If you fake the funk, your nose will grow.

November 26, 2022 4:46 PM

How Bootsy Collins Impostors Pulled Off the Ultimate Music Biz Scam (David Browne, Rolling Stone)
posted by Gerald Bostock (12 comments total)

The story was interesting, but the best part was that it sent me down a rabbit hole of funky bass lines. Thanks!
posted by clawsoon at 4:29 AM on November 27, 2022 [1 favorite]

An interesting article about an iconic figure. But... "Ultimate Music Biz Scam" - uh, hyperbole much, RS?
posted by davidmsc at 7:22 AM on November 27, 2022

Headline writers gonna write headlines.

And, I mean, it's a pretty good scam. Over the course of decades, multiple people ran cons that started as free limo rides and hotel rooms and at one point led Ibanez Guitars to send $10,000 worth of gear to a PO box.

Other candidates for ultimate music biz scams include stealing folk/blues songwriting credits by calling the songs 'traditional' (e.g. 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight,'), producers taking writing credits for songs they didn't write, exploitative contracts, plagiarism, payola, uncleared samples... it's kind of a lot.
posted by box at 7:44 AM on November 27, 2022 [8 favorites]

"Ultimate Music Biz Scam" - uh, hyperbole much, RS?

Especially when the article mentions the Metaverse and NFTs yet that's not the scam being referred to.
posted by solotoro at 8:27 AM on November 27, 2022 [2 favorites]

I really wish this article had a photo of the regular old chilling at home Collins. I can't imagine that even in the '70s and '80s he didn't "dress down" at some point (even though everything was pretty bright in the 70s!)

I also wish this article had links! I had to track down the Peter Criss confronts his imposter on Donahue on my own! and there was no link to Groove is in the Heart!
posted by vespabelle at 10:23 AM on November 27, 2022

I wish it had a link to the 1988 article about Bootsy imposters (that appeared in freaking Rolling Stone, for chrissake).
posted by box at 10:28 AM on November 27, 2022

I really wish this article had a photo of the regular old chilling at home Collins

When I saw P-Funk at a festival a few years ago, they were dressed in business suits. I was very confused.
posted by Optamystic at 11:54 AM on November 27, 2022 [3 favorites]

Bootsy imposters

Bootsies Collins.
posted by terretu at 12:03 PM on November 27, 2022 [13 favorites]

(Excellent. I would've also accepted 'Bootleg Collinses.')
posted by box at 12:10 PM on November 27, 2022 [12 favorites]

Bootsies Georg, who lives in cave & impersonates over 10,000 each day, is an outlier and should not have been counted
posted by away for regrooving at 12:13 PM on November 27, 2022 [3 favorites]

In 1964, a group of fake Beatles got away with playing shows in South America.

I bet that’s a great story.
posted by gottabefunky at 10:10 PM on November 27, 2022

Oh and it is.
posted by gottabefunky at 10:16 PM on November 27, 2022 [3 favorites]