Flash Light (song)

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"Flash Light"
Flashlight45.jpg
German picture sleeve for the single "Flash Light"
Single by Parliament
from the album Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome
B-side "Swing Down Sweet Chariot"
ReleasedJanuary 28, 1978
Recorded1977
Genre Funk [1]
Length10:42 (extended 12" version)

5:46 (album version)

4:28 (single version)
Label Casablanca NB 909
Songwriter(s) George Clinton/Bootsy Collins/Bernie Worrell
Producer(s) George Clinton
Parliament singles chronology
"Bop Gun (Endangered Species)"
(1977)
"Flash Light"
(1978)
"Funkentelechy"
(1978)

"Flash Light" is a song by funk band Parliament, written by George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, and Bootsy Collins and released in January 28, 1978, on the album Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome . [2] It was the first No. 1 R&B hit by any of the P-Funk groups and spent four months on the U.S. pop chart, peaking at No. 1 16. [3] [2]

Contents

"Flash Light" (also called "Flashlight") is the final song on Parliament’s 1977 album Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome . The song finishes the album’s story of the group’s quest to defeat the evil Sir Nose d'Voidoffunk, coercing him to dance.

The track became Parliament's second certified million-selling single, following "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)". [4] "Flash Light" also gave Casablanca Records its first No. 1 R&B hit. In New Zealand, the song reached #3 [5] and is ranked as the No. 8 hit of 1978. [5] "Flash Light" also charted in Canada (No. 24) and reached No. 3 on WLS-AM in Chicago. [6]

Background

The song's distinctive bass line is often attributed to Bootsy Collins and was originally written for him. However, Collins rejected the part and Bernie Worrell created the line on at least three, possibly four connected Minimoog synthesizers. Worrell also played all the song's keyboard parts. [7] The New York Times described Worrell's synthesized bass as a "descending and ascending chromatic line with a meaty tone and a certain swagger, an approach that would spread through funk, new wave, electro, synth-pop and countless other iterations." [8]

Collins contributed to the track by handling drum duties while his elder brother Catfish Collins played rhythm guitar. Lead vocals were by bandleader Clinton. Clinton credited Worrell with the idea of composing the song under a motif. Starting out as a jam, Clinton recorded multiple tracks, layering up to 50 voices within the theme of an inclusive love song. The "Da da da dee da da da" chant was based on a chant from a dance at a bar mitzvah party that Clinton had heard from a friend. [9]

Impact and legacy

"Flash Light" continued the "Fake the Funk/Your nose will grow/Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk" concept that began with Bootsy's Rubber Band's "The Pinocchio Theory". Its success would greatly influence not only funk music, but also new wave and hip-hop. [10] The Houston Press ranked "Flash Light" as Clinton's most sampled song, finding more than 60 uses, including on Aaliyah's "Back and Forth" and UGK's "Protect and Serve". [11] "Flash Light" was rated No. 75 in Tablet 's list of 100 Best Jewish Songs. [12] Rolling Stone ranked "Flash Light" No. 202 on its 2011 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [2] The song was sampled by Salt-N-Pepa in their 1986 hit "I'll Take Your Man", and in 2018 by the City Girls for their version of the song. Hip-hop group Digital Underground sampled the song for their hit "Doowutchyalike".

Clinton recorded a duet version of the song called "Flashlight (Spaceflight)" for the 1999 film Muppets from Space along with Bill Barretta as Pepe the King Prawn. [13]

The song was used in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 credits, and was included in the film's soundtrack. [14]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1978)Peak
position
US Hot Soul Singles ( Billboard ) [15] 1
US Billboard Hot 100 [16] 16

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [17] Gold1,000,000^

^ 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.

<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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernie Worrell</span> American keyboardist and record producer (1944–2016)

George Bernard Worrell, Jr. was an American keyboardist and record producer best known as a founding member of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective. In later years, he also worked with acts such as Talking Heads, Bill Laswell, and Jack Bruce. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. Worrell was described by journalist Jon Pareles as "the kind of sideman who is as influential as some bandleaders," with his use of synthesizers particularly impactful on funk and hip hop.

<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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bootsy Collins</span> American bassist

William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American bass guitarist, singer-songwriter, and record producer.

<i>Stretchin Out in Bootsys Rubber Band</i> 1976 studio album by Bootsys Rubber Band

Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band is the first album by American funk and soul band Bootsy's Rubber Band, an offshoot act of Parliament-Funkadelic led by bassist and vocalist William "Bootsy" Collins. It was released on January 30, 1976, on Warner Bros. Records.

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

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<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".

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)</span> 1978 single by Parliament

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pinocchio Theory</span> 1977 single by Bootsys Rubber Band

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References

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  2. 1 2 3 (April 7, 2011). "500 Greatest Songs of All Time", Rolling Stone. Retrieved on September 29, 2016.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004", Record Research, Menomonee Falls, WI. ISBN   0898201608
  4. Parliament Gold & Platinum albums and singles. RIAA Gold & Platinum database. Retrieved on September 29, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART.
  6. "WLS Musicradio 89". Oldiesloon.com. 1978-05-20. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  7. Pareles, Jon. (November 1, 2010) "Honoring the Moment When Music Met Moog," The New York Times. Retrieved on September 29, 2016.
  8. Pareles, Jon. (June 24, 2016) "Bernie Worrell, Whose Keyboards Left an Imprint on Funk and Hip-Hop, Dies at 72", The New York Times. Retrieved on October 4, 2016.
  9. Reid, Vernon (2007). The Vibe Q: Raw and Uncut, p. 45. Dafina, Kensington Publishing Corp., New York, New York. ISBN   1601830025. (from original interview with George Clinton entitled, "Brother From Another Planet", (November, 1993)
  10. Deggans, Eric (June 25, 2016). "Bernie Worrell: The Most Influential Keyboardist You've Probably Never Heard Of," NPR All Things Considered. Retrieved on October 4, 2016.
  11. Avery, Justin (February 20, 2013). "Top 5 Most Sampled George Clinton Songs", Houston Press. Retrieved on October 4, 2016.
  12. Rosen, Jody and Kelman, Ari Y. (December 21, 2010)."Song of Songs – 100 Best Jewish Songs," Tablet. Retrieved on October 5, 2016
  13. "Muppets from Space (1999)". IMDb .
  14. "New 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Clip: Rocket, Quill Fight Over Controls During Space Battle (Video)". www.thewrap.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-12.
  15. "Parliament Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard . Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  16. "Parliament Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  17. "American single certifications – Parliament – Flash Light". Recording Industry Association of America.