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
Phunklords
Funkadelic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna hit you with a one and then
With our groove we'll move ya
Sent to you from eons away
Just to spread some funk your way
(x2)
Hey my friends, so happy to see you again
We've been strivin', stayin' just alive, stayin' just alive
We can't wait to get to your town, just to lay that funky rhythm down
'Cause we gonna bump, we gonna freak, we gonna give your feet a treat
Dancin' to a rockin' beat
Slippin' away from a ship of fools who had a captain that changed the rules
After seein' the world we lived in and what we could be givin'
Ooh we feel for you
Don't throw away your wisdom to those on the loosin' side
Let their greed be their company in the shadows where they hide
Friends there are many, each one's not the same
Some are real and know the truth, to others it's just a game
We are the phunklords and we're coming to ya
Gonna hit you with a one and then
With our groove we'll move ya
Sent to you from eons away
Just to spread some funk your way
Slippin' away from a ship of fools who had a captain that changed the rules
After seein' the world we lived in and what we could be givin'
Ooh we feel for you
Don't throw away your wisdom to those on the loosin' side
Let their greed be their company in the shadows where they hide
Friends there are many, each one's not the same
Some are real and know the truth, to others it's just a game
We are the phunklords and we're coming to ya
Gonna hit you with a one and then
With our groove we'll move ya
Sent to you from eons away
Just to spread some funk your way
We are descending unto you leaving a trail of truth behind us
Why don't you hop on this funk connection
So we can be a constant reminder
There's no time for writing in the book of yesterday
Love is forgiving, love is forgiving, love is forgiving
Love's shonuff forgivin', love is forgiving
(Wo oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh)
Love is forgiving, it'll make your life worth living
Hey
We are the phunklords, we are the phunklords,
We are the phunklords,
We are the phunklords, we are the phunklords,
We are the phunklords,
We are the phunklords, we are the phunklords,
We are the phunklords
The song "Phunklords" by Funkadelic seems to be about a group of musicians who call themselves the "phunklords" and are on a mission to spread their music, specifically their brand of funk, to as many people as possible. They see themselves as being sent to the people "from eons away" to share their musical gifts. The song describes the joy they feel in performing and connecting with their audience, and how they hope their music can bring people together, even in a world that can be divided by greed and mistrust.
The chorus repeats the lines "We are the phunklords and we're coming to ya. Gonna hit you with a one and then, with our groove, we'll move ya" multiple times, emphasizing the power and impact of their music. The verse that talks about "slippin' away from a ship of fools" seems to critique those who prioritize greed over love and connection, encouraging the listener not to follow their lead.
Overall, "Phunklords" seems to be a fun, upbeat song about the power of music to bring people together and spread joy, as well as a call to resist the negative influences of the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
We are the phunklords and we're coming to ya
We are the masters of funk music and we are coming to spread our music to you
Gonna hit you with a one and then
We will hit you with a powerful rhythm and then continue to move you with our groovy music
With our groove we'll move ya
We will use our unique and funky groove to inspire you to dance
Sent to you from eons away
Our music is timeless and reaches out to you from a far-off place
Just to spread some funk your way
We are motivated to spread our funk music to you so that you can enjoy it too
Hey my friends, so happy to see you again
We are happy to meet and dance with our friends after a long time
It's been a long time since we have grooved all as one
It has been a while since we danced together and enjoyed the music
We've been strivin', stayin' just alive, stayin' just alive
We have been trying hard to stay alive and focused on our music
We can't wait to get to your town, just to lay that funky rhythm down
We are excited to perform in your town and play our groovy music
'Cause we gonna bump, we gonna freak, we gonna give your feet a treat
We are going to dance and move you with our music to give you a treat for your feet
Dancin' to a rockin' beat
We will be dancing to a powerful and uplifting rhythm
Slippin' away from a ship of fools who had a captain that changed the rules
We are moving away from a group of misguided people who had a leader who changed the rules of the game
After seein' the world we lived in and what we could be givin'
After experiencing the world, we have realized the potential of our music to give something valuable to people
Ooh we feel for you
We understand the struggles you are going through
Don't throw away your wisdom to those on the loosin' side
Don't let your knowledge and wisdom go waste on people who are not open to learning
Let their greed be their company in the shadows where they hide
Let selfish people be alone in the dark where they belong
Friends there are many, each one's not the same
There are many friends, but they are not all the same
Some are real and know the truth, to others it's just a game
Some friends are truthful and honest, while others are just playing games
We are descending unto you leaving a trail of truth behind us
We are coming to you with our music, and with it, we are leaving a message of truth
Why don't you hop on this funk connection
Why don't you join us and experience the power of funk music?
So we can be a constant reminder
We want to remind you of the importance of music and the positive feelings it can evoke
There's no time for writing in the book of yesterday
We must live in the present and not dwell on past experiences
Love is forgiving, love is forgiving, love is forgiving
Love is about being forgiving and understanding
Love's shonuff forgivin', love is forgiving
Love is truly forgiving and accepting
Love is forgiving, it'll make your life worth living
Love can make life meaningful and fulfilling
We are the phunklords
We are the masters of funk music
Contributed by Kaelyn W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.