banbarra, Banzai, Bar-Kays, Gato Barbieri, J. J. Barnes, Barrabas, Keith Barrow, Claudja Barry, Joe Bataan, B.B. & Q. Band, B.C.G., Beach Boys, Beautiful Bend, Robin Beck, Bee Gee's, Bee Zee Band, Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch, Beginning Of The End, Archie Bell & The Drells, La Belle Epoque, Benelux And Nancy Dee, David Benoit, George Benson, Biddu Orchestra, Bimbo Jet, Bionic Boogie, Edwin Birdsong, Birmingham & Eggs, Bizarre, Jay Black, Black Ice, Black Ivory, Black Satin featuring Fred Parris, Black Soul, Blackbyrds, Blackwell, Blondie, Body Shop, Hamilton Bohannon, Pierre Bohe, Boiling Point, Bombers, Boney M, Taka Boom, Len Boone, Bottom Line, David Boydell, Bonnie Boyer, Boystown Gang, Brainstorm, Bill Brandon, Brass Construction, Brecker Brothers, Brenda & the Tabulations, Brick, Brides Of Funkenstein, Alicia Bridges, Jimmy Briscoe & The Beavers, Johnny Bristol, Broadway, Broadway Brass, Brooklyn People, Inez Brooks, Pattie Brooks, Brother To Brother, Brothers Johnson, James Brown, Miquel Brown, Peter Brown, Polly Brown, Peobo Bryson, BT Express, Bumble Bee Unlimited, Bumpers, Ernie Bush, George Bussey Experience, Harold Butler, Jerry Butler, Cafe Creme, Calendar, Cameo, Camouflage, Camp Galore, Candido, Caress, Linda Carr, Alvin Cash, Heywood Cash, Cassiano, Jimmy Castor Bunch, Cats'N'Jammer Kids, C.D. Band, Cellophane, Cerrone, Chain Reaction, Marilyn Chambers, Chameleon, Gene Chandler, Change, Chanson, Chanter Sisters, Chaplin Band, Charanga 76, Tina Charles, Charlie's Angels, Charo, Chubby Checker, Judy Cheeks, Chequers, Cher, Chi-Lites, Chic, Chicago Gangsters, David Christie, Martin Circus, Chuck Cissel, City Streets, CJ & Co., Claire, Duane Clark, Linda Clifford, Cloud One, Odia Coates & Paul Anka, El Coco, Coffee, Dennis Coffey, Cognac, Colorblind, Commodores, Con Funk Shun, Constellation, Orchestra, Consumer Rapport, Bill Conti, Alec Costandinos, Don Covay, Papa John Creach, Cream De Coco, Bob Crewe Generation, Gary Criss, Cristina, Frankie Crocker, Crown Heights Affair, Pablo, Cruise, Crusaders, Current, Clifford Curry, Chantal Curtis, Cut Glass, Dance People, Dance Reaction, Dandy, Georgie Dann, Dante's Inferno, Chuck Davis Orchestra, John Davis and the Monster Orchestra, Miz Davis, Scott Davis, Tyrone Davis, Daybreak, Cory Daye, Dazzle, DD Sound, Rick Dees & his Cast Of Idiots, The Dells, Deodato, Teri DeSario, The Destinations, Destiny Orchestra, Destroyers, Detroit Emeralds, Detroit Spinners, Devoshun, Greg Diamond & Bionic Boogie, Greg Diamond & Star Cruiser, Manu DiBango, Direct Current, Disco Circus, Disco Light Orchestra, Disco Maniax, Disco Ranger, Disco Sound Of Andre Gagnon, Disco Tex And The Sex-O-Lettes, Discotheque, District Of Columbia, Jimmy Dockett, Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band, Dooleys, Double, Exposure, Carl Douglas, Carol Douglas, Dream Express, Eddie Drennon, D-R-U-M, George Duke, Dynamic Superiors, Dynamos, Dynasty, Charles Earland, The Earls, Earth, Wind & Fire, East Harlem, Bus Stop, Eastbound Expressway, Eastside Connection, Easy Going, Cleveland Eaton, Ebb Tide, Ecstasy, Passion And Pain, Eli's Second Coming, Yvonne Elliman, Erotic Drum Band, Eruption, Etap, Tony Etoria, Jeff Evans, Fajardo, Family, Family Affair, Fantasia featuring Peggy Santiglia, Fantastic Four, Maryann Farra and Satin Soul, Joe Farrell, Gene Farrow, Fat Larry's Band, Fatback Band, Alma Faye, Ferrara, Festival, Fever, Final Approach, Final Touch, Finished Touch, First Choice, First Love, Fist-O-Funk Orchestra, George Fischoff 'Super Piano', Five Easy Pieces, FLB, Floaters, Flower, King Floyd, Force, Force Of Nature, Martyn Ford Orchestra, Foxy, Frantique, Free Style, Freeez, French Kiss, Funk Machine, Funky People, Fussy Cussy, Gail, Patsy Gallant, Patrick Gammon, Gap Band, Taana Gardner, Leif Garrett, Gary's Gang, Marvin Gaye, Gloria Gaynor, Gaz, Gentlemen And Their Lady, Donny Gerrard, Andy Gibb, Gibson Brothers, Giorgio, Leroy Gomez, Gonzalez, Goody Goody, Sammy Gordon, Gotham Flasher, Jesse Gould, GQ, Dobie Gray, Jesse Green, Nathan Hall, Herbie Hancock, Harlow, Damon Harris, Rahni P. Harris & FLO, Dan Hartman, Fay Hauser, Isaac Hayes, Leon Hayward, Heart And Soul Orchestra, Heat Exchange, Colleen Heather, Heatwave, Heaven & Earth, Eddie Henderson, Wayne Henderson, Willie Henderson, Patrick Hernandez, Hi Tension, Hi Voltage, Hidden Strength, Don High And Mighty, Martha High, Johnnie And Michael Hill, Hodges, James, & Smith, Blood Hollins, Loleatta Holloway, Eddie Holman, Ednah Holt, Homemade Theatre, Honky, Hooker, Linda Hopkins, Eddie Horan, Jimmy 'Bo' Horne, Hot Blood, Hot Chocolate, Hot Ice, Thelma Houston, Al Hudson, Hues Corporation, Geraldine Hunt, Tommy Hunt, Phil Hurtt, Hustlers, Willie Hutch, Phyllis Hyman, Leiah Ikafa, In Search Of Orchestra, Inner Circle, Inner City Express, Inner City Jam Band, Inner Life, Instant Funk, Invisible Man's Band, Invitations, Isley Brothers, Ja-Kki, Paul Jabara, Jabo, Jackson 5, Jermaine Jackson, Jimmy Jackson, Michael Jackson, The Jacksons, Debbie Jacobs, Peter Jacques Band, JALN Band, Freddie James, Jimmy James, T. C. James And The Fist-O-Funk Orchestra, January, JDV & Friends, Norma Jean, Jennifer, Jigsaw, JKD Band, Jobell And The Orchestra De Salsa, Johnson Products, Lorraine Johnson, Samuel Jonathan Johnson, Bruce Johnston, France Joli, Jones Girls, Doris Jones, Grace Jones, Juggy Jones, Quincy Jones, Ronnie Jones, Tamiko Jones, Joneses, J.T. Connection, Ju-Par Universal Orchestra, Patrick Juvet, Jumbo, Jupiter Beyond, Madleen Kane, Kano, Karisma featuring Jocelyn Brown, Karma, Kat Mandu, Kay Gee's, KC & The Sunshine Band, Kebekelektrik, Roberta Kelly, Eddie Kendricks, Kenix Music featuring Bobby Youngblood, Alfie Khan, Chaka Khan, King David, Evelyn King, Kleeer, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Kofi & Kiki, Kool & The Gang, L.A. Express, LaBelle / Patti LaBelle, Lakeshore Drive, Lakeside, Suzi Lane, D.C. LaRue, LaSo, Stacy Lattisaw, Bettye LaVette, Hubert Laws, Lax, Le Pamplemousse, Amanda Lear, Lemon, Webster Lewis, Life, Light Of The World, Lime, Limmie & The Family Cookin', Linx, Lipps Inc., Lipstique, Liquid Gold, Liquid Smoke, Little Scotty, London To Rome, Loose Joints, Trini Lopez, Mary Love, Rudy Love And The Love Family, Love And Kisses, Love Committee, Love De-Luxe, Love Exchange, Love Machine, Love Symphony Orchestra, Love Unlimited, Love Unlimited Orchestra, Lovers, LTG Exchange, Carrie Lucas, Pat Lundy, Luv You Madly Orchestra, Elliot Lurie, Cheryl Lynn, M & O Band, Machine, Macho, J. J. Mack, Made In The USA, Magic Disco Machine, Magnetic Touch, Manhattan Express, Bobby Mann, Herbie Mann, Mantus, Kelly Marie, Laurie Marshall, Vaughan Mason, Masquerade, Mass Production, Mastermind, Johnny Mathis, David Matthews, Paul Mauriat, Van McCoy, George McCrae, Ralph McDonald, McFadden & Whitehead, Francine McGee, Donna McGhee, Jackie McLean, Me, You & Him, Meco, Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, Memphis Horns, Sergio Mendes, Meters, Metropolis, MFSB, Miami, Miami Disco Band, Michele, Mighty Clouds Of Joy, John Miles, Stephanie Mills, Garnet Mimms, Miracles, Wayne Miran, Mista Charge, Moment Of Truth, Moments, Monday After, Montana, Montreal featuring Uchenna Ikejiani, Montreal Sound, Moonlion, Billy Moore, Bobby Moore, Jackie Moore, Melba Moore, Morning, Noon, & Night, Giorgio Moroder, Moses, Mother's Finest, Motown Sounds, Idris Muhammad, Munich Machine, Walter Murphy, Muscle Shoals Horns, Muscles, Music Machine, Musique, Mystic, Mystic Touch, Mystique, Jeanne Napoli, Nasty City, Natural Order, Nature Zone, Nature's Divine, Sam Nesbit, New York City, New York Port Authority, New York Rubber Rock Band, Billy Nichols, Maxine Nightingale, Niteflyte, Nightlife Unlimited, Nite-liters, North End Nuggets, Nu'ron's & Co., Alan O'Day, O'Jays, Odyssey, Ohio Players, Olympic Runners, Orchestra 88, The Originals, O. R. S., Osibisa, Otis & The King Pins, Ottawan, Derek Owen, Pacific Blue, Gene Page, Sharon Paige, Paradise Express, Paris Connection, Dennis Parker, Robert Parker, Passion, Billy Paul, Peaches & Herb, Don Peake, Dunn Pearson Jnr., Barbara Pennington, People's Choice, Houston Person, Persuaders, Philharmonic 2000, Esther Phillips, Philly Cream, Philly Devotions, Philly U.S.A., Phreek, Pico, Players Association, Playmate, Pleasure, P.M.S.B., Bonnie Pointer, Poison, Michel Polnareff, Pop-a-groove, Positive Choice, Positive Force, Poussez, Power Play, Billy Preston, Suzy Q, Quartz, Quazar, Queen Samantha, Queen Yahna, Raes, Randy Raider, Tony Rallo, Rare Pleasure, Lou Rawls, Don Ray, Raydio, Debbie Raymond, RB & Company, Real McCoy, Real Thing, Realistics, Sharon Redd, Reflections, Clarence Reid, Revanche, Jeannie Reynolds, Rhythm Heritage, Rice & Beans Orchestra, Rimshots, Rinder & Lewis, Ripple, Ritchie Family, Jerry Rix, R.J.'s Latest Arrival, Dawn Robertson, Vicki Sue Robinson, Rod, Lee Rogers, Rokotto, Rose, Royce, Diana Ross, Roundtree, Demis Roussos, Rozaa & Wine, Jimmy Ruffin, Patrice Rushen, Jimmy Sabater, Oliver Sain, Cubby St. Charles, Saint Tropez, Salsoul Orchestra, Salsoul Strings, Santa Esmeralda, Santiago, Sarr Band, Sassy, Saturday