Contemporary Black Urban Music: LECTURE 3
“Funk and Dub”
James Brown:
Regarded as the “
Godfather of Soul” and we associate him with funk and the beginnings of funk
(what we do with funk, he makes beat one heard every measure and forever changed the
musical landscape – despite it being a very simple idea)
Started out as rhythm and Blues Artist
Characteristics by tracks “
I Feel Good” and “
Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”
By Mid 1960’s, developed signature groove called “
The One” – emphasized the first beat of
every measure
and can be heard on “
Make It Funky” “
Good Foot” “
The Payback” and “
Lickin
Stick”
Pushed funk music style further to the forefront with tracks such as “
Cold Sweat” (1967),
“
Mother Popcorn” (1969), and “
Get Up (I feel like a) Sex Machine” (1970)
Transitioned from Rhythm and Blues to Funk, moved away from the 12 bar Blues associated with
earlier music towards music that was centered on
“
catchy vocals” grounded on “
extensive
vamps”
Used his voice as a percussive instrument with
frequent rhythmic grunts with
rhythm section
patterns resembling West African polyrhythms
o
Tradition evident in African American work songs and chants
o
Repeated sections of music over and over – taught us how to like it (extensive vamps)
Frenzied vocals, frequently punctuated with screams and grunts, channeled “ecstatic ambiance
of the black church” in a secular context –
“
Father of the Vamps”
His backing band the J.B’s, occasionally issue albums and singles on their own, but James Brown
would still produce the music and sometimes would even play the organ or synthesizer on track
o
One recording that can be heard is Bobby Byrd’s “
I Know You Got Soul” sampled by Eric B
and Rakim
William Bootsy Collins
American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter who rose to prominence with James
