What makes Friday night, August 14th so Funkadelic?

Friday night, August 14th: The funkiest day in the calendar? George Clinton and Funkadelic would certainly argue that it is…

Just how #funkadelic is your day proving? Just a wee bit funkadeliculent? It might be about to become a whole lot moreso…

I know that I probably should not. But today, right now – Friday night, August 14th 2020 – I wish to celebrate an all-time favourite song of mine.

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the day commemorated in a song I consider a true musical masterpiece: Friday Night, August 14th by Funkadelic. Whether you know it already or not, please give it a quick listen (and if you’re feeling somewhat more adventurous, you could also try its somewhat more challenging and way, way out there parent album from 1970, Free Your Mind… And Your Ass Will Follow). Here you go:

George Clinton – mainman of Funkadelic, Parliament and the deranged mastermind behind dozens of albums and a panoply of side projects under the very funky P-Funk umbrella – turned 74 last month. If you’ve never heard his music, I truly envy you. You have the mother(ship) of all musical treats to discover. Here’s a good starter song, from Parliament – the immortal P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up):

The funk shall be within you

Clinton’s still going strong. I love that George Clinton continues to bring the funk in 2015. He guests on the opening track of Kendrick Lamar’s unbelievably great album To Pimp a Butterfly album. King Kunta – one of the best tracks from Lamar’s album – is something of an odyssey through 70s funk* (readers of a gentle nature be warned, Mr Lamar is not afraid to use somewhat rum language).

And if that’s not actually George Clinton intoning the words “By the time you hear the next pop, the funk shall be within you,” then there is no doubt in my mind that it’s intended to sound like him.

Right now is Friday night, August 14th. There is no better time to get acquainted with the funk.

Some bonus funk, via Tim Scott…

This post is an updated version of some words I originally wrote the last time that Friday night, August 14th rolled around (back in 2015). At the time of its original publication, I asked my Twitter friends for their favourite funk tunes. I got some nice responses…

My friend Tim Scott is an aficionado of funk, regularly sharing particularly funkful tuneage via Twitter, using the #timscottfunkytunesslot hashtag. So it seemed only right to invite Mr Scott to share the funky tune of his choice here. Maestro, if you please?

“Awesome bassline? Tight drums? Killer vocal? Pin sharp BVs? Afro? Check check check. Enjoy. This is funk of the hottest variety!! She was a long way ahead of her time.”

Truly excellent choice, Mr Scott.

…plus further bonus funk, via Julie Drybrough

And as if that weren’t enough, it is my honour to present two further superb funk selections, as shared by the wonderful Julie Drybrough.

I’m always on the look -out for new funk music. If you’ve a particular personal favourite, please do share it here, and improve everybody’s interplanteary funksmanship. Take it away, Julie:

“Prince, musicology.”

“Brand new heavies.”

Footnote

* Kendrick Lamar’s King Kunta has callbacks galore to 70s funk. Besides references to many P-Funk songs and a general air of the P-Funkulent, it also calls back, for example, to James Brown’s the Payback (a song famously reappropriated by En Vogue for the guitars on My Lovin’ (Never Gonna Get It) – as you can see by watching the following videos one after t’other).

Payback:

No you’re never gonna get it:

And here’s the George Clinton poster tweet.

IMAGES

• I make no claim to the copyright for the Funkadelic album cover image used at the top of this post, and will remove it immediately if required.
• George Clinton in 2009 via Wikimedia Commons.