Bootsy Collins
Encyclopedia
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American
funk
bassist
, singer, and songwriter
.
Rising to prominence with James Brown
in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic
in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk. Collins is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic
.
, Collins formed a funk band called The Pacemakers
in 1968.
In March 1970, after most of the members of James Brown's band quit over a pay dispute, The Pacemakers were hired as Brown's backing band and they became known as The J.B.'s
. (They are often referred to as the "original" J.B.'s to distinguish them from later line-ups that went by the same name.) Although they worked for Brown for only 11 months, the original J.B.'s played on some of Brown's most intense funk recordings, including "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
", "Super Bad
", "Soul Power
", and "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing
".
It is known that the young Bootsy clashed several times with the rigid system Brown used to discipline the young band whenever he felt they stepped out of line.
with his brother Phelps Collins, Rufus Allen, Clayton "Chicken" Gunnels, Frank Waddy, Ronnie Greenaway and Robert McCullough. The House Guests released two singles on the House Guests label as well as a third as The Sound of Vision on the House Guests label.
Collins next moved to Detroit, following the advice of singer and future Parliament
member Mallia Franklin
. Franklin introduced both Collins brothers to George Clinton
, and 1972 saw both of the Collins brothers, along with Waddy, join Funkadelic
. Bootsy played bass on most of Funkadelic and Parliament's albums through 1980, garnering several songwriting credits as well.
In 1976 Bootsy, Catfish, Waddy, Joel Johnson, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Robert Johnson and The Horny Horns
formed Bootsy's Rubber Band, a separate touring unit of Clinton's P-Funk collective. The group recorded four albums together, the first three of which are often considered to be among the quintessential P-Funk recordings. The group's 1978 album Bootsy? Player of the Year
reached the top of the R&B album chart and spawned the #1 R&B single "Bootzilla
".
Like Clinton, Bootsy took on several alter ego
s, from Casper the Funky Ghost to Bootzilla, "the world's only rhinestone rockstar monster of a doll", as parts of the evolving character of an alien rock star who grew gradually more bizarre as time went on (see P-Funk mythology
). He also adopted his trademark "space bass" around this time.
Bootsy also released a 1980 album, Sweat Band
, on George Clinton's Uncle Jam label with a group billed as Bootsy's Sweat Band.
of Talking Heads
to produce "Five Minutes
", a dance record sampled and edited from Ronald Reagan
's infamous "Five Minutes
" speech. The record was credited to "Bonzo goes to Washington" (also referenced in the 1985 Ramones
song "Bonzo goes to Bitburg
", derived from Reagan's starring role as Professor Peter Boyd in the 1951 comedy film Bedtime for Bonzo
).
In 1990, Bootsy collaborated with Deee-Lite
on their massive hit "Groove Is in the Heart
" where he contributed additional vocals. Although he also appeared in the music video playing the bass, the bassline in the song is actually a sample of a Herbie Hancock
song called "Bring Down the Birds". Bootsy's Rubber Band became the defacto backing musicians for Deee-Lite during a world tour.
In 1992, Bootsy joined with guitarist Stevie Salas
and drummer Buddy Miles
to form the funk-metal fusion group Hardware
. The trio released one album, Third Eye Open
, before disbanding.
Bootsy collaborated with bluegrass legends Del McCoury
, Doc Watson
and Mac Wiseman
to form the GrooveGrass Boyz. They produced a fusion of bluegrass
and funk.
In 1994, Bootsy contributed extensively to the Soup Dragons' last album, Hydroponic
.
In 1995, Bootsy played in the remake of Jimi Hendrix's "If 6 Was 9," for Axiom Funk, a Funkadelic-like one-off supergroup produced by Bill Laswell and featuring (Funkadelic members) George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, (the guitar of the late) Eddie Hazel, Gary Shider and Bill Laswell. The group released only one album, and the song also appeared in the soundtrack of the movie Stealing Beauty
.
Bootsy has collaborated extensively with Bill Laswell
and made appearances on two Fatboy Slim
records, as well as reading a poem at the end of FatBoy Slims's release
in the LateNightTales DJ mix series. Bootsy provided "vocal spice" on the TobyMac
album Welcome to Diverse City. He also appears on Nicole C. Mullens' latest album, Everyday People. He has also worked with the Lo-Fidelity Allstars on the album Don't be Afraid of Love, with Praxis
, and with Buckethead
on several occasions, for example on Buckethead's first album, Bucketheadland. Bootsy was featured in the 2002 film Standing in the Shadows of Motown. In 2004 he appeared on Snoop Dogg's Rhythm & Gangsta album and on the cover of "The Joker
" on the Fatboy Slim album Palookaville. He also performed a cover of "Power of Soul" on Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
'.
In 2005, Bootsy Collins added vocals to fellow bassist Victor Wooten
's album Soul Circus. He also served as "Heineken's Amsterjam 2005
" curator and master of ceremonies on Randall's Island
, New York, and appeared with Madonna
, Iggy Pop
, Little Richard
, and The Roots
' Questlove, in an American TV commercial for the Motorola ROKR
phone.
In October 2005, Collins co-wrote a song celebrating the resurgence of his hometown team, the Cincinnati Bengals
of the National Football League
called "Fear Da Tiger" which features "raps" written and performed by several Bengals players, including defensive end
Duane Clemons, offensive tackle Stacy Andrews, and center Ben Wilkerson. An edited version of the song was made into a music video
which features cameos by many other Bengals players. It has garnered tremendous local airplay and is viewable on Bengals.com Additionally, Cincinnati Bell
is offering "Fear Da Tiger" as a free ringtone for its wireless customers in both polyphonic and MP3
formats. Collins appeared with Little Richard, Bernie Worrell
, and other notable musicians as the band playing with Hank Williams, Jr.
for the Monday Night Football
opening during for the 2006 season. Collins was the only all star to return with Williams for the 2007 season.
