80's Funk

Some people will consider the late 60's to mid 70's the golden era the true highpoint of funk, and while I love it, my heart is with truly with the days where drum machines and synths complemented the classical instruments and actually started to replace them altogether. The sound of electro, synthpop and of course disco are inextricably linked.

(I was already into this stuff when Random Access Memories came along, but in being so tepid it increased my appreciation for the original sound tenfold and now I'm kind of addicted to them.)

These are some that really get me going:

D-Train - Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sErHC02QODE - How many quality hooks can one song have? Wow.

AM-FM - You Are the One https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW_upqzuzYI

We all know this one but the video is always worth watching, Cameo - Word Up [Removed Illegal Link] and Maze and Frankie Beverley - Twilight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRPvH_8Li0M

I'd also love to include my favourite Prince song, Erotic City. But we all know his feelings on music sharing.

What do you like?

I've had this on loop lately
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=yz1kvk9qeWI
ps. hi max!!

Oh hi! That Loose Ends track is the good stuff it's like a double A-side with Joyce Sims' Come Into My Life. And I never noticed the reversed cowbell either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkBJ4F7LCYE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJCz4SkM7jo

Excellent. To make it a Gwen Guthrie trilogy http://youtu.be/UMpACxYoPEM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVh7Hmra6p0

Something I wrote about '80s funk/r&b bands last year:

http://www.spin.com/articles/sonic-taxonomy-unsung-80s-rb-bands-fatback-kleeer-skyyy/

Do you want youtubes or just lists? For starters, I never get tired of Syreeta's "Out The Box."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN6WTKW_Yro

Imagination is so much fun, and got zero U.S. airplay at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvuDvhePdHk

Tons of one hit wonders in synth funk. eg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c24g4xZhHXQ

Even Ryuchi Sakamoto was listening to Minneapolis funk at the time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZDaIvOuzOs

Imagination also did one of the great proto-house classics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inWs8ovvvRk

for the longest time I thought Cutie Pie was a Zapp song

Also, there's a francophone YouTube user 1kellyfunk1 that's doing the Lord's work posting all sorts of 80's deep cuts.

Thanks to everybody for the contributions! I'll be listening back over to these in the next few hours. Special mention to the Sakamoto track ... really surreal.

Three timeless faves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QHD9oATa8g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuWVLuXAQdE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brHuExGck4A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F4vjl-Gg_s

Live version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpZvjFgNJxA

xhuxk spin feature is the shit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehUUr4vSsTg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaYKsZ66YTk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHoKChiXSHA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFiq5XoChSs

dont know why my embeds never work... nice thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehUUr4vSsTg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHoKChiXSHA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFiq5XoChSs

love this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVj1m8uy5AM

This too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyM3lQKwDa0

xp Hector: embeds begin with "http", not "https".

Cash, Money by Prince Charles & the City Beat Band and Not Guilty by Civil Attack are my favourites so far of the songs I didn't already know. But this thread is full of gold. Thank you everyone keeping the funk alive. Y'all.

this era is my shit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQuWNeP_FLk

get this album, it is god

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdDseHJytAI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34QVPwRLRKU

"hold tight" is gorgeous....

That whole LP is luxe.

that midnight star track is the shizniz. makes me want to start a vocoder funk thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-JXeLbnGyM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5WySp1lxNY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGqNJP5KK6E

Recently I've been really enjoying this gorgeous song on the second album by Kleeer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0JnWxgxto4

You can't go wrong with anything off the first two S.O.S Band albums. This is a really charming track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMNC2kA1b_Y

Cameo were mentioned earlier so I'll take this as another chance to say if you don't already have it, Word Up is one of the greatest albums of all time. Every track is a winner but nothing beats Candy, one of my favourite singles of all time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn8KYD1Vco0

Great thread, will be checking out all the clips posted that I don't already know.

until recently i'd forgotten how gorgeous this is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KIm0Je4phY

hmm. anyway, it's amii stewart's 'friends'.

This one from '85 spanned a few genres:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEwGkPUtzsY

Some kinda weird mashup of Prince protege, late 70s disco diva, and house, remixed by Art of Noise...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axzSF6r1c04

i love 80s funk. here's my contribution if it hasn't been posted yet.

Incredible thread. Reminds me of when I filled up my DVR with Soul Train reruns. Here's my contribution:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPFZJuCsit4

THIS groove.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX3S9LU-NMM