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Friday Funk #3 – ‘Africa’ by The Meters
Friday Funk #3 – ‘Africa’ by The Meters
Friday Funk #3 – ‘Africa’ by The Meters
The Meters’ name sometimes goes unmentioned in funky circles. None of the autobiographies by James Brown, Sly Stone or George Clinton name the band. This isn’t to say The Meters are unheard of—‘Cissy Strut’ hit number 4 on the R&B chart and has been listened to more than a billion times on Spotify, and they’ve been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame four times—but they aren’t given huge credit considering their role in the early development of funk.
The Meters formed in 1965 and recorded as the backing band for other artists, before releasing their own music from ’69. Their sound was characterised by sparseness and moments where only the drums would play. On ‘Cissy Strut,’ the drums are the lead instrument, and it’s the beat that defines the song as much as the choice of chords. As time has gone on, this has become common, but The Meters joined James Brown in leading a rhythm-first approach in the ’60s.
Though as guitarist Leo Nocentelli has noted, The Meters’ sound differed from Brown’s and Clinton’s. “It’s different because of growing up in New Orleans. When you grow up there you have the unique experience of not sounding like anybody. You sound like New Orleans. There are only a few cities that have a reputation of having a sound.”
While ‘Africa’ is fuller than ‘Cissy’, many of the parts are still minimal. Art Neville only plays two quick stabbed organ chords each bar, and the ‘missed’ beats in the bassline give those played extra weight. Bassist George Porter said (per Rickey Vincent’s history of funk), “There was holes in the music, there was always space. ... I always believed that it’s not what you say, but what you don’t say,” echoing the famous Miles Davis quote of, “It’s not the notes you play. It’s the notes you don’t play.”
Repetitive parts help ground the listener and after a while make the song sound simple (while always deeply groovy). But if you isolate each part it becomes clear just how much is going on. The guitar riff is on a meter of its own, untied to the restless drumbeat. There are three big things in funk that make you want to wriggle. One is this web of polyrhythms, with different instruments playing different rhythms.
The second is syncopation. Here's one of the best definitions of syncopation courtesy of Music Radar: "changing up a standard rhythm by stressing beats that wouldn’t normally be stressed."
So let's start with a standard rhythm. Tap out this rhythm with your hand or foot, placing emphasis on the capitalised beats: ONE-and-two-and-THREE-and-four. That's a straight, predictable rhythm found in much of Western music. No syncopation.
Here's some syncopation: ONE-and-two-and-three-AND-four.
Maceo Parker (saxophonist with Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic) once described the difference between a straight jazz beat and a funky, syncopated groove. “Right away, your attitude is better. Your attitude is lighter. You get a happy, ‘I want to dance’ feeling.'” Those restless drums in ‘Africa’ dance away from the pulse, then come back. “Funkiness somehow starts with the rhythm section,” said Maceo.
And of course, the third element is the One, with the instruments in ‘Africa’ all joining to emphasise that crucial beat. Brown’s told SPIN magazine, “If it’s on the one, then it’s funky. But it’s hard for me to get people to understand that.” (SPIN and most publications choose not to capitalise ‘the One,’ but out of respect for the One and Parliament-Funkadelic, who recognised its mighty power, Edge of the Line will always capitalise ‘the One.’)
‘Africa’ was the closing track on 1974’s Rejuvenation, The Meters’ fifth album. Their first three had been mostly instrumental, with Cabbage Alley the first release to prominently feature vocals. ‘Africa’’s vocals mean there’s a signficant melodic component alongside the band’s rhythm-focused parts. It’s understated singing, though, and syllables rarely last for more than a beat, helping to ensure the music’s still about the groove.
Red Hot Chili Peppers covered ‘Africa’, and on the suggestion of Clinton, who produced their 1985 album Freaky Styley, renamed (and resung) it ‘Hollywood (Africa)’.
The Meters’ name sometimes goes unmentioned in funky circles. None of the autobiographies by James Brown, Sly Stone or George Clinton name the band. This isn’t to say The Meters are unheard of—‘Cissy Strut’ hit number 4 on the R&B chart and has been listened to more than a billion times on Spotify, and they’ve been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame four times—but they aren’t given huge credit considering their role in the early development of funk.
The Meters formed in 1965 and recorded as the backing band for other artists, before releasing their own music from ’69. Their sound was characterised by sparseness and moments where only the drums would play. On ‘Cissy Strut,’ the drums are the lead instrument, and it’s the beat that defines the song as much as the choice of chords. As time has gone on, this has become common, but The Meters joined James Brown in leading a rhythm-first approach in the ’60s.
Though as guitarist Leo Nocentelli has noted, The Meters’ sound differed from Brown’s and Clinton’s. “It’s different because of growing up in New Orleans. When you grow up there you have the unique experience of not sounding like anybody. You sound like New Orleans. There are only a few cities that have a reputation of having a sound.”
While ‘Africa’ is fuller than ‘Cissy’, many of the parts are still minimal. Art Neville only plays two quick stabbed organ chords each bar, and the ‘missed’ beats in the bassline give those played extra weight. Bassist George Porter said (per Rickey Vincent’s history of funk), “There was holes in the music, there was always space. ... I always believed that it’s not what you say, but what you don’t say,” echoing the famous Miles Davis quote of, “It’s not the notes you play. It’s the notes you don’t play.”
Repetitive parts help ground the listener and after a while make the song sound simple (while always deeply groovy). But if you isolate each part it becomes clear just how much is going on. The guitar riff is on a meter of its own, untied to the restless drumbeat. There are three big things in funk that make you want to wriggle. One is this web of polyrhythms, with different instruments playing different rhythms.
