Remember this guy?

So even though our funk contest is over, we did leave one thread hanging. We never revealed the answer to Contest Four, our funked up Where's Waldo. For those of you who have found themselves lying awake at night, tossing and turning, haunted by visions pink shoes and purple spandex, rest easy. We got you covered.

The man in question is in fact a member of Parliament/Funkadelic and the picture was taken from their album cover, Gold. He also appears in our Summer 2008 issue (30.1) . (Check him out on page 114.) We're very honored to feature in this issue previously unpublished artwork by the four artists who designed the Parliament/Funkadelic covers: Pedro Bell, Ronald Edwards (aka Stozo the Clown), Diem Jones and Overton Llyod.

Big thanks to all who participated in our contests. You made our July funktastic!

--Nina

The month of Funk is over, and we have our last winners.

Congratulations to Michael of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Angie from Tallahasee, Florida.

Q
1. What two elements did Jericho Brown want to include in his poem "All That Crawls beneath Me"?
2. What is the relationship between these two elements in the poem?

A
1. Jericho Brown wanted to include roaches and Chuck Taylors in his poem.
2. The youngest roaches laugh at the speaker's Chuck Taylors.

Thanks, everyone, for your participation in these five hump days of Funk contests!

Contest Five: Wednesday is the New Twos-day

Welcome back to the fifth and final funk contest! Because we didn't have a winner last week, we're going to have two winners this week. So here it is: the first two correct answers get a free copy of our Summer 2008 issue. In the spirit of doubling your funk pleasure, this one's a two-parter.

Are you ready for this?

1. What two elements did Jericho Brown want to include in his poem "All That Crawls beneath Me"?
2. What is the relationship between these two elements in the poem?

It's all about speed, people. Send your answers to inreview at indiana dot edu

As Jerry Blank would say, "I'm sad."

It seems as if we might have made last week's contest a little too hard. But you've all known your Funk so well, we really had no doubt someone would be able to answer correctly.

To make it up to you, we're going to give away two issues this Wednesday, the last contest in these Five Hump Days of Funk. The first two people with the correct answer will each get a free copy of Indiana Review 30.1 (summer 2008).

Also to make it up to you, we've posted a peace offering bluecast: Jericho Brown reading his poem "All that Crawls beneath Me," which appears in the Funk feature.

Contest Four: Like a Funky Where's Waldo

We're back with our fourth funk contest of the month. Today's challenge: Who is this funky, funky man? (pictured at left) He appears on a funk album, can you tell us which one?

The first to email us (inreview at indiana dot edu) with the correct album name will receive a free copy of our summer 2008 issue!

Talking Book

Our third winner this month is Noah from Pittsburgh, PA who correctly identified the drummer of this song --Superstition by Stevie Wonder on the album Talking Book--as none other than Stevie Wonder himself! Not only did Wonder write, arrange and produce Talking Book, he is also credited with the vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, bass, drums, and percussion. All at 22 years old!

Noah's been looking for our Funk issue in bookstores. If you haven't been able to find us, we've got a handy dandy list the stores that carry us on our website. You can also order us online. Or you can win our next contest...

Another funk contest is just around the corner so stay tuned. Until then, please enjoy this 1972 performance of Superstition on the show that taught me how to read, Sesame Street. (Check out the kid in the red sweater rocking out, that's totally how I learned to dance!)
-Nina

The One

We're back, with another Wednesday contest on Funk! We also have another audio clip for you (published in our Bluecast, to the right). We think you'll probably guess this tune in no time, but maybe you're not as familier with its drummer?

First person to respond with the name of the drummer wins a copy of IR summer 2008. Send your entry to inreview at indiana dot edu.

Mother Earth is pregnant for the third time.

Our next winner this month is Jesse from Elizabethtown PA. Jesse answered our first name-that-tune question correctly. The artist is Funkadelic/Parliament, and the song is "Maggot Brain." Jesse, raised on Funk, already has a copy of our summer 2008 issue and so has chosen to send the prize to someone else as a gift.

If you already have your own copy, don't let that keep you from participating in our next contest, which will be posted this Wednesday. Do what Jesse did!




Regarding the song: listen to the whole thing, folks, if you got means. It's stunning.

Contest Two: Name that Tune

Welcome back to our second contest in this month of Funk. Today we're asking you to name that tune--a selection is posted on our Bluecast (to the right). Please write to us (inreview at indiana dot edu) with both the name of the artist and the title of the song. First one with the right answer wins a copy of our summer 2008 issue!

(I hadn't heard this song until Abdel introduced me to it, and now it's one of my all-time favorite songs. -Jenny)

Speaking of the issue with the Funk feature...

