Brit-funk!

[Leatherman]

Originally Posted by K-Bee

Just a question...how should we define the difference between brit funk and acid jazz stylistically? (not chronologically, since i get that part with acid jazz being more recent that brit funk)
Still, a lot ove it seems very similar to me. Wonder if the early Level 42 and Shakatak would have been labelled as Acid Jazz, had it come out say 5 years later than it did?

Acid Jazz was generally slower, it's roots being in the rare groove/ James Brown/Roy Ayers type material that was popular in the mid/late 80's. Where as most brit funk was faster, inspired by the comtempory American jazz funk acts like Earth Wind and Fire, Crown Heights Affair, Mass Production.

Though Brit Funk often lacked the musical pedigree and production of the best US stuff it sometimes made up for that with raw energy. It sounded like those who made it were genuinely in to what they were doing.

[buckaroo]

Originally Posted by ladyboygrimsby

Well, they might have been bandwagon jumpers (a bit), but there's a tune of theirs, Ski Club of Great Britain, that's better than anything I've ever heard Shakatak do. And, to be fair to Spandau Ballet, they were hanging out in half-decent clubs before they ever made records, so it's not like they didn't know a good tune when they heard one (if they couldn't actually replicate it themselves).

Oh, and someone mentioned Funkapolitan, who were pretty rubbish, really. But I noticed in a Sunday magazine in the UK the other week that Tom Dixon, who is now the chief designer for the Conran chain, and a well known desinger here, used to be in Funkapolitan. You learn something every day.

:lol:
Aaaah...My cunning plan worked! I wrote those things to stimulate you all...In a non-sexual way of course. I know Spandau used to frequent trendy clubs like the Wag and Beat Route back in the day as it were. They even had Beggar & Co. as their rhythm section on "Chant No.1". But they didn't however, continue the funk onto their subsequant LPs.

I heard once, that Funkapolitan's main claim to fame is that they once did a gig in a Wimpey bar in Leicester Square. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

I have recordings by many of the above artists & enjoyed many including Freeez, LOTW, Loose Ends, Rah Band, etc.etc. but I always found Britfunk to be inferior to the US stuff of that era in general. British people could never make truly classy or innovative dance music IMO compared to US or mainland Europe...I feel that British people only started to make good dance music when we entered the late 80s /early 90s & the music was all about electronic studio wizardry, sampling & the like; witness Soul 2 Soul or KLF or Massive Attack or Beatmasters for example. British people are brilliant at fun, quirky or edgy music but totally hopeless at music that has class, style & innovation. (IMO )

:P
Gotta disagree with ya bub! What about the fantatic Loose Ends? They were making dents in the US charts when Soul ll Soul were still just DJing in Covent Garden. No disrespect meant to Jazzy & co. The mid '80s was quite a promising time for UK soul acts: 52nd Street, Cool Notes, I Level, and even Hi-Tension were still chugging along too. The post Brit-funk years produced some fine acts like Imagination, Total Contrast, and Paul Hardcastle. Although there was some cracking good dance and acid music emerging in around '88 and '89 (Pierre's Phantasy Club "Nightrain", "Acid Man" Jolly Roger etc.), there was a lot of crap too.

Some good '80s electro dance: (not acid or house)
Projection "Lovestruck"
Loose Ends "Dial 999"
Sahara "Love So Fine"

As far as the musicianship of the brit-funkers goes...well, remember that most of these guys were very young and not seasoned professionals honing their craft since the '60s, like the Commodores, or Fatback Band etc. "...totally hopeless..."? Come on now. I thought you knew a thing or two about music. :lol:

[Forrrce]

There was a very similar thread to this called 'Best Of British' around a year ago, but sadly it's no longer in the Discomusic archives.

As for the acid jazz/Brit Funk comparison, they're different things, really. For a start, the Brit Funk idiom then, was a contemporary one, whilst acid jazz was retro in its direction. On top of that, the acid scene has been responsible for some of the greatest musical crimes of the past decade and a half (think Galliano - I rest my case). It was also an essentailly style-led phenomenon and lacked sincerity for the most part - the Brand New Heavies were at least decent (and deservedly successful) but most acid jazz was complete bollocks.

Its current manifestation is the laughably ridiculous 'deep funk' genre, whereby middle class 'trustafarians' make 7" singles about grits and greasy chicken, in the basements of their daddies' mansions in Windsor. Irony is lost on these slummin' rich kids.

[K-Bee]

Its current manifestation is the laughably ridiculous 'deep funk' genre, whereby middle class 'trustafarians' make 7" singles about grits and greasy chicken, in the basements of their daddies' mansions in Windsor. Irony is lost on these slummin' rich kids.

Surely, these 7" singles haven't reached danish shores yet.
the whole concept of "Windsor-Funk" sounds rather laughable to me :lol:

Anyway..what is the deal with funk and food? The titles including various food items are countless!

[buckaroo]

Originally Posted by Forrrce

As for the acid jazz/Brit Funk comparison, they're different things, really. For a start, the Brit Funk idiom then, was a contemporary one, whilst acid jazz was retro in its direction. On top of that, the acid scene has been responsible for some of the greatest musical crimes of the past decade and a half (think Galliano - I rest my case).

