Standing on the Verge of Getting It On

Artist: Funkadelic

Release date: 1974

Record label: Westbound[?]

On this album, the lyrics generally take a backseat to the music and the jamming. It is one of the most popular Funkadelic albums among fans, and considered an essential Eddie Hazel-album. This is a much more cohesive album than the previous Funkadelic forays; it sticks with a musical style (hard-edged funk) throughout, instead of veering through genres.

Track Listing:

• Red Hot Mama (George Clinton, Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrell)
• Alice In My Fantasies (Clinton, Grace Cook)
• I'll Stay (Clinton, Cook)
• Sexy Ways (Clinton, Cook)
• Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On (Clinton, Cook)
• Jimmy's Got A Little Bit Of Bitch In Him (Clinton, Cook)
• Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts (Clinton, Cook)

Personnel: (all the below is from the liner notes)

• Spaced Viking; Keyboards & Vocals: Bernie Worrell
• Tenor Vocals, Congas and Suave Personality: Calvin Simon
• A Prototype Werewolf; Berserker Octave Vocals: Fuzzy Haskins
• World's Only Black Leprechaun; Bass & Vocals: Boogie Mosson[?]
• Maggoteer Lead/Solo Guitar & Vocals: Eddie 'Smedley Smorganoff' Hazel
• Rhythm/Lead Guitar, Doowop Vocals, Sinister Grin: Garry Shider
• Supreme Maggot Minister of Funkadelia; Vocals, Maniac Froth and Spit; Behaviour Illegal In Several States: George Clinton
• Percussion & Vocals; Equipped with stereo armpits: Tiki Fulwood
• Rhythm/Lead Guitar; polyester soul-powered token white devil: Ron Bykowski[?]
• Registered and Licensed Genie; Vocals: 'Shady' Grady Thomas[?]
• Subterranean Bass Vocals, Supercool and Stinky Fingers: Ray (Stingray) Davis[?]
• Drums: Gary Bronson[?]
• Bass: Jimmy Calhoun[?]
• Piano: Leon Patillo[?]
• Percussion: Ty Lampkin[?]

Critical response:

• ?Standing on the Verge is a full-bodied, crazy mess in the best possible way, with heavy funk jams that still smoke today while making a lot of supposedly loud and dangerous rock sound anemic."
  • the All Music Guide (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Ar9k9kezt7q79)

Other external links:

• the Motherpage (http://www.duke.edu/~tmc/motherpage/albums_funkadelic/alb-standing)

Title of song: Standing on the Verge of Getting It On

Artist: Funkadelic

Title of album: Standing on the Verge of Getting It On (see above)

Year of first release: 1974

Trivia:

Musically, Standing on the Verge of Getting It On is a hard rock song with audience-participating, chanting vocals.

Complete tabs at [external site with complete tabs]

Songwriters: George Clinton, Grace Cook (aka Eddie Hazel)

Memorable Lyrics:

• "Even if you don't admit it/The time for change is here and here we are/We're just for you"
• "Music is designed to free your funky mind/We have come to help you cope/Out into another reality/You will be/Through our music we bring you hope"

Complete lyrics at the Motherpage (http://www.duke.edu/~tmc/motherpage/lyrics_funkadelic/lyr-standing#lyr-s-standing)

The singer exhorts the listener to get Funky with it. In contrast to several previous songs with a similar lyrical theme, "Standing on the Verge of Getting It On" shows tremendous growth in songwriting as the suggestion to get Funky also explicity includes a connection with social change and an awakening of the mind, and not just dancing. The definition of the Funk (as described in P Funk mythology) could be said to have started with this song.

Personnel:

• Lead Vocals: Parliament, Gary Shider[?]
• Guitar: Eddie Hazel, Ron Bykowski[?]

Critical response: