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
Groovallegiance
Funkadelic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The United Funk of Funkadelica
Uh, dey funk, well dey funk, today funk
Of da United Funk of Funkadelica
I pledge groovallegiance to the flag
Of funky, funky, funkadelica, yeah
Who
With the united funk we can fly!
For if our cause was unjust
We couldn't bring this funk to you
So we feel that it's a must
It is something we should do
Let me take you by the hand
And spread the funk across the land
It's not hard to understand
Headin' for the master plan
Pledge a groovallegiance to the funk
(Oh yeah)
The United Funk of Funkadelica
Oh yea Hoo
Dey do do do da funk
Do da funk-de e de dee
Pardon me, but I can tell
We know each other very well
Take my funk and let it grow
And then we'll funk some more
Please come on, come all to the funk
Let your feelings grow as one
Join this nation, you will see
That we can make you free
Dip-Dip de-diddy-de-dep-dee
Pledge a groovallegiance to the funk
The United Funk of Funkadelica
Do dey, do dey funk?
Oh yeah
Do dey funk
Un, hum
So if you just take the time
You'd see we need to draw the line
When we do I'm sure you'll find
That we come to free your mind
Oh yeah
Do-doop--doop do-do-wow
Doobie-doobie-doop-do-wow
Do you promise to funk, the whole funk and
Nothing but the funk
Go forth and funk
The lyrics to Funkadelic's song Groovallegiance express a pledge of allegiance to the funk music genre. The chorus asks the listener to pledge "groovallegiance" to the United Funk of Funkadelica, a play on the phrase "United States of America." The song promotes unity and freedom through funk music, suggesting that if everyone comes together and embraces funk, they can fly and make people free. The lyrics call on the listener to spread the funk across the land and join the nation of funk, promising that it will grow and lead to even more funk. The last line of the song urges the listener to "go forth and funk," promising to embrace the whole genre of funk and nothing but it.
Line by Line Meaning
Pledge a groovallegiance to the funk
I will pledge my allegiance to the power of funk
The United Funk of Funkadelica
Our united power of funk under the name of Funkadelica
Uh, dey funk, well dey funk, today funk
Funk is what we're all about and what we're doing today
Of da United Funk of Funkadelica
Under this united name, we use our power of funk
I pledge groovallegiance to the flag
I pledge my allegiance to the symbol of the power of funk
Of funky, funky, funkadelica, yeah
We represent and embody the power of funk
(What)
What are we talking about?
Who
Who is with us in our power of funk
With the united funk we can fly!
Using our unity in the power of funk, we can achieve anything
For if our cause was unjust
If our purpose were wrong or bad
We couldn't bring this funk to you
We wouldn't be able to share this power of funk with you
So we feel that it's a must
Therefore, we believe it is important
It is something we should do
That sharing this power of funk with you is something we must do
Let me take you by the hand
Let us lead you
And spread the funk across the land
And spread the power of funk to everyone
It's not hard to understand
It's very easy to grasp
Headin' for the master plan
We have a plan and we're going for it
(Oh yeah)
I agree, completely
(What)
What are we talking about again?
Dey do do do da funk
This is what we do, we are the funk
Do da funk-de e de dee
We are the embodiment of the funk
Pardon me, but I can tell
Excuse me, but I can sense
We know each other very well
We understand each other very well
Take my funk and let it grow
Take my power of funk and use it to grow yourself
And then we'll funk some more
Then we'll share our power of funk even more
Please come on, come all to the funk
Please join us in sharing and embodying the power of funk
Let your feelings grow as one
Let us unite and grow together through the power of funk
Join this nation, you will see
Join our movement and experience our power of funk
That we can make you free
We can free your mind through the power of funk
Dip-Dip de-diddy-de-dep-dee
We create fun, funky sounds
Un, hum
An expression of agreement or understanding
So if you just take the time
If you only take some time to understand
You'd see we need to draw the line
You would realize the importance of defining boundaries
When we do I'm sure you'll find
When we do so, you'll discover
That we come to free your mind
That we aim to free your mind through the power of funk
Do-doop--doop do-do-wow
We create fun, funky sounds
Doobie-doobie-doop-do-wow
We create fun, funky sounds
Do you promise to funk, the whole funk and
Will you commit to embodying the power of funk completely?
Nothing but the funk
Killing anything that distracts us from the power of funk
Go forth and funk
Let us spread and embody the power of funk
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nautaujackson1687
I was born in 2001 but the funk we live on, I pledge my allegiance to the funk. I won’t fake the funk and the funk won’t fake me.
@DanHorn-sp5bf
I'm a little after the time too, but we know where our groovallegience lies. The whole funk and nothing but. My brother.
@marcsnead2798
Killin this song in 2023!
@81nitestan
does anybody else notice the bass guitars' fantastic creativity throughout this song?
@gliddenlake
one hundred percent. it's what keeps me coming back.
@hyramjackson
Boost coolins man! Edit: Rodney Skit Curtis
@lvargas4christ
Wonderful bass work
@al_burg_slimthawaterwalker8571
I don’t think that bass line ever repeats itself except for midway to get into the last half of this jam then it’s all freestyle.. Banger!!
@chrisedwards3214
@@hyramjackson its skeet he always did this when he was playing
@mashupgal
Those keys, that Bass. My happy place