Play That Funky Music 'Til You Die Quiz

Answer: Comin' Round the Mountain

Although this is not one of Clinton's more famous songs, it is one of my favorites. Most people are familiar with the more popular "Atomic Dog" or "Loopzilla", but there are an awful lot of great songs in the Parliament/Funkadelic catalog.
George Clinton was born in North Carolina but started cutting his musical teeth while working in a barber shop in New Jersey. Clinton was enamored with the doo-wop sound of the mid 1950s and he started his own group named The Parliaments. It didn't take him long to change from the traditional doo-wop mold that was prevalent of the era into a more groove oriented style that would become Parliament, and then Funkadelic.
Clinton has played with all the greats of the funk world including Bootsy Collins (bass guitar), Bernie Worrell (keyboards), Eddie Hazel (guitar) and Maceo Parker (sax). This is just a short list of the members of the Parliament/Funkadelic machine, there were dozens of other artists to lend their skills to the mix.

Answer: September

In addition to the incorrect answers above, the group also won Grammy Awards for the songs "All 'N All", "Runnin" and "Wanna Be With You". The band truly deserved each and every award they were honored with.
Maurice White formed the group in 1969 out of his Chicago, IL home base. White had been a session drummer for Chess Records and had played on many hit songs early in his career. Other band members included Phillip Bailey (vocals), Leslie Drayton (trumpet) and brothers Fred and Verdine White (percussion and bass guitar, respectively).

Answer: Troutman

Brothers Roger, Lester, Larry and Tony Troutman were the foundation of the often overlooked band Zapp. The group formed in Hamilton, Ohio after being influenced by fellow Ohioans, The Ohio Players. The band had some critical success, but were often labeled as a second tier act behind the ranks of more successful groups. Songs like "More Bounce to the Ounce" and "Dance Floor" earned the group a pretty steady fan base which would support them in their tours and album sales.

The group had it's biggest success in 1987 when the song "I Want to be Your Man" was released on a solo album by Roger Troutman. The band was met with tragedy in 1999 when Roger was shot and killed by his own brother Larry, who completed the murder-suicide by ending his own life with the same gun. Before this sad event, Roger had reestablished himself in the rap and hip-hop world providing samples and voice box recordings for other artists, most notably the Dr. Dre and Tupac hit "California Love".

Answer: Curtis Mayfield

Curtis Mayfield initially found success with the singing group The Impressions, but he quickly found fame as a solo artist in the funk and R&B genre. Songs like "Freddie's Dead", "Superfly" and "Future Shock" would cement Mayfield as a musical force in the world of funk and R&B. The soundtrack to the film "Superfly" was a hit for Mayfield when it was released in 1972.

The music is tight and concise with unmatched bass grooves, yet the power in the soundtrack is the lyrics, a stark look at the urban black culture of the 1970s. I recommend this one to any fan of R&B or hip-hop music who may not have been around in that era.

Answer: Herbie Hancock

While all of these artists experimented in the jazz-funk realm, it was the incredible pianist Herbie Hancock who released the album "Head Hunters". The album leads off with the popular tune "Chameleon" (which has been covered by several jazz greats) and follows with "Watermelon Man", "Sly" and wraps up with "Vein Melter".

The album contained four songs of mind splitting jazz-funk. The album is so important that it is one of the recordings kept on file in the US Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.

This was Hancock's 12th release, but probably his best when gauging his contribution to the world of funk music.

Answer: Suicidal Tendencies

In addition to Mike Muir (vocals) and Robert Trujillo (bass guitar) from Suicidal Tendencies, the band enlisted Stephen Perkins (drummer) from Janes Addiction and Adam Siegel (guitar) from Excel into the fold. Most of the music played by the band centers around the adventures of a reptile named Aladdin Sarsippius Sulemenagic Jackson III, a lizard character who is featured in several comedy sketches in between songs.

The work of Rob Trujillo is heavily featured in the songs of Infectious Grooves.

Answer: Bootsy Collins

Larry Graham was the bass player in Sly & the Family Stone, Tony Levin is primarily a rock bassist (although he can get funky if he wants to) and Stanley Clarke is one of the best jazz bass players ever to pick up the instrument. Bootsy Collins has enjoyed incredible success as a bass guitarist over the years.

Although his time with James Brown was short, just shy of a year, he managed to play on some of the greatest funk classics in Brown's catalog. He later moved on to to play with George Clinton in both Parliament and Funkadelic. Bootsy has also found time to write music for movies, television shows and commercials.

Answer: The Commodores

Many people think of soft, easy listening music when they hear The Commodores, but in fact, the group is one of the early influences of funk music. The group formed at the Tuskeegee Institute in Alabama, so their music has a certain southern sound to it.

The Commodores opened up for The Jackson 5 for a concert tour which resulted in a long relationship with Motown Records. Lionel Richie is the most famous of the group. He went on to sell a ton of records as a solo artist, primarily in the soft rock/adult contemporary style.

Answer: Sly & the Family Stone

Sylvester Stewart, who changed his name to Sly Stone, created the band Sly & the Family Stone in San Francisco in 1967. The band was known for their political awareness and being one of the first fully integrated bands in history. The band included black and white members of both sexes, a mix which really lent a unique sound to the group.

The songs "Everyday People", "Everybody is a Star" and "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" were all US number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Answer: Les Claypool

Most likely known for his work in the band Primus, Les Claypool is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to playing the funk bass. There may be better skilled players (Victor Wooten might be the best out there), but few have the versatility and unique playing ability that Claypool has.

His live performances, whether it be with Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel or the Frog Brigade, Les always satisfies. In addition to playing bass, Les Claypool has dabbled in the wine making industry. His Purple Pachyderm is a red wine, while his Pink Platypus is a rose. Claypool is also a huge fan of fishing and many of his songs reflect his love for the sport.