He also sings "Marshal Law", the theme song of the Cincinnati Marshals indoor football team. He debuted the song on April 29, at halftime of a Marshals home game against the West Palm Beach Phantoms.
In 2006, ABC Entertainment
/ A Charly Films Release released a DVD/CD from Bootsy Collins and the New Rubber Band's concert at the 1998 North Sea Jazz Festival
. In the same year, Collins split from long-time friend and guitarist Odhran "The Bodhran" Rameriz, citing creative differences as the reason.
Also in 2006, Collins recorded music for the animated
television series Loonatics Unleashed
. Collins also voiced the character Bootes Belinda in the episode The Music Villain.
In April 2007, Bootsy announced plans to begin a restaurant/club with Cincinnati area restaurateur Jeff Ruby called "Bootsy's." The venue operated 2008-2010 before closing. It featured live musical acts, a museum dedicated to Bootsy's musical career and Spanish, Central and South American cuisine.
In June 2007, Bootsy Collins, along with Phelps Collins, Clyde Stubblefield
, John "Jabo" Starks, and Bernie Worrell
, participated in the recording of the soundtrack for the movie Superbad.
In July 2007, Bootsy also told Billboard magazine that he was working on a project by the name of Science Faxtion
and an album called Living On Another Frequency
in which he serves as bassist and co-producer along with his lead vocalist Greg Hampton
. The band also features guitarist Buckethead and drummer Brain
. The album was released in November 2008.
Collins promoted Rock the Vote
for its 2008 campaign together with Buckethead.
Bootsy produced Junkyard Waltz by funk band Freekbass from Ohio came out October 27.
Bootsy has been mentioned in the song "Genius of Love
" by Tom Tom Club
in the line "Clinton's musicians such as Bootsy Collins raise expectation to a new intention", while "Got more bass than Bootsy Collins" is a line in the song "Rumble in the Jungle" by the Fugees
. His influence in popular culture is seen in that he has been referenced by a number of television series. In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
episode "Sooooooul Train", Geoffrey sneaks into the Soul Train
tapings posing as Bootsy Collins, while in The Mighty Boosh
episode "The Legend of Old Gregg" an alien creature named 'The Funk' lands on Bootsy's house, giving him his ability to play the bass guitar
"like some kinda delirious funky priest", as well as the ability to see around corners. His song "I'd Rather Be With You
" was featured in the movie Baby Boy
and on January 26, 2007, Bootsy, a native of Cincinnati, gave the commencement address at the graduation ceremony at The Art Institute of Ohio - Cincinnati. Red Hot Chili Peppers
bassist Flea
, who cited Collins as one of his primary influences, appeared in unmistakably Bootsy-esque clothing in the video for RHCP's "Dani California
", and Bootsy's "What's a Telephone Bill?" was sampled for 2Pac's "Str8 Ballin'" track off the THUG LIFE album.
In 2009 Collins collaborated with Talib Kweli
and Hi-Tek
on the track "Internet Connection".
In October 2010 Bootsy was awarded a Bass Player Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award at the Key Club in Los Angeles.
In March 2011 Bootsy and his wife visited Franklin L. Williams M.S #7's Little Kids Rock
program.
On 15 April 2011, Bootsy appeared on Later... with Jools Holland, performing a memorable snippet of funk with Jools
.
In June 2011 Bootsty played the 10th Annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN.
In the Fall of 2011, Bootsy began being featured in a TV commerical for Old Navy, in which he is making "boots", made by boots, made by Bootsy" to be sold at Old Navy.
(This is the Space Bass on the cover of 1976 album " Strechin' Out In Bootsy's Rubber Band)
Collins' current signature instrument is a custom-built star-shaped bass guitar he calls the "Space Bass", built for him by Manuel "Manny" Salvador of GuitarCraft in 1998. In 2006 Collins made an agreement with Traben
to make a signature Bootsy Collins model bass called the "Bootzilla". During the 2010 NAMM Show
, Collins' new signature bass guitar was released by Warwick
, a customized Infinity Bass called "Bootsy Collins Black Star Signature Bass" or "Bootsy Collins Orange Star Signature Bass", depending on the color of the stars on it.
, launched Funk University ("Funk U"), an online-only
bass guitar school
in which he also serves as curator
and lead professor. Funk University offers an intense curriculum tailored for intermediate to advanced bass players as well as anyone interested in a deeper understanding of funk. The curriculum is based on bass theory, history of funk, and Collins' own musical history given by Collins himself, augmented by lessons and exercises in bass and rhythm from guest bassist professors such as Les Claypool
, Meshelle Ndegeocello, John B (Williams) and Victor Wooten
. Enrolled students gain access to the virtual campus which, in addition to the multimedia lectures, includes a comprehensive subject library containing audio and multimedia music files, tablature
s, and articles. Students participate in interactive questionnaires, polls, competitions (including track submissions), and are subjected to regular reviews by faculty members, who have designated "office hours" during which students can ask questions. Students and faculty can post or reply in the university's online forum (the Cafeteria). Eventually, the curriculum will be expanded to include other instruments.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, singer, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
.
Rising to prominence with James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk. Collins is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
.
1960s-1970s
With his elder brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins, and Kash Waddy and Philippé WynnePhilippe Wynne
Philippé Wynne , born Phillip Walker, was an American R&B singer. Best known for his role as the lead singer of The Spinners , Wynne scored notable hits such as "How Could I Let You Get Away", "The Rubberband Man",and "One of a Kind ",...
