Due to legal difficulties between Clinton and Revilot, The Parliaments' label, the name was abandoned in favor of Funkadelic, which consisted of the same group of people (that is, both the former Parliaments and their back-up band, now both combined in the name "Funkadelic"). The group signed to Westbound in 1968.
The group's self-titled debut album, Funkadelic, was released in 1970. The credits listed organist Mickey Atkins plus Clinton, Fulwood, Hazel, Nelson and Ross, though the actual recording also included several uncredited sessionmen then employed by Motown, as well as Ray Monette (of Rare Earth) and Bernie Worrell.
Bernie Worrell was officially credited starting with Funkadelic's second album, 1970's Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow, thus beginning a long collaboration between Worrell and Clinton (who had been friends for quite a while). Worrell would go on to produce many Parliament and Funkadelic albums, as well as play keyboard on albums by other members of P Funk.
After the release of Maggot Brain in 1971, Bootsy Collins and Catfish Collins joined the group. The brothers would go on to become major contributors to the P Funk sound. In 1972, this new line-up released America Eats Its Young, but many members left the group after that, due to internal squabbles, plus Hazel spending a year in jail for drug possession and assault and Tawl Ross experiencing a bad LSD trip and/or speed overdose, while Billy Bass quit due to financial concerns. Michael Hampton, a seventeen-year-old guitar prodigy, replaced Hazel.
1975 brought Funkadelic to Warner Brothers, and saw the release of Hardcore Jollies in 1976. The same year, Westbound released a compilation of archived tracks titled Tales of Kidd Funkadelic, which did significantly better than Hardcore Jollies and included "Undisco Kidd", a R&B Top 30 single. In 1977, Westbound capitalized on the success of Tales of Kidd Funkadelic by releasing The Best of the Early Years. Funkadelic recorded and released its magnum opus, One Nation Under a Groove in 1978. The title track spent six weeks at #1 on the R&B charts, while Parliament was enjoying success with "Flash Light" and "Aqua Boogie."
As the 1980s wore on, legal difficulties arising from the multiple names used by multiple groups, as well as a shakeup among Parliament's record label, Parliament and Funkadelic disintegrated. George Clinton recorded several solo albums (sometimes under the name George Clinton & the P-Funk Allstars).
Filmmaker Yvonne Smith of Berkeley, California-based Firelight Media produced Funkadelic: One Nation Under a Groove, a full-length documentary about the groundbreaking group, which aired on PBS in 2005.
ALSO......
Though it often took a back chair to its sister group Parliament, Funkadelic furthered the notions of black rock begun by Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, blending elements of '60s psychedelia and blues plus the deep groove of soul and funk. The band pursued album statements of social/political commentary while Parliament stayed in the funk singles format, but Funkadelic nevertheless paralleled the more commercial artist's success, especially in the late '70s when the interplay between bands moved the Funkadelic sound closer to a unified P-Funk style.
In the grand soul tradition of a backing band playing support before the star takes the stage, Funkadelic began life supporting George Clinton's doo wop group, the Parliaments. After having performed for almost ten years, the Parliaments had added a rhythm section in 1964 -- for tours and background work -- consisting of guitarist Frankie Boyce, his brother Richard on bass, and drummer Langston Booth; two years later, the trio enlisted in the Army. By mid-1967, Clinton had recruited a new backing band, including his old friend Billy "Bass" Nelson (born January 28, 1951, Plainfield, NJ) and guitarist Eddie Hazel (born April 10, 1950, Brooklyn, NY). After several temporary replacements on drums and keyboards, the addition of rhythm guitarist Lucius "Tawl" Ross (born October 5, 1948, Wagram, NC) and drummer Ramon "Tiki" Fulwood (born May 23, 1944, Philadelphia, PA) completed the lineup.
The Parliaments recorded several hits during 1967, but trouble with the Revilot label backed Clinton into a corner. He hit upon the idea of deserting the Parliaments' name and instead recording their backing group, with the added vocal "contributions" of the former Parliaments -- same band, different name. Billy Nelson suggested the title Funkadelic, to reflect the members' increased inspiration from LSD and psychedelic culture. Clinton formed the Funkadelic label in mid-1968 but then signed the group to Detroit's Westbound label several months later.
Released in 1970, Funkadelic's self-titled debut album listed only producer Clinton and the five members of Funkadelic -- Hazel, Nelson, Fulwood, and Ross plus organist Mickey Atkins -- but also included all the former Parliaments plus several Motown sessionmen and Rare Earth's Ray Monette. Keyboard player Bernie Worrell also appeared on the album uncredited, even though his picture was included on the inner sleeve with the rest of the band.
Worrell (born April 19, 1944, Long Beach, NJ) was finally credited on the second Funkadelic album (1970's Free Your Mind...and Your A** Will Follow). He and Clinton had known each other since the early '60s, and Worrell soon became the most crucial cog in the P-Funk machine, working on arrangements and production for most later Parliament/Funkadelic releases. His strict upbringing and classical training (at the New England Conservatory and Juilliard), as well as the boom in synthesizer technology during the early '70s, gave him the tools to create the horn arrangements and jazz fusion-inspired synth runs that later trademarked the P-Funk sound. Just after the release of their third album, Maggot Brain, P-Funk added yet another big contributor, Bootsy Collins. The throbbing bass line of Collins (born October 26, 1951, Cincinnati, OH) had previously been featured in James Brown's backing band, the J.B.'s (along with his brother, guitarist Catfish Collins). Bootsy and Catfish were playing in a Detroit band in 1972 when George Clinton saw and hired them.
The Clinton/Worrell/Collins lineup premiered on 1972's America Eats Its Young, but soon after its release several original members left the camp. Eddie Hazel spent a year in jail after a combination drug possession/assault conviction, Tawl Ross left the band for medical reasons relating to an overdose of LSD and speed, and Bill Nelson quit after more financial quarrels with Clinton. Funkadelic hired teenaged guitar sensation Michael Hampton as a replacement, but both Hazel and Nelson would return for several later P-Funk releases.
Funkadelic moved to Warner Bros. in 1975 and delivered its major-label debut, Hardcore Jollies, one year later to lackluster sales and reviews. The same year, Westbound raided its vaults and countered with Tales of Kidd Funkadelic. Ironically, the album did better than Hardcore Jollies and included an R&B Top 30 single, "Undisco Kidd." In 1977, Westbound released The Best of the Early Years while Funkadelic recorded what became its masterpiece (and arguably the best P-Funk release ever), 1978's One Nation Under a Groove.
During the most successful year in Parliament/Funkadelic history, Parliament hit the charts first with "Flash Light," P-Funk's first R&B number one. "Aqua Boogie" would hit number one as well late in the year, but Funkadelic's title track to One Nation Under a Groove spent six weeks at the top spot on the R&B charts during the summer. The album, which reflected a growing consistency in styles between Parliament and Funkadelic, became the first Funkadelic LP to reach platinum (the same year that Parliament's Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome did the same). In 1979, Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep" hit number one as well, and its album (Uncle Jam Wants You) reached gold status.
At just the point that Funkadelic appeared to be at the top of its powers, the band began to unravel. As is sometimes the case, commercial success began to dissolve several old friendships. In 1977, original Parliaments members Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas had left the P-Funk organization to record on their own. In early 1981, they hit the R&B charts with a single called "Connections and Disconnections," recorded as Funkadelic. To confuse matters more, the original Funkadelic appeared on the charts at the same time, with the title track to The Electric Spanking of War Babies.
During 1980, Clinton began to be weighed down by legal difficulties arising from Polygram's acquisition of Parliament's label, Casablanca. Jettisoning both the Parliament and Funkadelic names (but not the musicians), Clinton began his solo career with 1982's Computer Games. He and many former Parliament/Funkadelic members continued to tour and record throughout the '80s as the P-Funk All Stars, but the decade's disdain of everything to do with the '70s resulted in critical and commercial neglect for the world's biggest funk band, especially one which in part had spawned the sound of disco. During the early '90s, the rise of funk-inspired rap (courtesy of Digital Underground, Dr. Dre, and Warren G.) and funk rock (Primus and Red Hot Chili Peppers) re-established the status of Clinton & co., one of the most important forces in the recent history of black music. ~ John Bush, Rovi
Everybody Is Going to Make It This Time
Funkadelic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They had lives to live
Oh, and today, is proof that mistakes were made
There's not a doubt in my heart
They've done the best that they know how
And there's still time for us to make a change
We got to learn from the mistakes that were made in the past
Cause in order to get it together
We got to get our heads together
Everybody is going to make it this time [Repeat x2]
Our country and our cities, they have been betrayed for money
Ooooh, and somehow, the people, they will make a change, yeah
There's not a doubt in my mind
If hunger and anger place the blame
There won't be a country left to change
We got to see what we're doing in the name of comfort
We've got to see, we've got to feel the warning signs
But in order to get it together
We've got to get our heads together
Everybody is going to make it this time [Repeat x2]
We've got to learn from the mistakes
That were made in the past
We've got to clean so that we can use our minds
But in order to get it together
We've got to get our heads together
Everybody is going to make it this time [Repeat x2]
(Everybody, make it, yeah whoa!)
