Uncle Jam Wants You

Artist: Funkadelic

Release date: 1979

Record label: Warner Brothers

In some ways, "Uncle Jam Wants You" (a reference to the "Uncle Sam wants you!" US Army recruitment posters) is a more militant sequel to the previous album, One Nation Under a Groove. Whereas that album described an ideal country ruled by Funk, "Uncle Jam" actually attempts to provoke the conversion into Funkadelia. Its purpose is also (as the cover claims) to "rescue dance music from the blahs." The cover art depicts George Clinton in a Huey Newton[?]-Black Panthers pose, reflecting the more martial lyrical themes of the album.

Track Listing:

• Freak of the Week (George Clinton Sr., P. Bishop???, Dewayne McKnight[?]
• (Not Just) Knee Deep (George Clinton Junior[?])
• Uncle Jam (Clinton Sr, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell)
• Field Maneuvers (D. Clinton???, D Clinton???)
• Holly Wants to Go to California (Clinton Sr., Worrell]])
• Foot Soldiers (Star Spangled Funky) (Clinton Sr., Jim Vitti[?])

Personnel (credited as the Funkadelic Rescue Dance Band)

• Guitars ("Axe Force"): Michael "Kidd Funkadelic" Hampton, Garry "DooWop" Shider, Eddie "Maggot Brain" Hazel
• Keyboards ("Keyboard Battlecruisers"): Bernie (U.S.S. Woo!) Worrell, J.S. Theracon[?]
• Drums ("Uncle Jam's Drum and Wiggle Corps"): Tyrone "Speedfeet" Lampkin[?], Larry Fratangelo[?]
• Bass ("Bass Anti-Flam Units"): Rodney "Skeet" Curtis[?], Cordell "Boogie" Mosson[?]
• Vocals ("Vocal Assault & Funkatition Team"): Uncle Jam Clinton, Gary "DooWop" Shider, Larry "Sir Nose" Heckstall[?], Sheila Horn[?], Ron "Prophet" Ford[?], Jeanette McGruder[?], Dawn Silva[?], Michael "Clip" Payne[?], Greg Thomas[?], & Ray "Stingray" Davis[?]
• Guitar: Bootsy Collins, Dewayne McKnight[?], Glen Goins[?]
• Bass: Billy Bass Nelson, William Collins, Jeff Bunn[?]
• Keyboard: Junie Morrison[?], Gary Hudgins[?], Gerome Rogers[?]
• Drums: Tiki Fulwood, William Collins, Dennis Chambers[?]
• Background Vocals: Linda Brown[?], Jessica Cleaves[?], Mallia Franklin[?], Philippe Wynne, Lige Curry[?], James Wesley[?], Greg Boyer[?], Gerome Rogers

Critical response:

• ?Uncle Jam Wants You takes not merely a more daring musical approach but a more forthright political stance"
  • the All Music Guide (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=SEARCH&sql=A3srj283c056a)

Other external links:

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