, Collins formed a funk band called The Pacemakers
The Pacemakers (funk band)
The Pacemakers were a late-1960s American funk group that consisted of bassist William "Bootsy" Collins, his older brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins on guitar, Philippé Wynne on vocals, and drummer Will Jackson ....
in 1968.
In March 1970, after most of the members of James Brown's band quit over a pay dispute, The Pacemakers were hired as Brown's backing band and they became known as The J.B.'s
The J.B.'s
The J.B.'s were James Brown's band during the first half of the 1970s. On record the J.B.'s were sometimes billed under various alternate names such as The James Brown Soul Train, Maceo and the Macks, A.A.B.B., The First Family and The Last Word...
. (They are often referred to as the "original" J.B.'s to distinguish them from later line-ups that went by the same name.) Although they worked for Brown for only 11 months, the original J.B.'s played on some of Brown's most intense funk recordings, including "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
"Get Up Sex Machine" is a funk song recorded by James Brown in 1970 and released as a two-part single on King Records....
", "Super Bad
Super Bad (song)
"Super Bad" is a 1970 James Brown song. Originally released as a three-part single, it went to number one on the soul singles chart and number 13 on the Hot 100....
", "Soul Power
Soul Power
"Soul Power" is a song by James Brown. Recorded in 1971 with the original J.B.'s and released as a three-part single, it was a Top Ten R&B hit. The song also appeared on the 1972 album Soul Classics...
", and "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing
Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing
"Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" is a funk song by James Brown and Bobby Byrd. Recorded on October 1, 1970, at Bobby Smith Studios in Macon, Georgia, it was first released as an edited two-part single on King Records that same year, but was quickly withdrawn. The single received a full release on...
".
It is known that the young Bootsy clashed several times with the rigid system Brown used to discipline the young band whenever he felt they stepped out of line.
House Guests, P-Funk, Rubber Band and Sweat Band
After parting ways with James Brown, Bootsy returned to Cincinnati and formed House GuestsHouse Guests
House Guests was an early-1970s American funk group that consisted of bassist William "Bootsy" Collins, his older brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins on guitar, Frank "Kash" Waddy on drums, Clayton "Chicken" Gunnells on trumpet, and Robert McCullough on saxophone....
with his brother Phelps Collins, Rufus Allen, Clayton "Chicken" Gunnels, Frank Waddy, Ronnie Greenaway and Robert McCullough. The House Guests released two singles on the House Guests label as well as a third as The Sound of Vision on the House Guests label.
Collins next moved to Detroit, following the advice of singer and future Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
member Mallia Franklin
Mallia Franklin
Mallia Franklin was a vocalist with P-Funk and was also known as the Queen of Funk. She introduced friends George Clinton and Bootsy Collins in 1971...
. Franklin introduced both Collins brothers to George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
, and 1972 saw both of the Collins brothers, along with Waddy, join Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
. Bootsy played bass on most of Funkadelic and Parliament's albums through 1980, garnering several songwriting credits as well.
In 1976 Bootsy, Catfish, Waddy, Joel Johnson, Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Robert Johnson and The Horny Horns
The Horny Horns
The Horny Horns were a horn section associated with Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy's Rubber Band led by trombonist Fred Wesley. The group also featured saxophonist Maceo Parker and Rick Gardner and Richard 'Kush" Griffith on trumpets.While they are best-known for their contributions to other...
formed Bootsy's Rubber Band, a separate touring unit of Clinton's P-Funk collective. The group recorded four albums together, the first three of which are often considered to be among the quintessential P-Funk recordings. The group's 1978 album Bootsy? Player of the Year
Bootsy? Player of the Year
Bootsy? Player of the Year is the third album by the American funk band Bootsy's Rubber Band.-Reception:The album was released on Warner Bros. Records on January 27, 1978. At the height of the album's popularity, it competed head to head with Bootsy Collins' mentor George Clinton and his band...
reached the top of the R&B album chart and spawned the #1 R&B single "Bootzilla
Bootzilla
"Bootzilla" is a song recorded by Bootsy's Rubber Band, released on January 13, 1978. As the lead single from the album Bootsy? Player of the Year it held the #1 spot on the R&B chart for one week in 1978...
".
Like Clinton, Bootsy took on several alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
s, from Casper the Funky Ghost to Bootzilla, "the world's only rhinestone rockstar monster of a doll", as parts of the evolving character of an alien rock star who grew gradually more bizarre as time went on (see P-Funk mythology
P-Funk mythology
The P-Funk mythology is a group of recurring fictional characters, themes and ideas related in a series of concept albums and live shows, primarily from George Clinton and his founded bands Parliament and Funkadelic....
). He also adopted his trademark "space bass" around this time.
Bootsy also released a 1980 album, Sweat Band
Sweat Band
Sweat Band is the title of the 1980 debut album by the P-Funk spin off act the Sweat Band. The album was the first official release on the Uncle Jam Records label, formed by George Clinton and his business manager Archie Ivy, and distributed by CBS Records...
, on George Clinton's Uncle Jam label with a group billed as Bootsy's Sweat Band.
1980s and later
In 1984, Bootsy collaborated with Jerry HarrisonJerry Harrison
Jerry Harrison is an American songwriter, musician and producer...
of Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
to produce "Five Minutes
Five Minutes (Bonzo Goes to Washington song)
"Five Minutes" is a song by Jerry Harrison, Bootsy Collins and producer Daniel Lazerus, and credited to Bonzo Goes to Washington. It was released on the Sleeping Bag Records label in 1984....
", a dance record sampled and edited from Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's infamous "Five Minutes
Five minutes speech
On August 11, 1984, United States President Ronald Reagan, while running for re-election, was preparing to make his weekly Saturday address on National Public Radio...
