Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?

Artist: Funkadelic

Title of album: One Nation Under a Groove

Year of first release: 1978

Trivia: (Includes covers, alternate versions)

This song features some of the most powerful, hard rock, guitar riffs in the Funkadelic repertoire, and a catchy, jazzy dance-oriented beat behind it, while the vocals are soul-funk. In this way, it combines the music of the five styles mentioned in the song (funk, soul, rock, jazz, dance).

Complete tabs at [external site with complete tabs]

Songwriters: George Clinton, Michael Hampton, Junie Morrison[?]

Memorable Lyrics:

• "Who says a jazz band/Can't play dance music?/Who says a rock band/Can't play funky?/Who says a funk band/can't play rock?"
• "Won't you take the time/To get the music on your mind"
• "We're gonna make it clear/Ho ho/Yes, and when the morning gets here/Jazz and soul"

Complete lyrics at the Motherpage (http://www.duke.edu/~tmc/motherpage/lyrics_funkadelic/lyr-1nation#lyr-s-whosays)

Following "Grooveallegiance" on the album, this song seems to clarify some of the points of that song. "Grooveallegiance" describes a country where the Funk rules (called Funkadelica). This song is a mixture of several musical styles, and the lyrics seem to imply that the different genres are not interchangeable but related, and each Funky in their own way.

Personnel:

• Lead Vocals: Junie Morrison[?]
• Bass: Skeet Curtis[?]

Critical response: