Here’s the description of the book on the publishers site:
P-Funk keyboardist Daniel Bedrosian brings to life the recording and musical activity of Parliament-Funkadelic in 1975, an epoch-making year marked by the release of three seminal albums: Chocolate City, Let’s Take It to the Stage, and Mothership Connection. By the end of it, George Clinton and P-Funk were catapulted into superstardom, becoming a massive platinum success with multiple hit singles.
Incorporating exclusive insights and memories from significant P-Funk members including Clinton himself, the book investigates how P-Funk’s sound evolved throughout the year and eventually crystallized into the unique sound most associated with the group. Bedrosian pulls back the curtain on these three albums and their individual tracks, revealing important details of production styles, artistic processes, musical influences, themes, historical importance, and so much more. He also dives into major P-Funk lore and political and social influences during this time, including Clinton’s Afrofuturism.
At the beginning of 1975, Chocolate City-as a “tribute to Washington D.C.”-saw George Clinton putting Black people in the White House. By the end of the year, Mothership Connection-much more a movement than an album-saw him launching Black people in space, solidifying the band’s music as its own subgenre and laying down the foundation for many different types of popular music, including hip-hop.
And the chapters.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter One - Overview of 1975
Chapter Two - The Prior 20 Years of P-Funk History
Chapter Three - Chocolate City by Parliament
Chapter Four - Let’s Take It to the Stage by Funkadelic
Chapter Five - Mothership Connection by Parliament
Chapter Six - P-Funk’s Development and Influence from 1975 Onward
Epilogue
Appendix A: The Players
Appendix B: Select Samples and Interpolations List
Select Sources
Index
Looking forward to this, hopefully there’ll be a hard copy available in the UK. Bloomsbury UK only have ebook/PDF last time I checked.
I’m reading George Clinton’s autobiography at the moment. Normally, when I read a biog/autobiog, I listen along chronologically. but there are just so many albums in such a short space of time, it’s not really possible! All good though.
It’s made me want to get Danny’s first P-Funk book though.
PS - anyone got any good recommendations for UK-based CD shops that are good for funk / P-Funk?
It’s more like meteoric rise in 1976. Mothership Connection was so ahead of its time it didn’t catch on until around March 1976. Disco was the new hot thing and radio stations were playing that. Radio stations didn’t play P. Funk until Tear the Roof Off became a hit
The rise is documented within the 1975 year bc thats when the major transition happened. The transitions between CC and LTITTS and more importantly, from LTITTS and MC. By 76, its a steady climb upward and the release of MC at the end of 75 is the catalyst for the paradigm shift. The shift from MC to TOKF, HJ or CODF in 76 is far less noticeable and shows far less evolution than the prior. There will probably be several books like this, so fret not, there will be plenty of time for context and plenty of context for time.
I checked that out. Funny how we dont know the pains&strainds that an individual goes through to get something accomplished. Like Danny’s P Funk Cannon book. On the outside it looks easy but it was anything but. Just spoke briefly with Danny last week. God bless him in whatever he’s trying to accomplish. Really looking foward to his next book about the “P”!!!
Daniel Bedrosian’s book just came in the mail. So I’m all set between this and the Mothership Connected. (The women of P-Funk) Bookends literally. Congrats to both authors. We needed these. . All things “P”!!!
169 pages.
That’s so weird- I guess I assumed the actual publisher of the book would be quickest, especially when preordering it way back in May…
But while the original estimated dispatch date provided was Oct 2nd (info provided in May, after ordering it), sometime last month, Bloomsbury emailed with a slight update to that— they gave a new dispatch date of Oct 16…. So, nothing yet, of course….but I didn’t expect anyone else would have it a week before the 16th…!
(I have no idea where it’s going to be shipping from, tbh… Bloomsbury has an office in NY and also oversea in the UK— that’s what I know of. Maybe the books that have already been received had a short distance to go overall than than mine ultimately will..)
Ok, yes, I’m damn anxious to have this thing in my hot hands!
Mine arrived early last week — while I’ve been able to pick it up and leaf thru it a number of times, I’ve unfortunately also been so busy w/ work and other things just lately that I haven’t yet had a good chunk of time to properly really start at the beginning and dig in and going on it. I plan to do so this weekend, however—-come hell or high water, I’m making some quality time for it then.
I think it really is my favorite period, that “Choc City”/Let’s Take it To the Stage” period up thru “Mothership” …. what a great idea for a book, first of all, to analyze that time specifically Had you had the idea for long? As a musician myself, it’s always been obvious to me that a really important and noticeable stylistic shift occurred between these releases… musically, lyrically, and thematically. I never imagined or even dared dream of a book on it, though…. so glad such a book’s actually been devoted to it—-and that the author is not only be a serious musician himself, but a member of the band inner circle too, as well—- this was a must-buy, to say the least (as the Authorized Song Reference was as well, for different reasons!)
Got mine as well. Looks super nice. Only read the preface and chapter 1 so far , but I really like the idea of a book that only focuses on one year, to get more of a deep dive. Most books just scratch the surface since there’s so much to cover.
. All things “P”!!!
, but I really like the idea of a book that only focuses on one year, to get more of a deep dive. Most books just scratch the surface since there’s so much to cover.
