Parliament Artistfacts

1968-
George ClintonVocals, bandleader
Bernie WorrellKeyboards
Bootsy CollinsBass
Garry ShiderGuitar
Fred WesleyTrombone
Maceo ParkerSaxophone
Eddie HazelGuitar
Jerome BraileyDrums
Parliament was founded by George Clinton, who used many of the same musicians in another group, Funkadelic, which was active at the same time. Parliament was more horn-driven and theatrical, known for chant-along songs like "Flash Light" and "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)." Funkadelic was more mind-bending, with songs like "Maggot Brain" and "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure." Collectively these groups are known as Parliament-Funkadelic, or P-Funk.
Parliament songs often have chants, so there's lots of audience participation. George Clinton explained in a Songfacts interview: "The chants are like church grooves that get you in that state where you're receptive to opening up your mind and coming up with positive things."
Before Parliament, George Clinton formed a vocal group called The Parliaments (named after a brand of cigarettes) that started recording in 1956 and had a minor hit in 1967 with "(I Wanna) Testify." Around that time, Clinton brought in backing musicians for the group, and the next year he started transitioning them into both Parliament and Funkadelic.
George Clinton stopped putting out Parliament albums in 1980 and waited until 2018 to issue another: Medicaid Fraud Dog, which takes a swipe at the American health care system. By this time, Clinton was 76 and more concerned about prescription drugs than recreational ones.
Bootsy Collins was a member of James Brown's band (The J.B.'s) before joining Parliament. In a Songfacts interview, he said what he remembered most about his time in Parliament was the touring. "Being on the road is a different animal," he said. "You want to be on the road because that young drive is on you, and you want to be chasing girls, you want to be chasing drugs, there's so many things you want to be chasing. And the music is always number one. Music is why you're out there, but what you're chasing is totally different."
There wasn't much that could compel Prince to make a public appearance, but he showed up at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997 to induct Parliament-Funkadelic. In his speech, he said this about George Clinton: "I went to see him at the Beverly Theater and it was frightening - 14 people singing 'Knee Deep' in unison. That night I went to the studio and recorded 'Erotic City.' Needless to say, he's been an influence on me and everyone I know."
On their 1976 tour, Parliament introduced one of the greatest stage props in concert history: The Mothership. During each show, the 1500-pound spacecraft would descend to the stage, and Dr. Funkenstein (one of George Clinton's many characters) would emerge. The ship was in service until 1981; in 2016 a replica went on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Many of their songs have storylines built around characters the band members portrayed on stage. These include Mr. Wiggles, Bootzilla, and the antagonist Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk, the P-Funk equivalent of a Muggle.

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