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
You'll Like It Too
Funkadelic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This feelin' inside me is startin' to guide me
This change is gonna do me good
Oh if you're feelin' like I'm feelin' take an inner view
Deep down inside you'll find a love needed for me and you
People, my skies are blue no more are they gray
I've found a light that shines so bright, it shows me a better way
It will be alright if you could see it too
We are children of understanding, we are people who like to fly
Come join our safari and to the old ways you can say goodbye
You'll like it too
You and you and you and you
And you'll like it too
You and you and you and you
(x2)
We're groovin' now, the speed of sound is movin' through our brain
But when it stops the pressure drops but the feelin' still remains
People sleepin', always weepin', none of our old ways we plan on keepin'
It'll be alright, if you could see it too
Would it be alright to share our change with you
We are groovers of funk festation
We are minds that like to fly
Prime movers of funk elation
A sensation that keeps you high
You'll like it too
You and you and you and you
And you'll like it too
You and you and you and you
(x2)
You gonna like it
You'll like it too
You and you and you and you
You gonna like it, yeah
And you'll like it too
You and you and you and you
You gonna be crazy about it
You'll like it too
You and you and you and you
Ain't no doubt about it
And you'll like it too
You and you and you and you
You gonna like it
Still groovin' now, the speed of sound is movin' through our veins
And when it stops and the pressure drops but the feelin' still remains
People sleepin', always weepin', none of our old ways we plan on keepin'
It will be alright if you could see it too
Would it be alright to share our change with you
(x2)
To share our change with you
The lyrics of Funkadelic's "You'll Like It Too" are an expression of liberation and renewal. The singer begins by describing his newfound feeling of freedom, which is guiding him towards positive change. He shares this hope with his listeners, urging them to take an "inner view" and find the love that they need. The chorus sings the title phrase, "You'll like it too," which is repeated several times to emphasize the universality of this sentiment. The singer challenges the status quo and urges people to abandon their old ways so they can fly with the groovers of funk festation, who are prime movers of funk elation. The song underscores the importance of sticking together as a community in times of change.
The song's upbeat tempo and catchy lyrics served as a call to arms for the funk music community, urging them to celebrate and embrace change. In this way, "You'll Like It Too," was a reflection of the cultural and social upheavals of the late 60s and early 70s in America. The song's lyrics encouraged people to take part in the ongoing emancipation of Black culture, urging them to embrace a new, more positive way of living.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a long time comin', now I'm into somethin' that's got me feelin' good
I’ve been waiting for a change and now that it’s happening, I’m feeling great
This feelin' inside me is startin' to guide me
My inner emotions are leading me towards this positive change
This change is gonna do me good
This transformation is going to benefit me
Oh if you're feelin' like I'm feelin' take an inner view
If you resonate with my feelings, take a moment to look within yourself
Deep down inside you'll find a love needed for me and you
In your innermost being, you'll find a love that we both need
People, my skies are blue no more are they gray
My life has become brighter and more positive, no longer dull and dreary
I've found a light that shines so bright, it shows me a better way
I discovered something that illuminates my path and guides me towards a better future
It will be alright if you could see it too
If you could understand my perspective, you too will feel reassured
Would it be alright to share our change with you
Can we share this positive change with you and help you experience it as well?
We are children of understanding, we are people who like to fly
We believe in empathy and growth, and we aspire to achieve great things
Come join our safari and to the old ways you can say goodbye
Join us in this adventurous journey and let go of your old ways
We're groovin' now, the speed of sound is movin' through our brain
We are currently enjoying this new experience and it's affecting us deeply
But when it stops the pressure drops but the feelin' still remains
Even when things slow down, the positive impact and emotions linger on
People sleepin', always weepin', none of our old ways we plan on keepin'
We reject negativity and refuse to hold onto our past negative habits
We are groovers of funk festation
We are enthusiasts of funk and its unique style
We are minds that like to fly
We have open-minded and ambitious personalities, always aiming high
Prime movers of funk elation
We are the leading force in spreading the joy and enthusiasm of funk
A sensation that keeps you high
The feeling of funk is so exhilarating that it keeps us high-spirited
You gonna like it
You will definitely enjoy it
You gonna be crazy about it
You’re going to be very excited and passionate about this
Ain't no doubt about it
There's no question that this will be amazing
Still groovin' now, the speed of sound is movin' through our veins
We're still enjoying the upbeat and lively rhythm, and it's affecting us deeply
And when it stops and the pressure drops but the feelin' still remains
Even when the music slows down, the positive vibes linger on
To share our change with you
We want to involve you in our positive change, and lift your spirit as well
Contributed by Colton W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.