Funkytown
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- This page is about the single by Lipps Inc. For the single by Namie Amuro, see Funky Town.
"Funkytown" | ||
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Single by Lipps Inc | ||
B-side(s) | All Night Dancing | |
Released | 1980 | |
Genre | Disco | |
Length | 3:58 | |
Label | Casablanca Records | |
Writer(s) | Steven Greenberg | |
Producer(s) | Steven Greenberg |
"Funkytown" is a 1980 song by the disco band Lipps Inc. The song expresses the pinings for a metaphorical place "that keeps me movin', keeps me groovin' with some energy" and is considered by many to be one of the last hit songs of the disco era.
The song was recorded in August 1979. The Minneapolis-based band consisted of Cynthia Johnson (singer), Terry Grant (bass), Ivan Rafowitz (keyboards), Peter Johnson (keyboards), Bobby Vandell (drums), Bobby Schnitzer (guitar), and Steven Greenberg (producer/writer). "Funkytown" reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and went platinum the following month. The group continued to record until 1985 with a changing line-up but never saw the success they did with their first hit. The song quickly came to symbolize the energetic, experimental Twin Cities music scene.
The song was a worldwide hit reaching number one in the United States, Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and West Germany. "Funkytown" reached #2 in the United Kingdom Singles Chart in May 1980.
In 1987, it was covered by Australian band Pseudo Echo, who gave the song a different direction, moving away from the early eighties' electronica towards later eighties' rock, including a guitar solo in the middle. Pseudo Echo's version spent seven weeks at number one in Australia, (Lipps Inc's was #1 for only two weeks in Australia), and was also a top-ten US hit in July of that year. Pseudo Echo also never achieved great success with their other releases. Somewhat ironically, this meant that Funkytown has the honour of being a one-hit wonder twice.
Funkytown was remixed by the Belgian alternative rock band Soulwax in its track "NY Lipps", released on the album Nite Versions in 2005.
Funkytown was used in Areva's cel-shaded animation advertising spots.
[edit] In popular culture
- The TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch is set in a universe in which the popularity of the song never waned.
- The song was featured on the soundtrack of the movie Shrek 2.
- In the TV show Futurama, the song was sung in a karaoke on an orbiting space station by Morbo in the episode Amazon Women in the Mood. Matt Groening also refers to the song in a Life In Hell strip, 'My War With the Ghost of Mary Pickford'.
- In the special bonus CD called "RJ's Rockin' Songs From Suburbia" from the 2006 animated movie Over The Hedge.
- In the TV show Malcolm in the Middle, Hal roller-skates to the song in the episode "Rollerskates."
- In the cartoon Doug, there is a theme park called "Funkytown."
- On South Park episode #508 ("Towelie"), Towelie (who is quite stoned at the moment) uses a keypad from a security system to play the melody of "Funkytown," by pressing 55754-45085.
- In the TV show The Knights of Prosperity, the song was played on several occasions during the episode "Operation: Deliver the Case".
- In the Parade of Nations at the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, the song was played.
- The song has also been featured in other television shows, such as American Idol, ER, Friends, The Simpsons, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Will & Grace, Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends and Entertainment Tonight.
- The song has also been featured in other movies such as: Contact, Hollywood Homicide, North Shore, History of the World, Part 1, Dumb and Dumber (trailer), Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy, Selena, Pink Panther (trailer), and Revenge of the Nerds 2, Cake.
- On the TV show Supernatural, the song title is used as a code word to indicate one of the Winchester brothers has a gun held to his head. The implication being the character in question (Dean Winchester, avid classic rock fan) would have to have a gun pointed at his head to mention the song.
- In 2006, the game Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA featured Funkytown in its song list.
- In the 1994 Hong Kong movie Love on Delivery, after being dumped and called a coward by his date Lily (Christy Chung), the devastated Delivery Boy (Stephen Chow) turns to a self-proclaimed "Savior of the Cowards" (Man Tat Ng) for help. Instead of offering him any real support, Ng convinces Chow to dress up in a ridiculous outfit and sing along to "Funkytown" while holding a giant sausage (as a mock microphone), claiming that this would help heal his broken heart, while having a good laugh himself.
Preceded by "Call Me" by Blondie |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 31, 1980 |
Succeeded by "Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)" by Paul McCartney and Wings |