Originally named Project Soul, the group became a backup band for the Stax Records artists The Soul Children in the early 1970s Renaming themselves Confunkshun, the group moved to Memphis, Tennessee and became one of the label's most sought-after studio bands. They supported themselves by performing throughout the mid-South and Japan at clubs and colleges, along with such bands as, Brief Encounter, Chocolate Funk, Brick, The Dazz Band, and The Mighty Majors. They came to the attention of Estelle Axton and recorded an album and several singles on her Fretone Records label.
By 1976, Con Funk Shun, was one of the most popular groups in the South but still had not secured a major recording deal. That all changed in July 1976 when Mercury Records A&R man Jud Phillips finally signed the group to a major recording contract. By that time, drummer Louis McCall's wife, publicist/songwriter Linda Lou McCall, had "tweaked" the spelling of the band's name (originally "Confunkshun"), and their first album, "Con Funk Shun", was released later that year.
The band's second album Secrets was released in 1977 to critical and commercial success. Their first hit single was "Ffun", written by Michael Cooper rose swiftly up the charts and landed at "#1 With A Bullet" on Billboard magazine's Top Soul Singles chart in July 1977. Over the course of 10 years, Con Funk Shun recorded 11 albums with Mercury, with five of them achieving "Gold album" status (selling in excess of 500,000 units). The band performed to sold-out coliseums all over the country. They had numerous Top 40 hits including "Chase Me", "Love's Train", "Straight From The Heart", and "Shake & Dance With Me". They recorded their milestone album, "7" in 1981, the seventh album for seven bandmembers who had been together since their teens. It included "California 1", "Straight From The Heart", "Body Lovers" and the Billboard Top 20 Soul Single, "Bad Lady".
In the early 1980s, sagging sales and poor support from their record company was beginning to cause tension between the boyhood friends. In addition, lead singer/songwriters Michael V. Cooper and Felton Pilate began to try to assert more control over the band. Co-founders McCall and Cooper were often at odds with each other. Cooper, an excellent musician and writer, had always resented McCall's business acumen and negotiating skills (McCall and his wife, Linda Lou McCall, were responsible for booking the band's first major tour in 1977, which resulted in the group's national success and the first of their numerous gold albums). While McCall usually deferred to Cooper on artistic issues, he did not get the same support from Cooper on business decisions. McCall had frequently been voted group leader by the other members, each time causing the chasm between Cooper and the other members to grow wider. Pilate often sided with Cooper but since the band operated on the quorum principle of "participatory democracy", their suggestions were often out-voted by the other members.
"Burning Love", Con Funk Shun's last album with Mercury, was recorded without lead singer/songwriter, Felton Pilate, who left the group in 1986 after a physical altercation with McCall. Melvin Carter, a frequent collaborator of Con Funk Shun, replaced Felton for their final album, "Burning Love". The same year, the original group was essentially disbanded with Michael V. Cooper leaving for a solo career. Louis McCall also left to become a consultant and event producer with clients such as M.C. Hammer, Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte, and to join his wife in marketing such contemporary artists as Eminem, Puff Daddy (now "Diddy"), Mya, and the Black Eyed Peas. Con Funk Shun officially disbanded after their last album with Mercury in late 1986. Cooper went on to release a few solo albums with Warner Bros. Sales were disappointing but he did manage to have a few hits with "Prove My Love" and "Shoop Shoop". One of the first musicians ever to have a home studio, Felton Pilate went on to become a successful producer and musical director for rap phenom, M.C. Hammer. He was later nominated in 1991 for a Grammy for co-producing Hammer's hit record "U Can't Touch This" and an Oscar in 1992 for "Addams Groove" on the ""Addams Family"" soundtrack. He, too, made several attempts at solo projects which went nowhere. However, he is still sought out as a producer and consultant.
In the 1990s, lead singers Michael Cooper and Felton Pilate began performing under the group's name with sidemen in place of their former bandmates. They often include original members on brass, Paul Harrell (sax and flute) and Karl Fuller (trumpet). Although missing the tightness of its legendary rhythm section of McCall (drums), Thomas (keyboards), and Martin (bass), the reconstituted group still performs at "old school" concerts and festivals throughout the country under the moniker "Con Funk Shun, featuring Michael Cooper & Felton Pilate", making no mention of long-time bandmates Harrell and Fuller. The original band's music can still be heard in such recent films as "Gone In 60 Seconds", "Next Friday", and "American Pimp", which was featured at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Ironically, one of the memorable characters in "American Pimp" was John "Rosebudd" Dickson, a childhood friend of drummer, Louis A. McCall. They played in the Vallejo High School band together and remained friends for life.
Tragically, co-founder/drummer McCall was murdered on June 25, 1997 in Stone Mountain, Georgia in a home invasion robbery. The case is still unsolved. With the exception of Felton, all of the other members of Con Funk Shun still reside in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Bad Lady
Con Funk Shun Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bad lady
Bad lady
Such a good bad lady
You got me in your spell
Bad lady
Keep it up now, baby
Bad lady
When you're good, you're very good
But when you're bad, you're better, yeah
Bad lady
Lowdown classy, sweet and sassy
You got it all together, well
Such a good bad lady
She's gonna drive me crazy
Ooh-whee, baby, ooh-whee, baby
She gonna drive me crazy
Bad lady
I want you, baby
'Cause you're an angel, you see
Bad lady
You, you make me crazy
Bring out the devil in me
Bad lady
When you're good, you're very good
But when you're bad, you're better, yeah
Bad lady
Heaven's friend, Satan's kin
You've got it all together, babe
Bad lady
Such a sweet, sweet bad lady, girl
Bad lady
Ooh-whee, baby, do that again, baby
Do that again, mama, oh, oh
Bad lady
I'm here to satisfy
You got me going, oh...
Bad Lady
Move me, soothe me, please me, tease me
You're such a sweet, sweet, sweet bad lady, girl
Such a good bad lady
She's gonna drive me crazy
Ooh-whee, baby, ooh-whee, baby
She gonna drive me crazy
Bad lady
Keep it up now, baby
Bad lady
Keep it up now, baby
Bad lady
Walk with me, play with me
Sweet and sassy, you're so classy
Bad lady
Play with me, toy with me
Ooh-whee, baby, ooh-whee, baby
Bad lady
Please me, tease me
She's gonna drive me crazy
The lyrics to "Bad Lady" are about a woman who is both good and bad, with the ability to drive the singer crazy. The song is structured around the repeated refrain of "bad lady," emphasizing the duality of the subject's character. The verses describe the woman's allure and power, suggesting that she has control over the singer's emotions and actions. The chorus repeats the refrain, emphasizing the conflict the singer has in his feelings towards this woman.
The words in the song create a sense of seduction and danger. The singer is drawn to the bad lady's charm, yet at the same time, he acknowledges the negative side of it. The lyrics are an ode to the kind of woman who is irresistible and unpredictable, capturing the conflicting emotions that come with falling for someone who keeps you guessing. The song creates a sense of tension that gets resolved only when the singer submits to the bad lady's charm.
Line by Line Meaning
Bad lady
Addressing a woman who is known to be mischievous
Such a good bad lady
The woman is really good at being devious and it's impressive
You got me in your spell
The woman has complete control over the singer's actions and decisions
Keep it up now, baby
Encouraging the woman to keep being mischievous
'Cause you do it so well, yeah
Acknowledging the woman's talent for being devious
When you're good, you're very good
When the woman isn't being devious, she's really good and has positive attributes
But when you're bad, you're better, yeah
When the woman is being devious, she becomes even more impressive and desirable
Lowdown classy, sweet and sassy
The woman is both classy and sassy, but also a little bit sneaky
You got it all together, well
The woman is both attractive and intelligent, and knows how to use those qualities to manipulate those around her
She's gonna drive me crazy
The woman's devious nature is making the artist lose their mind
I want you, baby
The singer is sexually attracted to the woman
'Cause you're an angel, you see
The artist thinks that the woman has a good side to her, but is also aware of her mischievous nature
Bring out the devil in me
The woman's deviousness is having a bad influence on the singer, turning them into a more mischievous person as well
Heaven's friend, Satan's kin
The woman has positive and negative qualities that blend together, just like her angel and devil sides
Such a sweet, sweet bad lady, girl
The woman is still very desirable even though she has a devious side to her
Do that again, mama
Asking the woman to continue being mischievous
I'm here to satisfy
The artist is willing to do anything to please the woman
Move me, soothe me, please me, tease me
The singer wants the woman to engage in sexual acts with them
Walk with me, play with me
Asking the woman to continue spending time with the singer and being mischievous together
Toy with me
The artist wants the woman to play around with their emotions and desires
Contributed by Josiah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.