SteveP

Hi all. Can anyone recommend any good resources for researching 60s, 70s Funk and Soul history, styles, music scenes etc. I'm focusing mainly on lesser known, rare or underground stuff. It's for a book of transcribed funk/soul drum beats and breaks I'm putting together. Any info is greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Steve

MISTERQCUE

This is an excellent study and historical view (plus a good read) on one author's take on the history of Funk;


THE HISTORY OF FUNK BY RICKEY VINCENT at the Amoeblog


Rickey Vincent literally wrote the book on funk. The college professor, writer, and radio DJ, who resides in Berkeley CA with his wife and two sons, is the author of the acclaimed music history book Funk: The Music, the People, and the Rhythm of The One (St. Martin's Press) which won the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award. If you don't already have this book, with a forward by George Clinton, I highly recommended it since it is the most comprehensive study on funk.

In addition to being an author & journalist, Vincent has taught at City College of San Francisco and SF State University where he taught a course entitled Protest Music Since 1965: Funk, Rap and the Black Revolution. Rickey is also a longtime Bay Area radio DJ at stations KALX and KPFA, where he still hosts his popular weekly funk show The History of Funk, Fridays at 10PM on 94.1FM.

Necromancer

Check out, Kool & Together - Sittin' On A Red Hot Stove, from 1973 if your looking for obscure funk/soul.

You have to include New Orleans, Mardi Gra, and Cajun if your looking for syncopated beats even before funk and soul.

Gemray

I think soulyears dot com is probably the best resource of soul music historically. Certainly the best I have found so far anyways

pauly

Standing in the shadow of Motown is really great

Necromancer

Sly And The Family Stones 1969 album Stand! is a good place to start.