Yeah, the Brit-funkers wrote most of their songs, but the Acid Jazzers (that term is copyrighted to me :lol: ) sampled quite a bit: Galliano, for one. The musical crimes were not totally the fault of the bands or the musicians. Certain 'style mags' like The Face and it's ilk, dreamt up this Acid Jazz scene, in order to boost sales from certain friend's expensive clothes shops. And also because they want to be seen as setting trends for the youth.
You simply couldn't be seen without your skull cap, goatie, tight denim jacket, and walking cane :roll:

Originally Posted by Forrrce

It was also an essentailly style-led phenomenon and lacked sincerity for the most part - the Brand New Heavies were at least decent (and deservedly successful) but most acid jazz was complete bollocks...

The Heavies are one of the genuine bands who still gig to this day. I can recall seeing one of the members of The Young Disciples on TV critisizing the whole Acid Jazz style nonsense, and mentioning some of the racism as far as a black man trying to gain entry to certain trendy bars and venues in the west end of London. Total hypocracy!!

Originally Posted by K-Bee

Anyway..what is the deal with funk and food? The titles including various food items are countless!

Yup. "Chicken Lickin'", "Pass The Peas", "Breakin' Bread".
Funkers are hungry people.

[SandraDee]

I didn't word it correctly; I didn't mean that britfunk acts like Loose Ends weren't good, they were very good & I have all their records, but I just saw it all as derivative & slightly inferior to the US stuff.

[buckaroo]

We all know that a group like Atmosfere could never sound as good as Herbie Hancock for instance. But give credit where it's due, to all the men and women who made an attempt to create a vibrant sound of their own. The same criticism about inferiority compared to US acts was aimed at many UK rappers during the early '90s. The American groups were obviously far more polished because of their pedigree, and the fact that they had been playing their instruments longer. I partly feel that Brit-funk is a very underated genre and part of British music history, because many of it's exponents were very young second generation black Britons. The Punk movement is always lauded and celebrated, but yet you hardly hear some of the awful groups that were around, being criticized in retrospect. Sid Vicious murdered his girlfriend, then died of an overdose, but is still today seen as some sort of icon or genius. :roll:

There were quite a few musical movements emerging in England during the mid and late '70s, such as Lovers Rock, Roots Reggae, and Northern Soul. There was even a revival of '60s Ska. But these seem to have been consigned to history's bin. Unless, you are still a huge fan.

Acts like Loose Ends though not a Brit-funk group, definitely benefitted from the legacy of their predecessors. But at the same time, they experienced similar racism and record company politics.

[QUINNY]

Let me add my two cents worth.

To my ears most Brit Funk records simply weren't that good because they lacked one very simple ingredient. A decent, tight rhythm section. Just listen to Atmosfear's Dancing In Outta Space for instance. The rhythm section is lumpier than cold porridge. The drummer was just way too busy and incapable of what he was attempting. Youth and inexperience only go some of the way to explaining it.

For what was supposed to be a dance record, that seems to me like a pretty obvious fault to me. Once you release a record, you're up against the best. Maybe they should have waited until they were better musicians?

[efunk_adelic]

Well guess what Quinny,

I dunno any of these songs... I might get a kick out of listening to them... I'll have to wait a few more weeks once the thread dies and compile a list so that I may seek these songs... cool :D

[QUINNY]

BTW: I always had David Bendeth as being Canadian. Am I way off?

[Greg Wilson]

Originally Posted by QUINNY

BTW: I always had David Bendeth as being Canadian. Am I way off?

I think you're right there Quinny. always under the impression he was Canadian myself.

Hallelujah! We agree on something.

[Forrrce]

David Bendeth was born in the UK, but spent a lot of time in Canada from a young age. He's lived there a long while.

[QUINNY]

Forrrce: So what we need to know is......did he live in the UK or Canada when he recorded Feel The Real? Any idea?

[Forrrce]

Originally Posted by QUINNY

Forrrce: So what we need to know is......did he live in the UK or Canada when he recorded Feel The Real? Any idea?

As 'Feel The Real' and its parent LP were originally on a Canadian label, I'd guess he was over there. Just a guess though, Q.

[sfbeary]

i love a lot of brit-funk and the oddball british dance records that came out in the years before house - i heard plenty of them at the paradise garage (ooooh that name again!) i think they were popular there because they were somewhat raw and quirky and sometimes irreverent but with great hooks and beats - touchdown, atmosphere, 52nd street ("cool as ice" — wooh-hoo!), funkapolitan, hot cuisine. state of grace "that's when we'll be free" was AN ANTHEM, particularly the remix with the vince montana-ish vibe solo. "love money" by the funkmasters was particularly HUGE, as well as anything by imagination, who were so soulful and yet so very gay. what was credible or not credible in england didn't matter there. i remember dancing to dub of the thompson twins' "love on your side" at the very end of his set when the sun, unbeknownst to me, had already come up, and knowing larry played it because the dub leaves out most of the vocals but highlights the line "i've played you all my favorite records."

it was the combination of brit-funk and nyc studio toys that birthed one of the defining records of the period - freeze's "i.o.u."

the danceteria scene thrived on odd, funky british records - i probably heard pigbag's "papa's got a brand new pigbag" every night there and at clubs like it for several years' straight.

they'd never touch brit-funk at the saint, but robbie leslie and the boys sure knew how to mix in the british new wave records seamlessly into the hi-NRG mix. "working with fire and steel" by china crisis never sounded better.