Mothership Connection

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Mothership Connection
ParliamentMothershipConnection.jpg
Studio album by
Parliament
ReleasedDecember 15, 1975
RecordedMarch–October 1975 [1]
StudioUnited Sound, Detroit, Michigan, and Hollywood Sound, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length38:18
Label Casablanca
NBLP 7022/Def Jam
Producer George Clinton
Parliament chronology
Chocolate City
(1975)		Mothership Connection
(1975)		 The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein
(1976)
Singles from Mothership Connection

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.

Contents

Mothership Connection became Parliament's first album to be certified gold and later platinum. [7] It was supported by the hit "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)," the band's first million-selling single. The Library of Congress added the album to the National Recording Registry in 2011, declaring that it "has had an enormous influence on jazz, rock and dance music." [8]

Concept

The album is held together by an outer-space theme. [2] Describing the concept, George Clinton said "We had put black people in situations nobody ever thought they would be in, like the White House. I figured another place you wouldn't think black people would be was in outer space. I was a big fan of Star Trek , so we did a thing with a pimp sitting in a spaceship shaped like a Cadillac, and we did all these James Brown-type grooves, but with street talk and ghetto slang." [9] The album's concept would form the backbone of P-Funk's concert performances during the 1970s, in which a large spaceship prop known as the Mothership would be lowered onto the stage. [10]

BBC Music described the album as a pioneering work of Afrofuturism "set in a future universe where black astronauts interact with alien worlds." [11] Journalist Frasier McAlpine stated: "As a reaction to an increasingly fraught 1970s urban environment in which African-American communities faced the end of the optimism of the civil rights era, this flamboyant imagination (and let's be frank, exceptional funkiness) was both righteous and joyful." [11]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]
Billboard (favorable) [5]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [12]
Christgau's Record Guide A− [13]
Pitchfork (8.5/10) [3]
PopMatters (favorable) [14]
Rolling Stone (favorable) [15]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [16]
Spin Alternative Record Guide (10/10) [17]
SputnikmusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [18]

On release, Rolling Stone called the album a "parody of modern funk" and stated that "unlike the Ohio Players or Commodores, the group refuses to play it straight. Instead, Clinton spews his jive, conceived from some cosmic funk vision." [15] In a positive review, Village Voice critic Robert Christgau stated that Clinton "keeps the beat going with nothing but his rap, some weird keyboard, and cymbals for stretches of side one," and described "Give Up the Funk" as "galactic." [13]

Retrospectively, Mothership Connection has been widely acclaimed, and it is typically considered to be one of the best albums by the Parliament-Funkadelic collective. Rolling Stone's 2003 review gave the record 5 stars: "The masterpiece, the slang creator, the icon builder, the master narrative--or 'the bomb,' as Clinton succinctly put it before anyone else." Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic called it "the definitive Parliament-Funkadelic album," in which "George Clinton's revolving band lineups, differing musical approaches, and increasingly thematic album statements reached an ideal state, one that resulted in enormous commercial success as well as a timeless legacy." [2] Dr. Dre famously sampled "Mothership Connection (Star Child)" on "Let Me Ride" and "P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" on "The Roach (The Chronic Outro)", both from his 1992 album The Chronic .[ citation needed ]

The album has received many retrospective accolades, including being named VH1's 55th greatest album of all time. In 2012, it was ranked at number 276 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time; it was featured again on the 2020 edition, at number 363. [19] [20] Vibe listed Mothership Connection in their "Essential Black Rock Recordings" list, and it was included in the 2005 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die .

