Which ones are FUNK ???

[remicks]

*****

It’s only since becoming involved with this site that I’ve become aware that many of you consider funk to be such a big part of disco. Yes it is …. but of the total disco pie, I’ve always felt that funk made up one or at most two serving slices. I just don't see that much funk in the total mix. So it surprises how much emphasis seems to be placed on its role …:roll:
So now I'm wondering maybe I've been too narrow in what it is I consider "funk" ......


So help me out here please …. all you funkaholics particularly . 8)
From Marky’s latest chart …..here are the TOP 25 disco songs for the week of July 24, 1976.

Which ones are funk ???? :roll::icon_question:

( I was thinking maybe one easy approach is to copy this list and then only highlight the funk songs…………but you do it however … )

Thanks ! :D
I think this will be insightful !!!




July 24, 1976

1) YOU SHOULD BE DANCING - Bee Gees
2) HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL /DON'T TAKE AWAY THE MUSIC - Tavares
3) ONE FOR THE MONEY - The Whispers
4) WHERE THE HAPPY PEOPLE GO; LP The Trammps
5) THE BEST DISCO IN TOWN - The Ritchie Family

6) CHERCHEZ LA FEMME / SOUR & SWEET - Doctor Buzzard's Original Savannah Band
7) DESPERATELY - Barrabas
8. PICNIC IN THE PARK - MFSB
9) I'M GONNA LET MY HEART DO THE WALKING - The Supremes
10) GIVE A BROKEN HEART A BREAK - Damon Harris & Impact

11) SUN SUN SUN - Ja-Kki
12) NICE AND SLOW - Jesse Green
13) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE / RUN TO ME - Candi Staton
14) LOWDOWN - Boz Scaggs
15) LET'S GET STARTED - The Commodores

16) BRING YOUR BODY - Carol Townes & 5th Avenue
17) DISCO DOBRO / CRAZY DANCIN'/ THAT'S THE WAY TO GO - Bottom Line
18. DISCO EXTRAORDINAIRE - Juggy Murray Jones
19) TEN PERCENT - Double Exposure
20) ALWAYS THERE - Side Effect

21) YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE - Lou Rawls
22) BROADWAY STAR - Barrabas
23) IT'S NOT THE WORLD THAT'S MESSED UP- Tapestry
24) MOVIN' IN ALL DIRECTIONS - People's Choice
25) SMOKE YOUR TROUBLES AWAY - The Glass Family


*****

[QUINNY]

Remicks: I don't trust your sentiments, 'cos I know you'll use the answers to back up some theory that you have, or totally discredit funk, but I'll take a stab at what I consider funky rather than pure disco (of the ones I know).

1) YOU SHOULD BE DANCING - Bee Gees (just scrapes in/still undecided)
3) ONE FOR THE MONEY - The Whispers (Pure Philly sound in many respects, but it had a funkier edge than most toons from there)
12) NICE AND SLOW - Jesse Green (pop funk, but still funky)
14) LOWDOWN - Boz Scaggs (classy, blue-eyed funk)
20) ALWAYS THERE - Side Effect ((NOT the best version [Willie Bobo], but relatively funky for a vocal outing of this much copied tune)
24) MOVIN' IN ALL DIRECTIONS - People's Choice (NOTHING ELSE by them was ever as funky as Do It Anyway You Wanna, but ......)
25) SMOKE YOUR TROUBLES AWAY - The Glass Family (What a lovely, quirky, funky groove this had)

[remicks]

Remicks: I don't trust your sentiments, 'cos I know you'll use the answers to back up some theory that you have, or totally discredit funk.

:icon_surprised: Quinny ..........me ? .... :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

No ..... this time :p:p ..... my inquiry is pretty straight forward
( I think?? :roll:)

Thanks for the input
.....

*****

[paul]

remicks, I'll add:

6) CHERCHEZ LA FEMME / SOUR & SWEET - Doctor Buzzard's Original Savannah Band

When I make cd comps featuring classic disco like Cocomotion, I leave this one of the comps. I like the song a lot but it leans more funk so I see it more mixed in with the likes of One Nation or Get The Funk Out Ma Face.

15) LET'S GET STARTED - The Commodores

No question about the funk in this one. The bass and funky horn play in this song makes it obvious. I ought to put in my play list again.

[Disco Funk]

I think the only true funk tracks are Always There by Side Effect and Let's Get Started by The Commodores, although one could debate the latter since it doesn't really have a syncopated groove typical of a funk track. A number of the other cuts could be considered funky disco tracks, like the People's Choice cut, the second half of the Whisper's One For The Money, Boz Scaggs' Lowdown, and Smoke Your Troubles Away, which Quinny all mentioned.

My favourite version of Always There is the one by Ronnie Laws.

Disco Funk

[Nano]

I would have to check the two tracks from Barrabás (not familiar with the names yet) but they probably are pretty funky, because that's how they sounded at the time.
I agree also about "You should be dancing" and specially "Lowdown", a very funky track. However, these two fall more into the "funky soul" category, that is, closer to Curtis Mayfield than to James Brown (they both have classic pop song structures and softer rhythms than those of hard funk).

[visuals]

I would like to offer my taste in funk by choosing "Commodores - Let's Get It Started" & "Side Effect - Always There". I wouldn't really consider anything else listed to come as close to pure funk as these tracks...though "Boz Scaggs - Dirty Lowdown" could pass perfectly for what I consider laid-back "funk" with a "pop" edge. Quinny said it best by calling it classy, blue-eyed funk. Groups from totaly different genres like Steely Dan were great at creating this type of blend...even if they weren't even trying to do so. I guess it's hard to get a formal meaning for funk being that there are so many different interpretations and tastes that go along with music listening in general.

Remicks: 8) I find it of great interest that you chose to pull listings from the year "1976" as this was the year that I consider to be when True Funk was on it's way outta here. IMO, Funk from around that era and then on became less gritty, more disco-y and was predominately dance oriented. Lot's of artists kept it funky during this period but the era of "Pure Funk" was definately over.

[Disco Funk]

The pure funk definitely started dwindling. Artists like Ohio Players, Parliament Funkadelic, and AWB were moving towards more dancefloor disco-y beats. You have to switch over to the jazz funk genre to find syncopated funk beats that go into the early 80s.

Disco Funk

[QUINNY]

The pure funk definitely started dwindling. Artists like Ohio Players, Parliament Funkadelic, and AWB were moving towards more dancefloor disco-y beats. You have to switch over to the jazz funk genre to find syncopated funk beats that go into the early 80s.
Disco Funk

Please note that I agree with your sentiments to a large extent. Depends what sorta funk you like the most, I guess and whether or not Funk has to have syncopated beats as a pre-requisite. e.g. Is Shack Up - Banbarra a funk number or Disco? The only syncopated part is the drum 'solo' as such. Otherwise, it could be argued that the drum pattern especially, is almost identical to a 1001 Disco records. Personally, I can't stand the boogaloo type of funk from the sixties and early seventies, with just a few exceptions and P-Funk can be pretty boring as well as exhilarating, but these are two funk genres that appear to have more fans nowadays. The more Disco orientated funk was probably more to my (and my predominantly white audience's) liking, simply because the groove was easier to get into. However, there was a hell of a difference between it and pure Disco, e.g. Boiling Point - Let's Get Funktified.

Jazz Funk took over in the UK, especially in the South of England, but even that only ever had a few decent dance tracks interspersed with a plethora of mediocre, tired sounding dross (of which the artists should have been ashamed). As an example; The Players Association made some awesome grooves with some great jazzy moments, but sadly much of their output were covers that just didn't work that well. Disco Inferno being a fantastic exception, but Everybody Dance or Love Hangover.......YUK!!!

Out of all the dance music I played as a pro DJ, the jazzier stompers were probably my own personal favourites, especially if there was some real Jazz goin' on in the solos and a heavy funk groove to propel it along.