That boy ain't right

(It's better if you listen to these in front of a plate of St. Louis style ribs and candied yams.)

I'm a big believer in the groove, so I pulled 20 tracks together from the funk libraries. However, I picked things that weren't immediately well-known; everybody's heard Flashlight, Up for the Down Stroke, or even Pass the Peas and Cold Sweat. (And if you haven't heard these, for crissakes, get yourself to iTunes or the CD store, stat.) No, by and large I selected artists not as well-known as James Brown or Parliament/Funkadelic (although they're represented here with less chart-topping tracks).

This is all to add a little rumpshakin' to your day -- to add the spirit of this man to your life:

(Side note: I've added information to the podcast in iTunes and added a logo. This is also a monster download at 20 songs, and a running time of an hour and 20 mins. Be warned.)

The Funk

Soul Dance Number Three - Wilson Pickett
In honor of the Wicked Wilson Pickett, R.I.P.

Let's Start the Dance - Bohannon
This song is sampled in a few electronica tracks today.

Your Love is a Miracle - Average White Band
The funkiest band ever to come out of Scotland.

Family Rap - Breakestra
Although this LA band just appeared last year, they fit in the continuum somewhere between the Greyboy Allstars, the Brand New Heavies, and Shirley Jones and the Dap Kings.

From the Love Side - Hank Ballard and the Midnighters
In addition to his sidemen the JB's (which included Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker), James Brown attracted quite a following of funk musicians and hangers-on, who released songs and albums in their own right. Hank Ballard had been around since the doo-wop days, but it took the Brown influence for him to get really funky.

Down To It - The Sugarman Three & Co.
Based in NY, the Sugarman Three are part of the resurgence of soul music in recent years; rather than simply improvising on the form, they recreate it.

Toys R Us - The Greyboy Allstars
Another modern soul/jazz group based on the West Coast, they're most notable for picking up Fred Wesley (former JB, master funk trombonist).

Fancy Dancer - The Commodores
I couldn't resist throwing in at least one hit here. Check out the 'fro on Lionel Richie!

Booty Ooty - Johnny "Guitar" Watson
I live for trashy album covers like this. It's a relief that the song is just as trashy and funky too.

Do Me - Jean Knight
Almost in response to the previous song, the singer of "Mr. Big Stuff" gets nasty.

Crumbs Off the Table - Laura Lee
Don't get caught with someone else's booty ooty!

Dance to the Music - Bootsy Collins
Here's another picture of Bootsy -- I just wish I could get away with dressing like this. Or maybe I don't. Anyway, this original member of James Brown's JB's and George Clinton's Parliament/Funkadelic has the distinction of creating the best band name ever: Bootsy's Rubber Band.

All the Way Down - Esther Phillips
Although primarily known as a jazz/torch song singer, just like all the rest of them, she got sucked into the 70s soul/funk vibe.

Get It Together, pt. 1 - James Brown
Yes, the abusing, rampaging Godfather himself. (I still need to see live footage of him. I need to see him go across the stage on one foot and do soul acrobatics before I die.)

Nappy Dugout - Funkadelic
My favorite Funkadelic song (it's that nasty), in spite of its title. However, I feel this term should be in more popular usage -- it's better than many alternatives, anyway. Initially formed as a reaction against White America's rock music, Funkadelic eventually became interchangeable with Parliament's emphasis on dance music -- all led by ringmaster George Clinton's mad genius. (The song isn't on the album pictured here.)

The Dump - Soul Vibrations
You know it's really obscure when a record producer has to dig through the record company vaults to find soul bands nobody's ever heard of and then gather the cuts all together on a single album.

Fopp - Ohio Players
Well... OK then. (And this is one of their tamer album covers.)

Fonnovo - Los Amigos Invisibles
One of the things I really love is discovering really nasty funk in other countries. For instance -- Venezuela. I might ask Badger to translate the lyrics, although I suppose she'd look at me askance and just say that it's all about chasing women and boobies.