Mommy, what's a Funk Box?

[hoodat]

what it is? what it look like?

[T.A. Matthew]

You can hear the effect on Larry Graham's Bass, on the Sly and the
Family Stone's song: 'Thank you (Falettinme be mice elf again). A small
Floor box with a foot button on it-On and Off, at least thats the way
the one I have looks like. You can run a guitar on it also, I believe
Bootsy Collins uses it some times.

Peace out, T.A.

[Case1906]

No--you are thinking of 'fuzz' which is activated by a one of Larry or
Bootsy's many pedals (ie Sly's Sex Machine). The funk box I believe the
original poster is asking about is more of a small drum machine/percussion
synth. It is prevalent on the early GCS albums "played" by Choclet. It looks
like a box --uhhh--- maybe 2 feet wide and 9 inches tall. Graham would make it
looks more exotic by attaching silver Christmas tree streamers over its stand.

Case

>You can hear the effect on Larry
Graham's Bass, on the Sly and the
>Family Stone's song: 'Thank you (Falettinme be mice elf again). A small
>Floor box with a foot button on it-On and Off, at least thats the way
>the one I have looks like. You can run a guitar on it also, I believe
>Bootsy Collins uses it some times.
>

>

>hoodat wrote:
>
>> what it is? what it look like?

Case

[T.A. Matthew]

Oh yes, the one I have looks like a Fuzz Box, but it has 'Funk Box' written on it. I acquired this thing about 18 years ago from a friend. It has nuttin' to do with a beat machine Etc. All I know is I can get the "Wop,Wop" effect, when ever I pluck a Bass string. I may in fact not be on the same page with the individual who sent the original thread, my bad if thats the case!

Peace Out, T.A.
////////////

[Artsforce]

the funk box was the name givin to
the percussion synthesizer
Choclet played on the hit song
"The Jam" by Graham Central Station

The instruments' real name is called
the Rythm King

This instrument was made popular
by the record "There's A Riot Goin On"
by Sly and the Family Stone
on songs like Family Affair and
other Sly songs

Parliament also used this instrument
callin it The Man In The Box
on The Goose and other tunes

It was one of the first drum machines
one can play manually the snare
the kick,conga sounds etc...

The Funk Box was one of the funkiest
musical machines invented that
sounded like no other

This instrument is somewhat extinct

[T.A. Matthew]

I do recall Choclet callin' the rhythm machine she played on the 'Jam'
the Funk Box, and I agree that this instrument is probably obsolete!

Peace, T.A.
//////////////

[DavisK]

Didn't Kraftwerk also use it on 'Trans-Europe Express'? It sounded like
one was used.

T.A. Matthew wrote :

[Tony B.]

Bring back the funk box! Some more well-known funk box tunes:

"Rock Your Baby" - George McCrae
Theme From "Which Way Is Up" - Stargard
"1990" - The Temptations (a funkboxtastic album!)

Tony B.

Artsforce wrote in message <19990725131332...@ng-bj1.aol.com>...

[Simon]

Hey Tony B - someone else with taste :)

George McCrae (I'm due to see him perform here in December).
It's sad that only his first album (Rock Your Baby) has been issued on CD,
and not the follow up "George McCrae".

1990 - Temptations. That album has never been issued on CD. What a delight
it will be when that finally IS issued.

Simon

[T-Mad]

I'm a little confused here - do you mean you're due to see George McCrae
perform on TV or something? I was under the impression that George
McCrae of "Rock Your Baby" fame, and ex-husband of Gwen McCrae of
"Rockin' Chair" fame, has been dead for many years now from cancer.

T-Mad

[Simon]

No George McCrae is very much alive. It was some sort of a rumor that was
created a few years' ago. I believe he lives somewhere in the Caribbean -
but I can't remember precisely where.

I'm seeing him perform live in December.

Simon

[T-Mad]

Ooo, well shut my mouth! I guess this is one time where a music source
of mine failed me BIG time! Thanks for setting me straight on that
one. I'd have hated to put his song "Rock Your Baby" on my web site
and, in my comments section, state as a fact that he died in 1988 from
cancer only to find out that he's quite alive in the islands. That
would have been a bit embarrasing. :-)

T-Mad's Music
http://t-mad.simplenet.com/html/t-mad_s_music.html

[Gary Tyson]

This is weird. I have a book by Hugh Gregory called "Soul Music A- Z
from 1991 and it state the following: " His career was cut short by a
prematured death from a heart attack on July 6, 1979." Maybe George
needs to come out and set the record straight.
Gary

[Tonee Jai]

He's Very much Alive...been living in the Netherlands

[tonee...@gmail.com]

On Saturday, July 24, 1999 at 2:00:00 AM UTC-5, hoodat wrote:
> what it is? what it look like?

Its a Drum Machine actually the Maestro Rhythm King MRK-1

[Rink]

Op 14-5-2019 om 16:01 schreef Tonee Jai:

Correct
According to Dutch wikipedia, He has three homes one in The Netherlands,
one in Aruba (Caribean) and one in West Palm Beach.
He is now 76.

He performed Rock your Baby in january 2021 on German TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGDwijxS5EA

I remember this song was nr. 1 in The Netherlands at the time that our
offshore radio stations had to stop transmitting on 31 August 1974.
Radio Veronica had been transmitted om mediumwave for more then 14 years,
Radio Northsea International for more then 4 years on MW, SW and VHF-FM.


Nice to see is the story behind Rock your baby, filmed in 2004.
Made for the Top 2000 of (Dutch) NPO Radio 2
You will understand it, because most is in English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=excrbuqwMa8

Rink