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Headlined by one of the catchiest and quirkiest crossover singles of the 1980s, the album remains an essential listen.Cameo was remarkably prolific through the 1970s and ’80s, churning out a dozen albums within an initial nine-year run rife with R&B hits. Originally a sprawling funk ensemble before gradually downsizing, the New York City group’s sustained success under the leadership of vocalist/drummer/producer Larry Blackmon reflected an uncanny ability to pivot and evolve. Cameo made its name with consummate dance floor funk so aggressively syncopated (“I Just Want to Be,” “Shake Your Pants,” et al.) the records felt like they might fly...

The lost 1970 recording ‘We Got To Change’ will be released this month alongside A&E’s James Brown documentary.More than two decades after the release of his last single, listeners will be able to hear a new James Brown song. Titled “We Got To Change,” the song is a lost track by the musical pioneer, recorded in Miami at Criteria Studios on August 16, 1970. UMe will debut “We Got To Change” on February 16, 2024 in unison with A&E’s James Brown: Say it Loud, a 4-episode documentary, premiering February 19 and 20, 2024. The track was recorded with the core...

The District is still stuck in a pandemic funk. Most days, the city, especially the core downtown blocks around the White House, looks more like a ghost town than a vibrant capital city. Before the coronavirus shutdown, visitors to Washington were often in awe of how many cranes punctuated the skyline. Now, it’s hard to find a building without a “for rent” sign. Coffee shops and restaurants are serving limited hours, if they’re open at all. Hopes were high for a revival this fall. Schools reopened. Covid cases were way down. Businesses were calling their employees back. But the city...

From iconic records by Parliament-Funkadelic and James Brown to Betty Davis and the Isaac Hayes, these are the best funk albums ever.Rick James, artist behind one of the best funk albums everPhoto by Bobby Holland/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images The best funk albums ever made have one thing in common: They make you want to get down. Over the years, plenty of artists have excelled in the genre: James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Rick James. There have also have been artists that have taken elements from funk and made it their own: Prince, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder all come to mind. In...

1901 Building Group is dedicating the first historic marker to Birth of Funk Music in historic downtown Kinston. Join the 1901 Building Group as they partner with The North Carolina Arts Council, The North Carolina Museum of History, and The William G. Pomeroy Foundation and Performing Artists as they celebrate funk music. The event will be held from 4:00pm - 7:00pm at 129 North Queen Street, Kinston, NC. The dedication will take place at 4:00pm with a “Fancy Chitlin’ Circuit” - Dessert Reception from 5-7pm, hosted by Artsy Choci.

Genesee County Clerk-Register John Gleason, who was overseeing the city of Flint during the 2020 presidential election, is being charged with bribing or intimidating a witness as well as neglecting his duties. Gleason has been charged with felony witness intimidation, which can be punished by up to four years behind bars and a $5,000 fine. His misdemeanor willful neglect of duty charge could be punished with up to one year behind bars and a $1,000 fine. Tuscola County Prosecutor Mark Reene and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson announced the charges during a Friday afternoon press conference. Swanson gave little in...

Joe Messina, one of the original guitarists for Motown Records' in-house backing band the Funk Brothers, died on Monday at the age of 93. Born on Dec. 13, 1928, in Detroit, Messina began playing guitar as a child and dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a jazz musician. He gigged in local clubs and led a band, the Joe Messina Orchestra, before joining the house band for the daily children's television show The Soupy Sales Show, where he played alongside jazz legends such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. In 1959, Motown founder Berry...

It was her brief marriage to Miles Davis that introduced the jazz icon to the music of Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone.Betty Davis, the pioneering funk singer who released three albums of raw, gritty and sexually liberated music in the ’70s, has died at age 77, Rolling Stone has confirmed. Her chart presence was slight – she notched just two singles on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the No. 66-peaking 1973 single “If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up” and the 1975 single “Shut Off the Lights,” which barely scraped by at No. 97. Even so, Davis’ impact...

Calvin Simon, best known for his work as a vocalist with George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic, has died at the age of 79. "Rest in peace to my P-Funk brother Mr. Calvin Simon," Clinton wrote in a post to Facebook. "Fly on Calvin!" “We lost another original member of Parliament/Funkadelic,” added bassist Bootsy Collins in a message of his own, remembering Simon as a “friend, bandmate & a cool classic guy.” Born in Beckley, W.V., Simon grew up singing in his church's choir. When he was a teenager, he moved to New Jersey, where he got involved with a local harmony group...

Melvin Parker, best known as James Brown's drummer, died at age 77 last week in Baltimore. He performed on a bunch of Brown's hits in the '60s and '70's, including "Out of Sight," "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "Get Up Offa That Thing." "The Parker family is in the process of making arrangements for a final goodbye," read an obituary on the website of. R. Swinson Funeral Services, located in Parker's hometown of Kinston, N.C. "Let's keep the Parker family in our thoughts and prayers during this time of bereavement." "We lost...

