Garry Shider is often praised by P-funk fans for his guitar playing, and I really dig his playing on the songs where I know he’s playing lead (see list below), but I don’t know too many songs where does, partly because he mostly played rhythm, but also because finding out who played what on certain P-funk songs is often difficult if not nearly impossible because of the lack of track-by-track credits on the albums, and because of the large amount of musicians who played on them. So other than the songs listed below, do you know any other songs that prominently feature Garry’s guitar work? I’m sure I’ve missed a few.
These are songs where I’m certain (or almost completely certain) that Garry plays:
“Everybody’s Going To Make It This Time”
“You Hit The Nail On The Head”
Live versions of “Cosmic Slop”
“Physical Love” (Stretchin’ Out version)
“Rat Kiss The Cat On The Naval”
“Be What You Is”
And these are songs where Garry might be playing (if you have any insight on who plays on these, feel free to share):
“Miss Luficer’s Love” (probably either Garry or Eddie)
“America Eats Its Young” (could be either Garry or Harold Beane)
“Soul Mate” (either Garry or Eddie, I personally think it’s Eddie but I could be wrong)
“Munchies For Your Love” (there are four other credited guitarists on the album, so who knows)
“P.E. Squad” (I always thought it was Michael Hampton, but I’ve seen a couple of people claiming it’s Garry)
I’ve heard it confirmed that it’s Garry on “Lucifer” and but that he actually plays bass on “Soul Mate” with Eddie on guitar. It’s usually (but not always!) the case of when he’s got writing credit he’s at least on one of the guitars. P.E. Squad is certainly him on rhythm with Mike on lead.
Songs that I would state with almost 100% certainty that Garry is prominently the main guitar on:
One Nation
Do That Stuff
Bop Gun
Funkin’ For Fun
Motor Booty Affair
Unfunky UFO
rhythm guitar on Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts
Freak to Freak
pretty much the entire Cosmic Slop album and big chunks of Standing on the Verge
Plus a bunch of other stuff that I think is him but don’t really have a way of confirming. A lot on the first 2 Bootsy albums for sure.
Mostly yes, the only lead stuff I can really place him on are “Miss Lucifer’s Love” and the live version of “Cosmic Slop”. Eddie is most of the leads on Verge but the Cosmic Slop album is tricky because there’s lots of great solo guitar stuff but it doesn’t really sound like Garry so it must be Ron Bykowski I’m guessing.
I know Eddie plays the solo on the album version of Man’s Best Friend, but my instincts tell me Shider is strumming quite a bit of the instrumental version. Garry is getting some damn good licks in there on Oh, I too on the rhythm.
Ron bykowski played most of the leads on cosmic slop it’s Ron and Gary sharing leads on the whole cosmic slop album
Eddie was back with George during the standing on the verge album sessions Eddie played on every song on that labum
Most songs with g cook or e hazel.means Eddie at least composed the music
Heard Eddie composed a lot of the guitar riffs and Gary, Mike, Ron and blackbyrd studied his riffs aND used them.on plenty of tracks without crediting Eddie
That’s true in the case of “Who Says a Funk Band.” Kevin Goins still remembers that riff being one of Eddie’s most well-known gospel tunes. Many of the old-school Plainfield players performed it with Eddie back in the day. Unfortunately, Eddie isn’t credited with co-writing “Who Says…”
