Secret . . .

. . . at least from the current, music-buying general public . . .


(from www.wikipedia.com)
". . . The group that would become Funkadelic was originally formed by George Clinton in 1964, as the unnamed musical backing for his doo wop group The Parliaments while on tour. The band originally consisted of musicians Frankie Boyce, Richard Boyce, and Langston Booth plus the five members of the Parliaments on vocals. Boyce, Boyce, and Booth enlisted in the Army in 1966, and Clinton recruited bassist Billy Bass Nelson and guitarist Eddie Hazel in 1967, then also added guitarist Tawl Ross and drummer Tiki Fulwood. The band name "Funkadelic" was coined by Nelson after the band relocated to Detroit. By 1968, because of a dispute with Revilot, the record company that owned the name "The Parliaments," the ensemble began playing under the name Funkadelic.

As Funkadelic, the group signed to Westbound in 1968. Around this time, the group's music evolved from soul and doo wop into a harder guitar-driven mix of psychedelic rock, soul and funk, much influenced by the popular musical (and political) movements of the time. Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone were major inspirations. This style later evolved into a tighter guitar-based funk (circa 1971-75), which subsequently, during the height of Parliament-Funkadelic success (circa 1976-81), added elements of R&B and electronic music, with fewer psychedelic rock elements.

The group's self-titled debut album, Funkadelic, was released in 1970. The credits listed organist Mickey Atkins plus Clinton, Fulwood, Hazel, Nelson, and Ross. The recording also included the rest of the Parliaments singers (still uncredited due to contractual concerns), several uncredited session musicians then employed by Motown, as well as Ray Monette (of Rare Earth) and future P-Funk mainstay Bernie Worrell.

Bernie Worrell was officially credited starting with Funkadelic's second album, 1970s Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow, thus beginning a long working relationship between Worrell and Clinton. The album Maggot Brain followed in 1971. The first three Funkadelic albums displayed strong psychedelic influences (not least in terms of production) and limited commercial potential, despite containing many songs that stayed in the band's setlist for several years and would influence many future funk, rock, and hip hop artists.

After the release of Maggot Brain, the Funkadelic lineup was expanded greatly. Tawl Ross was unavailable after experiencing either a bad LSD trip or a speed overdose, while Billy Bass Nelson and Eddie Hazel quit due to financial concerns. From this point, many more musicians and singers would be added during Funkadelic's (and Parliament's) history, including the recruitment of several members of the famous James Brown backing band The JB's in 1972 - most notably Bootsy Collins and the Horny Horns. Bootsy and his brother Catfish Collins were recruited by Clinton to replace the departed Nelson and Hazel. Bootsy in particular become a major contributor to the P-Funk sound. In 1972, this new line-up released the politically charged double album America Eats Its Young. The lineup stabilized a bit with the album Cosmic Slop in 1973, featuring major contributions from recently added singer-guitarist Garry Shider. After first leaving the band, Eddie Hazel spent a year in jail after assaulting an airline stewardess and air marshal while under the influence of PCP, then he returned to make major contributions to the 1974 album Standing on the Verge of Getting It On. Hazel only contributed to P-Funk sporadically thereafter. . ."

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html  or at
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OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak.  Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com 


My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Catch . . .

She said it was almost time 

For me to go

I said I was feeling fine 

And waxing so poetic

I was the silver-tongued devil

At least in my own eyes

How I lied

Oh how I tried

I want to catch the brass ring

Before it passes me by

I want to catch the brass ring

It's something that I just

Have to try

Please don't ask me why

I said I'm not gonna whine

Because I know

About the way they operate

And where they go for breakfast

In this exclusive and privileged world

You will find me

Sometime soon

Sometime soon

I want to catch the brass ring

Before it passes me by

I want to catch the brass ring

It's something that I just

Have to try

Please don't ask me why

Would you ask a child 

What he likes about candy

Would you ask a dog not to bite

Would you ask the sun not to shine

Or the stars not to 

Twinkle from their heights

Everybody's not the same

You ought to know

Whether they strictly be mundane

Are they the life of the party

In the confusion 

I'm easily forced to my corner

Of the room

In the gloom

I want to catch the brass ring

Before it passes me by

I want to catch the brass ring

It's something that I just

Have to try

Please don't ask me why

The Brass Ring
©2004 by Ray Jozwiak

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html  or at
http://www.ohomusic.com 


OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak.  Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com 


My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Music . . .

. . . to my ears. . .

Maybe not as pleasant, foot-tapping, soothing or inspirational, but

PLEASE

LISTEN

TO THIS . . .

(If you miss this usual musical offering here, I suggest you listen to Money Grabber
again immediately after this video)




What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html  or at
http://www.ohomusic.com 


OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak.  Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com 


My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet  

 

Hammer . . .

