Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with
Parliament-Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk
Collins is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of
Parliament-Funkadelic.
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Bootsy Collins |
Bootsy (born William Collins, October 26, 1951, Cincinnati) is one of
the all-time great funk and R&B bassists/singer/bandleader. He
formed his first group, the Pacesetters, in 1968, featuring Phelps
“Catfish” Collins (his brother; guitar), Frankie “Kash” Waddy (drums),
and Philippe Wynne (later of The Spinners fame). From 1969 to 1971, the
group functioned as James Brown’s backup band and was dubbed the J.B.’s.
In 1972, Bootsy joined George Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic. Collins
and Clinton soon established a lifelong personal and musical
friendship. He launched Bootsy’s Rubber Band as a spinoff of P-Funk in
1976, the band including his brother Phelps, Waddy (drums), Joel “Razor
Sharp” Johnson (keyboards), Gary “Mudbone” Cooper (vocals), and Robert
“P-Nut” Johnson (vocals), along with “the Horny Horns”. (He was
sometimes billed alone as Bootsy, and sometimes as William “Bootsy”
Collins.)
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James Brown and Bootsy Collins |
Collins’ inspired, clever progressions and patterns were a vital part
of such records as “
Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine” The group
became the House Guests after departing the JB’s, until Collins joined
Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic empire in 1971. He co-wrote “
Tear The Roof Off The Sucker” with Clinton and Jerome Brailey and established
himself so effectively that Clinton urged him to form his own band.
Bootsy’s Rubber Band emerged in 1976, a spirited ensemble that included
Collins’ brother Phelps (“Catfish”), as well as fellow James Brown
bandmembers Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker, Joel Johnson, Gary Cooper,
Rick Gardner, and Richard Griffiths. (Collins also featured his alter
egos “Bootzilla” and “Casper, the Friendly Ghost” as part of the stage
act.)
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George Clinton and Bootsy Collins |
Their debut LP,
Stretchin' Out In Bootsy's Rubber Band, and their
second release,
Ahh the Name Is Bootsy Baby
equalled anything issued
during Clinton’s peak period for idiomatic diversity, clever, bizarre
humor, and outrageous lyrics. Both Ahh… and the third LP,
Player of the Year, earned gold records and made it into the Top 20 on the pop
charts. The single “
Bootzilla” was his lone R&B chart topper in
1978, although “
The Pinocchio Theory” also made the Top Ten.
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Bootsy Collins and Deee-Lite |
Collins recorded as both a solo artist and with the Rubber Band in
the ’80s. He also did some special projects, such as a 1984
collaboration with Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads — using the name
Bonzo Goes to Washington — that produced “
5 Minutes (C-C-C-Club Mix),”
featuring Ronald Reagan declaring nuclear war on the Soviet Union over a
skittering rhythm track. In 1988, he returned on Columbia with the
appropriately named
What's Bootsy Doin'?
In 1989, Bootsy was a member of
the Bootzilla Orchestra on Malcolm McLaren’s album Waltz Dancing. One
year later, he became a featured guitarist and bassist with the dance
music trio Deee-Lite, signed with 4th and Broadway, and also toured
England with a group co-led by Parker and Wesley.
Bootsy’s New Rubber Band released
Blasters of the Universe
in 1994,
and
Fresh Outta P University
followed four years later. Numerous
Collins live shows and reissues appeared as the 21st century opened, and
in 2006, the bassist actually released a Christmas album,
Christmas Is 4 Ever, on Shout Records. In 2011, a conceptual album,
Tha Funk Capitol Of The World, landed, featuring everyone from Ice Cube to Samuel L.
Jackson on the guest list.
http://youtu.be/m_84x4wFaoE
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