Funky Worm

For the band see The Funky Worm.
"Funky Worm"
Single by Ohio Players
from the album Pleasure
B-side "Paint Me"
Released 1973
Genre Funk
Length 2:35
Label Westbound
Writer(s) Ohio Players
Producer(s) Ohio Players
Ohio Players singles chronology
"Varee Is Love"
(1972)		 "Funky Worm"
(1973)		 "Ecstasy"
(1973)

"Funky Worm" is a song by American funk group the Ohio Players, from their album Pleasure. It peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard R&B charts in 1973 and also peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100.[1]

Influence

The song's ARP synthesizer[2] solos have become a staple part in hip hop sampling history, being sampled by artists such as MC Breed, Too $hort, Dr. Dre, Xzibit, Game, and countless other rap/hip hop artists. The high-pitched whine of the synthesizer on the song was often emulated by producers from the West Coast and became a staple in G-Funk music. N.W.A notably sampled "Funky Worm" on their songs "Gangsta Gangsta" and "Dopeman". Ice Cube sampled the song for his 1993 song "'Ghetto Bird", duo Kris Kross' 1992 single "Jump", Lil' ½ Dead's 1994 song "East Side, West Side", DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's 1993 hit "Boom! Shake the Room", and Ruff Ryders 1999 song "Bugout" also samples the song.[3]

It was also sampled in De La Soul's "Me, Myself, & I", off their 1989 album "3 Feet High And Rising".

In popular culture

The song can be heard on the fictional radio station Bounce FM, in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Chart positions

Chart (1973) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 15
U.S. Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles 1

References

  1. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 437.
  2. ↑ Interview with Junie Morrison
  3. ↑ List of artists that sampled "Funky Worm"
Preceded by
"Pillow Talk" by Sylvia		 Billboard's Best Selling Soul Singles number one single
May 12, 1973 		Succeeded by
"Leaving Me" by The Independents