The second is syncopation. Here's one of the best definitions of syncopation courtesy of Music Radar: "changing up a standard rhythm by stressing beats that wouldn’t normally be stressed."
So let's start with a standard rhythm. Tap out this rhythm with your hand or foot, placing emphasis on the capitalised beats: ONE-and-two-and-THREE-and-four. That's a straight, predictable rhythm found in much of Western music. No syncopation.
Here's some syncopation: ONE-and-two-and-three-AND-four.
Maceo Parker (saxophonist with Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic) once described the difference between a straight jazz beat and a funky, syncopated groove. “Right away, your attitude is better. Your attitude is lighter. You get a happy, ‘I want to dance’ feeling.'” Those restless drums in ‘Africa’ dance away from the pulse, then come back. “Funkiness somehow starts with the rhythm section,” said Maceo.
And of course, the third element is the One, with the instruments in ‘Africa’ all joining to emphasise that crucial beat. Brown’s told SPIN magazine, “If it’s on the one, then it’s funky. But it’s hard for me to get people to understand that.” (SPIN and most publications choose not to capitalise ‘the One,’ but out of respect for the One and Parliament-Funkadelic, who recognised its mighty power, Edge of the Line will always capitalise ‘the One.’)
‘Africa’ was the closing track on 1974’s Rejuvenation, The Meters’ fifth album. Their first three had been mostly instrumental, with Cabbage Alley the first release to prominently feature vocals. ‘Africa’’s vocals mean there’s a signficant melodic component alongside the band’s rhythm-focused parts. It’s understated singing, though, and syllables rarely last for more than a beat, helping to ensure the music’s still about the groove.
Red Hot Chili Peppers covered ‘Africa’, and on the suggestion of Clinton, who produced their 1985 album Freaky Styley, renamed (and resung) it ‘Hollywood (Africa)’.
The Meters’ name sometimes goes unmentioned in funky circles. None of the autobiographies by James Brown, Sly Stone or George Clinton name the band. This isn’t to say The Meters are unheard of—‘Cissy Strut’ hit number 4 on the R&B chart and has been listened to more than a billion times on Spotify, and they’ve been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame four times—but they aren’t given huge credit considering their role in the early development of funk.
The Meters formed in 1965 and recorded as the backing band for other artists, before releasing their own music from ’69. Their sound was characterised by sparseness and moments where only the drums would play. On ‘Cissy Strut,’ the drums are the lead instrument, and it’s the beat that defines the song as much as the choice of chords. As time has gone on, this has become common, but The Meters joined James Brown in leading a rhythm-first approach in the ’60s.
Though as guitarist Leo Nocentelli has noted, The Meters’ sound differed from Brown’s and Clinton’s. “It’s different because of growing up in New Orleans. When you grow up there you have the unique experience of not sounding like anybody. You sound like New Orleans. There are only a few cities that have a reputation of having a sound.”
While ‘Africa’ is fuller than ‘Cissy’, many of the parts are still minimal. Art Neville only plays two quick stabbed organ chords each bar, and the ‘missed’ beats in the bassline give those played extra weight. Bassist George Porter said (per Rickey Vincent’s history of funk), “There was holes in the music, there was always space. ... I always believed that it’s not what you say, but what you don’t say,” echoing the famous Miles Davis quote of, “It’s not the notes you play. It’s the notes you don’t play.”
Repetitive parts help ground the listener and after a while make the song sound simple (while always deeply groovy). But if you isolate each part it becomes clear just how much is going on. The guitar riff is on a meter of its own, untied to the restless drumbeat. There are three big things in funk that make you want to wriggle. One is this web of polyrhythms, with different instruments playing different rhythms.
The second is syncopation. Here's one of the best definitions of syncopation courtesy of Music Radar: "changing up a standard rhythm by stressing beats that wouldn’t normally be stressed."
So let's start with a standard rhythm. Tap out this rhythm with your hand or foot, placing emphasis on the capitalised beats: ONE-and-two-and-THREE-and-four. That's a straight, predictable rhythm found in much of Western music. No syncopation.
Here's some syncopation: ONE-and-two-and-three-AND-four.
Maceo Parker (saxophonist with Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic) once described the difference between a straight jazz beat and a funky, syncopated groove. “Right away, your attitude is better. Your attitude is lighter. You get a happy, ‘I want to dance’ feeling.'” Those restless drums in ‘Africa’ dance away from the pulse, then come back. “Funkiness somehow starts with the rhythm section,” said Maceo.
And of course, the third element is the One, with the instruments in ‘Africa’ all joining to emphasise that crucial beat. Brown’s told SPIN magazine, “If it’s on the one, then it’s funky. But it’s hard for me to get people to understand that.” (SPIN and most publications choose not to capitalise ‘the One,’ but out of respect for the One and Parliament-Funkadelic, who recognised its mighty power, Edge of the Line will always capitalise ‘the One.’)
‘Africa’ was the closing track on 1974’s Rejuvenation, The Meters’ fifth album. Their first three had been mostly instrumental, with Cabbage Alley the first release to prominently feature vocals. ‘Africa’’s vocals mean there’s a signficant melodic component alongside the band’s rhythm-focused parts. It’s understated singing, though, and syllables rarely last for more than a beat, helping to ensure the music’s still about the groove.
Red Hot Chili Peppers covered ‘Africa’, and on the suggestion of Clinton, who produced their 1985 album Freaky Styley, renamed (and resung) it ‘Hollywood (Africa)’.