Instant Funk

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Instant Funk were a 1970s disco band, best known for their disco classic "I Got My Mind Made Up".

Instant Funk came out of New Jersey consisting of Raymond Earl, Scotty Miller and guitarist Kim Miller. The group was then called The Music Machine and they were very successful as a backup band for The Manhattans, Bunny Sigler and also the TNJs. Throughout their careers, Instant Funk would be the backup band for many stars, including Lou Rawls, Loleatta Holloway, The O'Jays, MFSB, Curtis Mayfield and Evelyn Champagne King (they are the backing band on the classic disco hit "Shame").

The group relocated to Philadelphia in 1976 to release its first album "Get Down With the Philly Jump" as they started to formulate their own sound. The group followed this album up with a release for former MFSB guitarist Norman Harris' new label Gold Mind, with front man Bunny Sigler entitled "Let Me Party With You".

The Gold Mind label folded, and Instant Funk's new cut "I Got My Mind Made Up" was transferred to the Salsoul label, which pushed the record heavily to all of the disco clubs. The remix of this song by club DJ Larry Levan and engineer Bob Blank quickly became the talk of Manhattan.

This first album on Salsoul, entitled "Instant Funk", was a huge hit and it featured funky dance groove after funky dance groove. Instant Funk had quickly become stars in the world of dance music. "I Got My Mind Made Up" hit number one on both the R&B and disco charts. At that time any record that had topped both charts would go on to hit #1 on the Hot 100,but Instant Funk had to settle for number 20 on the pop charts. But more importantly, it was a dance floor anthem for the spring of 1979, being played in clubs everywhere. The album Instant Funk went gold and was a number one R&B album. When Salsoul folded, the band stayed together to tour. They disbanded and Bunny Sigler went on to perform as part of the Trammps.

[edit] Discography

  • 1976- Get Down With The Philly Jump
  • 1979- Instant Funk (9.97)
  • 1979- Witch Doctor
  • 1980- The Funk Is On
  • 1982- Looks So Fine
  • 1983- Instant Funk Volume 5
  • 1983- Kinky
  • 1996- Greatest Hits
  • 1996- The Best of Instant Funk

[edit] See also