" speech. The record was credited to "Bonzo goes to Washington" (also referenced in the 1985 Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
song "Bonzo goes to Bitburg
My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)
"Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" is a song by American punk rock band the Ramones. Initially issued as a single in Great Britain by Beggars Banquet Records in 1985, it did not receive an American single release. An emotionally charged protest of the visit by U.S. president Ronald Reagan to a German cemetery...
", derived from Reagan's starring role as Professor Peter Boyd in the 1951 comedy film Bedtime for Bonzo
Bedtime for Bonzo
Bedtime for Bonzo is a 1951 comedy film directed by Fred de Cordova, starring future U.S. President Ronald Reagan. It revolves around the attempts of the central character, Professor Peter Boyd , to teach human morals to a chimpanzee, hoping to solve the "nature versus nurture" question...
).
In 1990, Bootsy collaborated with Deee-Lite
Deee-Lite
Deee-Lite was an American house and club/dance group, formed in New York City, United States. The group's best-known single was "Groove Is in the Heart", from their 1990 debut album, World Clique. However, Deee-Lite achieved longer lasting success on the U.S...
on their massive hit "Groove Is in the Heart
Groove Is in the Heart
"Groove Is in the Heart" is a song by dance music band Deee-Lite from their debut album, World Clique. Released as a single in late 1990, it was a hit in many countries, including in Australia where it was a number-one hit.-Background:...
" where he contributed additional vocals. Although he also appeared in the music video playing the bass, the bassline in the song is actually a sample of a Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
song called "Bring Down the Birds". Bootsy's Rubber Band became the defacto backing musicians for Deee-Lite during a world tour.
In 1992, Bootsy joined with guitarist Stevie Salas
Stevie Salas
Stevie Salas is a guitarist known for his work on George Clinton's albums, his collaborations with Koshi Inaba of B'z, and Hardware. He was in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, providing the fingerwork for George Carlin's guitar solo....
and drummer Buddy Miles
Buddy Miles
George Allen Miles, Jr. , known as Buddy Miles, was an American rock and funk drummer, most known as a founding member of The Electric Flag in 1967, then as a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys from 1969 through to January 1970.-Early life:George Allen Miles was born in Omaha, Nebraska on...
to form the funk-metal fusion group Hardware
Hardware (band)
Hardware were a funk supergroup consisting of Buddy Miles, Bootsy Collins and Stevie Salas.It featured Mudbone Cooper, Bernard Fowler and George Clinton on backing vocals, and was produced by Bill Laswell. The group was originally called The Third Eye, but changed their name due to conflicts with...
. The trio released one album, Third Eye Open
Third Eye Open (Hardware album)
Third Eye Open is a 1992 album release by the Funk/Rock band Hardware. Hardware consists of lead guitarist Stevie Salas, P-Funk bassist Bootsy Collins, and drummer Buddy Miles, formerly of the Band of Gypsys. The album was produced by Bill Laswell and co-produced by Steve Salas...
, before disbanding.
Bootsy collaborated with bluegrass legends Del McCoury
Del McCoury
Delano Floyd McCoury is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo respectively...
, Doc Watson
Doc Watson
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson is an American guitar player, songwriter and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues and gospel music. He has won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's flatpicking skills and knowledge of traditional American music are highly regarded...
and Mac Wiseman
Mac Wiseman
Malcolm B. Wiseman , better known as Mac Wiseman, is an American bluegrass singer, nicknamed The Voice with a Heart. The bearded singer is one of the cult figures of bluegrass....
to form the GrooveGrass Boyz. They produced a fusion of bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
and funk.
In 1994, Bootsy contributed extensively to the Soup Dragons' last album, Hydroponic
Hydrophonic (Soup Dragons album)
Hydrophonic is the fourth and final studio album from The Soup Dragons. By this stage, lead singer Sean Dickson was the only original member of the band, working with a variety of session musicians including Bootsy Collins, Lynval Golding, Neville Staples, Tina Weymouth, The Kick Horns and the...
.
In 1995, Bootsy played in the remake of Jimi Hendrix's "If 6 Was 9," for Axiom Funk, a Funkadelic-like one-off supergroup produced by Bill Laswell and featuring (Funkadelic members) George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, (the guitar of the late) Eddie Hazel, Gary Shider and Bill Laswell. The group released only one album, and the song also appeared in the soundtrack of the movie Stealing Beauty
Stealing Beauty
Stealing Beauty is a 1996 drama film directed by Academy Award-winning Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci and written by Bertolucci and Susan Minot. It stars Liv Tyler, D.W. Moffett, Jeremy Irons, and Rachel Weisz...
.
Bootsy has collaborated extensively with Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell
Bill Laswell is an American bassist, producer and record label owner....
and made appearances on two Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
records, as well as reading a poem at the end of FatBoy Slims's release
Late Night Tales: Fatboy Slim
Late Night Tales: Fatboy Slim is the 19th DJ mix album released in the Late Night Tales series on Late Night Tales. It was mixed by British DJ Fatboy Slim.- Track listing :- References :...
in the LateNightTales DJ mix series. Bootsy provided "vocal spice" on the TobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
album Welcome to Diverse City. He also appears on Nicole C. Mullens' latest album, Everyday People. He has also worked with the Lo-Fidelity Allstars on the album Don't be Afraid of Love, with Praxis
Praxis (band)
Praxis was the name of an ever-changing musical project, led by prolific producer Bill Laswell. Praxis combine elements of different musical genres such as funk, jazz, hip-hop and heavy metal into highly improvised music...
, and with Buckethead
Buckethead
Brian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
on several occasions, for example on Buckethead's first album, Bucketheadland. Bootsy was featured in the 2002 film Standing in the Shadows of Motown. In 2004 he appeared on Snoop Dogg's Rhythm & Gangsta album and on the cover of "The Joker
The Joker (song)
"The Joker" is a song by the Steve Miller Band from their 1973 album The Joker. The song is one of two Steve Miller Band songs that feature the neologism "pompatus". The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974. It draws heavy influence from the Allen Toussaint's song Soul Sister featured...
" on the Fatboy Slim album Palookaville. He also performed a cover of "Power of Soul" on Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix is a 2004 tribute album featuring various artists performing the music of Jimi Hendrix.-Track listing:...
'.
In 2005, Bootsy Collins added vocals to fellow bassist Victor Wooten
Victor Wooten
Victor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards....
's album Soul Circus. He also served as "Heineken's Amsterjam 2005
AmsterJam
AmsterJam was an American rock festival based upon the concept of the mashup fad, by transferring it to the live stage and matching up two different artists to perform their own mashups - songs or compositions created by blending two or more songs together, usually by overlaying the vocal track of...
" curator and master of ceremonies on Randall's Island
Randall's Island
Randall's Island is situated in the East River in New York City, part of the borough of Manhattan. It is separated from Manhattan island on the west by the river's main channel, from Queens on the east by the Hell Gate, and from the Bronx on the north by the Bronx Kill. It is joined to Wards...
, New York, and appeared with Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, and The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
' Questlove, in an American TV commercial for the Motorola ROKR
Motorola ROKR
The Motorola ROKR is a series of mobile phones from Motorola, and is one of the series in the 4LTR line. The first model was released on September 7th 2005. They are designed for music.-E1:...
phone.
In October 2005, Collins co-wrote a song celebrating the resurgence of his hometown team, the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
called "Fear Da Tiger" which features "raps" written and performed by several Bengals players, including defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Duane Clemons, offensive tackle Stacy Andrews, and center Ben Wilkerson. An edited version of the song was made into a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
which features cameos by many other Bengals players. It has garnered tremendous local airplay and is viewable on Bengals.com Additionally, Cincinnati Bell
Cincinnati Bell
Cincinnati Bell is the dominant telephone company for Cincinnati, Ohio, and its nearby suburbs in the U.S. states of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. The parent company is named Cincinnati Bell Inc. Its incumbent local exchange carrier subsidiary uses the name Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company LLC,...
is offering "Fear Da Tiger" as a free ringtone for its wireless customers in both polyphonic and MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
formats. Collins appeared with Little Richard, Bernie Worrell
Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
, and other notable musicians as the band playing with Hank Williams, Jr.
Hank Williams, Jr.
Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...
for the Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
opening during for the 2006 season. Collins was the only all star to return with Williams for the 2007 season.
He also sings "Marshal Law", the theme song of the Cincinnati Marshals indoor football team. He debuted the song on April 29, at halftime of a Marshals home game against the West Palm Beach Phantoms.
In 2006, ABC Entertainment
ABC Entertainment
ABC Entertainment is a network production company owned by ABC that was created in 1982.The company was previously known as ABC Television Network Productions, ABC Circle Films, and ABC Productions...
/ A Charly Films Release released a DVD/CD from Bootsy Collins and the New Rubber Band's concert at the 1998 North Sea Jazz Festival
North Sea Jazz Festival
The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual jazz festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam...
. In the same year, Collins split from long-time friend and guitarist Odhran "The Bodhran" Rameriz, citing creative differences as the reason.
Also in 2006, Collins recorded music for the animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
television series Loonatics Unleashed
Loonatics Unleashed
Loonatics Unleashed is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that ran on the Kids' WB for two seasons from 2005 to 2007 in the United States, Teletoon in Canada, Kids Central in Singapore, Cartoon Network's Boomerang in Australia, Cartoon Network in the UK,...
. Collins also voiced the character Bootes Belinda in the episode The Music Villain.
In April 2007, Bootsy announced plans to begin a restaurant/club with Cincinnati area restaurateur Jeff Ruby called "Bootsy's." The venue operated 2008-2010 before closing. It featured live musical acts, a museum dedicated to Bootsy's musical career and Spanish, Central and South American cuisine.
In June 2007, Bootsy Collins, along with Phelps Collins, Clyde Stubblefield
Clyde Stubblefield
Clyde Stubblefield is a drummer best known for his work with James Brown.Stubblefield's recordings with James Brown are considered to be some of the standard-bearers for funk drumming, including the singles "Cold Sweat", "There Was A Time", "I Got The Feelin'", "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm...
, John "Jabo" Starks, and Bernie Worrell
Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
, participated in the recording of the soundtrack for the movie Superbad.
In July 2007, Bootsy also told Billboard magazine that he was working on a project by the name of Science Faxtion
Science Faxtion
Science Faxtion is an American experimental metal band that formed in California in 2007. Comprising multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Bootsy Collins, vocalist and guitarist Greg Hampton, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia and DJ Tobe "Tobotius" Donohue , the band has released the...
and an album called Living On Another Frequency
Living On Another Frequency
-Notes:* The song "At Any Cost" features parts of the song "Gigan" from the album The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock by Buckethead.* The song "I See Rockets" features parts of the song "Lotus Island" from the album Inbred Mountain by Buckethead.-Personnel:...
in which he serves as bassist and co-producer along with his lead vocalist Greg Hampton
Greg Hampton
Greg Hampton is a producer, guitarist, singer, and songwriter, who has worked on such albums as Alice Cooper's Along Came a Spider, Tommy Bolin's Whips and Roses, and Lita Ford's Wicked Wonderland. Hampton has also appeared as the member of several groups over the years, including Science Faxtion ,...
. The band also features guitarist Buckethead and drummer Brain
Bryan Mantia
Bryan "Brain" Mantia is a contemporary rock drummer. He has played with bands like Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis and Godflesh, and with other popular performers such as Tom Waits, Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins and Buckethead...
. The album was released in November 2008.
Collins promoted Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....
for its 2008 campaign together with Buckethead.
Bootsy produced Junkyard Waltz by funk band Freekbass from Ohio came out October 27.
Bootsy has been mentioned in the song "Genius of Love
Genius of Love
"Genius of Love" is a 1981 song by Tom Tom Club from their eponymous debut album.-Song:"Genius of Love" was Tom Tom Club's second single. Although the album had not been released in North America, over a hundred thousand copies of the single sold as imports from Island Records's UK, at which point...
" by Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being bandmembers of Talking Heads.-Biography:...
in the line "Clinton's musicians such as Bootsy Collins raise expectation to a new intention", while "Got more bass than Bootsy Collins" is a line in the song "Rumble in the Jungle" by the Fugees
The Fugees
Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
. His influence in popular culture is seen in that he has been referenced by a number of television series. In The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
episode "Sooooooul Train", Geoffrey sneaks into the Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
tapings posing as Bootsy Collins, while in The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
episode "The Legend of Old Gregg" an alien creature named 'The Funk' lands on Bootsy's house, giving him his ability to play the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
"like some kinda delirious funky priest", as well as the ability to see around corners. His song "I'd Rather Be With You
I'd Rather Be With You
"I'd Rather Be With You" is a single by Joshua Radin, taken from his second studio album Simple Times. It was released in the US on September 30, 2008 and in the UK on April 2, 2010. The song was used in the Scrubs episode "My Cookie Pants"....
" was featured in the movie Baby Boy
Baby Boy (film)
Baby Boy is a 2001 American urban drama film written, produced, and directed by John Singleton. It has been considered a sequel of sorts to Singleton's earlier, more famous work Boyz n the Hood released ten years earlier...
and on January 26, 2007, Bootsy, a native of Cincinnati, gave the commencement address at the graduation ceremony at The Art Institute of Ohio - Cincinnati. Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
bassist Flea
Flea (musician)
Michael Peter Balzary , better known by his stage name Flea, is an Australian-American musician and occasional actor. He is best known as the bassist, co-founding member, and one of the composers of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers...
, who cited Collins as one of his primary influences, appeared in unmistakably Bootsy-esque clothing in the video for RHCP's "Dani California
Dani California
"Dani California" is a single from the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers's ninth studio album, Stadium Arcadium. The single was first made available at the iTunes Music Store and then was officially released on May 2, 2006...
", and Bootsy's "What's a Telephone Bill?" was sampled for 2Pac's "Str8 Ballin'" track off the THUG LIFE album.
In 2009 Collins collaborated with Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
and Hi-Tek
Hi-Tek
Tony Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American record producer and rapper from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli on his Reflection Eternal album and on Black Star...
on the track "Internet Connection".
In October 2010 Bootsy was awarded a Bass Player Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award at the Key Club in Los Angeles.
In March 2011 Bootsy and his wife visited Franklin L. Williams M.S #7's Little Kids Rock
Little Kids Rock
Little Kids Rock is a nonprofit organization that provides free instruments and lessons to children in under-served public schools. The organization is supported by a number of music industry luminaries including Bonnie Raitt, Slash, Joe Satriani, BB King, Jason Newsted, Linkin Park's Brad Delson,...
program.
On 15 April 2011, Bootsy appeared on Later... with Jools Holland, performing a memorable snippet of funk with Jools
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
.
In June 2011 Bootsty played the 10th Annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN.
In the Fall of 2011, Bootsy began being featured in a TV commerical for Old Navy, in which he is making "boots", made by boots, made by Bootsy" to be sold at Old Navy.
Bass guitars
Bootsy's original "Space Bass" and its replacement (before recovery after theft) was made in Warren, Michigan by Larry Pless of Gus Zoppi's music store. The first Space Bass had a mahogany body and maple neck, white finish and mirror pick guard.(This is the Space Bass on the cover of 1976 album " Strechin' Out In Bootsy's Rubber Band)
Collins' current signature instrument is a custom-built star-shaped bass guitar he calls the "Space Bass", built for him by Manuel "Manny" Salvador of GuitarCraft in 1998. In 2006 Collins made an agreement with Traben
Traben Bass Company
Traben Bass Company is an electric bass manufacturer based in Clearwater, FL. The company was started by Tracy Hoeft and Ben Chafin, and the name is a contraction of their first names . The company is a subsidiary of Hanser Holdings International, and as such is affiliated with companies such as B.C...
to make a signature Bootsy Collins model bass called the "Bootzilla". During the 2010 NAMM Show
NAMM Show
The NAMM Show is one of the largest music product trade shows in the world, founded in 1901. It is held every January in Anaheim, California, USA, at the Anaheim Convention Center...
, Collins' new signature bass guitar was released by Warwick
Warwick (bass guitar)
-Overview:Warwick basses were originally a premium brand offering a small range of models built from high quality and exotic tonewoods with 'Neck-through' design...
, a customized Infinity Bass called "Bootsy Collins Black Star Signature Bass" or "Bootsy Collins Orange Star Signature Bass", depending on the color of the stars on it.
Bootsy Collins' Funk University
In July 2010, Collins, in partnership with former child actor Cory DanzigerCory Danziger
Cory Danziger is an American actor and political activist. He is sometimes mis-credited as Cory Danzinger.Danziger was born in Los Angeles County, California. His most notable role was as Dave Peterson, the son of Tom Hanks' character, Ray, in the 1989 cult film The 'Burbs...
, launched Funk University ("Funk U"), an online-only
Virtual university
A virtual university provides higher education programs through electronic media, typically the Internet. Some are bricks-and-mortar institutions that provide online learning as part of their extended university courses while others solely offer online courses. They are regarded as a form of...
bass guitar school
Music school
The term music school refers to an educational institution specialized in the study, training and research of music.Different terms refer to this concept such as school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department or conservatory.Music instruction can be provided...
in which he also serves as curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
and lead professor. Funk University offers an intense curriculum tailored for intermediate to advanced bass players as well as anyone interested in a deeper understanding of funk. The curriculum is based on bass theory, history of funk, and Collins' own musical history given by Collins himself, augmented by lessons and exercises in bass and rhythm from guest bassist professors such as Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
, Meshelle Ndegeocello, John B (Williams) and Victor Wooten
Victor Wooten
Victor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards....
. Enrolled students gain access to the virtual campus which, in addition to the multimedia lectures, includes a comprehensive subject library containing audio and multimedia music files, tablature
Tablature
Tablature is a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering rather than musical pitches....
s, and articles. Students participate in interactive questionnaires, polls, competitions (including track submissions), and are subjected to regular reviews by faculty members, who have designated "office hours" during which students can ask questions. Students and faculty can post or reply in the university's online forum (the Cafeteria). Eventually, the curriculum will be expanded to include other instruments.
Albums
| Year | Band | Album title | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Bootsy's Rubber Band | Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band The album was recorded around the same time as Parliament's Mothership Connection and Funkadelic's Let's Take It To The Stage at United Sound Systems in Detroit, Michigan. The album was produced by Collins and George Clinton... |
Warner Bros. Records Warner Bros. Records Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies... |
| 1977 | Bootsy's Rubber Band | Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! Bootsy's second album is widely considered his best: the Motherpage gives it five-star ratings. Similar to most of Bootsy's other work, it is divided between dance tracks and slow jams... |
Warner Bros. Records |
| 1978 | Bootsy's Rubber Band | Bootsy? Player of the Year Bootsy? Player of the Year Bootsy? Player of the Year is the third album by the American funk band Bootsy's Rubber Band.-Reception:The album was released on Warner Bros. Records on January 27, 1978. At the height of the album's popularity, it competed head to head with Bootsy Collins' mentor George Clinton and his band... |
Warner Bros. Records |
| 1979 | Bootsy's Rubber Band | This Boot is Made for Fonk-N This Boot Is Made for Fonk-N This Boot is Made for Fonk-N is the fourth album by the American funk band Bootsy's Rubber Band. It was released through Warner Bros. Records on June 1, 1979. Unlike previous albums by Bootsy's Rubber Band, this album did not generate any hit singles. The album was more experimental in nature than... |
Warner Bros. Records |
| 1980 | Bootsy Collins | Ultra Wave Ultra Wave Ultra Wave is the fifth album released by funk musician Bootsy Collins. It was released in October 1980 by Warner Bros. Records. It is the first album credited solely to Bootsy Collins, as opposed to his previous releases, which were credited to Bootsy's Rubber Band... |
Warner Bros. Records |
| 1980 | Sweat Band | Sweat Band | Uncle Jam/Columbia Records Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
| 1982 | Bootsy Collins | The One Giveth, the Count Taketh Away The One Giveth, the Count Taketh Away The One Giveth, the Count Taketh Away is a 1982 album by William Bootsy Collins, released by Warner Bros. Records. It would be the last album that Bootsy Collins would record for the label... |
Warner Bros. Records |
| 1988 | Bootsy Collins | What's Bootsy Doin'? What's Bootsy Doin'? What's Bootsy Doin'? is a 1988 album by Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins. The album was released by Columbia Records and was his first album after a six year hiatus from the music scene... |
Columbia Records |
| 1990 | Bootsy's Rubber Band | Jungle Bass Jungle Bass Jungle Bass is an Extended Play CD by the American Funk band Bootsy's Rubber Band. The disc was released in 1990 by 4th & Broadway Records. Jungle Bass reunites most of the original members of Bootsy's Rubber Band, whose last album was released in 1979... |
4th & Broadway |
| 1992 | Praxis Praxis (band) Praxis was the name of an ever-changing musical project, led by prolific producer Bill Laswell. Praxis combine elements of different musical genres such as funk, jazz, hip-hop and heavy metal into highly improvised music... |
Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis) Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis) Note: Track 8 starts out with the Giant Robot theme, that is also featured on Buckethead's Bucketheadland album. The track also contains a version of one of the many themes Akira Ifukube wrote for Toho production's Godzilla films.-Personnel:... |
Axiom Axiom (record label) Axiom was a record label founded by musician Bill Laswell in 1989, with the support of Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records. Axiom was an independent subdivision of Blackwell's Island Records, with Laswell being afforded a budget for a certain number of albums each year, basically of his own... |
| 1994 | Bootsy's New Rubber Band | Blasters of the Universe Blasters of the Universe Blasters of the Universe is a 1993 2 CD set by Bootsy's New Rubber Band. The album was first released on the P-Vine record label and then by Rykodisc in the U.S. and the UK.... |
Rykodisc Rykodisc Rykodisc Records is an American record label. It is owned by Warner Music Group, operates as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance.-Company history:... |
| 1994 | Zillatron | Lord of the Harvest Lord of the Harvest -Personnel:*Bootsy Collins: Space Bass*Bernie Worrell: Keyboards, synthesizers*Buckethead: Electric and acoustic guitars*Bill Laswell: Ambient sounds and noises*Grandmaster Melle Mel: Chant*Umar Bin Hassan: Chant... |
Rykodisc |
| 1994 | Praxis | Sacrifist Sacrifist - Personnel :*Praxis:**Bootsy Collins - bass and vocals**Buckethead - guitar**Brain - drums**Bernie Worrell - keyboards**Mick Harris - vocals**Yamatsuka Eye - vocals**John Zorn - saxophone**Bill Laswell - bass... |
Subharmonic |
| 1995 | Bootsy's New Rubber Band | Keepin' Dah Funk Alive 4-1995 Keepin' Dah Funk Alive 4-1995 Keepin' Dah Funk Alive 4-1995 is a live double CD set by Bootsy's New Rubber Band. The album was first released by P-Vine Records on January 25 1995, and by Rykodisc in the U.S. and the UK later that same year. The album was recorded at Club Jungle Bass in Tokyo, Japan on June 24 and 25, 1994, and... |
Rykodisc |
| 1997 | Bootsy Collins | Fresh Outta 'P' University Fresh Outta 'P' University Fresh Outta 'P' University is a 1997 studio album by former P-Funk bassist Bootsy Collins. The album was originally released by the WEA/Black Culture label in Europe and Japan and then by Private I records in the U.S.... |
WEA Warner Bros. Records Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies... /Black Culture |
| 1998 | Bootsy's Rubber Band | Live in Louisville 1978 Live in Louisville 1978 Live in Louisville 1978 is a live album by Bootsy's Rubber Band. The album was originally released in Holland in 1999 on the Disky Communications label. The CD features a live recording of Bootsy's Rubber Band performing at the Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky on March 15, 1978, during the... |
Disky |
| 2001 | Bootsy's Rubber Band | Live in Oklahoma 1976 Live in Oklahoma 1976 Live in Oklahoma 1976 is a live album by the American Funk band Bootsy's Rubber Band. The album was released in 2001 and represents a collaborative effort between the Funk To The Max label, based in Holland, and Bootzilla Records in the U.S.... |
Funk to the Max |
| 2002 | Bootsy Collins | Play with Bootsy Play With Bootsy Play With Bootsy is an album by Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins. The album was originally released in 2002 by East-West Records, which is distributed by the Warner Music Group in Germany and by Warner Music-Japan. It was later released in the U.S. by Thump Records. The album represents... |
WEA International Warner Bros. Records Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies... |
| 2006 | Bootsy's New Rubber Band | Live in Concert 1998 | ABC Entertainment ABC Entertainment ABC Entertainment is a network production company owned by ABC that was created in 1982.The company was previously known as ABC Television Network Productions, ABC Circle Films, and ABC Productions... /Charly Films |
| 2006 | Bootsy Collins | Christmas Is 4 Ever Christmas Is 4 Ever Christmas Is 4 Ever is a 2006 Christmas themed album by Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins. The album was released in the U.S. by the Shout Factory label and by P-Vine Records in Japan. The album represents the very first Christmas album made by any member of the P-Funk musical collective... |
Shout Factory |
| 2008 | Science Faxtion Science Faxtion Science Faxtion is an American experimental metal band that formed in California in 2007. Comprising multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Bootsy Collins, vocalist and guitarist Greg Hampton, guitarist Buckethead, drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia and DJ Tobe "Tobotius" Donohue , the band has released the... |
Living on Another Frequency Living On Another Frequency -Notes:* The song "At Any Cost" features parts of the song "Gigan" from the album The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock by Buckethead.* The song "I See Rockets" features parts of the song "Lotus Island" from the album Inbred Mountain by Buckethead.-Personnel:... |
Mascot Records |
| 2009 | Bootsy Collins | The Official Boot-Legged-Bootsy-CD | Bootzilla |
| 2011 | Bootsy Collins | Tha Funk Capital of the World Tha Funk Capital of the World -Critical reception:The album has been generally well received. Metacritic reported an overall rating of 68, with 6 "positive" and 5 "mixed" reviews. Daniel Ross of the BBC said the album was "waking up a new generation to funk’s heritage", though he said that all the cameos made the album feel... |
Mascot Records |
Singles
| Year | Song title | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. R&B Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
||
| 1976 | "I'd Rather be with You" | 25 |
| "Stretching Out (In a Rubber Band)" | 18 | |
| 1977 | "Can't Stay Away" | 19 |
| "Psychoticbumpschool" | 69 | |
| "The Pinocchio Theory The Pinocchio Theory The Pinocchio Theory is a 1977 single by the American Funk band Bootsy's Rubber Band. It was released by Warner Bros. Records on February 9, 1977. The single first charted in Billboard magazine's Hot Soul Singles chart in March 1977 where it peaked at number six... " |
6 | |
| 1978 | "Bootzilla Bootzilla "Bootzilla" is a song recorded by Bootsy's Rubber Band, released on January 13, 1978. As the lead single from the album Bootsy? Player of the Year it held the #1 spot on the R&B chart for one week in 1978... " |
1 |
| "Hollywood Squares" | 17 | |
| 1979 | "Bootsy Get Live" | 38 |
| "Jam Fan (Hot)" | 13 | |
| 1980 | "Mug Push" | 25 |
| 1981 | "F-Encounter" | 51 |
| 1982 | "Body Slam! Body Slam (song) "Body Slam" is a song that was recorded by Bootsy's Rubber Band. It was released in 1982 by Warner Bros. Records. The song was never featured on any of Bootsy Collins' albums until the 1994 release of the compilation Back in the Day: The Best of Bootsy. The song is a reconstruction of the track... " |
12 |
| "Shine-O-Myte (Rag Popping)" | 78 | |
| "Take a Lickin' and Keep on Kickin'" | 29 | |
| 1988 | "Party on Plastic (What's Bootsy Doin'?)" | 27 |
Promotional videos
- Party on Plastic (What's Bootsy Doin'?) (1988)
- Undacova Funk (feat. Snoop Dogg) (2002)
- Play With Bootsy (2002)