Track listing

Side One
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell 7:41
2."Mothership Connection (Star Child)"Clinton, Collins, Worrell6:13
3."Unfunky UFO"Clinton, Collins, Garry Shider 4:23
Total length:18:17
Side Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication"Clinton, Collins, Shider, Worrell5:03
5."Handcuffs"Clinton, Glenn Goins, Janet McLaughlin4:02
6."Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" Jerome Brailey, Clinton, Collins5:46
7."Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples"Clinton, Collins, Shider5:10
Total length:20:01
2003 CD remaster bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
8."Star Child (Mothership Connection)" (Promo Radio Version)Clinton, Collins, Worrell3:08
Total length:41:26

Personnel

Production

Chart positions

Chart (1976)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [21] 13
US R&B Albums [21] 4

Certification

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [22] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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 have 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 has had an influential effect on subsequent funk, post-punk, hip-hop, and techno artists of the 1980s and 1990s, while their collective mythology has helped 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>America Eats Its Young</i> 1972 studio album by Funkadelic

America Eats Its Young is the fourth studio album and the first double album by Funkadelic, released in May 1972. This was the first album to include the whole of the House Guests, including Bootsy Collins, Catfish Collins, Chicken Gunnels, Rob McCollough and Kash Waddy. It also features the Plainfield-based band U.S., which consisted of guitarist Garry Shider and bassist Cordell Mosson, on most of the tracks. Unlike previous Funkadelic albums, America Eats Its Young was recorded in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and in the UK. The original vinyl version contained a poster illustrated by Cathy Abel. The bottom of the poster features the first widespread appearance of the Funkadelic logo, which would appear on the cover of their next album Cosmic Slop.

<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>The Electric Spanking of War Babies</i> 1981 studio album by Funkadelic

The Electric Spanking of War Babies is the twelfth studio album by the American funk rock band Funkadelic, released in April 1981 on Warner Bros. Records. The title is an allusion to the Vietnam War and baby boomers. Sly Stone contributed to the recording sessions, singing lead vocals on "Funk Gets Stronger ".

<i>Motor Booty Affair</i> 1978 studio album by Parliament

Motor Booty Affair is the seventh album by funk band Parliament, released in 1978. It contains two of the group's most popular tracks, "Rumpofsteelskin" and "Aqua Boogie ", which went to number one on the Billboard Soul Singles chart.

<i>Chocolate City</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Parliament

Chocolate City is the third album by the funk band Parliament, released in 1975. It was a "tribute to Washington D.C.", where the group had been particularly popular. The album's cover includes images of the United States Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial in the form of a chocolate medallion, as well as sticker labeled "Washington DC". The album was very popular in the capital city, selling 150,000 copies alone there.

<i>Computer Games</i> (album) 1982 studio album by George Clinton

Computer Games is the debut album by American funk musician George Clinton, released by Capitol Records on November 5, 1982. Though technically Clinton's first "solo" album, the record featured most of the same personnel who had appeared on recent albums by Parliament and Funkadelic, both formally disbanded by Clinton in 1981. Conceived in the aftermath of a period marked by financial and personal struggles for Clinton, Computer Games restored his popularity for a short time before P-Funk fell victim to renewed legal problems and scant label support in the mid-1980s.

<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 on July 20, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerome Brailey</span> American drummer

Jerome Eugene "Bigfoot" Brailey 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.

<i>Up for the Down Stroke</i> 1974 studio album by Parliament

Up for the Down Stroke is an album by the American funk band Parliament. It was the band's second album, and their first to be released on Casablanca Records. The album was released on July 3, 1974. Its title track was Parliament's first chart hit and remains one of the most well-known P-Funk songs. The album also contains a funk reworking of The Parliaments' song "(I Wanna) Testify" under the title "Testify". The original title of the album was Whatever Makes Baby Feel Good, and the cover featured group leader George Clinton hovering over a woman in distress, sporting a black wig and monster-type gloves.

<i>Trombipulation</i> 1980 studio album by Parliament

Trombipulation is the ninth album by the funk band Parliament. It was released by Casablanca Records. It was the last album of original material produced by the group for 38 years, until Medicaid Fraud Dogg in 2018. Unlike previous Parliament albums, George Clinton did not serve as sole producer of the album, as other P-Funk figures assisted in producing individual tracks. Bassist Bootsy Collins emerged as the principal musician on this album, playing virtually all of the instruments on a number of tracks. The track "Let's Play House" was sampled by the hip-hop group Digital Underground for their single "The Humpty Dance".

<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">P-Funk Mothership</span> Fictional space vehicle used by musician George Clinton

The P Funk Mothership, also known as The Mothership or The Holy Mothership, is a space vehicle model belonging to Dr. Funkenstein, an alter ego of funk musician George Clinton. An integral part of the P-Funk mythology, the Mothership existed conceptually as a fictional vehicle of funk deliverance and as a physical prop central to Parliament-Funkadelic concerts during the 1970s and 1990s.

<i>T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M.</i> 1996 studio album by George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars

T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M. is a 1996 album by funk musician George Clinton. The title, which is an abbreviation for The Awesome Power of a Fully Operational Mothership, refers to the P-Funk Mothership that was first introduced in 1975 on Parliament's Mothership Connection album. The album was presented as a reunion album because it featured collaborations with former Parliament-Funkadelic members including Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, Junie Morrison, Maceo Parker, and Fred Wesley — some of whom hadn't worked with Clinton in many years. The album also included contributions by current members of the P-Funk All-Stars.

<i>Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!</i> 1977 studio album by Bootsys Rubber Band

Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! is a funk album by Bootsy's Rubber Band, released on January 15, 1977. It reached number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Soul albums chart, the first P-Funk release to achieve this goal. The album was produced by George Clinton and William "Bootsy" Collins and arranged by Bootsy and Casper.

<i>The Final Blow</i> 1994 compilation album by Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns

The Final Blow is a compilation album by Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns. The album first released on the P-Vine record label in 1994, then on the Sequel label in the United Kingdom, and the AEM label in the United States. The album is made up of unreleased tracks recorded during band's heyday in the late 1970s.

<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>Parliaments Greatest Hits</i> 1984 greatest hits album by Parliament

Parliament's Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the American funk band Parliament, released in 1984 by Casablanca Records. It contains 10 Parliament singles recorded between 1974 and 1979. It omits songs from Trombipulation.

References

  1. 1 2 "Parliament's 1975 LP Mothership Connection revisited with Bernard Worrell". Soulculture.com. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Birchmeier, Jason. Mothership Connection at AllMusic
  3. 1 2 Review: Mothership Connection Archived February 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Robins, Wayne (2016). A Brief History of Rock, Off the Record. Routledge. p. 286. ISBN   978-0-415-97472-1.
  5. 1 2 "Review: Mothership Connection". Superseventies.com. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  6. ↑ Keister, Jay (2019). "Black Prog: Soul, Funk, Intellect and the Progressive Side of Black Music of the 1970s" (PDF). American Music Research Center Journal. 28: 5–22. Retrieved January 29, 2021– via colorado.edu.
  7. ↑ "American album certifications – Parliament". Recording Industry Association of America.
  8. ↑ "Registry Choices 2010: The National Recording Preservation Board (Library of Congress)". Loc.gov. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  9. ↑ Niesel, Jeff (2013-06-26). "Cleveland - Music - Turn This Mutha Out". Clevescene.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  10. ↑ Richards, Chris (May 18, 2011). "Smithsonian acquires Parliament-Funkadelic Mothership". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  11. 1 2 McAlpine, Frasier (2 March 2018). "8 afrofuturist classics everyone needs to hear". BBC Music . Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  12. ↑ Review: Mothership Connection [ dead link ]
  13. 1 2 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.
  14. ↑ Bowden, Marshall. "Review: Mothership Connection". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  15. 1 2 McEwen, Joe (March 25, 1976). "Mothership Connection | Album Reviews | Rolling Stone". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  16. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). Review: Mothership Connection. ISBN   9780743201698 . Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  17. ↑ Rubin, Mike (1995). "P-Funk". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. p. 296. ISBN   0679755748.
  18. ↑ "Review: Mothership Connection". Sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  19. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  20. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  21. 1 2 Mothership Connection at AllMusic
  22. ↑ "American album certifications – Parliament – Mothership Connection". Recording Industry Association of America.
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