The Story of Funk: One Nation a under a Groove at 9pm, followed by Genius of Funk at 10pm. 

The Story of Funk: One Nation a under a Groove at 9pm, followed by Genius of Funk at 10pm. 

 

Good lad for the mention

Cheers for that. It lists both programmes as New re BBC4 so worth a look. The first one is a documentary about the history of funk, with the second being a compilation of BBC archive performances. 

 

There's also Prince at 11pm but I'll just be watching the first two.

This is why I'm happy to pay my licence fee. BBC4 music documentaries are the nuts!

Yep, and a new one is always welcome.

The Story of Funk: One Nation a under a Groove at 9pm, followed by Genius of Funk at 10pm. 

Cheers for the shout   Put both on record i'll watch um satday after football & curry  

Cheers for the shout   Put both on record i'll watch um satday after football & curry  

Sounds like a good day all round.

One minute in and I fear the worst.

 

"Motown - vanilla pop" 

 

By who's definition?

This is why I'm happy to pay my licence fee. BBC4 music documentaries are the nuts!

 

 

Unfortunately Stu I've heard BBC4 might be being axed in the BBC cuts. 

 

I agree BBC4 is the best channel for music docs and stuff.

Unfortunately Stu I've heard BBC4 might be being axed in the BBC cuts. 

 

I agree BBC4 is the best channel for music docs and stuff.

That'd be a major blow Matt - it's not just the music, there's the science, historical docs all that... it's like food to me. Bin BBC3 instead - can't remember when I last watched that.

Really enjoyed Raydio clip !

There are always useful titbits in these rockumentaries from the BBC people. I never knew that Herbie Hancock recorded with the famous Welsh trumpet player Miles Davies, or that Stevie Wonder got a synthesizer in New York in the middle-70s after he left Motown, then proceeded to use it to make a series of groundbreaking albums over the previous 5  years which were all released on Motown, as has every record he's ever made, but I guess time travelling is one of his many talents, along with releasing albums on non-Motown labels that don't exist. As always mainstream TV is an education

Another good documentary. It's hard to satisfy everyone in an hour, but I thought they covered all the bases. I was hoping they might mention the Isley Bros when they started talking about ex-Motown stars taking up the funk. I always think it's tough to explain the musical differences between soul, funk and disco (God knows we have enough arguments about that ourselves  ) but stressing the first beat vs. the four to the floor made sense. I like early funk when it was still soulful, but I don't like the Funkadelic/Parliament stuff, and I prefer later disco/funk (didn't we call it Jazz Funk?) so I guess I'm not a dyed in the wool Funkonaut.

Edited December 6, 201410 yr by Matt Male

One minute in and I fear the worst.

 

"Motown - vanilla pop" 

 

By who's definition?

 

Compared with JB it was vanilla pop.Love both.Good documentary.George Clinton is mad as a box of frogs,but made some of the best funk dance tracks.

I enjoyed it,worked well for me not been well versed in the funk world.

Cheers

Martyn

Compared with JB it was vanilla pop.Love both.Good documentary.George Clinton is mad as a box of frogs,but made some of the best funk dance tracks.

 

Of course it was different to JB but vanilla pop is so not an appropriate term to use.

Great program recorded it been watching it this morning yes remember seeing George Clinton and his tribe back in the day at Manchester Belle Vue he was on stage for over 5 hours 

Phil

Unfortunately Stu I've heard BBC4 might be being axed in the BBC cuts. 

 

I agree BBC4 is the best channel for music docs and stuff.

 

No they are actually thinking of expanding BBC 4 but making BBC 3 web only.  They won't close BBC 4.

is this the same George Clinton as please don't run, cos it sounds nothing like him

 

I thought the documentary was very informative, I honestly didn't realise how close / similar the funk scene was to the northern scene

is this the same George Clinton as please don't run, cos it sounds nothing like him

 

 

No, completely different band.  Please don't run is by the George Clinton Band and was initially Album only.  I think they were a white group and the track fitted in with the "northern" sound at the time and got a 45 release in the UK on ABC on the back of the demand.  Great track btw but not on the one!

I thought the doc was a bit sketchy under-researched. For example, no mention of New Orleans, as far as I can remember, which is where funk originated...

nice to watch but in all  honesty its not really saying anything most on here dont already know.

I thought the doc was a bit sketchy under-researched. For example, no mention of New Orleans, as far as I can remember, which is where funk originated...

 

fair enough shout.

 

its one for the non knowers rather than us i reckon. 

 

id love someone to peel back the leaves and sort out a proper one about where funk came from but cuts being cuts we have to accept that this is what we will get and its ok to watch. be up to some NOLA kid with charm and a small camera....and quick id say.

is this the same George Clinton as please don't run, cos it sounds nothing like him

 

I thought the documentary was very informative, I honestly didn't realise how close / similar the funk scene was to the northern scene

 

same guy totally different ambition. 

A programme about funk that doesn't mention Arlester "Dyke" Christian should be investigated by Ofcom or something.

Did the Average White Band get a mention?

Did the Average White Band get a mention?

Yep

and interview

For those of you out of the country https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_dXS8UMrxE

For those of you out of the country 

 

Drew

just posted your post in the tv doc section in the video feature under your name as a reference

thanks for the pass on 

mike

Finally watched it last night.  I enjoyed the James Brown bit, after that, fast forward a fair bit, think I might be able to live without Funk.  

Very disappointing. Top end 'here are some big names in funk' overview. Explained funk well enough, can't knock too much of what was included, but what wasn't included really meant this was not fit for purpose. I know they have to squeeze it in to an hour, but the wider story could have been told much better. Missing out New Orleans was, as far as I'm concerned, a major flaw.

 

The second programme was a joke....it suggested that the BBC has very little decent black music archive of its own because it ignored it for decades....while it focused on The Old Whey Gristle Test, Jim fixing it, Terry and June and Rich Clifford with our licence fee!     Money well......., err, well it was spent anyway!