Funkadelic (album)

Funkadelic
Studio album by Funkadelic
Released	February 24, 1970
Recorded	1968-1969 in Tera Shirma Sound Studios, Detroit, Michigan
Genre	Funk, psychedelic soul, psychedelic rock
Length	46:37
Label	Westbound W-2000
Producer	George Clinton
Funkadelic chronology
Funkadelic (1970) Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow (1970)Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow1970

Funkadelic is the debut album by the American funk band Funkadelic, released in 1970 on Westbound Records. The album showcased a strong bass and rhythm section, as well as lengthy jam sessions, future trademarks of the band. The album contains two remakes of songs from The Parliaments, an earlier band featuring George Clinton: "I Bet You" and "Good Old Music".

"Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" and "What is Soul" contained the beginnings of Funkadelic's mythology, namely that "Funkadelic" and "the Funk" are extraterrestrial in origin but not dangerous.

"I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody's Got a Thing" was particularly notable for a guitar solo by Rare Earth's Ray Monette. "I Bet You" was later covered by The Jackson 5 on their album ABC, and sampled by the Beastie Boys for their song "Car Thief". The 2005 CD reissue also contains their version of "Can't Shake It Loose", which was recorded two years prior by Diana Ross & The Supremes on their album Love Child. In more recent years, The Red Hot Chili Peppers have combined the main riff of "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" and certain parts of the lyrics from "What Is Soul?" in live shows, a version which appears as a B-Side on their 2002 single "By the Way".

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	link
Robert Christgau	(C+) link
Julian Cope	(favorable) link
Pitchfork Media	(9.0/10) link
Rolling Stone	link
Spin	(9/10) link

Track listing

Side One
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?"	George Clinton	9:04
2.	"I Bet You" (released as a single: Westbound 150)	George Clinton, Sidney Barnes, Theresa Lindsey	6:10
3.	"Music for My Mother" (released as a single: Westbound 148)	George Clinton, Edward Hazel, William Nelson	5:37
4.	"I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody's Got a Thing" (released as a single: Westbound 158)	Clarence Haskins	3:52

Side Two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Good Old Music"	George Clinton	7:59
6.	"Qualify and Satisfy"	George Clinton, Edward Hazel	6:15
7.	"What Is Soul"	George Clinton	7:40

2005 CD reissue bonus tracks (Alternate 45 versions and non-album b-sides)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
8.	"Can't Shake It Loose" (recorded in 1969 and scheduled as Westbound W 149)	George Clinton, Sidney Barnes, Joanne Jackson, Rose Marie McCoy	2:28
9.	"I Bet You" (Westbound W 150)	George Clinton, Sidney Barnes, Theresa Lindsey	4:10
10.	"Music for My Mother" (Westbound W 148)	George Clinton, Edward Hazel, William Nelson	5:17
11.	"As Good as I Can Feel" (recorded in 1969 and scheduled as Westbound W 149)	George Clinton, Clarence Haskins	2:31
12.	"Open Our Eyes" (Westbound W 150)	Leon Lumpkins	3:58
13.	"Qualify and Satisfy" (45 version - Westbound W 150)	George Clinton, Edward Hazel	3:00
14.	"Music for My Mother" (Instrumental 45 version - Westbound W 149)	George Clinton, Edward Hazel, William Nelson	6:14

Notes

• Tracks 8-11, 14 are mono recordings.

Personnel

Note: Exact records of all personnel on all songs have been lost.

Funkadelic

• Eddie Hazel - lead guitar, vocals on "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" and "I Bet You"
• Lucius "Tawl" Ross - rhythm guitar, vocals on "Music for My Mother"
• Ramon "Tiki" Fulwood - drums on "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic", "I Bet You", "I Got a Thing", "Good Old Music", and "Qualify and Satisfy"
• Billy "Bass" Nelson - bass guitar on "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" and "I Got a Thing"; vocals on "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" and "Music for My Mother"
• Mickey Atkins - Hammond organ on "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?"

The Parliaments

• George Clinton - lead vocals on "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?" and "What Is Soul"
• Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins - lead vocals on "I Got a Thing"; vocals on "I Bet You"
• Calvin Simon - lead vocals on "Qualify and Satisfy"; vocals on "I Bet You"
• Ray Davis - vocals on "I Bet You"
• Grady Thomas - vocals on "I Bet You"

Additional musicians

• Ray Monette - guitar on "I Got a Thing"
• Bob Babbitt - bass guitar on "I Bet You"
• Bernie Worrell - Hammond organ on "I Got a Thing"
• Earl Van Dyke - Hammond organ on "I Bet You"
• Brad Innis - drums on "Music for My Mother"
• Gasper Lawal - conga on "Music for My Mother"
• Herb Sparkman - lead vocals on "Music for My Mother"

Additional vocals by Hot Buttered Soul.

Production

• Produced by George Clinton
• Engineering by Milan Bogden, Russ Terrana, Ed Wolfrum, Bryan Dombrowski
• Artwork design by The Graffiteria

Focus on Funkadelic

In conjunction with the release of Funkadelic, Westbound Records circulated a promotional single called "Focus on Funkadelic" to radio stations. The single features six snippets of tracks from the LP.

Later Samples

• "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?"
  • "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa" by De La Soul from the album De La Soul Is Dead
  • "Two to the Head" by Kool G Rap & DJ Polo from the album Live and Let Die
  • "Positive ID" by Cabaret Voltaire
  • "Busterismology" by The Coup from the album Steal This Album
  • "Bone Hard Niggaz" by Big Mello from the album Bone Hard Zaggin
  • "Secret" by Atmosphere from the EP Happy Clown Bad Dub 8/Fun EP
• "I Bet You"
  • "Total Kaos" by EPMD from the album "Unfinished Business"
  • "Car Thief" by the Beastie Boys from the album "Paul's Boutique"
  • "Dark Skin Girl" by Del The Funky Homosapien from the album "I Wish My Brother George Was Here"
  • "A Penny for My Thoughts" by Common from the album Can I Borrow a Dollar?
  • "Mind over Matter" by Ice-T from the album "O.G. Original Gangster"
• "Music for my Mother"
  • "Remember the Name (Funkadelic remix)" feat. Styles of Beyond by Fort Minor from the mixtape "Fort Minor: We Major"
• "Good Old Music"
  • "Jimbrowski" by Jungle Brothers from the album "Straight out the Jungle"
  • "Kinda I Want To" by Nine Inch Nails from the album "Pretty Hate Machine"
  • "Safe From Harm" by Massive Attack from the album "Blue Lines"
  • "Young Black Male" by 2Pac from the album 2Pacalypse Now
  • "Intro" by Nas from the album Street's Disciple
  • "A Message to the Feds, Sincerely, We the People" by Nas from the album Street's Disciple
  • "D.O.C. And The Doctor" by The D.O.C. from the album "No One Can Do It Better"
• "What Is Soul"
  • "Three Sixteens" by UGK from the album "Super Tight"

External links

• the Motherpage