The songwriter, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist was best known as the bandleader and arranger for the James Brown Orchestra during its most prolific and groundbreaking period. Published on September 24, 2021By Harry Weinger Pee Wee Ellis - Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty ImagesPee Wee Ellis (L) and Maceo Parker perform as part of the 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 5, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images uDiscover Music - Facebook ShareuDiscover Music - Twitter ShareuDiscover Music - Email ShareuDiscover Music - Comments Alfred “Pee Wee” Ellis, the songwriter, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist best known as the bandleader...

Kool & the Gang co-founder Dennis Thomas died Saturday in New Jersey where he was a longtime resident, his representatives announced. He was 70. A news released noted the musician, who went professionally by the name "Dee Tee," had "passed away peacefully in his sleep." No official cause of death has been disclosed. The Florida native "was known as the quintessential cool cat in the group, loved for his hip clothes and hats, and his laid-back demeanor," the release noted. "A huge personality while also an extremely private person, Dennis was the alto saxophone player, flutist, percussionist as well as...

The funk-driven LP was recorded in 1971Recorded during the summer of 1971, ‘Funky Nation: The Detroit Instrumentals’ is the result of some downtime Gaye had after refusing to tour in support of his game-changing classic album, ‘What’s Going On’. Released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the title track from ‘What’s Going On’, the 14-track, funk-driven collection of instrumentals hears Gaye joined by the late Hamilton Bohannon on drums, Ray Parker Jr. (17-years-old at the time,) Wah Wah Watson, and Leroy Emmanuel on guitars, as well as a 20-year-old Michael Henderson on bass. While some of the tracks have been...

Known throughout the community as director of communications for Pueblo School District 60, Dalton Sprouse also is a dedicated follower of funk music, and all things funky. “Funk is fusion of jazz, rock, and R&B, resulting in a new groove that would clear the way for some of America’s greatest dance music,” Sprouse said. “Artists like Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and nearly every hip-hop artist have built their sound upon the foundation funk music established. “So here is my list of 10 of funk music’s most heralded cuts:” “Get on the Good Foot (Pt. 1),” James Brown. The Godfather...

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-Texas) is blogging from his road trip across the country, writing in his latest post that he has "been stuck lately ... in and out of a funk." O'Rourke, who is mulling a 2020 Democratic presidential bid, is traveling the country after losing to Sen. Ted Cruz (R) last year in the closest Senate race the state has seen in decades. "Have been stuck lately," O'Rourke wrote in a Medium blog post Wednesday, noting that he left Congress early this month. "In and out of a funk. My last day of work was January 2nd." "It’s...

He joined the Motown house band, the Funk Brothers, in 1968 and later played on one of the Temptations’ most iconic singles, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” which incorporates long, flickering funk riffs, bluesy excursions and pointillistic solos. The shimmery, lingering guitar part after the line “it was the third of September” is a perfect demonstration of the wah wah pedal effect. Ragin went on to appear on both Marvin Gaye’s sensual masterpieces, Let’s Get It On and I Want You, Quincy Jones’ most successful solo LP, Body Heat, Rose Royce’s breakout album, Car Wash, Smokey Robinson’s criminally underappreciated Love...

Habibi Funk's new compilation pulls together soulful, jazzy music from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan, and more. It's even more vibrant than you might expect. TWEET Back in 2014, the DJ, record collector and Jakarta Records label owner Jannis Stürtz was scouring around Morocco in search of old vinyl records. He chanced across a second-hand electronics repair store that was previously a record shop owned by a guy who used to run the Mekauiphone music distribution business in Casablanca. "You could still see in the back there were stacks and stacks of records," recalls Stürtz. Digging through the pile of...

The land of funk officially has its museum. The Funk Music Hall of Fame and Exhibition Center received its final approvals from the City of Dayton and is now open for business, David R. Webb, its president, said. “I am in tears. This has been a long time coming. This is real emotional, right,” Webb said. The center, located at 113 E. Third St. in downtown Dayton’s Fire Blocks District, will have its grand opening in late January or February, Webb said. The museum is taking reservations for private tours and events. A $5 donation will be requested per person....

WaPo news ticker, Trump pardons Sheriff Joe!! Waiting for link now.....

Donald Trump has 'revealed WAR plans with North Korea' – claims top US official A TOP US official has sent a chilling warning to Kim Jong-un after claiming Donald Trump told him of his battle plans. By Anders Anglesey / Published 2nd August 2017 Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said war between Washington and Pyongyang was “inevitable” if the North continued to test missiles. The senator added: “There is a military option to destroy North Korea’s nuclear programme and North Korea itself. “President Trump is not going to allow Kim Jong-un the ability to have a missile that could hit America....