[Column] Parliament / Funkadelic: The whole story of the P-Funk revolution - deciphering space myths, groove techniques, and cultural heritage

Column en 70s 80s Funk Rock

15 Nov 2025

[Column] Parliament / Funkadelic: The whole story of the P-Funk revolution - deciphering space myths, groove techniques, and cultural heritage

Prologue: What is P-Funk? A cosmic cultural revolution that goes beyond “funk”

Text: mmr｜Theme: About the worldview of P-Funk, which still exists as the foundation of current hip-hop, R&B, electro, art, and fashion.

In the history of black American music in the second half of the 20th century, Parliament/Funkadelic (commonly known as P-Funk) is the group that combines the grandest mythology and sound innovation. Led by George Clinton, this collective was more than just a band, it was a gigantic project that combined a multiverse story, a futuristic technological sensibility, and the thoroughly physical rhythms of funk.

P-Funk becomes clear when you understand it in terms of the following three axes.

Parliament: Epic funk opera type sound
Funkadelic: A fusion of psychedelic rock and soul
P-Funk collective: comprehensive art including musicians, costumes, space mythology, live performances, etc.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of P-Funk’s musical techniques, cultural impact, chronology, song analysis, and influence on future generations.

Chapter 1: Birth of Parliament / Funkadelic - 1950s-early 70s

■ “Doo-wop dream” started in a New Jersey barber shop

P-Funk’s origins date back to the late 1950s at the Plainfield Barber Shop in Newark, where George Clinton worked. While waiting for customers, he harmonized with his friends and formed a doo-wop group called The Parliaments.

The dream of young black men at the time was the “Motown sound.” George Clinton studied Smokey Robinson’s songwriting techniques and based them on beautiful choruses and catchy melodies.

Mini Illustrated: The Parliaments → Evolution of P-Funk

flowchart TD A["The Parliaments
(Doowop 1950s)"] --> B["Funkadelic
(Psychedelic Funk)"] A --> C["Parliament
(Funk Opera)"] B --> D["P-Funk Collective
Comprehensive Project"] C --> D

Chapter 2: The Rise of Funkadelic - The Psychedelicization of Black Music (1968-)

In 1968, George Clinton envisioned a “black Jimi Hendrix” and started Funkadelic. After Larry Graham’s slap, funk quickly became more rhythm-driven, but Funkadelic further blended:

● Musical characteristics of Funkadelic

Introduction of psych-rock guitar (Eddie Hazel)
Rough Garage Funk Beat
Black church gospel call and response
Lyrics with strong political criticism

In particular, 1971”s “Maggot Brain” is remembered for Eddie Hazell”s over 10 minute guitar solo. It has been described as the “musical embodiment of black sadness and anger.”

Chapter 3: Parliament’s Space Myth - Building the P-Funk Mythology (1974~)

In the mid-1970s, George Clinton began developing black science fiction under the name Parliament.

■Mothership Connection (1975)

Concept: Afrofuturism x Funk
Theme: “The black funk savior from space”
At the live performance, a giant spaceship called “Mothership” descended, sending the audience into a frenzy.

To this point, P-Funk has strengthened the following elements in all directions.

● P-Funk space myth keywords

Sir Nose D’Voidoffunk
Starchild (Warrior of Light)
The Mothership (symbol of salvation)
Bop Gun (Funk Weapon)

These characters are integrated into the music, costumes, stage direction, liners, and artwork. P-Funk = the myth of funk as a comprehensive art has been completed.

Chapter 4: A deep dive into musical technique - Why is P-Funk’s sound so “cosmic”?

What makes P-Funk unique is not just the strength of its groove, but its “structural control.”

■ 1. “Rubbery Bass” by Bootsy Collins

Octave bounce
Laid back nori
Heavy use of syncopation *Using Distortion and Auto-Wah

■ 2. Drum “low gravity groove”

The drumming of Jerome “Bigfoot” Braley and others has the following characteristics.

Minimal bass drum
Snare is deep and back *Hi-hat has a bit of a shuffle

As a result, the beat feels like it’s moving forward while floating.

■ 3. Opera-like depth of chorus and ensemble

5 to 9 people always overlap
Arrange multiple singers with different voice qualities
Gospel style response

■ 4. Horn”s funky “instruction sound”

James Brown-style sharp accent
But it has more play than JB and more harmony than unison.