Night Band, Bobby Sax, Leo Sayer, Lalo Schifrin, Garrett Scott, Gil Scott-Heron, Sea Level, Seawind, Secrets, Sesso Matto, Doc Severinsen, Sex O'Clock U.S.A., Shadee, Shalamar, Shampoo, Marlena Shaw, Sheila & B Devotion, Sherod, Shirley & Company, Side Effect, Bunny Sigler, Silk, Silver Convention, Silver Spectre, Silvetti, Joe Simon, Sine, Sins Of Satan, Sister Sledge, Sky, Skyy, Slave, Slick, Lonnie Smith, Soccer, Gino Soccio, Softones, Solar Flare, Dino Solera, Solid Gol, Sophisticated Ladies, S.O.S. Band, Soul Affair Orchestra, Soul Philadelphia Orchestra, Soul Survivors, Sound Experience, Sound On Sound Productions, Sounds Of Inner City, South Shore Commission, Southroad Connection, Southside Movement, Space, Joanne Spain, Sparky And The Inner Citizens, Sparque, Johnnie Spence And The Family Tree, Sphinx, Spider's Webb, Spinners, S. S. O., Wayne St. John, Stargard, Starlings And The MFM Orchestra, Edwin Starr, Candi Staton, Amii Stewart, Tommy Stewart, Sticky Fingers, Stone, Stratavarious featuring Lady, Street People, Barbra Streisand, Stringfield Family, Sylvia, Sriplin, Strutt, Stylistics, Sugar & Spice, Sugarhill Gang, Sumeria, Donna Summer, Bill Summers & Summer Heat, Sun, Supercharge, Supermax, Swamp Dogg, Sweet Inspirations, Sweet Music, Sweet Potato Pie, Sweetooth, Sylvers, Sylvester, Sylvia, Syreeta, T-Connection, Talk Of The Town, Tantra, Taste Of Honey, Tavares, Johnnie Taylor, Laura Taylor, Tee Cee's, Teen-machine, Temprees, Teresa, Joe Tex, Mike Theodore Orchestra, Third World, Third World Band, Evelyn Thomas, Joe Thomas, Leone Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Tasha Thomas, Timmy Thomas, THP Orchestra, Three Ounces Of Love, Harry Thuman, Bobby Thurston, Tom N' Jerry's Rockets, Gary Toms Empire, Total Unity, Touch, Tower Of Power, Trammps, John Travolta, Tribe, Rodney Trotter's Egypt, Andrea True Connection, True Example, Trussel, Stanley Turrentine, Two Man Sound, Two Tons O' Fun, Tymes, Ubiquity, Udell, UK Players, Ultimate, Ultrafunk, U.N., Uncle Louie, Undisputed Truth, Universal Energy, Universal Robot Band, Unlimited Touch, Unyque, UPP, USA-European Connection, Tony Valor Sounds Orchestra, Lee Vanderbilt, Theo Vaness, Variations, Vast Majority, Tata Vega, Venus, Village People, Paul Vincent, Miroslav Vitous, Viva, Voyage, Narada Michael Walden, Dexter Wansel, War, Anita Ward, Wardell Piper, Mira Waters, Johnny Guitar Watson, Weapons Of Peace, Weather Girls, James Wells, Whirlwind, Whispers, Anthony White, Barry White, Betty J. White, Grace Lee Whitney, Wild Cherry, Wild Honey, Carol Williams, Dave William's Inner Circle, Deniece Williams, Esther Williams, Jessica Williams, Linda Williams, M.J. Williams, Viola Wills, Mary Wilson, Wilton Place Street Band, Wing And A Prayer Fife & Drums Corp, Wish, Witch Queen, Wonderland Band, Ren Woods, Betty Wright, Marvin Wright, Wright Bros. Flying Machine, Yambu, Yarbrough & Peoples, Young & Co., Young Senators, Young Sisters, John Paul Young, Karen Young, Retta Young, Your Fantasies, Michael Zager Band, Cathy Zory.

ITALO FUNK
Admor 'Funky' Pages, 2003
http://www.freestylegrooves.com/docs/roots10_discog.htm

Highly electro-melodic, Italian produced Discofunk inspired by Eurodisco and Jacques Fred Petrus / Mauro Malavasi.

Whether they cloned the style of pioneer Malavasi or not, Italian musicians succeeded in making a typical Italian funk sound that could easily stand the test with funky U.S. productions. The artists listed in the following discography all delivered some

heavy Italian disco-funk during the early eighties (notice that some names already occured in the discography above). Successful Italo-funk producers were: Claudio Simonetti (Vivien Vee, Kasso, Easy Going, Capricorn), Giancarlo Meo (Vivien Vee, Easy Going, Capricorn, Kasso), Celso Valli (Tantra, Azoto, Passengers), Stefano Pulga (Kano, Jimmy Ross), Luciano Ninzatti (Kano, Jimmy Ross), Tiziano Mazzilli (Jimmy Ross, Vin-Zee), Laurent Van Meerhaeghe (Jimmy Ross, Vin-Zee), Dario Raimondi (Advance), Claudio Donato (Selection, Tom Hooker), Franco Donato (Selection, Orlando Johnson), A. Candelora (Electric Mind), Fio Zanotti (Game, Flowchart), Romano Trevisani (Game, Flowchart, Cruisin' Gang), Luigi 'Louis' Figini (Dr. Togo, Kano), Leonardo Re Cecconi (Dr. Togo, Koxo), R. Cucinotta (Boeing), Mariella Cavalieri (Rainbow Team, Firefly, Ago, Korja), Maurizio Sangineto (Firefly),

Sangy (Armed Gang, The Creatures, Paul Micioni (Mike Francis), Peter Micioni (Mike Francis),Matteo Bonsanto(Kano) and Victorio Pezzola (Asso). The tasteful Italian disco-funk not only appealed to the European dance public but also seduced the American dancefloors. Many Italian disco artists like Vin-Zee, Jimmy Ross, Kano and Firefly reached high positions on the U.S. Billboard R&B charts. The artists and producers involved in this thriving and vibrant Italian music scene were like one great family.

Illustrative for this Italian funk in-crowd is perhaps the figure of Luigi 'Louis' Figini. He produced Dr. Togo’s soulgem “Be Free” and used Kano-singer Glen White as Dr. Togo’s lead vocalist in 1983. Figini alsoproducedKano and participated in projects of Peter Jacques Band, Change and B.B.&Q. Band in 1985. Luigi Figini is a close friend of Mauro Malavasi too. And did you know that Paolo Gianolio conducted and mixed the

Vivien Vee disco album With Vivien Vee in 1983 and that Kano's singer Glen White and Davide Romani both get a special thanks on the sleeve notes of this record? Davide Romani even played bass guitar on Flowchart’s New Harlem Funk album under the pseudonym of Dav. Mandingos! One great family indeed! In 1983 the term Italo-Disco was launched to label Italian dance music in general.

