• Yesterday evening I found it was Bootsy Collins' birthday when I read a George Clinton tweet. Since I'm a moderator on RapGenius.com and nobody else did I wrote an article showcasing some of the best-known songs Bootsy Collins appeared on. Sadly, the blogpost didn't get published because we had a little bit of trouble that evening and posting it a day after is pretty disrespectful.
  Now I'm stuck with the lap of text and thought I'd post it here to show y'all what I wrote. (Everything following now is from the article, pictures and links to RapGenius pages have been removed)

  ---

  No, no, no, not The Coup Boots Riley. The title is referring to bass-player Bootsy Collins, whose birthday it is today. Bootsy is mentioned a lot when the frequent usage of funk samples is dragged into a discussion, although he is often not named himself nor even referred alone. But it’s the groups and some of the affiliates that you probably know. Without realizing it, you love the samples they have provided over the years. Bootsy produced some of the most frequently sampled funk cuts and funky hip hop records.

  Back in the 60’s, Bootsy started out with the funk band The Pacemakers (Members included his brother Catfish Collins and Philippé Wynne of The Spinners), after most members of James Brown’s band ended up quitting after some money issues. James decided to hire The Pacemakers, all former members, along other new musicians as a back-up band for his new, more groovy, less drum-centered sound. With now famous musicians like Bootsy, Catfish (Guitar), Maceo Parker (Saxophone), Fred Wesley (Trombone), Bobby Byrd (Organ, vocals), John “Jabo” Starks (Drums), and more, the group released some chart-topping singles, such as:

  Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine

  Sex Machine is arguably the best-known record released by the Soul Brother No. 1. You and your parents will remember the title, — or at least the words “sex machine”, — when this song comes on. While well known by the “usual” people for the words mentioned above, the announcement of the bridge, and the call and response interplay between Brown and Byrd, the song hides a more widespread use. The song is praised among hip-hop fans for the drum break which has been sampled many times, most notably in the mid-to-late 80’s, like most James Brown songs

  After the 60’s ended, Brown’s popularity started to dim down. It quickly became less because of the rising upcome of other more horn, synthesizer and pitch-orientated musicians. The Collins left the J.B.’s and formed parts of multiple bands in 1976. The brothers became a part of the legendary Parliament–Funkadelic collective (George Clinton, Garry Shider, Eddie Hazel, Michael Hampton, Bernie Worrell, Billy Bass, etc.). And they made their own band; Bootsy’s Rubber Band in which Bootsy also provided most lead vocals.

  The Parliament-Funkadelic days were great for Bootsy. And he undoubtedly has more hits with this collective than with any other group of musicians. Of which most made a big impact on the hip hop industry when g-funk came in existence. Hits like “Bop Gun”, “Flash Light”, “Knee Deep”, and “One Nation Under a Groove” are perfect examples of songs that set the basis for classic hip hop songs.

  I’d Rather Be With You

  Once Bootsy formed Bootsy’s Rubber Band the records started rolling in. Including this single off of the first Rubber Band album which featured numerous Parliament-Funkadelic members. As the Rubber Band actually is an offshoot act. The track may not be Bootsy’s biggest or best song, but it is often interpolated and sampled. Usually as riff or base for the melody (“Mo' Murda”, “Gettin' It”, “Ratha Be Ya Nigga”, etc.)

  More Bounce to the Ounce

  The 1980 Zapp hit “More Bounce to the Ounce” is that one hit everybody knows from the numerous times it has been sampled in hip hop. (“Ain’t No Future in Yo Frontin'”, “Pollywanacraka”, “You Gots to Chill”, “Going Back to Cali”, etc.). Bootsy didn’t even play bass on this record, actually. He played the guitar on this bounce classic, and the rest of the Zapp album

  Groove Is in the Heart

  When the late 80’s began and funk and genres alike buzzed out Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, Kool and other funk artists lost a lot their popularity and barely had charting releases. In the early 90’s female disco had a small comeback and Bootzilla profited off of that. He appeared with old-collaborator Maceo Parker and A Tribe Called Quest rapper Q-Tip on the Deee-Lite single “Groove Is in the Heart”. Which made its way up on multiple charts

  Make sure to wish Boots a happy birthday while it still is his birthday by tweeting or posting on his FaceBook wall. And buy one of the new George Clinton hands to support the movement while you’re at it!

  Also, now I’ve told some stuff about Bootsy Collins. I would love to know your favourite song which he was (sampled) on?

• No Comments

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!