(from wikipedia.com)
". . . Jan Hammer produced the original score for Cocaine Cowboys, a 2006 documentary depicting the infamous Miami drug trade scene of the 1980s. Hammer's soundtrack of the film was released in 2007. Also in the fall of 2004 Hammer released the album The Best of Miami Vice on the Reality label in the U.S. The Best of Miami Vice contains newly recorded versions of "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett’s Theme", as well as one bonus track never before released on CD. In February 2005, after years of anticipation, Universal Studios Home Entertainment finally released the first season of Miami Vice on three double-sided DVDs. One of the package’s discs contained bonus material, including an extensive interview and archival footage of Hammer creating music for the show back in 1985. To coincide with the release of the DVD, Reality Records released a newly recorded version of "Crockett’s Theme" to AC (Adult Contemporary) radio in America. In 2006 Hammer was asked to collaborate with the singer/rapper TQ for a brand new version of his song "Crockett's Theme". The result of their work was The Jan Hammer Project Featuring TQ (Terrance Quaites): Crockett's Theme. A CD single of this new version climbed up the charts in Europe, hitting #1 on the iTunes Europe download list. In an interview, Jan Hammer indicated that he is working on a compilation of unreleased works - which by early 2014 has yet to appear. . ."

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html  or at
http://www.ohomusic.com 


OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak.  Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com 


My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Scrooge . . .

. . . in real life . . .


(from http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/americas-working-poor-face-pervasive-wage-theft-report-n261546)
". . . Between 3.5 percent and 6.5 percent of workers in New York and California — and between 11 percent and 12 percent of low-wage workers — are victims of wage theft when employers violate minimum wage laws, a newreport commissioned by the Department of Labor says. Workers in service industries fare the worst, and the report calls the problem "pervasive." The report estimates that violations cost workers in these two states between $20 million and $29 million in lost weekly income. This missing money makes a big difference in the lives and finances of workers, pushing 15,000 families below the poverty line. These findings come on the heels of a study conducted by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, which found that lawyers and regulators recovered nearly $1 billion that workers never received because of wage and hour violations in 2012. American taxpayers also pay the price, since wages that aren't paid don't contribute to tax revenues, and cheated workers rely more heavily on public assistance like food stamps. The report comes as union-backed protesters are staging strikes and rallies in 190 cities to advocate for a $15 hourly wage for fast food workers. . . "

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html  or at
http://www.ohomusic.com 


OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak.  Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com 


My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet  
 

Number One . . .

. . . Music. . .

Get your FREE TRIAL MEMBERSHIP and you get emails like this:

NumberOneMusic Charts | week 50, 2014
Hi Ray Jozwiak-Gonzo Piano !
Congratulations, Your songs in Top 100 N1M Charts:


OOH BEE AHH BOP
Click below to view in the charts and Share Your Success
#1 for Jazz in Uruguay
#22 for All Genres in Uruguay

L-STREET
Click below to view in the charts and Share Your Success
#2 for Jazz in Uruguay
#59 for All Genres in Uruguay

HOPE

Click below to view in the charts and Share Your Success

#3 for Jazz in Uruguay

#60 for All Genres in Uruguay

URUGUAY?????!!!!!!!   Honest?????!!!!!!!

But when you visit the site and they inform you that your long list of subscribers need to hear from you, the list quickly DISAPPEARS when you try to grab the email addresses and a window appears that says YOUR FREE TRIAL HAS NOW EXPIRED.

Kiss Uruguay GOODBYE, Ray. . . . 

Ooh Bee Ahh Bop
from Ambience & Wine, ©2012 by Ray Jozwiak available at
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak2

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html  or at
http://www.ohomusic.com 


OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak.  Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com 


My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet  
 

Greedy. . .

. . . Bastards Prevail . . .

I understand the principle of compromise and the importance of it in the contact of the legislative branch of government.  And I understand that if this bill does not pass it will be more difficult to arrive at a reasonable one with the new congress as it tilts further to the right. But politicians who are in the pockets of giant banks (or other corporations) have absolutely NO right to talk about the lack of compromise in our current congress when the only compromise they want to see is one that succumbs to the well-heeled lobbyists working for those banks and corporations.  Compromise is, and will always be necessary in the process of making laws. But the laws should be of benefit to all the people and not just to a privileged, monied few.

(from NBCNews.com)
". . . Taking to the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon, Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts urged those in her party to oppose the spending bill because of the financial policy language, calling it "a giveaway to most powerful banks in this country." "This is a democracy, and the American people didn't elect us to stand up for Citigroup, they elected us to stand up for all the people," she said. . . "

This bill is dangerous in loosening up on the giant Banks.  Have we all forgotten 2007-2008?  Our banks managed to bring down the entire global economy.  Do we want to see that AGAIN??!!

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html  or at
http://www.ohomusic.com 


OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak.  Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com 


My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak4)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Tweet