Reference:
Advance: single 'Take Me To The Top' (Energy, 1983).
Ago: LP For You (Full Time, 1982) - singles: 'For You', 'Trying Over', 'You Make Me Do It'.
Asso: single 'Don’t Stop' (Ace, 1983).
Boeing: single 'Dance On The Beat' (Full Time, 1982).
Dr. Togo: single 'Be Free', (DBR, 1982).
Electric Mind: single 'Summing Up' (Full Time, 1982).
Electric Mind: singles 'Can We Go', 'Zwei' (Full Time, 1983).
Fascination: single 'Out To Get You' (Banana, 1983).
Firefly: LP Firefly (Mr. Disc, 1980) - single: 'Love And Friendship'.
Firefly: LP My Desire (Mr. Disc, 1981) - singles: 'Love (Is Gonna Be On Your Side)', 'My Desire', 'You Can Lead Me'.
Firefly: LP 3 (Mr. Disc, 1982) - single 'I Just Want To Be Your Lover'.
Firefly: LP Double Personality (Mr. Disc, 1984) - single 'Stay (No Time)'.
Flowchart: LP The New Harlem Funk (Maximus, 1983) - single: 'Ask The Boss'.
Game: LP Gotta Take Your Love (Maximus, 1982) - single: 'Gotta Take Your Love'.
J.M.T. Band: single 'Just Your Love' (Full Time, 1981).
Jimmy Ross: LP First True Love Affair (Full Time, 1981) - singles: 'First True Love Affair', 'Fall Into A Trance'.
Kano: LP New York Cake (Full Time, 1981) - single: 'Can’t Hold Back'.
Kano: LP Another Life (Full Time, 1983) - single: 'Dance School'.
Kasso: LP Kasso (Banana, 1981) - single: 'Walkman'.
Kasso: LP Kasso 2 (F-1 Team, 1984) - single: 'Dig It'.
Koxo: single 'Step By Step' (Sugar Music, 1982).
Maurice McGee: single 'Do I Do' (Full Time, 1983).
Mike Francis: LP Let’s Not Talk About It (Concorde, 1984) - singles: 'Cover Girl', 'Let’s Not Talk About It'.
Orlando Johnson & Trance: LP Turn The Music On (Full Time, 1983) - singles: 'Turn The Music On', 'Chocolate City'.
Pino D’Angio: single 'Ma Quale Idea' (Flarenasch, 1980).
Rainbow Team: LP Rainbow Team (Full Time, 1981).
Rainbow Team: LP A Song For You (Full Time, 1982) - singles: 'Hope He Wants', 'Bite The Apple'.
Selection: single 'Madly' (Full Time, 1980).
Selection: LP Selection (Full Time, 1982) - singles: 'Got To Be Real', 'Ride The Beam'.
Tantra: LP The Double Album (Import 12, 1980) - single: 'The Hills Of Katmandu'.
Tantra: LP Tantra II (Import 12, 1981) - single: 'Macumba'.
Tom Hooker: single 'Talk With Your Body' (Full Time, 1982).
Tom Hooker: single 'Love Attack' (BMC, 1983).
Trance: single 'Hang On It' (Good Vibes, 1982).
Vin-Zee: single 'Funky Bebop' (Full Time, 1981).
Vivien Vee: LP With Vivien Vee (Banana, 1983) - singles: 'Destiny', 'Wanna Feel'

80S FUNK
Brian Edwards, 2005

"Redd Hott", 198280s Funk is the natural progression of 70s Discofunk into the 80s. With the advent of affordable electronic synthesizers and drum machines, and a renewed interest in the raw sound of late-60s/mid-70s Funk, 70s-turned-80s Funk artists began combining R&B pop-rock routines and 'commercial appeal' to create a unique brand of funk-rock, popularized by leading groups like Cameo, The Bar-Kays, Midnight Star, Shalamar, and the Solar Records crew. Prince and The Minneapolis Sound further defined 80s Funk, by integrating New Wave, Hip-Hop, and a blend of other genres to create a wholly original Funk sound of their own. Around the same time, '82-84, hip-hop and rap began merging with synths and vocoders to create a unique brand of stripped-down electric Funk known as Electro-Funk, or simply, Electro.

Reference:
Alexander O'Neal, Cherrelle, Chaka Khan, Unlimited Touch, Midnight Star, Lakeside, S.O.S. Band, Whistle, Ready For The World, The Whispers, Shalamar, Imagination, Sharon Redd, Calloway, Bill Wolfer, Dynasty, Collage, Cat Miller, Carrie Lucas, Bobby Womack, The Sylvers, EU, Boogie Boys, Melba Moore, Sheena Easton, Slave, Princess, Cameo, D-Train, Skyy, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, The Cool Notes...

ELECTRO

See the 'ELECTRO' link for more info...

THE MINNEAPOLIS SOUND
http://www.bobsmusicindex.com/MinneapolisSoundEssay.html

Prince, "Controversy", 1981Minneapolis isn't the only northern location that is identified with a particular R&B sound. In the '60s and '70s, Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit all had their own distinctive brands of northern soul. And Ohio's various cities were known for having a lot of aggressive, sweaty funk bands in the '70s - the Ohio Players, Lakeside, the Dazz Band (originally known as Kinsman Dazz), Bootsy Collins and Slave were among the many hardcore funksters who came from the Buckeye State. But the Minneapolis sound of the '80s was unique - it was quite different from the sophisticated soul of Philly and Chi-Town or the gutbucket funk of Dayton, Cleveland and Cincinnati. The Minneapolis sound of the '80s wasn't pure R&B; it was a hybrid mixture of funk, rock and pop, and it was a sound that made Prince both a funk/urban star and a rock/pop star.

"What Time Is It?", 1982The person who invented the Minneapolis sound was Prince. He was the innovative leader of a scene that, in the '80s, also gave us the Time, Morris Day, Vanity 6, Apollonia 6, Ta Mara & the Seen, Sheila E. and Jesse Johnson's Revue as well as lesser known Minneapolis residents like the Family and Mazarati. All of these artists were heavily influenced by Prince's work, and Prince's followers - like Prince himself - were not R&B purists. They had funk appeal, but they also had rock, pop and new wave appeal. Consequently, the Minneapolis sound attracted very integrated audiences. Parliament/ Funkadelic and Gap Band fans attended concerts by Prince and his disciples; so did fans of Blondie, the Police and Duran Duran.

"Drive Me Wild", 1982Although the Minneapolis scene reached its peak in the '80s, Prince actually got the ball rolling in the late '70s. The singer/composer started building a national following in 1978, when Warner Bros. Records released his debut album, For You, and he had a hit with the bouncy 'Soft and Wet'. In 1979, Warner released Prince's self-titled sophomore album, which contained the hits 'Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?' and 'I Wanna Be Your Lover'. For You and Prince were enjoyable soul-pop albums, but they offered little evidence of the visionary, wildly ambitious work that was just around the corner (although Prince's second album does contain the funk-rock jewel 'Bambi,' which addresses the subject of lesbianism). In 1980, however,

"Apollonia 6", 1984Prince took the gloves off - all the way off - on his third album, Dirty Mind. Both musically and lyrically, Dirty Mind was a major step forward for Prince and the Minneapolis sound. Without abandoning funk and soul, Prince became a lot more rock-minded. And Dirty Mind's lyrics pulled no punches; parts of the album are downright explicit, especially Prince's references to oral sex on 'Head' and incest on the shocking 'Sister'. But if Dirty Mind demonstrated that Prince could be great for shock value, it also demonstrated that he was an artist of considerable depth and vision. The fact that Dirty Mind was able to win over rock and new wave audiences without alienating the R&B base Prince had acquired with his first two albums is certainly impressive. And he acquired even more followers with equally risk-taking albums like 1981's Controversy, 1982's 1999 and 1994's Purple Rain.

"The Glamorous Life", 1984For the most part, 1981 was a banner year for Minneapolis funk-rock - not only because of Controversy but also, because it marked the recording debut of the Time, a colorful, often humorous band that was heavily influenced by Prince but still quite distinctive. Sadly, 1981 was also the year in which Prince was booed off stage when he opened for the Rolling Stones at the Los Angeles Coliseum - some people in the audience still had the death-to-disco mentality and saw Prince as a disco artist even though he was using a lot of loud, rock-conscious guitar at that point. However, some of L.A.'s Stones fans were appalled and disgusted by the incident; they knew how much Mick Jagger and Keith Richard loved R&B and were sad that other Stones fans could be so narrow-minded. The people who booed Prince at the L.A. Coliseum seemed to forget how mindful of soul and funk the Stones had been on 'Hot Stuff' and their 1978 smash 'Miss You'.

Janet Jackson, "Control", 1986But times change, and if Prince had opened for the Stones in 1984 instead of 1981, he probably would have received a standing ovation. By that time, the death-to-disco mentality was a thing of the past, and a lot of younger rock fans were getting into rap, urban and dance-pop. That was not only a good thing for Prince - it was also a good thing for the Time and Vanity 6, a Minneapolis-based female trio that reflected Prince's obsession with sex and his ability to combine funk, rock and pop. Like Prince and the Time, the short-lived Vanity 6 (which evolved into Apollonia 6 after Vanity left to pursue a solo career) appealed to an interracial audience. So did the projects that former Time members Morris Day and Jesse Johnson recorded after the Time's breakup in 1984. When Johnson wasn't leading his post-Time band, Jesse Johnson's Revue, he was producing the Minneapolis-based Ta Mara & the Seen. That very Minneapolis-sounding outfit recorded two albums for A&M in the '80s and is best remembered for their 1985 hit 'Everybody Dance'.

