YESSSS! And I mean that!! Bring Bring Back The Funky Dunk! ? Man, we had some good funk music back in the day. In fact, funk music was something we played when you wanted to party hard! It was a site to see growing up. Seeing guys on a major party night, with the highest afros, earth toned shirts, opened buttons from the neck down to mid level, exposing their hairy chest, collars that looked like bird wings. They leave smelling good, and comeback home in the wee hours of the night smelling like cattle! ? There was something special about funk music that I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it. In my opinion, I think about other types of dance music such as disco etc, they all had that power to potentially make us move your bodies; but there was something about funk music that when it’s played in a crowded dance room just freed your mind. I don’t know what it was. Maybe it was because you rarely heard doom and gloom lyrics like “baby I’m sorry,” “ooh ooh ooh forgive me.” It was as though funk music was created for the expressed purpose of dancing or dancing with a partner.
The Highest Of Afros, And Shirt Collars Looked Like Bird Wings!
Realizing I’ve never put together a playlist consisting of funk music, I figured it was long overdue! So, Bring Back The Funky Dunk, is a hand picked playlist by yours truly (of course). I carefully chose the kinds of funk music I felt would transport you inside an actual funk party!
So, I’m going to start off this funk party with Earth Wind & Fire’s Getaway. I think this was my first EWF album. It’s crazy how many Black folk love EWF, yet, I haven’t heard anyone play this song in ages! Not even in 70s parties. What’s up with that? Getaway is very much iconic, and definitely deserves to be remembered! I don’t know how well the song did on the Funk Charts, but it reached #12 on the Top 100, which is a pretty good indication it was probably near between #8 & #1 on the Funk Charts.
This song right here – “Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine,” by none other than the late James Brown was the joint back then! Every single person danced to this song! Even the elderly who couldn’t dance, were rocking their shoulders to Jame’s music. You know, it’s interesting how complex billboard ratings are. This song only peaked at #15 on the Top 100 Charts; but it was #2 in terms of the sale of a single record. I know from growing up, this song was so popular, it should have been #1. Just sayin’.
Cannot End Without The Late Michael Jackson
I have many more greats on this playlist! A forgotten mega hit called “Get Loose,” by Evelyn “Champagne” King. And of course, I can’t end this article without adding the late MJ’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” There’s enough songs in this playlist to give you a good feel for funk music back in the day. I feel that funk music is kind of like denim jeans. Regardless of how they look, or when they were made, there never seem to be a time stamp on them. Funk music can be played in any era, and have a great time doing so. Check out my new funk playlist on Spotify!