When I fall in love with a song, I just have to hear it over and over again. I'm sure I'm not the only one. I punch that repeat button on whatever music machine is playing my song, and then just let go. There was a pretty great mix of a Kylie Minogue song years ago that I couldn't get enough of. "Come into My World," layered over a Fischerspooner track. That Andre 3000 Polaroid shaking song I loved, too. Recently, I sing along to "Kaho Na Kaho" when I get the chance ("ye anken bolti hain, o sanam o sanam"--I'm still working on it). What on Earth does this have to do with our Funk feature?

In case you missed last Wednesday's comment by Christopher, we should let you know that "Unrequite" by Stephanie Taylor, a poem featured in Indiana Review summer 2008, got some more play on Poetry Daily last Sunday, July 6.

Go on and read it already. Again and again, if you want.

-Jenny

Funk direct

The first winner in our series of contests this month is Brooklyn of Carmel, Indiana. Brooklyn's e-mail arrived in our inbox lightning fast with the correct answer to our question: In which 1985 movie did the Godfather of Soul, King of Funk, Hardest Working Man in Show Business, ultra-funky James Brown appear?

The answer is none only than Rocky IV. Congratulations, Brooklyn! And thanks so much to everyone else who participated in the contest. Stay tuned for another question this Wednesday, for another chance to win a free copy of the summer 2008 issue.

On your mark...get set...Funk!

It's giveaway time!

Question of the day:
The Godfather of Soul, King of Funk, Hardest Working Man in Show Business, ultra-funky James Brown appeared in which 1985 movie?

Be the first to email us (inreview@indiana.edu) with the correct answer and receive a *free* copy of our summer issue 30.1. How funky is that!

Winner will be announced Monday, July 7. Next giveaway will posted Wednesday, July 9.

Five Hump Days of Funk

For those of you from the Midwest, or for those of you that just visit, you know that July here is a time of great lu-fuki*. So we're celebrating with an Indiana Review 30.1 (summer 2008) giveaway each Wednesday of the month.

Here's how it's going to work: on Wednesday, we'll ask a question, you'll answer it an an e-mail to us, and we'll select a winner based on response accuracy first, and then on response speed. The following Monday, we'll announce who gets the copy of the issue.

The first contest is this Wednesday, July 2. We're looking forward to sharing the Funk with you!

*"strong body ordor" and "positive sweat," from the Ki-Kongo

Great Moments in Funk history: Gamble & Huff

Yes, yes, I know that Madonna is being enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but excuse me for being more interested in the inclusion of two Funk/Soul giants: Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the architects of the Philly Sound. What's the "Philly Sound," you say? Do you know the O'Jays? Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes? The Stylistics? Patti LaBelle? Teddy Pendergrass? Have you heard "Me & Mrs. Jones," "Backstabbers,""Love Train," or "For the Love of money"? If you answered no to all of those questions...



...smack yourself. Not hard, but just hard enough to make sure it doesn't happen again. Then, go to your nearest record store and treat yourself to some old school Philly grooves.
All kidding aside, it's nice to see Gamble and Huff getting some recognition. Their house band, MFSB, was one of the funkiest ever put to wax.

--Abdel

Rest in Peace, Buddy Miles

A towering figure in Funk, drummer Buddy Miles, passed away on Tuesday. Miles was best known for his work on Jimi Hendrix's Funk/Rock group, A Band of Gypsys. If you don't have their self-titled album, slap the keyboard out of your own hands, and run to the store and get it. It's that good. Miles was a large part of the equation that helped Hendrix explore his Funk sensibilities so successfully.



According to Wikipedia, Miles also did some work with Parliament, which I didn't know, but that seems just about right. It also says he was the voice of those claymation California Raisins (which I loved when I was little), which is surprising and for some reason slightly disturbing.

--Abdel

Great moments in Funk History II

Marvin Gaye was married to Anna Gordy, who was seventeen years his senior and just so happened to be Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, but let's just say that things didn't work out. Apparently Marvin was getting his sexual healing on with a younger woman and Anna filed for divorce. Although Marvin had made quite a bit of money by this time, he had been a stubborn kind of fellow when it came to paying taxes and was deep in debt. So, as part of the settlement, the judge decreed that Anna would get half the profits to Marvin's next album. Thus was born Here My Dear.


At first Marvin was going to go in the studio and mail it in, but once he started working on the project, he couldn't help himself. Although the album was universally panned by critics and fans, Here My Dear is a hidden Funk gem. With jams like "A Funky Space Reincarnation" (which features the classic line "Let's razzmatazz and all that jazz...Let's touch each other--let's touch each other's ass) and "Anger," you're missing out on some cold Funk if you don't have this album.

--Abdel

I took it from the top and put it on the bottom...

That's how James Brown described the process of creating the musical structure we now know as Funk. It was all about The One.

