Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Playlist: George Clinton... Icon.

BMI, which represents songwriters and music publishers, will salute George Clinton next month as a “BMI Icon.”

Recent recipients of this honor include Gamble & Huff, the Bee Gees, and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

“Icon” status reflects one’s “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” George will get a nice trophy.

Me and some friends went to Cleveland in 1997 to witness Parliament-Funkadelic’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s always nice when Dr. Funkenstein’s special gifts are acknowledged by the earthlings.

Talk about “influence”... check out my poppin’ playlist of P-Funk covers! It includes jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove (The RH Factor), gospel’s Blind Boys of Alabama, and classical-trained violinist Lili Haydn.

Oh, also... Happy Belated Birthday to G. Clinton, who two weeks ago turned 69.

1. “Color Me Funky” – Weapon of Choice

2. “The Goose” – Fishbone

3. “I’ll Stay” (feat. D’Angelo) – The RH Factor

4. “You and Your Folks/23rd Psalm” – The Blind Boys of Alabama

5. “Maggot Brain” – Lili Haydn


5 comments:

Edshugeo The GodMoor said...

Nice renditions. 3-5 more than the first two. Especially Maggot Brain. Really like that one.

odocoileus said...

I'm diggin the Maggot Brain as well.

I'd love to hear it done by a string quartet.

Someday...

Desert Man said...

I'd love a whole CD of these! (It's been done for Stevie and E,W&F...)

Dacks said...

Heh - 69... I bet George is going to be crackin' wise about his age all year long.

Interesting that a music publishing association should be giving him an award. I'll bet George & co. have generated more publishing money through samples than outright performances (radio & live) and cover versions.

Undercover Black Man said...

Something extra for the true funkateers...

Click here to hear a new cover version of "The Goose" by Big James and the Chicago Playboys, an old-fashioned R&B band.

Most P-Funk fans are familiar with this tune from Parliament's 1974 LP, "Up for the Down Stroke." But Clinton actually wrote it years earlier. The Parliaments released it as a single in November of 1967.

Click here to hear the '67 version, which has a slightly different arrangement and some different lyrics.