Parliament (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Founder | George Clinton |
| Headquarters | Plainfield , United States |
| Products | Funk music, albums, live performances |
Parliament was a prominent American funk ensemble established in 1968 by George Clinton, serving as the leading act within his P-Funk collective. Originating from an earlier vocal group, Parliament cultivated a sound that was more commercially accessible and less influenced by rock compared to their counterpart group, Funkadelic. Their music incorporated Afrofuturist concepts, horn sections, synthesizer elements, and elaborate stage presentations. The band secured Top 10 hits, including the million-selling 1976 track "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)," alongside Top 40 albums like Mothership Connection (1975).
History
Parliament traces its roots back to The Parliaments, a doo-wop vocal ensemble founded in the late 1950s in Plainfield, New Jersey. Led by George Clinton, the group featured members such as Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas. Their 1967 single "(I Wanna) Testify" became a hit on Revilot Records. To facilitate live performances, Clinton formed a backing band that included Billy Nelson on bass, Eddie Hazel and Tawl Ross on guitars, Tiki Fulwood on drums, and Mickey Atkins on organ.
Amid legal conflicts concerning the name "The Parliaments," Clinton signed the musicians to Westbound Records under the name Funkadelic, presenting them as a funk-rock band with the original vocalists appearing as uncredited contributors. In 1970, Clinton revived the singing group under the name Parliament with the same ten members. He managed two separate entities—Parliament and Funkadelic—with overlapping personnel but distinct stylistic approaches to funk.
The 1970 album Osmium, released through Invictus Records, exhibited a psychedelic soul style leaning closer to Funkadelic’s sound. Its single "The Breakdown" reached number 30 on the R&B charts in 1971. Due to persistent contractual complications and Funkadelic's higher popularity at that time, Parliament was temporarily put on hold until its resurgence in 1974.
Following Osmium, Parliament-Funkadelic expanded considerably, incorporating important new members such as keyboardist Bernie Worrell (joining in 1970), vocalist and guitarist Garry Shider (1971), and bassist Bootsy Collins (1972), who was recruited from James Brown's backing band. Clinton relaunched Parliament via Casablanca Records in 1974, shaping it into a refined R&B-oriented funk group characterized by complex horn and vocal arrangements—offering a contrast to Funkadelic’s guitar-heavy funk-rock style. By this period, Parliament and Funkadelic toured collectively as P-Funk, encompassing an expanding roster of Clinton’s funk musicians.
Albums such as Up for the Down Stroke (1974) and Chocolate City (1975) achieved strong positions on Billboard’s R&B charts and moderate success on pop charts. Parliament attained its greatest mainstream acclaim with the concept album Mothership Connection (1975), which laid much of the foundation for P-Funk mythology. Subsequent releases The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein (1976), Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome (1977), and Motor Booty Affair (1978) also charted highly within R&B and pop markets. Parliament scored number one R&B singles with "Flash Light" (1977) and "Aqua Boogie" (1978).
By the close of the 1970s, increasing membership numbers and management difficulties placed strain on the collective. Original members Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas departed acrimoniously in 1977 due to disputes involving Clinton’s management; similarly, singer/guitarist Glenn Goins and drummer Jerome Brailey exited in 1978 over comparable issues. Later albums such as Gloryhallastoopid (1979) and Trombipulation (1980) experienced less commercial success relative to earlier works.
In the early 1980s, legal complications surrounding multiple band names combined with changes at Casablanca Records prompted Clinton to disband Parliament and Funkadelic as active recording and touring groups. Nevertheless, numerous musicians continued working under Clinton’s leadership, who persisted in releasing music under his own name or as George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars. The P-Funk All-Stars maintained touring and recording activities throughout the 1990s and 2000s, frequently performing classic Parliament material.
Parliament reunited in January 2018 with the release of "I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me," featuring rapper Scarface, marking their first new track in nearly four decades. Clinton announced a forthcoming album entitled Medicaid Fraud Dogg, which was released on May 22, 2018. This project includes 23 tracks co-written with his son Tracey Lewis and guest contributions from former James Brown collaborators Fred Wesley and Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis.
Discography
- Osmium (1970)
- Up for the Down Stroke (1974)
- Chocolate City (1975)
- Mothership Connection (1975)
- The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein (1976)
- Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome (1977)
- Motor Booty Affair (1978)
- Gloryhallastoopid (1979)
- Trombipulation (1980)
- Medicaid Fraud Dogg (2018)
References
- Liner notes from Music For Your Mother authored by Rob Bowman, 1992.
External links
- The Motherpage
- History of Parliament/Funkadelic at NewFunkTimes.com’s P-Funk portal
- Articles with short description
- 1968 establishments in New Jersey
- 1980 disestablishments in New Jersey
- 2018 disestablishments in New Jersey
- American funk musical groups
- P-Funk groups
- Psychedelic soul music groups
- American funk rock musical groups
- Musical groups from Plainfield, New Jersey
- Casablanca Records artists
- African-American rock musical groups
- Musical groups established in 1968
- Musical groups disestablished in 1970
- Musical groups reestablished in 1974
- Musical groups disestablished in 1980
- Musical groups reestablished in 2018
- Musical groups disestablished in 2018