Legendary funkster Bootsy Collins creates an electrifying sonic landscape for his rock-fueled funk track "Creepin’." He anchors this nasty groove with a badass walking bass line and a monster beat. The track features guitar wunderkind Christone “Kingfish” Ingram who unleashes some blistering fretboard fireworks. In addition to his phenomenal guitar work, Kingfish serves up a soulful blues-tinged lead vocal performance. Brass master Brennan Johns puts an exclamation point on the funk with some killer horn lines (playing both the trumpet and trombone parts).  "Creepin’" is a track from B ..read more

Following the release of their debut album Cardiac Arrest in 1977, Cameo quickly established themselves as one of the baddest and most exciting funk outfits on the R&B scene. They packed dance floors and heated up the charts with their uniquely powerful brand of funk. Cameo was also killing it at their live shows, thrilling audiences with their raw talent, energy and great showmanship. By the early ‘80s, the band began to adopt a more electronic-based sound, replacing the horn section with synths and incorporating Simmons electronic drums into their grooves. This change gave their sound a ..read more

A cappella intros are a creative and effective way to immediately grab the listener’s attention. They also showcase an artist or band’s strong vocal skills and harmonizing abilities. Songs from various genres have been launched with a cappella vocals, including many well-known classics. I’ve made up a list of my 18 favorite a cappella intros. Here’s the list in no particular order. Take A Chance On Me – ABBA (1977) Swedish pop sensation ABBA scored a global smash with the irresistible “Take a Chance On Me” in 1977. The track features an inventive a cappella opening with all four group membe ..read more

Sly & The Family Stone revolutionized popular music in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s with their brilliant amalgam of funk, rock, soul, gospel and psychedelia. However, before the band altered the music landscape, its leader and guiding light Sly Stone was a member of the doo-wop group the Viscaynes. The group was formed in the late 1950s at Vallejo High School in California’s San Francisco Bay. A 17-year-old Sly (then known by his birth name Sylvester Stewart) joined the group in 1960 as a keyboardist and vocalist. He was previously a member of the doo-wop group the Webs (also formed at V ..read more

Funk-disco band Heatwave burst onto the music scene in 1976 with their sensational debut album Too Hot To Handle. The collection was one of the year’s most impressive R&B and dance music releases. It showcased the band’s consummate musicianship and Rod Temperton’s superb songwriting abilities. The British-born keyboardist, composer, arranger and producer wrote every track on the album. He was responsible for the band’s singular sound that distinguished them from other funk and disco outfits at the time. The album opens with the smokin’ title track. This massively funky groove features a k ..read more

Legendary jazz/funk drummer Idris Muhammad serves up some delicious funk on his smooth instrumental “Crab Apple.” The song boasts a killer arrangement, with sterling horn charts and phat bass. Muhammad anchors the groove with a cold beat, while tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker heightens the funk with a fantastic solo. Guitarist Hiram Bullock electrifies the groove with some wicked licks, and Cliff Carter contributes a sizzling synth solo. With this cut, Muhammad again showed that his funk game was as strong as his jazz. “Crab Apple” is a track from Muhammad’s fifth studio album Turn This Mut ..read more

In 1980, disco’s popularity was plummeting rapidly, and it was also the target of a vicious hate campaign–much of which was fueled by anti-black racism, homophobia and sexism. As a result, Donna Summer–one of disco’s biggest superstars–began reshaping her sound to align more with the current popular music trends of the early ‘80s. She started incorporating new wave and more rock into her sound and jettisoned the heavy disco rhythms she was known for. Strings and horns were replaced with synths, and rock guitars became much more prominent. “The Wanderer” typified Summer’s new sonic direction ..read more

James Brown dropped this badass cut in November of 1973. This was during the early years of his storied “Godfather of Soul” era. The groove flows at a smooth funky stroll. You can easily picture Brown cold struttin’ to this wicked track. John “Jabo” Starks steers the groove with a sick beat, while Fred Thomas serves up a phat bass line. Guitarists Jimmy Nolen and Hearlon "Cheese" Martin contribute some sweet licks. Brown delivers a dynamic, gritty vocal performance and further deepens the funk with a soulful organ solo. Also, the track boasts a stellar horn arrangement. Brown sings the praise ..read more

Acclaimed pianist and organist Bobby Lyle cooked up some wicked jazz-funk on his 1978 song “Groove (Ain’t No Doubt About it).” The funk level on this cut is through the roof. Bass titan Nathaniel Philips lays down some extra-nasty bottom, and Lyle electrifies the groove with his incredible synth work. Harvey Mason brings the funk with a scorching beat. And Paulinho da Costa fires up the groove with some sizzling percussion. “Groove (Ain’t No Doubt About It)” is a track from Lyle’s third album New Warrior, released on Capitol Records in 1978. It was written by Lyle, Mason and trombonist/produ ..read more

New Zealand-born singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kimbra gets down and dirty on her funky track “LA Type.” The two-time Grammy-winning artist has dipped her toes into funk before but nothing quite as audaciously funky as this cut. She even brought in groovemaster and drummer extraordinaire Questlove to maximize the funk. He contributes a monstrous beat that’s complemented by Spencer Zahn’s nasty bass line. The funk is further deepened by some electrifying keyboard work from Taylor Graves. And Kimbra delivers a dynamic vocal performance that’s full of attitude and sultry s ..read more