Funky Rock & Psyche Soul

The cornerstones of rock may be guitars and singing, but the drums sometimes did more than just keep time. Inevitably the bongos of the 1960s and the congas of the early 1970s bled over into rock. Rock artists covered soul hits, soul-funk artists covered rock hits, and funky-bass-backed drum solos graduated from intro duty to mid-tune "breaks."

A crisp color line persisted in both rock and soul jazz, even after civil rights had been won. Funky rock, like most hybrids, enjoyed only marginal impact. Certainly, rock fans considered themselves hip to Sly and the Family Stone, Cold Blood, and a few others. At the famous Fillmore and Avalon dance concerts, people danced to blues, jazz, and soul acts, but probably more for the sake of diversion than diversity. But funky beats were there. From the "soul rock" of early 1960s 45s to James Brown's "psyche" experiments, quite a lot of it went unheard and definitely under-appreciated.

Funk is where you find it in hippie-era rock, but there are some fairly reliable sources for fresh inspiration. U.S. military recruitment albums --those desperate giveaways intended to induct high-school-band players-- almost always were constructed to appeal across color lines. Or a well-meaning type like Sandy Nelson would cross over and dare to pummel the lilt out of an "Alligator Boogaloo." Even Captain Beefheart was as funky as the Parliaments when he wanted to be.