Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome

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Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome
Parliament-Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome (album cover).jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 28, 1977
Recorded1976–1977
Studio United Sound Systems, Detroit, Michigan, and Hollywood Sound, Hollywood, California
Genre Funk, disco
Length44:22
Label Casablanca
Producer George Clinton
Parliament chronology
Live: P-Funk Earth Tour
(1977)
Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome
(1977)
Motor Booty Affair
(1978)
Singles from Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome
  1. "Bop Gun (Endangered Species)"
    Released: October 29, 1977
  2. "Flash Light"
    Released: January 28, 1978
  3. "Funkentelechy"
    Released: June 3, 1978

Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome is the sixth studio album by the American funk band Parliament, released in 1977. [1] [2]

Contents

It is a loose concept album warning the listener of falling into the "Placebo Syndrome," which according to George Clinton is consumerism, and listening to disco music, which he saw as a simplification of funk music in attempt to gain commercial success. The album spawned the R&B number No. 1 single in "Flash Light", which features a funky synthesizer bass line played on a Minimoog by keyboardist Bernie Worrell. The album became Parliament's fourth consecutive gold album and second platinum album. The song "Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention – B3M)" contains nursery rhymes "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" and "Three Blind Mice"; the lyrics were changed to refer to drug use.

The original vinyl release contained a 22″×33″ poster of the character Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk, as well as an 8-page comic book that explains the concept behind the LP. Both the poster and the comic book were illustrated by Overton Loyd.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [3]
Christgau's Record Guide A [4]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 9/10 [7]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]

The Globe and Mail praised the "superb" backing vocals of the Brides of Funkenstein. [8] The New York Times wrote that "the music is typical P-Funk bouncing disco, lively and toe-tapping, with gabbling spoken and sung vocals on top." [9]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Bop Gun (Endangered Species)" (released as a single, Casablanca NB 900) George Clinton, Garry Shider, Bootsy Collins 8:31
2."Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk (Pay Attention – B3M)"Clinton, Collins, Bernie Worrell10:04
3."Wizard of Finance"Clinton, Ronald Ford, Glenn Goins 4:23
4."Funkentelechy" (released as a single-Casablanca NB 921)Clinton, Collins10:56
5."Placebo Syndrome"Clinton, Billy Nelson 4:20
6."Flash Light" (released as a single, Casablanca NB 909, and as a promo-only 12″ single, Casablanca NB 20113 DJ)Clinton, Collins, Worrell5:46

Personnel

According to George Clinton, Mallia Franklin also sang on this album with other original Parlet members Debbie Wright and Jeanette Washington but she is not listed on the album's credits.[ citation needed ]

Horn arrangement by Bernie Worrell and Fred Wesley

Production

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1977–1978)Peak
position
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [10] 2
US Billboard 200 [11] 13

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [12] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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.

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.

<i>Cosmic Slop</i> Album by Funkadelic

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<i>Pleasure Principle</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Parlet

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<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.

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Go Fer Yer Funk is the first installment of the George Clinton Family Series collection. The album was released in 1992 by P-Vine Records in Japan, and then was released the next year by AEM Records in the U.S. and Sequel Records in the U.K.. The Family Series was designed to present previously unreleased recordings done by various bands in the Parliament-Funkadelic musical stable. The first CD is notable in that it features the title cut "Go Fer Yer Funk" which originally featured a collaboration between P-Funk and Funk legend James Brown.

References

  1. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 255.
  2. Reading Rock and Roll: Authenticity, Appropriation, Aesthetics. Columbia University Press. 1999. p. 150.
  3. Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome at AllMusic
  4. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: P". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 10, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  5. Rollingstone
  6. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). (The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide . Simon and Schuster. p.  619. ISBN   9780743201698.
  7. Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 296, 297.
  8. McGrath, Paul (January 18, 1978). "Parliament". The Globe and Mail. p. F2.
  9. Rockwell, John (February 26, 1978). "Records: The Disco Fever Is Spreading". The New York Times. p. D14.
  10. "Parliament Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  11. "Parliament Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  12. "American album certifications – Parliament – Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome". Recording Industry Association of America.