Shakey Ground

Last updated
"Shakey Ground"
Single by The Temptations
from the album A Song for You
B-side "I'm a Bachelor"
ReleasedFebruary 1975
Recorded1974 at Motown Recording Studios in Los Angeles
Genre Soul
Length3:11
Label Gordy
Songwriter(s) Jeffrey Bowen
Alphonso Boyd
Eddie Hazel [1]
Producer(s) Jeffrey Bowen
The Temptations singles chronology
"Happy People"
(1974)
"Shakey Ground"
(1975)
"Glasshouse"
(1975)

"Shakey Ground" is a 1975 R&B single by The Temptations. It was co-written by Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel, who plays lead guitar on the song.

Contents

Background

Original Funkadelic bassist Billy "Bass" Nelson also plays on the song.

Personnel

Chart history

"Shakey Ground" was the last by the group to reach the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart: the song also crossed over to the pop chart, reaching number twenty-six on the Billboard Hot 100. [2]

Chart (1975)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 26
U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles 1

Cover versions

The song has been covered by many artists:

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 distinctive funk style drew on psychedelia, outlandish fashion, science-fiction, and surreal humor; it 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 collective 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 "Give Up the Funk" (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.

<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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Hazel</span> American guitarist (1950–1992)

Edward Earl Hazel was an American guitarist and singer in early funk music who played lead guitar with Parliament-Funkadelic. Hazel was a posthumous inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. His ten-minute guitar solo in the Funkadelic song "Maggot Brain" is hailed as "one of the greatest solos of all time on any instrument". In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Hazel at no. 83 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists.

<i>Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow</i> 1970 studio album by Funkadelic

Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow is the second studio album by American funk rock band Funkadelic, released in July 1970 by Westbound Records.

<i>Maggot Brain</i> 1971 studio album by Funkadelic

Maggot Brain is the third studio album by the American funk rock band Funkadelic, released by Westbound Records in July 1971. It was produced by bandleader George Clinton and recorded at United Sound Systems in Detroit during late 1970 and early 1971. The album was the final LP recorded by the original Funkadelic lineup; after its release, founding members Tawl Ross (guitar), Billy Nelson (bass), and Tiki Fulwood (drums) left the band for various reasons.

<i>America Eats Its Young</i> 1972 studio album by Funkadelic

America Eats Its Young is the fourth 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.

William "Billy Bass" Nelson is a U.S. musician, who was the original bassist for Funkadelic. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.

<i>Lets Take It to the Stage</i> 1975 studio album by Funkadelic

Let's Take It to the Stage is the seventh album by American funk rock band Funkadelic. It was released in April 1975 on Westbound Records. The album charted at number 102 on the Billboard 200 and number 14 on the R&B Albums.

<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 Brothers 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 (band) 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>Standing on the Verge of Getting It On</i> 1974 studio album by Funkadelic

Standing on the Verge of Getting It On is the sixth studio album by Funkadelic, released on Westbound Records, released in July 1974. It is notable for featuring the return of guitarist Eddie Hazel.

<i>Uncle Jam Wants You</i> 1979 studio album by Funkadelic

Uncle Jam Wants You is the eleventh studio album by American funk rock band Funkadelic. It was originally released by Warner Bros. Records on September 21, 1979, and was later reissued on CD by Charly Groove Records and Priority Records. It was produced by George Clinton under the alias Dr. Funkenstein. It is the first Funkadelic album since America Eats Its Young in 1972 not to sport a cover illustrated by Funkadelic artist Pedro Bell, though Bell did provide artwork for the album’s back cover and interior. Uncle Jam Wants You was the second Funkadelic album to be certified gold. The album peaked at #18 on the US Billboard 200 and #2 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

<i>Funkadelic</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Funkadelic

Funkadelic is the debut album by the American funk rock band Funkadelic, released in 1970 on Westbound Records.

<i>A Song for You</i> (The Temptations album) 1975 studio album by The Temptations

A Song for You is a 1975 album by The Temptations. It features two R&B #1 hits: "Happy People", and "Shakey Ground", one of the group's final R&B #1 songs.

<i>Osmium</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Parliament

Osmium is the debut album of American funk band Parliament, led by George Clinton. The album has a psychedelic soul sound with a spirit of experimentation that is more similar to early Funkadelic than the later R&B-inspired Parliament albums. It was originally released in July 1970 on Invictus Records. The original vinyl release contained a glossy lyric sheet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heat Wave (1963 song)</span> 1963 single by Martha and the Vandellas

"Heat Wave" is a 1963 song written by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team. It was first made popular by the Motown vocal group Martha and the Vandellas. Released as a 45 rpm single on July 9, 1963, on the Motown subsidiary Gordy label, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot R&B chart—where it stayed for four weeks—and peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>All the Woo in the World</i> 1978 studio album by Bernie Worrell

All The Woo In The World is the debut Funk album by Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, released in 1978 by Arista Records. The album was produced by Bernie Worrell and P-Funk leader George Clinton and features various P-Funk alumni including Garry Shider, Bootsy Collins, Junie Morrison, Billy Bass Nelson, and Eddie Hazel.

<i>Out of the Dark</i> (O.G. Funk album) 1993 studio album by O.G. Funk (Billy Bass Nelson)

Out of the Dark is the first solo album by original Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Billy Bass Nelson, released under the name O.G. Funk. The album was released in 1993 by Polystar records in Japan and by Rykodisc in the U.S. and the United Kingdom the following year. It was produced by Nelson and Bill Laswell as part of Laswell's Black Arc Series. The album features re-workings of various early Funkadelic tracks as well as original material. Out of the Dark is dedicated to fellow P-Funk musician Eddie Hazel, who had died a year prior to the release of the album.

<i>Live: Meadowbrook, Rochester, Michigan – 12th September 1971</i> 1996 live album by Funkadelic

Funkadelic Live: Meadowbrook, Rochester, Michigan 12th September 1971 is a 1996 live release featuring the only official in-concert recording from early in the career of Funkadelic. Westbound Records owner Armen Boladian had decided to record the show without the band's prior notice, for a possible official live album release. Boladian then decided not to go forward with the project. The soundboard recording resided with engineer Ed Wolfram until being unearthed in 1996. The album contains the entire live performance of September 12, 1971, minus approximately three minutes of between-song chatter.

<i>Toys</i> (Funkadelic album) 2008 compilation album by Funkadelic

Toys is a compilation consisting of unreleased music by American funk rock band Funkadelic. It was released by Westbound Records in 2008 and consists of previously unreleased sessions recorded during the band's tenure for Westbound. The album was originally scheduled to be released in 2002, but was delayed numerous times, presumably due to legal issues. The CD also features a video clip of the song "Cosmic Slop", which can only be viewed on a PC.

Donald Charles Baldwin is an American musician, arranger, and composer. He achieved significant commercial success with recordings he wrote, arranged, and performed for Motown Records and Invictus/Hot Wax Records from 1970 to 1980. His Notable works include his recordings with many widely known musical acts including: Temptations, Commodores, and Bonnie Pointer, as well as record producers Holland-Dozier-Holland and Jeffrey Bowen.

References

  1. "discogs.com". discogs.com. 1975. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 572.