Jerome Brailey

Last updated
Jerome Brailey
JeromeBigfoot.jpeg
Jerome Bigfoot in NYC
Background information
Birth nameJerome Eugene Brailey
Also known asJerome Bigfoot Brailey, Jerome Bigfoot
BornAugust 20, 1950 (1950-08-20) (age 73)
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Genres R&B, funk, rock
Occupation(s) Drummer, Songwriter, Producer, Vocalist
Instruments Drums, Percussions, Vocals
Years active1968–present
Labels Casablanca, Arista, Westbound, Columbia, Rykodisc, P-Vine

Jerome Eugene "Bigfoot" Brailey (born August 20, 1950) is an American drummer, best known for his work with P-Funk, which included the bands Parliament, Funkadelic, and numerous related projects. Brailey is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. [1]

Contents

Career

Jerome Brailey started performing around 1968 with the R&B group The Unifics, The Five Stairsteps, then The Chambers Brothers. George Clinton saw Jerome performing with The Chambers Brothers and invited him to join the Funk Mob after witnessing his style and finesse on drums. He joined the P-Funk collective in 1975 during the time he co-wrote one of Parliament's biggest hits, “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" with Clinton and Bootsy Collins while also playing on many of Parliament-Funkadelic's most popular recordings. [2] Brailey left the P-Funk organization in 1978 due to bad management by producer George Clinton and began working closely with Glenn Goins, who had also left P-Funk and started productions on the funk group Quazar which featured Glenn's brother Kevin Goins on vocals. Brailey and Goins conceived a band called Mutiny as they were finalizing the Quazar album for Arista Records; however, Glenn Goins died in 1978 at the age of 24, leaving Brailey to complete the album. He then established Mutiny and signed to Columbia Records.

Mutiny on the Mamaship” (Columbia Records) the debut album, follow by “Funk Plus The One” (Columbia Records) both produced by Jerome Brailey while working alongside guitarist Donald “Lenny” Holmes and bassist Raymone Carter were the makings of collectable recordings. The albums were not far removed from the classic P-Funk style, with emphasis placed on dual lead guitar works. They were seen as successful in musical terms, though some critics complained about the lack of originality but the quality of those recordings were recognized by many. Other noted collections of recordings, “A Night Out With The Boys” (Tuff City Records), Aftershock 2005 (Rykodisc) and Funk Road (Catbone Music Label) are also under the Mutiny's umbrella receiving positive vibes and energy.

Jerome is also noted for his drum style on hit recordings such as The Unifics “Court of Love” and The Five StairstepsOoh Child”. His drum arrangements on the single "Do That Stuff", [3] from the Parliament album The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein, in recent have been sampled by Kendrick Lamar on "The Heart Pt.3 (Will You Let it Die ?), [4] Childish Gambino on “Boogieman" [5] a single taken from his third studio album, "Awaken, My Love" and by Westside Boogie - Outside (ft. Joey Bada$$) for a continuation of drum rudiments lifted from that Parliament-Funkadelic recording.

Sequence, was an American female hip–hop/vocal trio from Columbia, South Carolina, consisted of members Cheryl Cook, Gwendolyn Chisolm, and Angie Brown Stone released the song “Funky Sound” (Tear The Roof Off) on Sugar Hill Records in 1979. Gerardo “Mo Ritmo” released the single “We Want The Funk” on Interscope Records in 1991 while M.C. Hammer released the single “Turn This Mutha Out", from the "Let's Get It Started" album on Capital Records in 1988. Also Snoop Dogg on the “Doggystyle” album released his most successful single to date, "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" produced by Dr. Dre on Death Row Records and Interscope Records in 1993. All or part of the interpolation of these recordings are credited to the original song by Parliament-Funkadelic, “Tear the Roof off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)".

The Rolling Stone list of “The 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time” chose Jerome “Bigfoot” Brailey as #68 for his steady kick drum, shifty hi-hat action and intricately unpredictable snare patterns. [6] He also appeared as a session drummer with a diverse group of artists including Keith Richards, Bill Laswell, James Blood Ulmer, Dave Stewart, and Lucky Peterson during his career.

The Mothership, the iconic stage prop made famous by legendary funk collective Parliament-Funkadelic, has been acquired by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC where it will help anchor a permanent music exhibition at the museum in 2016. [7] Each year the Grammy Award Hall Of Fame celebrates a class of outstanding recordings at least 25 years old that exhibits qualitative or historical significance and in its 2018 class “Flash Light” by Parliament was add to the Hall list of classic recordings. [8]

Smith and Hay's release two CD's, Jazz & Jazz (Deluxe) during a series of recordings in 2017 which featured Jerome Bigfoot on many of the songs. Jazz (Deluxe) charted and became the number one Billboard Jazz album in the country in January 2018. [9] With a signature for foot and snare connections during the impact years with Parliament-Funkadelic, The Recording Academy awarded and announced in December 2018 that the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to P-Funk members on May 11, 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. for their creative contributions in music. [10]

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just recently listed the 50 greatest drummers in the Hall naming Jerome Bigfoot #48, revealing his drum style kept Parliament-Funkadelic rooted in the old-school, James Brown-style funk on tracks like "Handcuffs", "Do That Stuff" and the Funk anthem "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)". [11]

Selected discography

Parliament / Funkadelic (1975–1979)

Mutiny

Quazar

Chambers Brothers

Five Stairsteps

The Unifics

Parliament / Funkadelic Compilations

New York / Collision Music Years

Hip-Hop genre / Jazz Deluxe / Digital Music Mix

Contributions / Sampled Chronology

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament-Funkadelic</span> American funk music collective

Parliament-Funkadelic is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their eclectic style has drawn on psychedelia, outlandish fashion, and surreal humor. They released albums such as Maggot Brain (1971), Mothership Connection (1975), and One Nation Under a Groove (1978) to critical praise, and scored charting hits with singles such as "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker" (1975) and "Flash Light" (1978). Overall, the collective achieved thirteen top ten hits in the American R&B music charts between 1967 and 1983, including six number one hits. Their work would have an influential effect on subsequent funk, post-punk, hip-hop, and techno artists of the 1980s and 1990s, while their collective mythology would help pioneer Afrofuturism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament (band)</span> American funk band most prominent during the 1970s

Parliament was an American funk band formed in the late 1960s by George Clinton as a flagship act of his P-Funk collective. Evolving out of an earlier vocal group, Parliament became associated with a more commercial and less rock-oriented sound than its sister act Funkadelic. Their work incorporated Afrofuturism concepts, horn arrangements, synthesizer, and outlandish theatrics. The band scored a number of Top 10 hits, including the million-selling 1976 single "Give Up the Funk ," and Top 40 albums such as Mothership Connection (1975).

The P-Funk mythology is a group of recurring characters, themes, and ideas primarily contained in the output of George Clinton's bands Parliament and Funkadelic. This "funkology" was outlined in album liner notes and song lyrics, in addition to album artwork, costumes, advertisements, and stage banter. P-Funk's "Dr. Seussian afrofunk" is often cited as a critical component of the Afrofuturism movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funkadelic</span> American rock band

Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. As one of the two flagship groups of George Clinton's P-Funk collective, they helped pioneer the funk music culture of the 1970s. Funkadelic initially formed as a backing band for Clinton's vocal group the Parliaments, but eventually pursued a heavier, psychedelic rock-oriented sound in their own recordings. They released acclaimed albums such as Maggot Brain (1971) and One Nation Under a Groove (1978).

<i>Hardcore Jollies</i> 1976 studio album by Funkadelic

Hardcore Jollies is the ninth studio album by the funk rock band Funkadelic, released on October 29, 1976 by Warner Bros. Records, their first album to be issued on a major label. It is dedicated to "the guitar players of the world." Originally, the first side of the album was called "Osmosis Phase 1" and the second side was "Terribitus Phase 2." Hardcore Jollies was released one month after Funkadelic's final album for Westbound Records, Tales of Kidd Funkadelic, which was recorded during the same sessions.

<i>Tales of Kidd Funkadelic</i> 1976 studio album by Funkadelic

Tales of Kidd Funkadelic is the eighth studio album by the band Funkadelic, released in September 1976. It was their final album on the Westbound record label. The tracks were recorded during the same sessions as their first release for Warner Bros. Records, Hardcore Jollies; which was released a month later. Two tracks from Tales of Kidd Funkadelic, the single “Undisco Kidd” and the party anthem “Take Your Dead Ass Home!” have been staples in the band’s live performances since the album’s 1976 release, and can be heard on the 1977 Parliament concert album Live: P-Funk Earth Tour. The album opener “Butt-To-Buttresuscitation” and the song “I’m Never Gonna Tell It” were included in the band’s live shows during the early 2000s. The song "Let's Take It to the People" has been sampled by hip-hop band A Tribe Called Quest for their song "Everything Is Fair", on their album The Low End Theory.

<i>Mothership Connection</i> 1975 studio album by Parliament

Mothership Connection is the fourth album by American funk band Parliament, released on December 15, 1975 on Casablanca Records. This concept album is often rated among the best Parliament-Funkadelic releases, and was the first to feature horn players Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley, previously of James Brown's backing band the J.B.'s.

<i>Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome</i> 1977 studio album by Parliament

Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome is the sixth studio album by the American funk band Parliament, released in 1977.

<i>The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein</i> 1976 studio album by Parliament

The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein is the fifth album by funk band Parliament, released in September 1976. The album is notable for featuring horn arrangements by ex-James Brown band member, Fred Wesley. The album charted at #3 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart, #20 on the Billboard pop chart, and became Parliament's second album to be certified gold. Two singles were released off the album, "Do That Stuff", which charted at #22, and "Dr. Funkenstein" which charted at #43.

<i>Live: P-Funk Earth Tour</i> 1977 live album by Parliament

Live: P-Funk Earth Tour is a live double album by Parliament that documents the band's 1977 P-Funk Earth Tour. The performances include songs from Parliament's albums through The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein as well as songs from the Funkadelic repertoire. The album is made up of portions of two performances from January 1977 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena and the Los Angeles Forum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Goins</span> Musical artist

Glenn Lamonte Goins, also known as Glen Goins, was a singer and guitarist for Parliament-Funkadelic in the mid-1970s. Goins is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, posthumously inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. His first (known) recordings were as part of the group The Bags. They released a single in 1972: "It's Heavy" b/w "Don't Mess With My Baby".

Children Of Production ia an innovative derivative of P-Funk.

<i>Funk or Walk</i> 1978 studio album by Brides of Funkenstein

Funk or Walk is the debut album by the Brides of Funkenstein, released on Atlantic Records in September 1978. The album was produced by George Clinton with the exception of the album's first single "Disco To Go" which was written and produced by Clinton and Bootsy Collins. The Brides of Funkenstein consisted of Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva, who were members of Sly and the Family Stone prior to joining P-Funk. Funk Or Walk earned Mabry and Silva a Record World Award for Best New Female Artists and Best New R&B Group in 1979. The song was originally performed live by Bootsy's Rubber Band. To this day, the P-Funk All Stars continue to play "Disco To Go" in their live concerts. The Brides of Funkenstein also toured and recorded with Parliament/Funkadelic around this same time.

<i>Mothership Connection Newberg Session</i> 1995 live album by George Clinton

Mothership Connection Newberg Session is a live album by George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic. It was recorded in Hangar E at Stewart Airfield in Newburgh, New York, on September 26, 1976, during the rehearsals for the P-Funk Earth Tour. The live album was released by P-Vine Records in Japan on December 25, 1995.

<i>Quazar</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Quazar

Quazar is the debut album from the band Quazar. The band was led by former P-Funk vocalist Glenn Goins, who also served as the producer and arranger of the album. Goins died before the album's release, effectively sealing the group's fate. The album was released by Arista Records in the fall of 1978, after Funkadelic's One Nation Under A Groove but before Parliament (band)'s Motor Booty Affair, that same year. The album also features contributions from former P-Funk drummer Jerome Brailey. Both Glenn Goins and Jerome Brailey were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Parliament-Funkadelic.

<i>George Clinton: The Mothership Connection</i> 1998 video by George Clinton; Parliament-Funkadelic

George Clinton: The Mothership Connection is a DVD released in 1998 and then reissued in 2001, featuring George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic. The DVD features a concert performed by Parliament-Funkadelic at The Summit in Houston, Texas on October 31, 1976. The DVD documents the beginning of famed P-Funk Earth Tour, which would run for almost two years.

<i>Testing Positive 4 the Funk</i> 1993 studio album by George Clinton Family Series

Testing Positive 4 the Funk is the fourth installment of the George Clinton Family Series collection. The album was released in 1993 by P-Vine Records in Japan, and then was released later in the same year by AEM Records in the United States and Sequel Records in the U.K. This collection is noted for the inclusion of tracks such as a re-recording of "Live Up " which was originally recorded by the soul quartet, The Fantastic Four. The track marked the debut of P-Funk vocalist Glenn Goins.

<i>P Is the Funk</i> 1992 studio album by George Clinton Family Series

P Is the Funk is the second installment of the George Clinton Family Series collection. The album was released in 1992 by P-Vine Records in Japan, and then was released later in the same year by AEM Records in the United States and Sequel Records in the United Kingdom. The album contains notable tracks such as the first song ever recorded by the Brides of Funkenstein entitled "Love Is Something" featuring P-Funk lead guitarist Eddie Hazel, as well radio commercials for the Ultra Wave album by Bootsy Collins.

<i>Live...Madison Square Garden 1977</i> 2017 live album by Parliament-Funkadelic

Live...Madison Square Garden 1977 is a live album by the American funk band Parliament-Funkadelic. The album was released on CD and vinyl in the UK in November 2017 by the RoxVox label. The CD incorrectly states that it features a live performance from the band at Madison Square Garden in 1977, when in actuality, the recording features the rehearsals for the Mothership Connection tour, done on September 26, 1976 at Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, New York. The liner notes feature a transcription of a December 1977 article about Parliament-Funkadelic from Circus (magazine) magazine.

References

  1. "Parliament-Funkadelic Biography". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  2. [Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research | page=450] Retrieved 25 May 2021
  3. Parliament - The Clones Of Dr. Funkenstein "Do That Stuff"
  4. The Heart Pt.3 (Will You Let it Die ?) - Produced by Tae Beast
  5. Childish Gambino: Boogieman - Produced by Childish Gambino & Lugwig Goransson
  6. Rolling Stone - The 100 Greatest Drummers of All Times - Retrieved 3/31/2016
  7. Retrieved by Chris Richards (Washington Post) March 2015
  8. Grammy Award / Radio.com - Retrieved by Maura O'Malley 1/16/18
  9. Sway Universe - Retrieved by Reg The Ruler 1/21/18
  10. Billboard / Grammy Awards - Retrieved by Rania Aniftos 12/19/18
  11. Troy L. Smith. 50 Greatest Drummers In The Hall of Fame January 11, 2020.