In the early 1980s, some of the British and American punk bands began adding a new dimension to their sound. The Clash, Gang Of Four, Howard Devoto, and Talking Heads all began to incorporate elements of funk into their music. In most cases it was a matter of using the propelling bass lines, and the staccato rhythms as extensions to the minimalist punk sound.
As usual Talking Heads were an exception. They bodily embraced the sound and expanded their line-up from the standard quartet to a nine-piece funk extravaganza. But no matter the format, once one got over the initial surprise of hearing Joe Strummer's voice singing "Magnificent Seven" or Howard Devoto's version of "I Want To Thank You (Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin)" - it seemed a natural progression.
If punk was the untamed offspring of bloated rock and roll, funk had always been the wilder brother to the R&B and soul that dominated mainstream radio. Occasionally, bands like Sly and The Family Stone or James Brown would have a crossover hit, but that was mainly on FM rock stations, not the top forty.
In the late 1960s, when black music was crossing over in the safely packaged sound of Motown with all the hard edges smoothed down for safe handling, funk was the sound of the unrest and disquiet that permeated the ghettos of America. Angry, celebratory, and not making concessions to anybody else, it was the musical equivalent of the clenched fist raised in triumph.
Listen to any of the funk that came out in the late sixties and early seventies and you can hear the pride of a people in the blasting of the horns and the strut of the bass. There is nothing fettered or choreographed about this stuff; it's the brassy sounds of life in the urban centres of America when hope still coexisted with the poverty and the violence, and drugs weren't considered the only growth business.
Article comments
1 - Scott Butki
Excellent piece, man. I hope the Williams brothers are ok.