The musical works of George Clinton owe as much to American rock music and Jimi Hendrix as it does to the funk and soul sound of James Brown.
Both genres clearly are present in the mash of music Clinton started writing and producing in the late 1960s as he moved away from doo-wop. His doo-wop band, called The Parliaments, were performing music that was typical of the time and era.
After Clinton lost the name The Parliaments in the first of many legal battles in his career, he formed the funk and rock act “Funkadelic,” whose self-titled debut came out at the tail end of the hippie movement. That started a run of 15 Funkadelic records, including the 1971 classic “Maggot Brain,” a critically acclaimed masterpiece that opens with a 10-minute guitar solo showcasing the talents of the late Eddie Hazel.
Soon after, Parliament came along, a different band on a different record label yet with the same musicians. Parliament offered more traditional funk separate from the guitar dominated music of Funkadelic. Parliament remained the more recognizable and radio-friendly of the two, birthing the hits “Aqua Boogie” and “Flashlight.”
The 72-year-old Clinton will play with Parliament and Funkadelic on Saturday night at the Sky Ute Casino Resort in Ignacio.
Clinton has remained at the helm of his mothership, writing, producing records and singing while guiding a rotating cast of musicians, which at times has included Hazel, bass player Bootsy Collins, keyboardist Bernie Worrell and scores of others.
While both bands recorded simultaneously, they backed releases with long, drug-fueled tours and outrageous artwork, language and costumes. They recorded platinum albums, and their songs were celebrated on the R&B charts. Their shows were more than just concerts; they were full-blown events. Their first run at success culminated in the mid-1970s with the Mothership Tour, a vast, expensive run around the country complete with a stage set-up rivaling anything a 1980s metal band could put together.
During Clinton’s down time he served as a producer, handling the studio duties for bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Fast forward to the hip-hop explosion, and Clinton’s work is sampled everywhere, especially during the early ’90s gangster-rap run launched by Dr. Dre and acts in Los Angeles, giving another shot in the arm to his career.
Clinton keeps growing his fan base. Festivals such as Lollapalooza and Woodstock 99 have turned a new generation of fans on to a style of music that Clinton has been visualizing since before the Summer of Love.
While the likes of Bootsy and Bernie Worrell seldom play with Clinton now (it’s been 15 years since a tour included the famed musicians from the early days), his shows, which can go on for more than three hours, include up to 20 musicians, pulling from a vast catalog of music that now has dozens of titles.
Liggett_b@fortlewis.edu. Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager.
Bryant’s Best
Today: Maura O’Connell will play folk and Celtic music, 7:30 p.m., $24/$29, Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, 247-7657.
Saturday: George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic will play funk music, 7 p.m., $25/$35/$45, Sky Ute Casino Resort, 14324 Highway 172, Ignacio, 563-7777.
