Funk Music

[Guest Dan]

Dan, that is perhaps the most ridiculous and certainly the most bizaar post I've ever seen on this site. WOW!

well, we all have our opinions.

you seem to be saying the fact that i hold a different opinion from you is ridiculous and bizarre? actually, you know what, you're right. sorry. i now realise everything you say is bang on. if you set up a commune, i'll be there.

your opinion is that funk is worth listening to. mine is that it isn't (and i've heard a lot of it over the years. not as much as you, because i'd go mad and start eating the carpet if i listened to it as much as you. come to think of it... ).

to you it sounds vibrant, full of energy and fresh. to me it sounds sterile, boring and repetitive (with the accent on repetitive).

i would literally much rather listen to bon scott era ac/dc. how's that?

i think you have to accept my ears are different to yours.

as for the rest of my post, i hardly think the suggestion that funk fans drift in and out of their music is controversial. you might not, but give it time. come back when you're 50.

we've seen these funk nights spring up in every university town, be the trendy place to go for a year, and then collapse and i think that's because, at the end of the day, there's only so much taking it to the bridge the average pair of ears can stand before they implode with boredom.

but at the end of the day, as i said, it's all opinions and i wasn't (and am not) having a pop at funk fans. i don't get it. they do. bully for them

[Guest soul_hull]

i don't think this thread is stupid. soul and funk are distinct. related, but distinct. it IS possible to like one and not the other - that's how the moniker 'northern' soul came about in the first place - let's not forget that.

personally i'm not a funk man, but each to their own. i don't like reggae either, though i know some soul fans who do.

soul is the the only GENRE that i would say i was a fan of, but i can like tracks, the odd ones anyway, from pretty much any other genre, inc. funk and jazz, reggae, rock classical, anything - but they are just the odd track here and there.

soul is the best though, by a long long long long way.

[Guest Dan]

one other thing i've probably said myself and seen other people say loads of times: i love all forms of black music.

i would just like to make clear, if i have said that, i was wrong. i don't.

i like trad jazz, some modern jazz, light reggae, the more tuneful ska, 60s and 70s soul, some disco, some 80s-modern day soul and the little soulful house music that i know.

i don't like funk, dub reggae, soca, calypso, that wailing tuneless ska shit that boneheads like, drum and bass, jungle, most rap and hip hop, most modern r&b, township stuff from soweto, kenyan tribal music, those waily ballads that whitney houston used to do or anything by seal, lenny kravitz or that alleged paedophile who was always going on about getting his mac back.

and - shock, horror - i like some white music, too.

i've just seen people say 'i love all forms of black music' a lot, is all, and i wonder if they really do?

[Guest James Trouble]

well, we all have our opinions.

you seem to be saying the fact that i hold a different opinion from you is ridiculous and bizarre? actually, you know what, you're right. sorry. i now realise everything you say is bang on. if you set up a commune, i'll be there.

your opinion is that funk is worth listening to. mine is that it isn't (and i've heard a lot of it over the years. not as much as you, because i'd go mad and start eating the carpet if i listened to it as much as you. come to think of it... ).

to you it sounds vibrant, full of energy and fresh. to me it sounds sterile, boring and repetitive (with the accent on repetitive).

i would literally much rather listen to bon scott era ac/dc. how's that?

i think you have to accept my ears are different to yours.

as for the rest of my post, i hardly think the suggestion that funk fans drift in and out of their music is controversial. you might not, but give it time. come back when you're 50.

we've seen these funk nights spring up in every university town, be the trendy place to go for a year, and then collapse and i think that's because, at the end of the day, there's only so much taking it to the bridge the average pair of ears can stand before they implode with boredom.

but at the end of the day, as i said, it's all opinions and i wasn't (and am not) having a pop at funk fans. i don't get it. they do. bully for them

It's ridiculous because in no way what so ever does funk sound like German electro. That is a ridiculous statement. That's like someone saying that Northern Soul sounds like "Happy House".

