Make It Funky

"My Part/Make It Funky - Part 3"
"My Part/Make It Funky - Part 3"
Single by James Brown
from the album Get on the Good Foot
B-side	"My Part/Make It Funky - Part 4"
Released	1971
Genre	Funk
Length	2:39 and 2:48 2:40 (Part 3); 2:50 (Part 4);
Label	Polydor
Songwriter(s)	James Brown; Charles Bobbit;
Producer(s)	James Brown
James Brown charting singles chronology

"Make It Funky (Part 1)"
"Make It Funky (Part 1)"
Single by James Brown
from the album Star Time
B-side	"Make It Funky (Part 2)"
Released	August 1971
Recorded	July 13, 1971, Rodel Studios, Washington, D.C.
Genre	Funk
Length	3:15 (Part 1); 4:05 (Part 2);
Label	Polydor 14088
Songwriter(s)	James Brown; Charles Bobbitt;
Producer(s)	James Brown
James Brown charting singles chronology
Audio video
	"Make It Funky, Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4" on YouTube

"Make It Funky" is a jam session recorded by James Brown with The J.B.'s. It was released as a two-part single in 1971, which reached No. 1 on the U.S. R&B chart and No. 22 on the U.S. Pop chart.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Publication

This was his first song to be submitted solely to Polydor Records. The original master is very slow and steadily formed in tempo, compared to how it is performed live. It features the band members chanting the song's title and a prominent organ part played by Brown himself. Bobby Byrd also contributes vocals and a spoken intro. Brown released the next 6 minutes of the recording as another two-part single, titled "My Part/Make It Funky", which charted #68 R&B. Parts 3 and 4 appeared on the album Get on the Good Foot.

Live versions of "Make It Funky" appear on the albums Revolution of the Mind and Live at the Apollo 1995. Brown also remade the song for his 1992 album Universal James under the title "Make It Funky 2000".

The full version, running 12:50, was released on the compilation Make It Funky – The Big Payback: 1971–1975 in 1996.

Sample used

Audio Two - Make It Funky
Ice-T - Make It Funky (1987)
Marley Marl - Droppin' Science
Slum Village - I Don't Know
Kingdom - Every Beat of My Heart

Recognition

In 2005, the bassline to all four parts was ranked at number 2 in Stylus Magazine's list of the "Top 50 Basslines of All Time".^[4]

Personnel

James Brown - lead vocal, organ

with The J.B.'s:

Jerone "Jasaan" Sanford - trumpet, vocals
Russell Crimes - trumpet, vocals
Fred Wesley - trombone, vocals
St. Clair Pinckney - tenor saxophone, vocals
Hearlon "Cheese" Martin - guitar, vocals
Robert Lee Coleman - guitar, vocals
Fred Thomas - bass, vocals
John "Jabo" Starks - drums, vocals
Bobby Byrd - vocals
Martha Harvin - vocals

References

^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 85.
^ White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
^ Leeds, Alan, and Harry Weinger (1991). "Star Time: Song by Song". In Star Time (pp. 46–53) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
^ "Stylus Magazine's Top 50 Basslines Of All Time - Article". Stylus Magazine. 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2016-10-04.

External links

Song Review from Allmusic

[1] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 85.

[2] White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.

[3] Leeds, Alan, and Harry Weinger (1991). "Star Time: Song by Song". In Star Time (pp. 46–53) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.

[4] "Stylus Magazine's Top 50 Basslines Of All Time - Article". Stylus Magazine. 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2016-10-04.

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