A look back

October 20, 2016 9:19 AM

From Sugarhill Gang to Trinidad James, a Look at the Influences of Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars' 'Uptown Funk' Part of the excitement of Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk," the just-released kickoff single from the DJ/producer's Uptown Special is catching the allusions to one early '80s funk/R&B classic after another. Even on Ronson's own Facebook page fans cite "Cameo horns, the Time [keyboards], and 'Party Train' [by the Gap Band] drums."There’s an irony here. Because “Uptown Funk” is effectively a new Bruno Mars single as well, it received instant airplay at top 40 radio, including the “world premiere” treatment from some iHeart Media stations. By comparison, many of the early ‘80s classics referenced were released during the worst period of a "disco backlash" that effectively kept all types of black music, not just disco, off of top 40 for three years, beginning in fall 1979.
posted by josher71 (14 comments total)

Two-year-old toddlerozzy loves "Uptown Funk." Sometimes she'll be puttering around the house and suddenly say, "uptown funk you up!" Every time we go anywhere with live music, she suggests, "maybe I hear Uptown Funk."

Me, I love the bass, so we're all good on that front.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:37 AM on October 20, 2016 [3 favorites]

This is my three-year-old daughter's #2 (after Katy Perry Roar). First she asks for "Katy Perry." As soon as it's over, she says "I want Don't Believe it (sic) Just Watch."
Every day since at least March.

send help
posted by rp at 9:42 AM on October 20, 2016 [7 favorites]

Oh yeah, her other favorites right now are "Sunshine in My Pocket" ("Can't Stop the Feeling") and "Tattoo On Your Shoulder" ("Closer").

She hears a lot of Top 40 radio in the car. She can recognize any song, at any point in the song, as it flies by on scan. It is terrifying.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:57 AM on October 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

^ I guess I have a two-year-old's taste in music.
posted by phrontist at 10:19 AM on October 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

Huh, so I was right in thinking that Uptown Funk was a sweet pure channeling of Morris Day & The Time.

Make sure the Metafilter two-year olds hear "Jungle Love" & "The Oak Tree"
posted by chavenet at 10:23 AM on October 20, 2016 [8 favorites]

My toddler daughter used to go rigid and upright on the couch as if hypnotised whenever Katy Perry was on TV.
posted by Coda Tronca at 11:57 AM on October 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

This is a great list, but I am disappointed not to see anything about Memphis music legend Boo Mitchell and Royal Studio, where the song was recorded. The drummer used the same hi-hat that can be heard on this recording.
posted by vibrotronica at 12:05 PM on October 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

Last time we talked about this song, we started a collaborative playlist on Spotify which I just updated to include some of these tracks that weren't on there.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 12:34 PM on October 20, 2016 [3 favorites]

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh oh oh every-body dance

Ta Mara and The Seen
posted by blucevalo at 2:16 PM on October 20, 2016

This was the only thing that made me happy that entire week.
posted by The Noble Goofy Elk at 3:00 PM on October 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

Not to mention that I can't help but hear "Come on fhqwhgads" during the breakdown.

Apparently I'm not the only one
posted by sauril at 4:14 PM on October 20, 2016 [3 favorites]

Holy cats, sauril, that "Uptown Fhqwhgads" is amaaaaaazing.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:35 PM on October 21, 2016

Still my favorite Mark Ronson track: Mark Ronson - Feel Right ft. Mystikal
posted by subtle_squid at 2:28 PM on October 21, 2016

Neato!

I've been fascinated with the song for a while. It's got a crazy number of hooks, and feels so genetically engineered that it drives me nuts trying to figure out where they stole this bit or that bit. Now I have a handy reference guide!

Thanks for posting, josher71!
posted by Cookiebastard at 8:45 PM on October 21, 2016