@Seventieslord I researched this a while back. I think it is supposed to be all of them, as in a The Parliaments “reunion” record. There’s a 35 second clip Gimme Gimme Gimme with Calvin Simon, Fuzzy Haskins, George Clinton, Grady Thomas and Ray Davis from 2000. Also, I assume Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight from How Late is highly related, if not a teaser.
The project which he seems most excited, however, is a reunion record with the original members of the Parliaments. Two members - Grady Thomas and Ray Davis - worked with Clinton on his latest album. The others - Calvin Simon and Fuzzy Haskins, the latter now a preacher - have recently been rounded up.
“I want to do half of the album old doo-wop and do the other half of what we call ‘new-wop,’” Clinton says. “You know, like sing all into the Fairlight and put it on tape with the machine and sing the other half of it straight like we used to do. We’ll do some originals and I really want to do some old r&b songs that never made it pop, like maybe some Spaniels or some El Dorados.” Clinton starts to sing "I’ll Be Forever Lovin’ You
He calls the style they’re working on “new-wop” and plays a tape of a song over the phone, chuckling when he gets back on the line. “We went into the studio last night and said we’re gonna do some a cappella with little hip-hop things under it,” he says. “Ain’t it funny?”
“Mark and I figured we’d mix some doo-wop, hip hop and techno doo wop and call it “re bop!” I’ve been thinking about it for a while now.” Techno doo wop? “That’s when you play a slow ballad groove against a triple time beat. I first did that on ‘How Late Do You Have to Be Before You’re Absent.’” George was very purposeful in the diversity of his special guests. “I didn’t want the record to be ‘nostalgic,’” he states. “I wanted to merge the old school with the new school. Some of the kids didn’t even know the original songs, so they did them their own way.”
Yes both of those are on it but there are at least 7 or more other songs as well. Bernie, Sidney Barnes, Clip, Lige, Paul Steve snd others involved too. This was recorded around 2000-2003.
Additionally there was a never-released “P-Funk All-Stars cover Motown” album that was completed a few years before Shake the Gate. It was recorded between 2011-2013 and was a fully complete album as well
Danny, there’s a doo wop song that P-Funkster Jones uploaded to Youtube. The description says: In 1994 the original parliaments were getting interviewed and george has a cassette tape he played for the interviewer of a old DoWop Song By the Juliettes - Forever loving you. He And the Fellas sung it accapella.
The backing track, All your Goodies Are Gone, was added by P-Funkster Jones. With regard to the song that George and the guys are singing, do you know if they actually recorded it and finished it? Thanks.
I don’t think I’m the only one here who thinks this but I’m pretty sure the holy grail of unreleased P-Funk material is live concert video footage, specifically from the pre-Mothership era.
There was some footage with no audio in the PBS documentary of a Ron Bykowski-era show, does this footage exist and with full audio? Is George sitting on any of this and are there reasons legal or otherwise that none of this has been released?
Maybe Danny you have insight on this but I know myself and many other funkateers would pony up big time for access to unseen archival footage like this!
I’m surprised no one has asked this yet, do you know what’s happening with the Warner Bros. Funkadelic albums? Are there any plans for reissues of these albums that would not only include additional, previously unreleased material (Throbbasonic Attack?) but also see them being released to streaming services?
I love that song. Would love to hear Ray singing it.
Down here in North Carolina, Sixty Minute Man still gets significant airplay on beach music and oldies stations. If a killer cover was released and sent to those type stations, I bet they’d play it.
In addition to Sixty Minute Man, did Ray do a cover of Green Eyes by the Ravens, featuring Jimmy Ricks? Or any other Jimmy Ricks song? Jimmy Ricks used to be the gold standard for bass singers.
Thanks for sharing all this valuable information with us! Much appreciated for sure.
Quick question about, The Last Time Zone.
Was there ever a definitive track listing? I know you mentioned it was completed and done.
And, was there an official album cover and other corresponding artwork from Pedro Bell? I’ve seen a few variations on a cover.
