From Cold Sweat to the Mothership, Ain't It Funky

November 10, 2008 12:44 AM

Ain't It Funky is a BBC-produced documentary from 2005 with lots of great performance footage and interviews, as well as period footage from the civil rights era for some historical perspective. James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, George Clinton and many of their key sidemen are featured. Highly recommended. part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. These same YT clips can also be found all together, embedded at Funk Deli. NOTE: Unfortunately, the audio and video are slightly out of sync on part 1. Parts 2 through 8 lock up just fine, though.
posted by flapjax at midnite (18 comments total)

BTW, Ain't It Funky was just one of a multi-episode BBC series on black music called Soul Deep.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 12:49 AM on November 10, 2008

When I was learning teh fonk, my nose grew.

Now that I sort of get it, I have a perforated septum.

Thanks, matey, excellent post as ever, and looking forward to diving into it.
posted by Wolof at 1:14 AM on November 10, 2008

FYMAYAWF (TKOHIW)!
posted by humannaire at 1:40 AM on November 10, 2008

Awesome artists. Although, I never before saw hip-hop as the successor to funk, and in some ways I still can't.
posted by BrotherCaine at 1:51 AM on November 10, 2008

Nice post. All the episodes of the Soul Deep series are well done. Recommended for anyone into soul music or music documentaries in general.
posted by p3t3 at 2:12 AM on November 10, 2008

Oh my, thanks for this. I love to be feelin' the funk. (Good God, y'all!)
posted by quietalittlewild at 3:45 AM on November 10, 2008

well done
posted by jimahon at 4:07 AM on November 10, 2008

I remember watching this. The story with George and Bootsy, about the UFO. I believe! I have to watch Soul Deep.
posted by Flex1970 at 6:52 AM on November 10, 2008

Funkin' a!
posted by gman at 7:24 AM on November 10, 2008

Well this is about as good a reason as any to post my all-time-favorite JB live video: Brother Rapp/Ain't it Funky Live in Paris, 1971.

You knew they were funky. But they are almost unimaginably tight, too. Check out the completely seamless, stop-on-a-dime transition between songs at 3:40.

You knew Bootsy was awesome. But so was his much under-rated brother Catfish. I'm not much for guitar solos in general, but I could listen to his incredible display (starts at 4:20) all day.
posted by googly at 7:25 AM on November 10, 2008

The world needs more funk.
posted by Meatbomb at 9:05 AM on November 10, 2008

I am overjoyed at this.
posted by gottabefunky at 10:26 AM on November 10, 2008

Good god, googly, that is some bullfrog-asshole-tight shite.

I am convinced this music has healing powers. Five minutes is like a shot of B vitamins and a walk in the sunshine.
posted by gottabefunky at 10:32 AM on November 10, 2008 [1 favorite]

Even better: a good-quality live recording of the show exists and could be yours for a low low price! The whole damn CD is booty-shaking goodness.
posted by googly at 11:04 AM on November 10, 2008

gottabefunky,
Somehow the phrase, "a walk in the sunshine", clued me into the fact that you must be from Portland.
posted by Sir BoBoMonkey Pooflinger Esquire III at 11:27 AM on November 10, 2008

Pipin funk this lethal throughout a city could put Starbucks out of business.

James Brown--replaces coffee!

"I'll take a triple shot of James Brown and a grande Sly to go, thank you. Oh, and could you sprinkle a little Bootsy on top of that?"
posted by Sir BoBoMonkey Pooflinger Esquire III at 11:30 AM on November 10, 2008

I never before saw hip-hop as the successor to funk, and in some ways I still can't.

Have you, like, heard hip-hop before?
posted by cmoj at 12:24 PM on November 10, 2008

Holy shit this is great. I saw Fred Wesley play at Tulla's a while ago, and the dude is old, but he can still play.

"It's all on the ONE, baby!"
posted by rossination at 2:26 PM on November 10, 2008