McLemore Avenue/the hidden Funk in the Beatles

 Greetings friends!

Yesterday I listened to an album that brought me closer to the Funk. The album’s name was McLemore Avenue. McLemore Avenue is by the legendary soul band Booker T. & the M.G.s, and it is a reinterpretation of the Beatles’ magnum opus Abbey Road. 

It isn’t a question that the Funk is present within Booker T. & the M.G.s. They were of course the backing band for Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and many other artists on the Stax record label in the ‘60s. Members of the M.G.s went on to play for the Blues Brothers as well. They are most definitely one with the Funk. Many may doubt that the Funk is present within the Beatles. The Beatles may be the greatest band of all time, but many would argue that they achieved that by having strong melody work, not through the Funk. 

This is wrong.

McLemore Avenue has opened my eyes to the Funk within the Beatles. Of course a lot of the Funk in the album is present because of the performances by the band and the thought provoking arrangement by leader Booker T. Jones, but it wouldn’t be complete without the songs. It made me go back into the Beatles catalog and search for the Funk. Boy did I find it. How could I have been so blind?

Songs like Hey Bulldog, Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey, Drive My Car, Got to Get You Into My Life, The Ballad of John and Yoko all bleed the Funk. Even in their solo work, Paul has a song called Coming Up that exudes maximum Funkitude.

I recommend all my loyal followers not only listen to McLemore Avenue, but reevaluate the place of the Funk in the Beatles music. What you find may shock you.

Good day, Charles Rzany

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The beauty of surrender

 Greetings friends! Before I go into today’s soliloquy I want to acknowledge today marks 17 years since the birth of loyal reader Dorian Terbaci. Thank you for your support Dorian! Today something beautiful happened. I saw one of my friends and colleagues surrender to the funk. This person (who shall remain unnamed) played a solo with great precision and admirable restraint. It was beautiful. I want to apologize to my readers, the review of Marvin Gaye’s series of albums will commence shortly.  Good day, Charles Rzany
Read more

My Mission Statement

 Greetings friends! Earlier, this morning of 4 am on April 1st in the year of our lord 2025, I found myself having a revelation. I need to surrender to the funk. “What is the funk?” you might ask. The funk is an intangible essence that permeates throughout all music. The funk cannot be explained. It is ineffable. Contrary to popular belief, the funk is not only found in funk music. The funk is found in all music. The funk is akin to the force, it gives us our very being.  When I listen to the hit song by Kool and the Gang “Get Down On It” I hear the funk. When I am subject to the intensity of Slayers song “Angel of Death” I feel the funk. When my ears are blessed by the beauty of Mozart, I am one with the funk.  My mission statement is to become one with the funk. I am here to document my journey, and perhaps enlighten others to the mystical journey of funk.  Good day, Charles Rzany
Read more