To say that funk could be made by machines is equally ridiculous, it is impossible for a machine to reproduce the sounds and beats of funk made in the late 60s. That is why hip hop producers sample the records, because it's the only way to get that sound.

And then to say that 'funk fans' are fickle, is just plain wrong. And what do funk fans have to do with you not liking funk, I have no idea?

[John Reed]

I used to be heavily into Funk in my youth, it was really my first exposure to non-commercial black music (although not a big lover any more). In London there was quite a movement via the "Rare Groove" scene in the 80's, with people like Norman Jay and Jonathan Moore leading the way. They dropped in funkier soul tunes quite often during the night, which my ears honed into. The Nicky Holloway "Special Branch" nights at the Royal Oak, were essentially Jazz upstairs and Funk downstairs. When Bob Jones took over the upstairs the mood changed with it moving to a more soul bias.

Northern Soul, was not given the exposure (not that I can remember) in London than it did further up the M1 and the 100 club was a mystery to me, although people like Tony Rounce will probably prove me wrong.

Without Funk, I probably wouldn't have had the introduction to more niche forms of Soul.

Whilst looking for Funk records on King (on the back of James Brown), I found other joys on the label, Superfly lead me to earlier Impressions recordings, Isaac Hays and the Barkays lead me to the Soul Children, David Poter and the Dramatics. Southern Soul artists tented to switch between genres too.

Although not a keen fan now, I could not disrespect the genre as it was the door that opened the world of soul to me.

[Guest Baz]

i've just seen people say 'i love all forms of black music' a lot, is all, and i wonder if they really do?

Thats just the soulier than thou preaching their higher stance because they claim to be the high ground of soul if you dont like 'every' thing soulful,

Personly i love a bit of Funk i couldn't give a rats arse about soul content, yes i love soul music from the sixties and early seventys, but why stop at soul when there is so much good stuff that fits the bill at northern nights, take for example one of the best 'new to me' and many other people is Dean Andersons cover up, its Garage with very little or no soul content but tell you what it fookin pounds its raw, its very dancable, alot like some funk.

[Guest Dan]

It's ridiculous because in no way what so ever does funk sound like German electro. That is a ridiculous statement. That's like someone saying that Northern Soul sounds like "Happy House".

To say that funk could be made by machines is equally ridiculous, it is impossible for a machine to reproduce the sounds and beats of funk made in the late 60s. That is why hip hop producers sample the records, because it's the only way to get that sound.

And then to say that 'funk fans' are fickle, is just plain wrong. And what do funk fans have to do with you not liking funk, I have no idea?

if i'd said 'it sounds like german electro pop' and left it there, i'd agree with you james. that would be ridiculous, because it doesn't. but it went on to say in was like g.e.p. 'in the sense that i almost think it's music by numbers' which is completely different. the bit about machines followed on by that: it's a sense i'm on about, not a fact.

as for the bit where you question what funk fans have to do with me not liking funk. i guess this is aimed at the fact that i've departed a bit from the topic.

i was just broadening the debate a bit, that's all. it wasn't a pop at you, funk music, bootsy collins, keb darge or anyone else.

but

1) when pete smith said 'it's shit' (ie, strictly on-topic, he loathes it) you didn't like that either. (i don't know why; it's his opinion, it was a fair response to the topic question, he's not forcing you to agree with him.)

2) in strict on topic terms, posting up two sound files (no, they wouldn't work at northern events IMO, 90% of people would leave the dancefloor and possibly the building... but then they're just closed-minded dinosaurs, i guess ) is irrelevant, too.

[Guest Netspeaky]

I have a nice little funk sellection in my collection, when I want a break from the old northern tunes, I have a funk night instead, sometime I have a sweet soul night or other type of night, it just makes a changes and the northern tunes sounds so much better after a short break listening to something different.

[Guest James Trouble]

if i'd said 'it sounds like german electro pop' and left it there, i'd agree with you james. that would be ridiculous, because it doesn't. but it went on to say in was like g.e.p. 'in the sense that i almost think it's music by numbers' which is completely different. the bit about machines followed on by that: it's a sense i'm on about, not a fact.

as for the bit where you question what funk fans have to do with me not liking funk. i guess this is aimed at the fact that i've departed a bit from the topic.

i was just broadening the debate a bit, that's all. it wasn't a pop at you, funk music, bootsy collins, keb darge or anyone else.

but

1) when pete smith said 'it's shit' (ie, strictly on-topic, he loathes it) you didn't like that either. (i don't know why; it's his opinion, it was a fair response to the topic question, he's not forcing you to agree with him.)

2) in strict on topic terms, posting up two sound files (no, they wouldn't work at northern events IMO, 90% of people would leave the dancefloor and possibly the building... but then they're just closed-minded dinosaurs, i guess ) is irrelevant, too.

Fair enough, I like a good debate, and I'm bored this morning.

But to just say "funk is shit", "funk is like german electro music", "funk is music by numbers" etc etc is ridiculous especially when you probably dance to funk records every weekend at 'northern' events without even realising you are dancing to a 'funk' record. In the same way many people who collect and go to 'funk nights' dance to northern records without recognising them as such.

[Pete S]

I thought the question was what do people think of funk music, I think it's shit, so I say so.

On the other hand, I loved the early jungle stuff - albeit 2 years late. Hate drum and bass though.

Dan's right. Anyone who expresses a different opinion on here is usually told a) they have no taste they have a modicum of taste but it's nowhere near as good as other peoples and they are too stupid to understand the music and that's why they don't like it...not because the music is dull and boring in their opinion.

James I could play you what I think is the best rocksteady record in the world and there's a good chance you'd think it's terrible, but so what, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it.

I hear something and I decide whether I like it or not, thats how it works, I don't like funk, or modern soul, or country and western, or rave music, or most classical music. So what?

[Guest James Trouble]

I thought the question was what do people think of funk music, I think it's shit, so I say so.

On the other hand, I loved the early jungle stuff - albeit 2 years late. Hate drum and bass though.

Dan's right. Anyone who expresses a different opinion on here is usually told a) they have no taste they have a modicum of taste but it's nowhere near as good as other peoples and they are too stupid to understand the music and that's why they don't like it...not because the music is dull and boring in their opinion.

James I could play you what I think is the best rocksteady record in the world and there's a good chance you'd think it's terrible, but so what, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it.

I hear something and I decide whether I like it or not, thats how it works, I don't like funk, or modern soul, or country and western, or rave music, or most classical music. So what?

Can you not dislike something but still recognise that it is good?

Your rocksteady example is good. I do not like rocksteady but I still recognise it as good music. If I said "rocksteady is shit", that would be a ridiculous statement, as quite clearly rocksteady is not shit, I just don't like it.

[Guest Dan]

Fair enough, I like a good debate, and I'm bored this morning.

yeah, me too. anything to avoid the work piling up in front of me

[Guest Stuart T]

Fair enough, I like a good debate, and I'm bored this morning.

especially when you probably dance to funk records every weekend at 'northern' events without even realising you are dancing to a 'funk' record.

Uh oh, back to this one again. I discussed it with your mate Fryer in a pub once and I still don't get this broken drums makes it funk thing, was Keith Moon ending his set playing funk? I still don't think Ree Flores was making a funk record when he recorded LIMH, you've just adopted it as one because funk records are ultimately a bit boring (and yes, I have listened to masses of them, not as many as you but as Dan says that explains why you are barking mad and I'm not , and like quite a few, how can anyone dislike a record entitled Muttley Doing The Crawdog? ).

Nice bloke that Fryer, even if he does speak funny.

[Harrogatesoul]

Like many on here I have a fair broad collection - stemming from my mod days in my teens buying up 60s Hammond Instrumentals / Boogaloo etc (Now called 60s funk...) to being a predominatly 70s buyer Sweet / Deep / Group etc. My church is big enough to let all in as long as it sounds good to me!

Inside the genre of funk though you have splits /diversity just as you have in soul music. There's the obvious (to me anyhow) 'political' funk - coming from the post Martin Luther K era - Without going into 'Freebasing' mode - A lot of funk has that ' Busting out of the Ghetto ' message carried across to a increasingly marginalised black community in the late 60s/early 70s. There is a certain strength to the music just as Marvin Gayes ' Whats Going On LP. I'm no social anthropoligist but you catch you my drifter...

Also you have the dance craze / jam type stuff - OK some of it sounds like it was recorded in a tin shed on a raint day but surely this is what draws us to unknown / under appreciated / rare and obscure little 7 inch plastci things! But this type of stuff was/is an extension of the 60s instrumentals that lie in many peoples collections. Bring up a classic set list of Mod stuff from the mid /late 80s and the relationship between that and what constitutes been on funk playlists is clear to me.

Funk , just like soul has evolved. Many ' Crossover ' soul / funk 45s now nestle in many a collection. I agree to a certain point that the funk scene seems to a bit transinet, but ' northern soul ' became trendy again but the hardcore music lovers will always remain!

Oh yes and in my 60s only days - flicking thru racks of US 45s at record fais in Roundhay - How many post 67 45s did I pass over - ' funk?? Nah..I'll leave it mate.....DOH!

ATB

Rich

[Pete S]

Can you not dislike something but still recognise that it is good?

Your rocksteady example is good. I do not like rocksteady but I still recognise it as good music. If I said "rocksteady is shit", that would be a ridiculous statement, as quite clearly rocksteady is not shit, I just don't like it.

OK what happened was, the week before last in the HMV sale they had these funk double cd's for 4.99 each so I bought all 4 volumes, and I realised after about 3 tracks it was just sailing over my head apart from the ones I already knew so it's just a case of either getting it or not getting it. They all sounded the same, which is what a lot of people say about reggae. Of course I know they are not all shit, it's just a stock answer. I used to love some of the funky northern sounds like Wrong Crowd, My Hang Up Is You and so on.

[vnicepce]

personally, funk doesn't do it for me. i've tried to like it, i've even been down to keb darge's funk nights in london, .....

does it really matter???; we all have different tastes, which is why there are so many different genres of music. There are tracks, which crossover, between soul and funk; does that matter?

..It's whats in the groove that counts......

[simonb]

Like many on here I have a fair broad collection - stemming from my mod days in my teens buying up 60s Hammond Instrumentals / Boogaloo etc (Now called 60s funk...) to being a predominatly 70s buyer Sweet / Deep / Group etc. My church is big enough to let all in as long as it sounds good to me!

Inside the genre of funk though you have splits /diversity just as you have in soul music. There's the obvious (to me anyhow) 'political' funk - coming from the post Martin Luther K era - Without going into 'Freebasing' mode - A lot of funk has that ' Busting out of the Ghetto ' message carried across to a increasingly marginalised black community in the late 60s/early 70s. There is a certain strength to the music just as Marvin Gayes ' Whats Going On LP. I'm no social anthropoligist but you catch you my drifter...

Also you have the dance craze / jam type stuff - OK some of it sounds like it was recorded in a tin shed on a raint day but surely this is what draws us to unknown / under appreciated / rare and obscure little 7 inch plastci things! But this type of stuff was/is an extension of the 60s instrumentals that lie in many peoples collections. Bring up a classic set list of Mod stuff from the mid /late 80s and the relationship between that and what constitutes been on funk playlists is clear to me.

Funk , just like soul has evolved. Many ' Crossover ' soul / funk 45s now nestle in many a collection. I agree to a certain point that the funk scene seems to a bit transinet, but ' northern soul ' became trendy again but the hardcore music lovers will always remain!

Oh yes and in my 60s only days - flicking thru racks of US 45s at record fais in Roundhay - How many post 67 45s did I pass over - ' funk?? Nah..I'll leave it mate.....DOH!

ATB

Rich

Well said Rich

[paultp]

I wasn't going to respond to this thread, it's a bit stupid with people like Pete Smith saying "funk is shit". Like me saying I don't like the way Watford play football, therefor football is shite. But I'm a bit bored...

Convince me this would not work on the 'northern scene' and it's not soulful and I will never step foot in an allnighter ever again.

And do you not think this is soulful, danceable and would work at a 'northern soul' event? If not, why not.

Daft.

Sorry, couldn't dance to the first one, just made me put my fingers in my ears.

The second one was quite nice but if someone played it out at a Northern night I would wander off and look at the record sellers boxes whilst tapping my feet.

To me funk is something that I would listen to at home and buy on CD, I have a New Yorican Funk CD somewhere, don't know what it is but must root it out and play it as I seem to remember there were some nice tracks on it.

Funk just doesn't do the same thing to my head that Northern does though, if you get my meaning

Just my opinion.

Cheers

Paul

P.S. Watford's football is shite, even Watford supporters think so. Last time they were in the Prem and came to Upton Park most of them on the tube actually said that they didn't think they should be there and it would be a while before they visited again.

[Godzilla]

James Brown `there was a time` I would consider funky.The Gene Chandler version is 1oo% northern soul in my opinion.

Not having a knock, Pendulum but I was waiting for someone to say that. Which is most likely?

Track is laid down and Gene & musicians say "Damn that was funky"

Track is laid down and Gene & musicians say "Damn that's a good Northern Soul tune"

The first music venue I ran had a barman who was fanatical about Metal and could only see things in those terms. We had an Irish folk rock band that played regularly (You Slosh for anyone from York / Scarborough area who might remember 'em). They were so good that everyone from punks to folk purists to rock an rollers loved them. Point is Al, the Barman desribed them as "Folk/Metal" ie he liked them so they must be Metal, even though that wasn't remotely the case.

I think this happens on the Northern scene, particularly with oldies from way back. If it's a funky tune that was adopted by the scene, then it stops being funk because it's Northern. What's the problem with accepting that it's funk? You'll all be saying Broadway Sissy is Northern next

Good debate though.

Godz

[Cunnie]

Not having a knock, Pendulum but I was waiting for someone to say that. Which is most likely?

Track is laid down and Gene & musicians say "Damn that was funky"

Track is laid down and Gene & musicians say "Damn that's a good Northern Soul tune"

The first music venue I ran had a barman who was fanatical about Metal and could only see things in those terms. We had an Irish folk rock band that played regularly (You Slosh for anyone from York / Scarborough area who might remember 'em). They were so good that everyone from punks to folk purists to rock an rollers loved them. Point is Al, the Barman desribed them as "Folk/Metal" ie he liked them so they must be Metal, even though that wasn't remotely the case.

I think this happens on the Northern scene, particularly with oldies from way back. If it's a funky tune that was adopted by the scene, then it stops being funk because it's Northern. What's the problem with accepting that it's funk? You'll all be saying Broadway Sissy is Northern next

Good debate though.

Godz

Hate to pigeonhole music but if i had to put Broadway Cissy - Roscoe & friends in 1 it would be under Funky Northern.

Now where would you put this?

Tell_Her.mp3

& this?

ELLIPSIS___PEOPLE.MP3

Now this is Funk & if i heard it played in a Northern room i'd be the first on the dance floor.

Galaxy_War.mp3

[Guest Rowly]

Not having a knock, Pendulum but I was waiting for someone to say that. Which is most likely?

Track is laid down and Gene & musicians say "Damn that was funky"

Track is laid down and Gene & musicians say "Damn that's a good Northern Soul tune"

I think this happens on the Northern scene, particularly with oldies from way back. If it's a funky tune that was adopted by the scene, then it stops being funk because it's Northern. What's the problem with accepting that it's funk? You'll all be saying Broadway Sissy is Northern next

Good debate though.

Godz

Good debate indeed... tho you can level that last statement at R&B tunes that get accepted by the Northern Scene ... (Big Daddy Rogers, Jimmy Robins, Peppermint Harris etc, etc etc) If it's an R&b tune that was adopted by the scene, then it stops being R&B because it's Northern.

tho as someone else has already said the dividing line between R&B and ('60's) Funk is sooooo fine it's nearly bloody invisible in some cases.... specially if your talking 'bout some of the New Orleans stuff....

