Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?
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Title of song: Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?
Artist: Funkadelic
Title of album: One Nation Under a Groove
Year of first release: 1978
Trivia: (Includes covers, alternate versions)
This song features some of the most powerful, hard rock, guitar riffs in the Funkadelic repertoire, and a catchy, jazzy dance-oriented beat behind it, while the vocals are soul-funk. In this way, it combines the music of the five styles mentioned in the song (funk, soul, rock, jazz, dance).
Complete tabs at [external site with complete tabs]
Songwriters: George Clinton, Michael Hampton, Junie Morrison
Memorable Lyrics:
- "Who says a jazz band/Can't play dance music?/Who says a rock band/Can't play funky?/Who says a funk band/can't play rock?"
- "Won't you take the time/To get the music on your mind"
- "We're gonna make it clear/Ho ho/Yes, and when the morning gets here/Jazz and soul"
Complete lyrics at the Motherpage (http://www.duke.edu/~tmc/motherpage/lyrics_funkadelic/lyr-1nation.html#lyr-s-whosays)
Following "Grooveallegiance" on the album, this song seems to clarify some of the points of that song. "Grooveallegiance" describes a country where the Funk rules (called Funkadelica). This song is a mixture of several musical styles, and the lyrics seem to imply that the different genres are not interchangeable but related, and each Funky in their own way.
Personnel:
- Lead Vocals: Junie Morrison
- Bass: Skeet Curtis
Critical response: