Funky President (People It's Bad)

"Funky President (People It's Bad)" is a funk song by James Brown. Released as a single in 1974, it charted #4 R&B.^[1] It also appeared on the album Reality. According to Brown the "funky president" of the song's title was meant to refer to U.S. President Gerald Ford, who had succeeded Richard Nixon in the White House shortly before it was recorded.^[2]

"Funky President" is one of James Brown's most frequently sampled recordings. The most rhythmic portions of the song, namely the intro drum fill and wah-wah guitar have been used on dozens of hip hop tracks.

Personnel

James Brown - lead vocal

with studio band:

David Sanborn - alto saxophone
Joe Farrell - tenor saxophone, flute
Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis - baritone saxophone
Pat Rebillot - keyboards
Joe Beck - guitar
Sam Brown - guitar
Gordon Edwards - bass
Allan Schwartzberg - drums
Johnny Griggs - percussion

Other players, including brass and woodwinds, unknown.^[3]

Sample Used

Eric B. & Rakim - "Eric B. Is President"/"Make 'Em Clap to This"
N.W.A. - "Fuck Tha Police"
Guy - "Groove Me"
Salt-N-Pepa - "Shake Your Thing"
Public Enemy - "Fight the Power"
Heavy D & the Boyz - "We Got Our Own Thang"
Brand Nubian - "All for One"
Ice Cube - "Jackin' for Beats"
LL Cool J - "6 Minutes of Pleasure"
Johnny Gill - "Rub You the Right Way"
King Tee - "At Your Own Risk"
Wreckx-N-Effect - "New Jack Swing"
UMC's - "One to Grow On"
Kid 'N Play - "Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody"
Digital Underground - "Kiss You Back"
Paperboy - "Ditty"
Run-DMC - "Faces"
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth feat. Grand Puba - "Skinz"
Kris Kross - "I Missed the Bus"
Guru - "Trust Me"
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - "Summertime"
Beastie Boys - "Hey Ladies"
KRS-One - "Outta Here"
Naughty by Nature - "Hip Hop Hooray"
MC Breed - "Gotta Get Mine"
A Tribe Called Quest - "Oh My God"
Kid 'N Play - "Last Night"
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - "I'm Looking for the One (To Be with Me)"
Digital Underground - "Wussup Wit the Luv"
Usher - "Call Me a Mack"
Black Eyed Peas and Q-Tip feat. Talib Kweli, Cee-Lo Green and John Legend - "Like That"
Tony! Toni! Toné! - "Feels Good"
The D.O.C. - "It's Funky Enough"
Heavy D & the Boyz - "Blue Funk"
Poor Righteous Teachers - "Rock Dis Funky Joint"
Del the Funky Homosapien - "If You Must"
Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean - "Clique"
Rick Ross feat. Kanye West - "Live Fast, Die Young"
Pusha T and Kanye West - "New God Flow"
Kanye West feat. Pusha T - "Runaway (Video Version)"
Michel'le feat. Dr. Dre - "Nicety"
Ghostface Killah - "Mighty Healthy"
Nice & Smooth - "Sex, Sex, Sex"
Mic Geronimo feat. Ja Rule, Jay-Z, and DMX - "Time to Build"
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Outro
Childish Gambino - "3005"
DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist - "Funky"
Sugar Ray - "Falls Apart"
Yolanda Adams - "Fly Like An Eagle (Medley)"
De La Soul - "Freedom of Speak (We Got Eight Minutes)"
De La Soul - "Ghetto Thang"
LL Cool J - "Fast Peg"
LL Cool J - "Ain't No Stoppin' This"
Heavy D and the Boyz - "Gyrlz, They Love Me"
Logic - "We Get High"
Cella Dwellas - "Perfect Match"
Run the Jewels - "Get It"
Big Sean - "Ashley"
Spoonie Gee - "Spoonie Is Back"
The X-Ecutioners feat. DJ Premier - "Premier's X-Ecution"
Large Professor - "I Juswanna Chill"
Pete Rock feat. Black Thought and Rob-O - "It's About That Time"
2Pac feat. Richie Rich - "Lie to Kick It"
Lord Finesse - "True and Livin'"
Logic - "The Spotlight"
Pete Rock feat. C.L. Smooth - "Da Two"
Gang Starr - "Gotta Get Over (Taking Loot)"
A Tribe Called Quest - "Show Business"
The Offspring - "Original Prankster"
DJ Kay Slay feat. Fat Joe and 50 Cent - "Free Again"
Gang Starr - "Knowledge"
Violadores del Verso - "Mierda"
Shanice - "I Love Your Smile (Driza Bone Club Mix)"
Citizen King - "Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)"
Calvin Harris - "C.U.B.A"

Appearances in other media

"Funky President" appears on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack on the Master Sounds 98.3 station.

References

↑ White, Cliff (1991). "Discography". In Star Time (pp. 54–59) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.
↑ Brown, James, with Bruce Tucker. James Brown: The Godfather of Soul (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986), 242.
↑ Leeds, Alan, and Harry Weinger (1991). "Star Time: Song by Song". In Star Time (pp. 46–53) [CD booklet]. New York: PolyGram Records.

External links

James Brown singles

Billboard charting singles (R&B and Pop)

1950s

1956	"Please, Please, Please"
1958	"Try Me"
1959	"I Want You So Bad"

1960s

1960	"I'll Go Crazy" "Think" "You've Got the Power" "This Old Heart" "The Bells"
1961	"Bewildered" "I Don't Mind" "Baby, You're Right" "Just You and Me, Darling" "Lost Someone"
1962	"Night Train" "Shout and Shimmy" "Mashed Potatoes U.S.A." "Three Hearts in a Tangle" "I've Got Money"
1963	"Like a Baby" "Every Beat of My Heart" "Prisoner of Love" "These Foolish Things" "Signed, Sealed, and Delivered"
1964	"Oh Baby Don't You Weep" "Please, Please, Please" "Caldonia" "The Things That I Used to Do" "Out of Sight" "Have Mercy Baby"
1965	"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" "Try Me" "I Got You (I Feel Good)"
1966	"Lost Someone" "I'll Go Crazy" "Ain't That a Groove" "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" "Money Won't Change You" "Don't Be a Drop-Out" "Sweet Little Baby Boy"
1967	"Bring It Up" "Kansas City" "Think" "Let Yourself Go" "Cold Sweat" "Get It Together" "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)" "There Was a Time"
1968	"You've Got to Change Your Mind" "I Got the Feelin'" "Licking Stick – Licking Stick" "America Is My Home" "I Guess I'll Have to Cry, Cry, Cry" "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" "Goodbye My Love" "Tit for Tat (Ain't No Taking Back)"
1969	"Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" "Soul Pride" "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I'll Get It Myself)" "The Popcorn" "Mother Popcorn (You Got to Have a Mother for Me)" "Lowdown Popcorn" "World" "Let a Man Come In and Do the Popcorn" "Ain't It Funky Now"

1970s

1970	"It's a New Day" "Funky Drummer" "Brother Rapp" "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" "Super Bad" "Santa Claus Is Definitely Here to Stay" "Get Up, Get into It, Get Involved"
1971	"Spinning Wheel" "Soul Power" "I Cried" "Escape-ism" "Hot Pants" "Make It Funky" "I'm a Greedy Man"
1972	"Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" "King Heroin" "There It Is" "Honky Tonk" "Get on the Good Foot" "I Got a Bag of My Own" "What My Baby Needs Now Is a Little More Lovin'"
1973	"I Got Ants In My Pants (And I Want to Dance)" "Down and Out in New York City" "Think" "Sexy, Sexy, Sexy" "Stoned to the Bone"
1974	"The Payback" "My Thang" "Papa Don't Take No Mess" "Funky President (People It's Bad)" "Coldblooded"
1975	"Reality" "Sex Machine" "Hustle!!! (Dead on It)" "Superbad, Superslick" "Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)"
1976	"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" "Get Up Offa That Thing" "I Refuse to Lose" "Bodyheat"
1977	"Kiss in 77" "Give Me Some Skin" "If You Don't Give a Doggone About It"
1978	"Eyesight" "The Spank" "For Goodness Sakes, Look at Those Cakes"
1979	"It's Too Funky in Here" "Star Generation"

1980s

1980	"Regrets" "Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses)"
1981	"Stay with Me"
1983	"The Night Time Is the Right Time (To Be With the One That You Love)"
1984	"Unity"
1985	"Living in America"
1986	"Gravity"
1987	"How Do You Stop"
1988	"I'm Real" "Static"
1989	"Gimme Your Love"

1990s

1991	"(So Tired of Standing Still We Got to) Move On"
1993	"Can't Get Any Harder"

UK-only
charting
singles

"Hey America" (1970)
"Bring It On...Bring It On" (1983)
"Froggy Mix" (1985)
"She's the One" (1988)
"The Payback Mix" (1988)
"I Got You (I Feel Good) [James Brown v. Dakeyne]" (1992)
"Funk on Ah Roll" (1999)

Notable
productions

"The Grunt" (1970)
"Gimme Some More" (1971)
"I Know You Got Soul" (1971)
"Pass the Peas" (1972)
"Think (About It)" (1972)
"Doing It to Death" (1973)
"Soul Power 74" (1973)

Other
songs

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