George Clinton has toyed with the notion of a black president twice in song (“Chocolate City” in 1975; “Paint the White House Black” in 1993).This week, George performed at two Obama inaugural parties in D.C. – the Aloha Ball and the Heroes Red White and Blue Ball for wounded military veterans.
Reporting on the Heroes Ball, the Army Times wrote: “George Clinton brought on rarely seen Sly Stone with his group, and was a big hit with the troops, many of whom flocked forward to the stage.”
But Clinton and his P-Funk All Stars reaped some bad publicity after dancer Carlos “Sir Nose” McMurray unfurled a towel with the hand- written message “Fuck George” during the show.
A Washington Times blogger wrote that “several” and/or “many” offended veterans walked out, perceiving that f-bomb as an insult to outgoing President George Bush.
The rabid Obama-haters who dwell at the No Quarter blog jumped all over the Washington Times report yesterday. One of them snarked, “Wow, Obama really attracts some classy folks, doesn’t he?”
Another one declared: “[H]olding a sign saying ‘fuck George’ in a crowd of vets [is] inappropriate anywhere except maybe a skanky club.”
Those funkless wonders fail to realize that the “Fuck George” towel has become a regular part of P-Funk shows. The photo above was taken in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2007.
And because it’s the “Sir Nose” character who waves it – Sir Nose being the mythical arch enemy of all things funky – I take “Fuck George” to be directed mainly at George Clinton... and secondarily as a slap at George Bush.
So George Clinton and the band did NOT choose an inaugural ball to launch a specially designed curse at the ex-president.
Still, they should’ve had the good sense and good taste to leave that towel in the trunk for Inauguration Night.
20 comments:
Except, you know...fuck George.
Wow, a bunch of seniors still offending people? That takes some talent!
See, I have never been that into Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars, so I would never have picked up on that reference. Theres just too much meaning to some of his shit, shit! I dont want to be thinking all the damned time, lol.
Interestingly enough, despeite my ignorance of P-funk, Ive still designed a special occasion cake for Clintonites. Dont have the skills to make it yet, but the idea is fabulous!
L
Interesting. I always assumed that Sir Nose was pulling for Romney.
01 24 09
Sirnosedevoidoffunk! hehehehehehe
As official adjudicator of the No Quarter comments battle, I call the final score at UBM: 17; stodgie: 0.
Seems some folks are still sadly and irrevocably D'Void of Funk.
Hey UBM, You ever check out the "Sample some of Disc-Sample some of Dat" cds? I was co producer on that set as well as engineer on the 5 cd "Family Series", the 4 CD Live box,TAPOAFM, plus a couple of other odds and ends.
What else did they expect from George?
Maybe they should've hired R.Kelly, he fits into their scheme of morality better.
I did not know P-Funk had a call to action for groupies. but they shoulda known better. What would Barack do? That's what we should think for the first term befor we act. WWBD?
zinjanthropus: Greg Reilly?? Welcome to my spot.
The last genuine thrill I had in a record store was when I saw Family Series No. 2 on a rack, quite by surprise. Ran home with it, feeling like 1979 all over again... couldn't wait to spin it.
Close!!, Greg is the studio owner, and was my boss. I'm the guy who used to sneak out back and give secret listens to the old Pfunk master tapes.(a serious firing offence)
When george started coming back to the studio, I'm the guy who knew where all of the on released funk was kept... most of it was just unfinished stuff like Bernie on keys and Tyrone on drums. or just guitar bass and drums.. etc.. then every so often, there would be a complete song.Perfect and unreleased.
Chaz Martin's the name.
^ Greetings, Chaz! You are a most honored guest here in the House of Love.
I remember writing about the Family Series for the Washington Post. I talked to Barney Ales on the phone, and he said the master tapes were starting to deteriorate and the engineers literally had to "bake" them to save the music.
How great that those unreleased tracks got saved. "Love Is Something"... "Go For Yer Funk"... all that Trey Lewd stuff...
Now the Holy Grail of unreleased P-Funk is a track George recorded for Invictus during the "Osmium" period. I heard it 12 years ago after I interviewed Eddie Holland here in L.A. George is doing some weird vampire rap... it was crazy, and that's all I remember about it because I didn't take notes.
As for United Sound, Jim Vitti and the other engineers don't get enough credit, I think, for the work they put into those classic Parliament-Funkadelic LPs.
The exec. Rick Cioffi coined the phrase" Aint no better lovin, than Funk in the oven) 120 degrees for 8 hours, no shortcuts or they'll melt. most ovens wont even go that low.
Jim Vitti, Mike Icopelli, Dave (Sanders? forgot the surname) and the gang got the most nasty most perfect drum sound and the best bass sounds. All that dbx noise reduction and the United sound "sound" made those tracks unique PLUS killer engineering.
I'm from the next generation. I was an intern when Greg R. was working on Atomic Dog at "The Disc". so I missed most of the funk era fun.
The WAPO? really?
wow
I'd love to read it if it's been converted to pixels.
I was interviewed in electronic musician, Keyboard magazine AND the japaneese Sound On Sound(or was it studio sound)for that project. First time I felt like a legitimate music biz guy.
George taught me where my musical strengths lie and taught me that it was ok that my musical style was more toward the melodic slow stuff than on the vibe he exists.
UBM said...'Those funkless wonders fail to realize that the “Fuck George” towel has become a regular part of P-Funk shows. ...I take “Fuck George” to be directed mainly at George Clinton... and perhaps secondarily as a slap at George Bush.
*****
Nice try, Dave. You don't know if your 'take' is even 1% accurate. But, throw it out there, it might stick on somebody's wall. Would your editor at the Post let you print something like you did without even one iota of background other than your 'take'...??
For shame...
Funny, I assumed "take" meant "opinion" as in "why are two golfers trying to dictate mine?"
My take is, it's deliberately ambiguous. Although if Sir Nose shows up with another one that says "Fuck Clinton" I guess we'll know.
I'm trying to give a shit about the "fuck George" sign but I can't get over the fact that P-funk was playing an official inaugural party. Now that's crazy. Good crazy. Damn good crazy.
Btw, Matt and Vince. What UBM did was journalisticly proper. First, he reported what happened and what people said about it. Then he put it into perspective and context: not only explaining that the sign was used in other shows but showing this by posting a photo of the same sign from a different show. Then at the very end he opined based on his expertise (which on this subject is large) and on the information he presented. You might want to familiarize yourself with the difference between news reporting and opinion.
The shame is you not paying attention.
^ Vince craves attention. Why he craves it from me, I do not know.
If even one other reader feels the "F George" towel displayed at an Obama inauguration party was intended for anyone other than George Bush, the former President, I will never write another word on this blog. Nipsey & DeAngelo excepted.
S.O.L.....
Are you Rob Parker?
And I am being told to discern the difference between news reporting and stating an opinion and to accept writing suggestions from a 'writer' from Heraldsburg, California?
That might happen, but I doubt it...
I put my name and my ugly picture on my posts. I don't hide behind an acronym.
I wish the Sirnose banner had been less ambiguous, but that's the M.O. of the Funkateers-always keep it ambiguous. I like the fact that it MAY have meant Bush. As a matter of Fact, I remember sir-nose saying something similar about George Clinton during the Clinton administration.
I'm extremely positive that the banner was meant to be aimed at DR. Funkenstein George. I also see the punsmanship of deploying it in this manner, so yes it WAS about George Clinton and YES it was convieniently ambiguous enough to be POSSIBLY about the former Joke in Cheif.
That's the joke!!
Adios
Post a Comment