Eddie Hazel (April 10, 1950 – December 23, 1992) was a pioneering and influ… Read Full Bio ↴Eddie Hazel (April 10, 1950 – December 23, 1992) was a pioneering and influential guitarist in early funk music in the United States, most famous for his lead guitar work with George Clinton and Funkadelic.
In 1967, The Parliaments (a Plainfield-based doo wop band headed by George Clinton) hit the charts with "I Wanna Testify". Clinton recruited a backing band for a tour, hiring Billy "Bass" Nelson. Eddie was in Newark, New Jersey working with George Blackwell and couldn't be reached. After Nelson returned from the tour, he tried to recruit Eddie. His mother at first vetoed the idea (since Eddie was only seventeen), but Clinton and Nelson worked together to change her mind.
In the fall of 1967, The Parliaments went on tour with both Nelson and Hazel. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hazel met and befriended Tiki Fulwood, who quickly replaced The Parliaments' drummer. Nelson, Hazel and Fulwood became the backbone of Funkadelic, which was originally the backup band for The Parliaments, only to later become an independent touring group when legal difficulties forced the group to (temporarily) abandon the name "Parliaments".
The doo wop of The Parliaments quickly began morphing into the soul-inflected hard rock of Funkadelic, influenced as much by Jimi Hendrix as Frankie Lymon. The switch to Funkadelic was complete with the addition of Tawl Ross and Bernie Worrell (rhythm guitar and keyboards, respectively). Funkadelic (1970), Free Your Mind... And Your Ass Will Follow (1970) and Maggot Brain (1971) were the first three albums, released in a mere two years.
Maggot Brain is perhaps the definitive musical statement by Funkadelic, and the titular track's ten-minute guitar solo is Eddie Hazel's defining moment, and the one piece of music for which he has remained a legend. Perhaps apocryphally, George Clinton told Hazel, during the recording session, to "play like your momma just died" and the result was the epic sounds of Hazel's guitar. The term, "Maggot Brain," refers both to Hazel's incredible intake of various drugs, as well as a mode of thinking which allows one to rise above the "bullshit" of the world, which is inhabited by maggots who have not yet achieved the status of Maggot Brain (see P Funk mythology).
In 1967, The Parliaments (a Plainfield-based doo wop band headed by George Clinton) hit the charts with "I Wanna Testify". Clinton recruited a backing band for a tour, hiring Billy "Bass" Nelson. Eddie was in Newark, New Jersey working with George Blackwell and couldn't be reached. After Nelson returned from the tour, he tried to recruit Eddie. His mother at first vetoed the idea (since Eddie was only seventeen), but Clinton and Nelson worked together to change her mind.
In the fall of 1967, The Parliaments went on tour with both Nelson and Hazel. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hazel met and befriended Tiki Fulwood, who quickly replaced The Parliaments' drummer. Nelson, Hazel and Fulwood became the backbone of Funkadelic, which was originally the backup band for The Parliaments, only to later become an independent touring group when legal difficulties forced the group to (temporarily) abandon the name "Parliaments".
The doo wop of The Parliaments quickly began morphing into the soul-inflected hard rock of Funkadelic, influenced as much by Jimi Hendrix as Frankie Lymon. The switch to Funkadelic was complete with the addition of Tawl Ross and Bernie Worrell (rhythm guitar and keyboards, respectively). Funkadelic (1970), Free Your Mind... And Your Ass Will Follow (1970) and Maggot Brain (1971) were the first three albums, released in a mere two years.
Maggot Brain is perhaps the definitive musical statement by Funkadelic, and the titular track's ten-minute guitar solo is Eddie Hazel's defining moment, and the one piece of music for which he has remained a legend. Perhaps apocryphally, George Clinton told Hazel, during the recording session, to "play like your momma just died" and the result was the epic sounds of Hazel's guitar. The term, "Maggot Brain," refers both to Hazel's incredible intake of various drugs, as well as a mode of thinking which allows one to rise above the "bullshit" of the world, which is inhabited by maggots who have not yet achieved the status of Maggot Brain (see P Funk mythology).
Smedley Smorganoff
Eddie Hazel Lyrics
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HDaviator
This needed to be much longer. But oh well, a glimpse of excellence is better than non at all.
chris edwards
The version that ended up.on rest in p is even shorter
hoffmanscup
0 dislikes and this video has been up for 8 years that's impressive.
Thomas Nighbor
"Legally changing my name to SMEDLEY SMORGANOFF"
Bradford Pauler
@chris edwards so 40 plus years since I first got into Parliament Funkadelic - I got more into Eddie Hazel and early Funkadelic in the late 80s - so that is why this sounds like the drums on Comin' round the mountain - from Hardcore Jollies - Buddy Miles guested ( with Eddie ) on that song ( Eddie wasn't on whole album? I know Michael Hampton was ) that's the best guitar and drum sound ever.
chris edwards
buddy miles on drums
WAYNE FOOTE
I don't recall this ever being on this album is this new stuff or unreleased tracks maybe? WOW!
Social Scientist
This is from "Jams From The Heart"
z zed
Thx Eddie...da bomb. Thx for uploading.
Romayne Knoodles
Mind blowin"....