"Ta Mara & The Seen", 19851984, the year of the Time's breakup, was also the year that singer/percussionist Sheila E. made her mark with her Warner Bros. album The Glamorous Life and the hit title song. Sheila E.'s association with Prince, however, was hardly her first experience in the music industry - before she joined forces with Prince and started hanging out in Minneapolis, the Bay Area native was a busy session player on the West Coast. Her real name is Sheila Escovedo; she is the daughter of percussionist Pete Escovedo and the niece of the late percussionist Coke Escovedo.

"...Revue", 1984Two of the lesser known bands that came out of the Minneapolis school of funk-rock were the Family and Mazarati, whose self-titled debut album was released on Prince's Paisley Park label (distributed by Warner Bros.) in 1986. Mazarati was expected to become the next major band out of Minneapolis, but surprisingly, their album (which was produced by Prince sideman Brown Mark) fell through the cracks - and Mazarati broke up without ever recording a second album. Similarly, the Family also turned out to be a one-album wonder - despite the fact that the band included three ex-members of the Time: singer/keyboardist St. Paul Peterson, drummer Jellybean Johnson and percussionist Jerome Benton. Rounding out the lineup were saxophonist Eric Leeds and lead singer Susannah Melvoin, the daughter of jazz pianist Mike Melvoin and twin sister of Wendy Melvoin (who was with Prince's '80s band the Revolution before she became half of the Wendy & Lisa duo).

"School of Cool", 1989In the '80s, one didn't have to be from Minneapolis to embrace the Minneapolis sound. Scottish star Sheena Easton became very Minneapolis-minded when Prince wrote 'Sugar Walls' for her in 1984, and Flint, MI's Ready for the World was heavily influenced by Prince and the Time. So was Le Klass, an obscure but noteworthy band from Augusta, GA. And Los Angeles resident Janet Jackson was among the many artists who worked with producer/songwriters Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, who formed a partnership after leaving the Time. Some of the albums that Jam/Lewis produced were more Minneapolis-sounding than others - it all depended on what a particular project called for. And the Janet Jackson albums that the Jam/Lewis duo worked on (including 1986's Control and 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814) were among their more Minneapolis-minded projects. The Prince/ Time influence is impossible to miss on 'Nasty,' 'Escapade,' 'What Have You Done for Me Lately' and other hits that they produced for her in the '80s. The Jam/ Lewis team also produced Alexander O'Neal (another ex-member of the Time), Cheryl Lynn, the S.O.S. Band, the Human League and others.

The Time recorded an excellent reunion album, Pandemonium, for Paisley Park in 1990, and it was also in the early '90s that Prince formed a new band called the New Power Generation (which he unveiled on his 1990 release Diamonds and Pearls). By the mid-'90s, however, the popularity of the Minneapolis sound had decreased. Morris Day and Jesse Johnson weren't as visible in the mid- to late '90s as they were in the '80s, and Apollonia and Ta Mara weren't heard from at all. Meanwhile, Vanity (who didn't have much commercial success after she parted company with Prince and became a solo artist) proclaimed herself to be a born-again Christian and gave up secular music altogether. But while some of Prince's associates faded into obscurity after the '80s, Prince himself continued to command a huge international following and was still keeping busy when the 2000s arrived.

Recommended Recordings:
· Apollonia 6, Apollonia 6 (Warner Bros.)
· Janet Jackson, Control (A&M)
· Janet Jackson, Rhythm Nation 1814 (A&M)
· Jesse Johnson's Revue, Jesse Johnson's Revue (A&M)
· Le Klass, School of Cool (AVC)
· Morris Day, The Color of Success (Warner Bros.)
· Prince, 1999 (Warner Bros.)
· Prince, Controversy Warner Bros.)
· Prince, Dirty Mind (Warner Bros.)
· Prince, Purple Rain (Warner Bros.)
· Sheila E., The Glamorous Life (Warner Bros.)
· Ta Mara & the Seen, Ta Mara & the Seen (A&M)
· The Time, Ice Cream Castle (Warner Bros.)
· The Time, What Time Is It? (Warner Bros.)
· Vanity 6, Vanity 6 (Warner Bros.)