Parliament 1974-1975
Introduction
Contrary to Funkadelic’s psychedelic rock leanings, Parliament focused on funk. On Chocolate City the grand master of funk George Clinton found his formula, which would conquer the world. “Put a hump in your back / Shake your sacroiliac / And ride on!”
Parliament
In 1974 the first steps into the world of 100% funk were placed on Up For The Down Stroke, but it took one extra year to hear the p-funk in all its splendor. Chocolate City‘s title song was a blueprint for all that was about to come. The team George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell worked together for the first time on an album, the start of an extremely funky and increasingly weirder themes.
Early 1970s the term “chocolate city” was used for the very first time on the funk and soul AM radio stations WOL and WOOK in Washington D.C. Ever since 1957 the number of black citizens was larger than the number of whites, one of the first US cities to achieve that status.
The term represented much more than black consciousness and a quantitative number, it also stood for self-reliance, the chance to take charge of your own life and pride in black heritage. Organization equaled influence, influence equaled more prosperity, pride and self-worth.
Political influence was demanded, and it paid off. Black leaders provided equal rights, true representation, genuine attention for poverty and multiculturalism.
It all stretched out into the world of the arts, and music in particular. Washington D.C. had quickly become a testing ground for black music acts. If it worked there, it would work in several other places as well.
After Up For The Down Stroke Parliament & Co. set out to work on a new album. Funky shorter songs was the route to take.
Parliament – Chocolate City
Chocolate City
On April 8, 1975, Chocolate City, a tribute to Washington D.C., was released. In het Washington District it was a huge success. In that district alone sales exceeded 150,000 copies. Unfortunately, the rest of the country didn’t follow, at least not yet. Parliament was on the verge of a break through and Chocolate City paved the way.
Just the title song alone is inventive enough for buying this album. Musically innovative and remarkable, it’s one of the most funky songs of all time, even though the songs doesn’t even contain drums. Bootsy Collins’s fluid bass playing and Bernie Worrell’s synths and keyboards laid a great foundation for George Clinton’s avant-la-lettre raps:
Uh, what’s happening CC?
They still call it the White House
But that’s a temporary condition, too
Can you dig it, CC?…
There’s a lot of chocolate cities, around
We’ve got Newark, we’ve got Gary
Somebody told me we got L.A.
And we’re working on Atlanta
But you’re the capital, CC…
Ah, blood to blood
Ah, players to ladies
The last percentage count was eighty
You don’t need the bullet when you got the ballot
Are you up for the downstroke, CC?
Chocolate city
Are you with me out there?And when they come to march on ya
Tell ’em to make sure they got their James Brown pass
And don’t be surprised if Ali is in the White House
Reverend Ike, Secretary of the Treasure
Richard Pryor, Minister of Education
Stevie Wonder, Secretary of FINE arts
And Miss Aretha Franklin, the First Lady
Are you out there, CC?
A chocolate city is no dream
It’s my piece of the rock and I dig you, CC
God bless Chocolate City and its vanilla suburbs…
Just got New York, I’m told
© 1975 Parliament
Clinton’s tongue-in-cheek delivery isn’t just funny, but the lyrics contain some truly remarkable lines. Clinton would never again be this politically outspoken and engaged as on this song.
Parliament – Chocolate City – Master tapes
The song Chocolate City was released as a single, but wasn’t successful. As quite often is the case, success isn’t everything. The song serves as a funk classic and as the definite starting point of p-funk and Parliamanent’s part in that.
But, the album contains many more great stuff. Ride On (the album’s second single) is an up-tempo funk songs that delivers the p-funk as it’s supposed to be: exciting, danceable and contagious. Together is funky and shows the other thing Parliament was known for: communal singing and harmonies.
Let Me Be, with lead vocals by master guitar player Eddie Hazel, is atypical Parliament (and because of that prototypical?) and contains classical arrangement and heart-felt vocals. Unique and beautiful.
Big Footin’ closes the album on a funky note.
Rating
The album is a bit uneven, but, as stated before, the album that contains the song Chocolate City, an unprecedented highlight in funk. Just for that song alone, the album comes highly recommended!
Parliament – Chocolate City – Singles
Singles
The album produced two singles, both released in 1975:
- Chocolate City
- Ride On
Songs
All songs written by George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell, unless stated otherwise.
- Chocolate City
- Ride On
- Together
- Side Effects (George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Ahneua Hilson)
- What Comes Funky
- Let Me Be (George Clinton, Vivian Lewis)
- If It Don’t Fit (Don’t Force It) (George Clinton, Garry Shider, Bernie Worrell)
- I Misjudged You (George Clinton, Ernie Harris, Fuzzy Haskins)
- Big Footin’ (George Clinton, Fuzzy Haskins, Garry Shider)
In 2003 the album was re-released. Next to 3 extra songs, the release also contained an essay in the liner notes. Read that essay in the sub article Parliament – Chocolate City – Reissue liner notes.
Musicians
- George Clinton – vocals
- Bootsy Collins – bass, guitar, drums
- Eddie Hazel – guitar, vocals on Let Me Be, background vocals
- Garry Shider – guitar, background vocals
- Cordell Mosson – bass, guitar
- Prakash John, Billy “Bass” Nelson – bass
- Ramon “Tiki” Fulwood, Tyrone Lampkin, Man In The Box – drums
- Lucius Tawl Ross – guitar
- Bernie Worrell – synthesizer, keyboards
- Michael Brecker – saxophone
- Randy Brecker – trumpet
- Fred Wesley – trombone
- Gary “Mudbone” Cooper, Raymond Davis, Clarence “Fuzzy” Haskins, Calvin Simon, Grady Thomas, Mallia Franklin, Debbie Wright, Jeanette Washington – background vocals
Parliament – Chocolate City – Contest
After Chocolate City
The trio George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell had seen their baptism by fire, and proved they could create contagious, original über funky music. By the end of the year the first true classic p-funk would be hurled into the world: Mothership Connection, The beginning of a trilogy that would set new standards for funk and black music in general.
In closing
What’s your take on Parliament and Chocolate City? Let me know!
Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: Parliament – God bless Chocolate City and its vanilla suburbs. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.