I stumbled upon this great documentary from the BBC (they have some great documentaries, by the way--check out Richard Pryor if you get a chance) on youtube. They've got it divided into seven parts, but the whole thing is really compelling. It does a really great job of covering many of the major Funk figures and providing a historical context for the music's rise. One of my favorite moments is when JB's bandleader, Pee Wee Ellis talks about coming up with the concept for "Coldblooded" after listening to Miles Davis' "So What?". If you've got both songs, you should listen to them back-to-back because it's fascinating to see what they did. This kind of innovation was actually pretty typical because many of Funk's greatest musicians had their roots deep in Jazz. Great stuff. Check it out.

--Abdel

Great Moments in Funk history

Having James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Prince together in the same space makes this one of the Funkiest moments in Funk history. Prince's performance, beginning with him riding to the stage on a man dressed like a zebra/wildebeest, also makes this one of the most awkward.

--Abdel

Funk is a Many Splendored Thing

Although the idea for our Funk section was not to provide a single definition of Funk, if you're going to discuss an aesthetic, it's important to have the proper points of reference. With that in mind, I started thinking about what I would describe as Funk's primary texts. This actually took a lot longer than I thought it would (and I ended up not including some important stuff, forgive me Rick James!) but here's what I came up with, after the jump.

1. "Make it Funky" by James Brown – Could be considered a primary text of Funk, from the High Priest of Funk, Soul Brother #1, The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, Star Time, The Godfather, James Brown. Listen for the last part of the song where JB basically reads a soul food menu and makes it sound like poetry. James, you had me at neck bones.

2. "Zinabu" by Bunzu Sounds—Part of the African Funk movement of the late Seventies. This song is featured on an album called World Psychedelic Classics. Great album, btw.

3. "Freddie’s Dead" by Curtis Mayfield—That’s what I said! This was part of the classic Superfly soundtrack. Curtis Mayfield is one of the greats. His voice is both angelic and rough. The guitar riff is classic and the way he arranges so many elements (listen to the harp!) in this piece is incredible.

4. "Nutbush City Limits" by Ike & Tina Turner—I know we’ve all seen the movie, but if you’re not up on Ike & Tina’s music, you only know half of this story. Tina is one of the funkiest women to ever grace the stage and Ike is boss on guitar.

5. "Dance to the Music" by Sly & the Family Stone—Sly was a master of bringing Funk to the mainstream without losing his focus on The One. Genius.

6. "Doin’ It to Death" by Fred Wesley & the JBs—Although James Brown does vocals on this track, Fred Wesley, one of the pioneers of funky horns (he worked with Ike & Tina, too) steps forward to deliver a dynamite solo. After helping JB develop his funky formula, Wesley (and Bootsy Collins and Maceo Parker) joined George Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic movement.

7. "Up for the Down Stroke" by Parliament—George Clinton at his best. Funkier than a miskeeter's tweeter.

8. "One Nation Under a Groove" by Funkadelic--Getting down, just for the Funk of it.

9. "Lady Marmalade' by LaBelle—Probably one of the funkiest all-female groups ever, LaBelle consisted of Patti LaBelle (That’s not her real name, by the way. It’s Patricia Holt), Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash. They used to be a quartet, but Cindy Birdsong left to join the Supremes (if you’ve seen Dreamgirls you know all about it.) Anyway, Patti is amazing and this song is sooo Funky.

10. "Mama Feelgood" by Lyn Collins & The J.B.s—Lyn Collins was signed to James Brown’s Star Time label. She is one of the few artists who could sound almost as Funky as JB with his band.

11. "Fefe Naa Efe" by Fela Kuti—If you haven’t met Mr. Fela Kuti, it’s an honor to make this introduction. Fela is one of the pioneers in the aforementioned African Funk movement. His music is Funky and political (he was exiled from Nigeria for criticizing the government) and cool as the other side of the pillow.

12. "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder—Innervisions and Talking Book are incredibly Funky and cerebral albums. I love me some Steveland Hardaway Judkins!

13. "The Payback" by James Brown—I don’t know karate, but I know ka-razor! Another primary text of funk. This track was supposed to be on the soundtrack for the sequel to the Blaxploitation movie, Black Caesar, but was deemed “not funky enough” by the film’s producer. According to Allmusicguide.com, at the time of the recording, JB was dealing with flat sales, a 300+ tour date/year schedule, and the death of his son in a traffic accident. Heavy stuff. Heavy, funky stuff.

14. "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic—The title isn’t necessarily a turn-on, but this song features the greatest guitar solo ever recorded (and I love Hendrix, by the way). When guitarist Eddie Hazel asked George Clinton how he wanted him to play, the legend goes that Clinton told him to think about the saddest thing he could think of and then play. Hazel said he thought about his mom dying. I love this song because if you listen closely you can almost hear a story being told. Narrative and Funky. Incredible.

So that's my (very incomplete) list. What would you add?

--Abdel