I Funkin Love It!

Edited July 21, 2006 by Rowly

[Pete S]

Hate to pigeonhole music but if i had to put Broadway Cissy - Roscoe & friends in 1 it would be under Funky Northern.

Now where would you put this?

Tell_Her.mp3

& this?

ELLIPSIS___PEOPLE.MP3

Now this is Funk & if i heard it played in a Northern room i'd be the first on the dance floor.

Galaxy_War.mp3

I can't hear any funk in Broadway Cissy at all...which bit?? The drum break in the middle?

[Guest Rowly]

I wasn't going to respond to this thread, it's a bit stupid with people like Pete Smith saying "funk is shit". Like me saying I don't like the way Watford play football, therefor football is shite. But I'm a bit bored...

Convince me this would not work on the 'northern scene' and it's not soulful and I will never step foot in an allnighter ever again.

And do you not think this is soulful, danceable and would work at a 'northern soul' event? If not, why not.

Daft.

Both great James - but they'd never work on the Northern scene IMO....

[Godzilla]

I can't hear any funk in Broadway Cissy at all...which bit?? The drum break in the middle?

Well...

the drums, the bass line and the horn riff that kicks in at about 30 secs and is repeated throughout the tune. And some funky shouting when it comes down to it.

Seriously, I don't think there's much doubt given the flip and the bands' other 45 on Tec that they were making funk records. Just another case of the Northern scene picking it up which kinda reinforces my original point.

Not worth getting too analytical about though. That way lies madness.

Godz

[Godzilla]

tho as someone else has already said the dividing line between R&B and ('60's) Funk is sooooo fine it's nearly bloody invisible in some cases.... .

There's a guy here in Scarborough who runs a very insular mod night who claims to depise anything even slightly funky - but he plays BW Souls - Marvin's Groove. Swears it's R&B and says it can't be funk because it's a 60s record!

Godz

[Pete S]

Well...

the drums, the bass line and the horn riff that kicks in at about 30 secs and is repeated throughout the tune. And some funky shouting when it comes down to it.

I know what you mean but I'm still not really hearing it that way!

[Guest dovesong]

"Funk",as i remember seemed to be a natural progression of the sounds they played at Blackpool Mecca (Highland room),early Funk was something fresh a the time when a lot of sounds were being covered up or pressed.

[simonb]

Hate to pigeonhole music but if i had to put Broadway Cissy - Roscoe & friends in 1 it would be under Funky Northern.

Now where would you put this?

Tell_Her.mp3

& this?

ELLIPSIS___PEOPLE.MP3

Now this is Funk & if i heard it played in a Northern room i'd be the first on the dance floor.

Galaxy_War.mp3

Cunnie the Fred Williams is pure class, just wish I had the money to buy (If I could find one) an original....... Tell her for me..

Edited July 21, 2006 by simonb

[Godzilla]

"Funk",as i remember seemed to be a natural progression of the sounds they played at Blackpool Mecca (Highland room),early Funk was something fresh a the time when a lot of sounds were being covered up or pressed.

Your memory has accompanied Doug and Tony through the Time Tunnel in that case my friend. Mind you that's only if I understand your post - and there's a good chance I have the wrong end of the stick

Godz

[Godzilla]

I know what you mean but I'm still not really hearing it that way!

Exactly.

But as you know, some people hear no soul in Jamaican music.

We train our ears sometimes - maybe unfortunately - but different strokes etc,

Godz

[Djr]

Love it. and always buying more.

[Diggin' Dave]

Love it. and always buying more.

...but not as much as me

There's a guy here in Scarborough who runs a very insular mod night who claims to depise anything even slightly funky - but he plays BW Souls - Marvin's Groove. Swears it's R&B and says it can't be funk because it's a 60s record!

Godz

Great record imo, bought it recently and it's getting spins on a daily basis. Good R&B tune

[vnicepce]

I used to love some of the funky northern sounds like Wrong Crowd, My Hang Up Is You and so on.

'My hang up is you'-The Skullsnaps; Funky?-as with much of many Art Forms, it is all in the perception, of any one person; I certainly wouldn't call this 'Funky'

'I'm you pimp'-yes, funky, but 'my Weakness..' is a bit of ,smooth, 70s Style, soul-Pure Brilliance!

[Epic]

Question - Were the Funk Brothers funky or northern?

Listen to Willie Mitchell - "The Champion" it's funky as hell,

Or any popular Junior Walker tune - FUNKEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

[hipshaker 05]

i love a bit of the funk.

i always think its al one big continuum anyway ....... r&b/soul/funk .... all on the same line somewhere.

and james .... i love the ann robinson track myself.

[Chris L]

personally, funk doesn't do it for me. i've tried to like it, i've even been down to keb darge's funk nights in london, and the records i like are usually the odd northern ones he throws in.

so what you think? any funk lovers?

Not on your life, not for me, that's how I go into Northeren Soul, living in London in

the early 70T's it was only pop, reggae or funk, luckily Tony Rounce sent me up north (I think it was to get me and my mates out of Record Corner on a saturday :-) I reckon James Brown should be recycled into a garden knome. Chris L

[Guest Soulgroova]

Hate to pigeonhole music but if i had to put Broadway Cissy - Roscoe & friends in 1 it would be under Funky Northern.

Now where would you put this?

Tell_Her.mp3

& this?

ELLIPSIS___PEOPLE.MP3

Now this is Funk & if i heard it played in a Northern room i'd be the first on the dance floor.

Galaxy_War.mp3

Well ...played the first one and I thought in might come under the term "funky blues"

and the second one probably "funky soul"and probably would be on the dance floor for

the third one cos I like funky music.

[Guest Soulgroova]

Not on your life, not for me, that's how I go into Northeren Soul, living in London in

the early 70T's it was only pop, reggae or funk, luckily Tony Rounce sent me up north (I think it was to get me and my mates out of Record Corner on a saturday :-) I reckon James Brown should be recycled into a garden knome. Chris L

I think you are being a little harsh on James Brown...I like funky music, and

James Brown is a favourite of mine.....

[Stateside]

Great Debate, I used to be a club dj in the 70's playing predominantly funk and still have quite a lot of stuff . At the same time I was going to Wigan and the stuff I would listen to would be northern or deep soul.

There are some really fantastic funky tracks like the "Dramatics - Get Up, Get Down" which I used to hear on AFN, Jackson Sisters - "I believe in miracles", Lynn Collins - "Think", which is awsome,Creative Source - "Who is she", but there are some real repetitive things out there like James Brown's 70's stuff in particular ( I know he did ballads etc, but the bulk of his stuff was dance with a similar riff). Remember him accusing David Bowie of ripping him off when he did "Fame" so he brought out "Hot" using the identical riff and said sue me.

It is generally repetitive, but certain Northern tracks turn me right off for their repetition, eg.Just Brothers - Sliced Tomatoes (should be called "Sliced Wrists") Tried to think of more but couldn't.

Jazz Funk however is a much better option with tons of accomplished musicians all playing on each other's albums and some fantastic vocalists, tons of stuff that I would call the Northern Soul of the 21st century

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

...A pointless debate this one - if you like funk, you like funk and if you don't, well, you don't. It's always been that way, and not liking it doesn't make it shite. Different strokes for different folks and all that.

Remember, there are only two kinds of records, good 'uns and bad 'uns - and by my reckoning, there are as many bad northern records as there are bad funk records (and Keb's probably played 'em all, both genres... )

As I have done in the past to those who have mocked my 36 year appreciation of Northern Soul I refer the funk knockers, once again, to the words of America's greatest ever musical poet, the young Bob Dylan - "Don't criticise what you can't understand".

That goes for Northern, Funk, Modern, Jazz, Reggae, whatever. If you don't dig a particular genre, stiick to what you DO dig and don't berate the rest...

TONE