The Mama's and Papas of Funk
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I have a theory, but I'm to lazy to venture into the other parts of the non-mog internet. Plus, with all our combined libraries we can probably make a substantial case for this theory. So here it is:
Is the song "California Dreamin'" by The Mama's and the Papa's, the funk standard, or equivalent there of, to a jazz standard such as George Gershwin's "Summertime", or a song like "Misty"?
I find this weird, but the song keeps popping up in funk discoveries, and I'm sure I have more examples at home, but I am at work so I'm a bit dead in the water. None the less I've always thought the M&P's very white and such a bastardized, poppy version of the folk movement, that it seems a strange selection. I'm not saying it's a bad song, it's just a kind of vanilla song to funkify.
I'm looking towards our Brooklyn contingent (ahem, codyB) for some suitable substance to back up this theory. I am not a level seven shaolin of funk, such as some of you grasshoppers are. So please, submit other funked up versions of this song, or your own "Funk Standard".
The two versions that appear on Eddie Hazels Album will appear in comments.
Is the song "California Dreamin'" by The Mama's and the Papa's, the funk standard, or equivalent there of, to a jazz standard such as George Gershwin's "Summertime", or a song like "Misty"?
I find this weird, but the song keeps popping up in funk discoveries, and I'm sure I have more examples at home, but I am at work so I'm a bit dead in the water. None the less I've always thought the M&P's very white and such a bastardized, poppy version of the folk movement, that it seems a strange selection. I'm not saying it's a bad song, it's just a kind of vanilla song to funkify.
I'm looking towards our Brooklyn contingent (ahem, codyB) for some suitable substance to back up this theory. I am not a level seven shaolin of funk, such as some of you grasshoppers are. So please, submit other funked up versions of this song, or your own "Funk Standard".
The two versions that appear on Eddie Hazels Album will appear in comments.
Comments (14)
Ok, funk standards start with Cold Sweat for the rhythm and the James Brown "on the 1" standard, which led to Sly who codified it with Thankyoufallettinmebemyself...To sum up..JB invented it (with apologies to Dyke and the Blazers Funky Broadway, which said funk first but was really hard R&B) and then Sly put it in stone with thankyou..
To further ensconce Sly, here's the list of thankyou cover that I have:
____________________
Ones I don't have
and there are many, many more.
Nice work. I am nowhere near the Funk Master that you are, but your arguement has a lot more examples to back it up. And I support Cold Sweat as a Funk Standard
So let me throw this thought out - wouldn't a "funk standard" have to take from a completely different genre, like many Jazz songs did with Gershwin tunes or old broadway showtunes? In this case, "California Dreaming" would work, but I don't know if I have anymore examples of this. Could there be another funkified, vanilla standard?
OK, but there are Jazz Standards created by jazz people that are not derived from American SongBook standards, like say Horace Silver's Song For My Father..
wiki on jazz standards
Post-Rock pop music, until recently (starting with Linda Rondstadt,Rod Stewart, etc) has steered away from traditional pop standards, and theoretically new songs can't be added to the "great american songbook."
So further on this road..James Brown himself cut many songs out of the GAmSongbook..Bobby Hebb's Sunny fer instance as did others, but if we want to start ensconcing rock and folk tunes into a book of new standrds, California Dreaming would be good or any number of Beatles tunes, or Not fade Away, or Johnny b. good....
The Ohio Players do a killer version of Over The Rainbow, purportedly Liza's favorite..
Back to rock songs that have been funked...The Meters version of Russ Ballard's Liar is pretty dope and worthy. They also do Honky Tonk Woman
Both Spanky Wilson and Parliament do Sunshine of Your Love, not to mention Ella Fitzgerald's dope cover..
But maybe this post has the ultimate answer...
But after much deliberation I nominate Seals and Crofts
Damn. Who needs a research department? I'm speechless. Reading through your "Summer Breeze" post I must recommend a book to you (since you are the 70's) - The Great Funk (click it).
Heh..see what all those gradute degrees available in POP Culture have wrought. The booklooks like something I could enjoy. Thanks.