Everybody is going to make it this time [Repeat x9]
(Got to make it, this time, whoaa! Wooo, woo, woo, hey!)
The lyrics to Funkadelic's song "Everybody Is Going to Make It This Time" talk about how everyone can make a positive change in their lives and in society, as long as they learn from past mistakes and work together. The song begins by acknowledging that our mothers and fathers made mistakes, but they did the best they could with what they knew at the time. The singer suggests that it's not too late for us to make a change, and we can learn from those mistakes and do better.
The second verse talks about how our country and cities have been betrayed for money, but that the people can still make a change through hunger and anger. However, the singer warns that if we don't see and feel the warning signs, there won't be a country left to change. The repeated refrain encourages everyone to work together and make positive changes, with the belief that everybody can make it this time.
Overall, the song is a call to action for listeners to take responsibility for their own lives and work together to improve society. It acknowledges that mistakes have been made in the past, but encourages listeners to learn from those mistakes and make a positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
Our mothers and our fathers
The people who raised us had their own lives to live
They had lives to live
They had their own challenges to overcome
Oh, and today, is proof that mistakes were made
The present circumstances show that past mistakes were made
There's not a doubt in my heart
I am completely certain
They've done the best that they know how
They did what they believed was best at the time
And there's still time for us to make a change
We still have the chance to make things better
We got to learn from the mistakes that were made in the past
We need to take lessons from past failures
We got to clean so that we can clean our minds
We need to clean up our physical surroundings and our thoughts
Cause in order to get it together
Because if we want to see improvement
We got to get our heads together
We need to put our minds together and collaborate
Everybody is going to make it this time [Repeat x2]
Everyone has the potential to succeed this time around
Our country and our cities, they have been betrayed for money
Our nation and its urban areas have been let down for monetary gain
Ooooh, and somehow, the people, they will make a change, yeah
Somehow, the people will find a way to bring about change
There's not a doubt in my mind
I am completely certain
If hunger and anger place the blame
If impoverished and frustrated individuals are held responsible
There won't be a country left to change
There will be no nation remaining to improve
We got to see what we're doing in the name of comfort
We need to acknowledge the things we do to maintain our own comfort
We've got to see, we've got to feel the warning signs
We must be aware of negative indications and sense potential danger
But in order to get it together
However, if we want to see improvement
We've got to get our heads together
We must team up and collaborate
Everybody is going to make it this time [Repeat x2]
Everyone has the potential to succeed this time around
We've got to learn from the mistakes
We need to take lessons from past failures
That were made in the past
Mistakes that happened previously
We've got to clean so that we can use our minds
We need to tidy up our surroundings in order to think clearly
Everybody is going to make it this time [Repeat x2]
Everyone has the potential to succeed this time around
(Everybody, make it, yeah whoa!)
(Everyone can succeed, yeah whoa!)
Everybody is going to make it this time [Repeat x9]
Everyone has the potential to succeed this time around
(Got to make it, this time, whoaa! Wooo, woo, woo, hey!)
(We must succeed this time, whoaa! Wooo, woo, woo, hey!)
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: George Bernard Worrell, George Jr. Clinton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
AngelsTakeMe2Heaven
George CLinton was a genius. I dont think he will ever be recognized as such but he deserves it.
Dean Tysall
He's known as a genius but he'll never be recognised as a household name like lennon mccartney etc I prefer it that way 😎 best kept secret in the world 😍
Shadow
@Brooke Clagett OMG! Brooke? I literally lit up when I read your comment while scrolling and listening to this song. I was literally just about to make the same suggestion, and here you are 😁LOL! My mind is totally blown now.
Barney P Funk Fife
Before his time, this song remains relevant
StoryEyesTV
George is a genius, He's still around >>
platypuspracticus
A song of hope. Even if everyone doesn't make it, we need to keep singing and hoping and working...
Sky Marriott
Still so very relevant today. "We got to clean/So we can use our minds". Amen! true Funkadelic gospel.
George Nicholas
My 16 year old son sang this at our National Day of Racial Healing event. The crowd was stunned
Adam Richman
I have loved this song for years, and I love reading that your son feels this one too.
DjTIMEJD
George Nicholas Good for him, but what a waste of time without resources and tangibles following.