Thanks Danny for all you do with and for the “P”!!
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I’m looking forward to reading this. I hope more light is shed on the “Detroit Horn Section” listed in the other book for Chocolate City.
This one threw me. Someone told me years ago that the horns on that album as well as Up For Down Stroke was a crew out of L.A. that the Mob got wind of thru Rufus & Chaka.
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Because McKinley Jackson played on some Parliaments stuff, was on invictus with Parliament. and played for Funkadelic on Back in our Minds, I wondered if ‘Detroit horns’ meant himself and the Politicians. Probably not.
I think Fred Wesley mentions the Detroit horns in regard to Chocolate City in his book; but can’t remember if he gives any names. I’ll check that later.
Johnny Taylor’s album Eargasm, horns credited to The Detroit Horns. Zach Slater on drums, who was part of the same Invictus houseband as McKinley Jackson…
HDH’s version of the Funk brothers.
Members: Clay Robinson, McKinley Jackson, Melvin Griffin, Roderick Chandler, Zachary Slatter
THAT sax solo on Ride On is something else. Would Love to know who the funk that was.
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I heard they were out of Cali back in 2000 from someone who was way on the inside of The Mob from day one. So, yes I am perplexed. What Fred said in the book is that just to show how much horns really mean to George Clinton is when he was not given any royalties for his work on Mothership Connection. As a horn man myself I say that is just a tragedy.
I certainly thought about the fact they did not even list the horns on Down Stroke nor CC. At least, not that I can recall. I don 't have the albums in front of me but don’t remember.
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Just read that very chapter in Fred’s book: GC’s view of the horns - they’re just horns.
Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Kush, Rick Gardner, the Breckers…just horns. Outrageous. The JB’s are just horns.
A sad tail where the noses win in the end, but not the saddest tail in that book. I’m just glad Fred survived it all. It was a close run thing.
In the interest of balance, Fred is also very complimentary about the artistic freedom he was given by GC.
He didn’t have to play the advanced mind games he had to play with James. George didn’t try to tell Fred he knew his job better, he respected his ability and let him flourish…just that when it was payday, if you didn’t have publishing rights, you weren’t seeing much of it.
They were hired guns, respected for their ability and allowed to do their thing; then paid the flat rate when it was over.
The Horns were by no means the only players to find this out. Parliament Funkadelic far from being the only place this went down. In fact, it would be difficult to find exceptions in such a filthy industry. Money, innit?
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Yes, I am glad you mentioned the creativity thang. Trade off.
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Arrived in the mail today. A detailed analysis of the year 1975. The year of P-Funk lift. Pictures provided by the Groove Maneuvers Archives. Glad to have been a part of another positive P-Funk project. The best is yet to come.
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hey Tim. Just say “im him”. Thanx for all your pix man!!
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