■ 5. Future sound of synthesizer

Barney Worrell’s Minimoog brought “cosmic electronic sounds” to black music for the first time. The origin of hip-hop, G-funk, and electro.

Chapter 5: Masterpiece guide (detailed explanation)

■ Funkadelic “Maggot Brain” (1971)

The pinnacle of black rock
The title song is a masterpiece called “Crying Guitar”
A forerunner of art-rock funk with strong social metaphors

■ Parliament “Mothership Connection” (1975)

The central work of the P-Funk myth
Global hits such as “Give Up the Funk” and “Mothership Connection”
Maximizes live theatricality

■ Funkadelic “One Nation Under a Groove” (1978)

More danceable
Conveys a message of ethnic harmony and freedom

Chapter 6: Member structure of P-Funk collective (illustration)

graph TD G[George Clinton
Producer / Concept] --> P1[Parliament] G --> P2[Funkadelic] G --> P3[Bootsy's Rubber Band] G --> P4[Parlet] G --> P5[Brides of Funkenstein] G --> P6[The Horny Horns] P2 --> E[Edie Hazel] P2 --> B1[Michael Hampton] P1 --> W[Bootsy Collins] P1 --> BW[ Bernie Worrell ]

P-Funk left three major impacts on black culture.

■ (1) Expansion of black science fiction expression (Afrofuturism)

Along with Sun Ra, P-Funk created a cultural foundation for black people’s future.

■ (2) Re-evaluation through hip-hop

In particular, the following artists sampled extensively.

Dr. Dre (G-Funk) *Ice Cube *Digital Underground *Public Enemy
De La Soul

■ (3) Spread into fashion, art, and political thought

Multicolored hair, space suit, giant boots
Anti-discrimination message through space mythology *George Clinton offered a “funk philosophy of liberation”

Chapter 8: P-Funk Chronology (Details)

timeline title Parliament / Funkadelic 年表 1950 : ジョージ・クリントン、The Parliaments 結成 1967 : "I Wanna Testify" が小ヒット 1968 : Funkadelic 始動（Westbound Records） 1970 : 『Funkadelic』デビュー 1971 : 『Maggot Brain』発表 1974 : Parliament と Funkadelic が並行で活動 1975 : 『Mothership Connection』リリース 1977 : Bootsy’s Rubber Band が成功 1978 : 『One Nation Under a Groove』全米1位 1980 : P-Funk名義の活動が縮小 1990s : G-Funkムーブメントで再評価 1997 : George Clinton、Rock & Roll Hall of Fame入り 2010s : クリントン、若手と共演しつつツアー継続

Chapter 9: Connecting with future generations of artists

■ Dr. Dre (G-Funk)

Inherited P-Funk’s synth and snare arrangement
“Mothership Connection” sampled by Ice Cube and others

■ Prince

Multiple personality character construction
Live theater/sexual expression/cross-genre

■ Thundercat & Flying Lotus

Inheriting the bouncy feel of the bass and the sense of space *Thundercat speaks of Bootsy as its direct ancestor

Conclusion: P-Funk is a “huge archive of black futures”

George Clinton is more than just a funk leader. He was a “cultural architect” who brought together music, the body, the universe, mythology, and social criticism.

P-Funk’s worldview is still alive today as the foundation of current hip-hop, R&B, electro art, and fashion. As long as P-Funk remains at the center of black music that speaks to the future, their spaceship “Mothership” will never land.

Appendix: Recommended discography (from introduction to deep dive)

Funkadelic “Maggot Brain”
Funkadelic “Cosmic Slop” *Parliament “Mothership Connection”
Parliament “Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome”
Bootsy”s Rubber Band “Stretchin” Out in Bootsy”s Rubber Band”

Appendix: Live composition (1976 Mothership Tour reproduction map)

flowchart TD Audience((Audience)) --> Stage[Main Stage] Stage --> Horns["Horn Section\n(Horny Horns)"] Stage --> Vocals["Vocal Ensemble"] Stage --> Bootsy["Bootsy Collins\n(Bass)"] Stage --> Bernie["Bernie Worrell\n(Keyboards)"] Stage --> Guitar["Guitar Zone"] Stage --> Ship["Mothership\nAdvent Gimmick"]