George Clinton & The Cosmic Odyssey of the P-Funk Empire

by Kris Needs

Overview

The first in-depth biography of one of music's most fascinating, colourful and innovative characters. This book is the most comprehensive history yet of the life, music and cultural significance of the last of the great black music pioneers and the era which spawned him. Clinton stands alongside James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone as one of the most influential black artists of all time who, along with his vast P-Funk army took black funk into the US charts and sold out stadiums by the mid 1970s with his mind-blowing shows and legendary Mothership extravaganzas. The book contains first hand interview material with Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Jerome Bigfoot Brailey, Junie Morrison, Bobby Gillespie, Afrika Bambaataa, Jalal Nuriddin (Last Poets), Juan Atkins, John Sinclair, Rob Tyner (MC5), Ed Sanders (The Fugs), Chip Monck ("The Voice of Woodstock) plus other P-Funk associates and friends. The book presents an insiders' view of the rise of Parliament and Funkadelic from the doowop era and LSD-crazed early shows through to P-Funk s huge rise, the era of the Mothership and beyond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783051540
Publisher:	Omnibus Press
Publication date:	05/01/2014
Pages:	376
Sales rank:	1,091,329
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

A fan since the early 1970s (and attending their gigs since the 1980s), writer Kris Needs has collected every Clinton-related record and written exhaustive histories of Clinton and P-Funk for several well-respected publications (as well as writing sleeve notes for his albums). He has also DJed for Clinton at P-Funk shows over the last 20 years and interviewed him several times.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

Chapter 1 Pre-Funk 9

Chapter 2 Nothing Before Me But Thang 31

Chapter 3 There's A Riot Going On With Laughing Sam's Dice 56

Chapter 4 Motor City Madness 77

Chapter 5 Mommy, What's A Funkadelic? 97

Chapter 6 Looney Tunes And Scary Melodies 122

Chapter 7 America Eats Its Young 142

Chapter 8 Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On 163

Chapter 9 Space Is The Place 188

Chapter 10 The Awesome Power Of A Fully Operational Mothership 213

Chapter 11 Don't Fake The Funk Or Your Nose Will Grow 234

Chapter 12 The Empire Strikes Black 250

Chapter 13 Invasion Of The Booty Snatchers 267

Chapter 14 Old Dog New Tricks 284

Chapter 15 Give Out But Don't Give Up 304

Epilogue 323

Where Are They Now? 327

Acknowledgements 338

Bibliography 341

Index 345

Editorial Reviews

Brimming with facts and astute observations that place the man and his music within the context of its era.” Record Collector

“I’ve been an avid fan of Kris Needs’ writing for years. His exploration the world of George Clinton and P-Funk is fascinating and done with great sensitivity, depth and humour." Felice Rosser, musician, actor and writer

"Kris Needs is an excellent chronicler and confidante of Clinton... you're in very safe hands" Classic Rock

"The book is historical and gives an early background of one of the most influential bands in music history." Richard Boyce (Parliament)

“Kris Needs’ ebullient offering tells the story of The Funk Mob the way it needs to be told! The extensive, slang-infested treatment is the best of the bios at capturing the illogical synchronicity of stank that inhabits the P-Funk. Most of all, for even the most dormant of us Maggots, Clones and Funkateers, it’s a hilarious read!” Rickey Vincent, author of Funk: The Music, the People and the Rhythm of The One

From the Publisher