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.
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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
I'll Bet You
Funkadelic Lyrics
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A drowning man bet his first words are help, and I'll bet ya
If you bet on a horse and the horse don't win, you lose, and I'll bet ya
If you try, to sit on air, you're gonna fall, and I'll bet ya
If you want a winning hand
If you want a perfect man
I'll bet you never lose with love
Bet you never lose with love
I'm gonna win, and I'll bet ya
Take a car, without fuel, it ain't gonna move, and I'll bet ya
A carpenter can't build his house without any tools, and I'll bet ya
If your shoes are too small, they hurt your feet, and I'll bet ya
And you can't know what's goin' on, if you're asleep, oh I'll bet ya
If you want a winning hand
If you want a perfect man
I'll bet you never lose my love
You will win and I'll bet ya
Bet you never lose my love
You got to win, I bet ya
I'll bet you never lose my love
The opening lyrics of Funkadelic's song "I Bet You" are a series of statements about inevitable truths. The lyrics state that, just as ice cubes on a hot stove will melt, and a drowning man's first words are likely to be "help", there are some things in life that are just bound to happen, no matter what. The lyrics go on to give more examples of undeniable truths, such as the fact that if you bet on a horse and it doesn't win, you'll lose; or that if you try to sit on air, you'll fall. The lyrics suggest that these statements are universal and cannot be argued with - they are simply the way things are.
However, the song then takes a turn towards a more hopeful and positive message. It suggests that, in spite of these unavoidable truths, there are some things that can help us to overcome them. The chorus urges the listener to "bet on love" as a way to win in life. It suggests that, if we want to have a winning hand or find the perfect man, we'll never lose with love. The song encourages us to put faith in love and to believe that it can help us to overcome the inevitable obstacles of life.
Overall, the song seems to suggest that there are some things in life that we cannot control or change. However, it also suggests that there are things we can control - such as our relationships and our attitudes towards life - that can help us to succeed and find happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Ice cubes on a red hot stove will melt, and I'll bet ya
It is a universal truth that ice cubes subjected to high temperatures will eventually melt. I am certain that this will happen.
A drowning man bet his first words are help, and I'll bet ya
It is highly likely that a person who is drowning will call out for help as their first instinct. I am confident that this will happen.
If you bet on a horse and the horse don't win, you lose, and I'll bet ya
It is a certainty that if one makes a bet on a racing horse and the horse doesn't win, the bettor will suffer a loss. I am convinced that this is true.
If you try, to sit on air, you're gonna fall, and I'll bet ya
It is an undeniable fact that attempting to sit on air will result in a person falling. I am sure that this will happen.
If you want a winning hand
If you desire a successful outcome or advantageous position,
If you want a perfect man
If you desire an ideal or flawless partner,
I'll bet you never lose with love
I am sure that with love, one can never truly lose or be defeated.
I'm gonna win, and I'll bet ya
I am confident that I will emerge victorious in this situation.
Take a car, without fuel, it ain't gonna move, and I'll bet ya
It is an established fact that a car will not operate without fuel. I have no doubt that this is true.
A carpenter can't build his house without any tools, and I'll bet ya
It is impossible for a carpenter to construct a house without tools. I am certain that this is true.
If your shoes are too small, they hurt your feet, and I'll bet ya
If one's footwear is too small, it will cause discomfort to their feet. I am confident that this is true.
And you can't know what's goin' on, if you're asleep, oh I'll bet ya
It is impossible for a person who is asleep to be aware of their surroundings or events taking place. I am certain that this is true.
You will win and I'll bet ya
I am confident that you will emerge victorious in this situation.
You got to win, I bet ya
I am sure that you will succeed and come out on top in this situation.
I'll bet you never lose my love
I am sure that my love for you will never result in any negative consequences or losses.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: George S Clinton, Sidney A. Barnes, Theresa Lindsey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind