Question to Bootsy Collins: Did The J.B.’s Understand James Brown?

A short excerpt of a phone interview I did with Bootsy Collins today:

I may post more clips during the weekend.

R.I.P., Garry Shider! (Interview from the New Funk Times Archive)

Garry Shider in Munich
(©Peter Jebsen)

P.Funk won’t ever be the same again: Yesterday, Garry Shider (56) lost his battle against lung and brain cancer (see reports by The Star Ledger and Rolling Stone). I have known Garry and Linda, his wife of 32 years, for about 25 years – one of our first meetings took place at George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic’s legendary live Rockpalast broadcast from St. Goarshausen/Germany (watch the video clip below, featuring Dennis Chambers, Eddie Hazel, Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton, and Rodney “Skeet” Curtis).

I once even acted as his ‘fashion consultant’ ;-) : On P.Funk’s 1986 “Saturday Night Live” performance, Garry wore a jacket I selected while clothes-shopping with George Clinton. You can see a picture in this blog entry.

When I published the official P.Funk newsletter New Funk Times from the late ’80s to the early ’90s, I did several interviews with Garry. One of them took place at his house in Atlanta/Georgia in 1989. I’m reposting it as tribute to this great vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, producer and overall funky human being.

“We’re not gonna ever quit, man, I wanna be old and in my grave, still funking!” (Garry Shider in 1989)

With my Palm Prē, I seem to be in good company (as in “GC”) … ;-)

Funky Luftbrücke from New Orleans nach Hamburg

Wenn Moderatoren im Radio ihre Hörer grüßen, assoziiere ich das eher mit NDR-2-Sendungen, in denen Oma Martha den Enkeln, die nie anrufen, trotzdem alles Liebe wünscht. Kürzlich jedoch durfte ich mich selbst über einen solchen Gruß freuen – wobei die Freude besonders groß war, da sich hier eine meiner ältesten Passionen, nämlich Old-School-Funk, mit diesem neuen weltweiten Datennetz verband, von dem man heute so viel hört.

Sooo neu ist das natürlich nicht, denn per elektronischer Post habe ich seit Mitte der 90er Jahre Kontakt mit Melissa A. Weber (aka DJ Soul Sister), einer afroamerikanischen DJane in New Orleans. Sie und ich betrieben damals Websites, die sich um unsere Lieblingsmusik drehten: P-Funk (George Clinton / Parliament / Funkadelic / Bootsy Collins & Co.).

George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic on Saturday Night Live (1986)

IMHO, this is one of the best P.Funk performances ever shown on TV:

more about "George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadeli…", posted with vodpod

This video brings back very nice memories:

The Saturday Night Live show took place a few weeks after I did my George Clinton home story (here’s the German version).

Keith Richards is to the Rolling Stones What Flavor Flav is to Public Enemy

Another post in English:

I recently looked into Sly & Robbie’s back catalog which included a collaboration with the Rolling Stones (“Too Much Blood” on 1983′s “Undercover” album). This made me revisit several of my favorite Stones albums as well.

While doing this, I reencountered “Too Rude” from 1986′s “Dirty Work” album – a song which features lead vocalist Keith Richards and which is closer to ‘roots reggae’ than “Too Much Blood” (despite Sly & Robbie’s involvement in the latter). Here’s a very nice 1988 version by Keith Richards & his Expensive Winos:

The Funky Farmer: George Clinton Home Story (1986)

This is the English translation of a George Clinton home story which I did in 1986 when I was working as a music journalist (original German version):

One morning at 5 a.m. on the funky farm: sputter – sputter – zang – boom – crash. Strange sounds are emanating from the hall. A few minutes later George Clinton stands in the living room: “Damn, not even 4000 points! When I’m that bad, I know that it’s time to quit. Good night!” A last disappointed look at the Galaxian video game, and Clinton disappears into the bedroom. In the neighborhood the first cocks are crowing.

Meine 15 Lieblingsalben (2/3 – 1978-1982)

Fortsetzung des Beitrags “Meine 15 Lieblingsalben (1/3 – 1973-1977)”:

George Clinton Goes Nashville

Eine Reality-Soap der ganz besonderen Art ist derzeit beim US-Sender CMT zu bestaunen. Mittlerweile zum dritten Mal: Ähnlich wie bei Promi-„Big Brother“ lassen sich sieben „Celebrities“ in einer Villa in Nashville bei dem Versuch filmen, eine Country-Karriere zu starten.

Was mich als Freund des P-Funk (Parliament, Funkadelic & Co.) daran besonders fesselt, ist die Tatsache, dass Dr. Funkenstein alias George Clinton mit von der Partie ist. Zusammen mit der ehemaligen Prince-Kreativkomplizin Sheila E., “Miss USA 2006” Tara Conner, Sängerin Taylor Dayne, Monkees-Schlagzeuger und -Sänger Micky Dolenz, Ex-Soap-Darsteller Richard Grieco und Ex-„American Idol“-Kandidat Justin Guarini.

Video des Tages: “Paint the White House Black”

Dieses visionäre Video stammt aus dem Jahr 1993.

George Clinton und einige weitere Mitglieder von Parliament/Funkadelic treten übrigens bei einer der zahlreichen “Inauguration Parties” auf, und zwar bei Dionne Warwicks “Legends Ball”.