Parliament was originally The Parliaments, a doo-wop group based out of George Clinton's Plainfield, New Jersey barber shop. The name was soon abandoned due to legal issues with Revilot and Atlantic Records, and most of the same people recorded under the name Funkadelic, which consisted of The Parliaments' backing musicians. Billy "Bass" Nelson is credited with creating the name Funkadelic. He also switched from 6-string guitar to bass, creating room for his childhood friend Eddie Hazel to join the group. Soon, Parliament was created in addition to Funkadelic and the two bands consisted of essentially the same people, though both released albums under their respective names.
The legal problems with the name "The Parliaments" were resolved in 1970, and Clinton signed all of Funkadelic to Invictus Records under the name Parliament, releasing Osmium ("The Breakdown" reached #30 on the R&B charts in 1971) but the name Parliament was then abandoned for some time, as Funkadelic was much more successful.
In the early 1970s, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins and Catfish Collins joined Funkadelic, which released five albums by 1974. With only moderate success, Funkadelic signed with Casablanca Records as Parliament, releasing "Up for the Down Stroke" (off the album of the same name) which reached #10 on the R&B charts but peaked at #63 Pop. The song was the biggest hit of P Funk's career. 1975 saw the release of Chocolate City, which also enjoyed moderate success; the title track reached #24.
With the ensuing albums, Parliament became one of the most respected bands on the 1970s, and are now recognized as one of the forefathers of funk music. Of particular interest are the spacey themes of Starchild, Sir Nose and other recurring characters from multiple albums.
Of particular note is the landmark album Mothership Connection, an amalgam of many '70s themes and the tight "popular" funk sound which was both more commercially viable (particularly in the black community) and more readily emulated by the numerous artists capitalizing on the popularity of funk's mainstream cousin: disco. Artists such as the BeeGees, the Commodores and Kool and the Gang repackaged many of Parliament's innovations into radio-ready pop hits and upon the mass acceptance of disco culture as portrayed in Saturday Night Fever, millions of suburban Americans were able to boogie-oogie-oogie safely protected from exposure to the urban dance scene's multi-ethnic, sexually diverse and cocaine-fueled celebration.
In the early 1980s, with legal difficulties arising from the multiple names used by multiple groups, as well as a shakeup at Casablanca Records, George Clinton dissolved Parliament and Funkadelic as recording and touring entities. Parliament/Funkadelic morphed into P-Funk. New audiences were fueled in the '90s due to extensive sampling by hip hop DJs and producers, including beats used in The Chronic and Cypress Hill's debut album.
A variety of bands evolved in their own right out of the main two bands - they included Bootsy's Rubber Band, The Brides of Funkenstein, Parlet, Mutiny, The Horny Horns, and Quazar.
George Clinton subsequently worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Reformed in January 2018, the first new Parliament release in 38 years was "I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me", which features the rapper Scarface. A new Parliament album, Medicaid Fraud Dogg, was released in May 2018.
Prologue
Parliament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There are eight billion tales in the naked universe
This is just one of them
But, they all have black holes
A creative nuisance
Recognizing stupidity as a positive force
A positive nuisance
The opening lines of Parliament's song Prologue refer to various scientific concepts such as quarks, gluons, red giants, white dwarfs, and the big bang. These terms are all related to astronomy and physics and provide an image of the vastness and complexity of the universe. The line "There are eight billion tales in the naked universe" suggests that there are countless stories and mysteries in the universe waiting to be discovered and explored. However, the line "But, they all have black holes" serves as a reminder that even the most incredible and awe-inspiring phenomena such as stars and galaxies are not without their destructive counterparts.
Moving on to the following lines, "A creative nuisance, recognizing stupidity as a positive force, a positive nuisance," offers an insightful perspective on the power of creativity and the role of stupidity in the creative process. The phrase "creative nuisance" implies that creativity can be a disruptive force, but it is one that ultimately has positive outcomes. Additionally, the idea of recognizing stupidity as a positive force highlights the importance of taking risks and not being afraid to make mistakes. Lastly, the phrase "a positive nuisance" sums up the idea that although creativity can be challenging, it ultimately yields beneficial results.
Line by Line Meaning
Quarks, gluons, red giants, white dwarfs, big bang
The universe is comprised of subatomic particles, stars of various colors and sizes, and originated from a massive explosion.
There are eight billion tales in the naked universe
There are countless stories and perspectives within the vast universe.
This is just one of them
The following is one perspective among many within the universe.
But, they all have black holes
Regardless of the perspective, all stories in the universe contain areas of unknowing and mystery.
A creative nuisance
The act of creation, both in art and in life, can be viewed as an annoyance or disruption to the norm.
Recognizing stupidity as a positive force
Acknowledging the role of ignorance and mistakes in the creative process can lead to positive outcomes.
A positive nuisance
Despite potential for disruption, creative innovation and expression bring positivity to the world.
Contributed by Michael F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.