''Funk of Ages'' is a solo album by former

Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American musical collective, music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton (funk musician), George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament (band), Parliame ...

keyboardist

Bernie Worrell George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016) was an American Keyboard instrument, keyboardist and record producer best known as a founding member of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective. In later years, he also worked with ...

. The album was released in 1990 by

Gramavision Records Gramavision Records is an American record label founded in 1979. Since 1994 it has been a subsidiary of Rykodisc. The label's music is largely jazz, blues and folk oriented but has touched on many other styles and genres. In 1979, Jonathan F.P. ...

. It includes contributions by numerous guest musicians, including

Sly and Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separat ...

David Byrne David Byrne (; born May 14, 1952) is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and filmmaker. He was a founding member, principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the American New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads. Byrne has ...

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...

Vernon Reid Vernon Alphonsus Reid (born 22 August 1958) is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as the founder of the rock band Living Colour. Reid was named No. 66 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's 2003 list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Ti ...

, and

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs "Poetry Man" and "Harpo's Blues", and her credited guest vocals on Paul Simo ...

P-Funk Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American musical collective, music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton (funk musician), George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament (band), Parliame ...

bandmates

Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s before joining the Parliament-Funkadelic collective, Collins established himse ...

Maceo Parker Maceo Parker (; born February 14, 1943) is an American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s and Prince in the 2000s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of ...

, Gary Cooper, Doug Duffey, and

Michael Hampton Michael Hampton (born November 15, 1956) is an American funk/rock guitarist. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. Career Hampton was born in Cleveland, Ohio, ...

also contributed. "Outer Spaceways" was written by

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...

. "Volunteered Slavery" was written by

Rahsaan Roland Kirk Rahsaan Roland Kirk (born Ronald Theodore Kirk; August 7, 1935Kernfeld, Barry.Kirk, Roland" ''The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz'', 2nd ed. Ed. Barry Kernfeld. ''Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Grove Music Online''. ''Grove Dictionary of M ...

Critical reception

Patricia Smith, of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'', listed ''Funk of Ages'' as the best album of 1990. The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' wrote that "Worrell's surprisingly supple voice shines on a couple of melodic reggae numbers, 'Real Life Dreams' and 'Sing'." The ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

'' determined that "the musicianship is adventurous enough to make for a funky, wide-ranging diversion."

Track listing

#"Sing" (Worrell,

) 4:34 #"B.W. Jam" (Worrell, Gary Cooper, Joe Polanco) 3:30 #"Funk-A-Hall-Licks" (Worrell,

, Cooper, Doug Duffey) 5:20 #"

Ain't She Sweet "Ain't She Sweet" is a song composed by Milton Ager, with lyrics by Jack Yellen. It was published in 1927 by Ager, Yellen & Bornstein, Inc. It became popular in the first half of the 20th century and typified the Roaring Twenties. Like "Happy D ...

" (

Jack Yellen Jack Selig Yellen (Jacek Jeleń; July 6, 1892 – April 17, 1991) was an American lyricist and screenwriter. He is best remembered for writing the lyrics to the songs "Happy Days Are Here Again", which was used by Franklin Roosevelt as the theme ...

Milton Ager Milton Ager (October 6, 1893 – May 6, 1979) was an American composer, regarded as one of the top songwriters of the 1920s and 1930s. His most lasting compositions include " Ain't She Sweet” and “Happy Days Are Here Again”. Biography Ag ...

) 5:02 #"Y-Spy" (Worrell, Steve Jordan,

Charley Drayton Charley Drayton is an American multi-instrumentalist and producer, known primarily as a drummer. Artists he has recorded or performed with include The Cult, Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancoc ...

) 4:27 #"Real Life Dreams" (Worrell, David Nyce) 4:43 #"Beware of Dog" (Worrell, Dougie Bowne) 2:37 #"Straight Ahead" (Worrell, Sheila Washington, John Denicola, Patty Maloney, Gil Small) 3:59 #"Don't Piss Me Off" (Worrell,

Jerry Harrison Jeremiah Griffin Harrison (born February 21, 1949) is an American musician, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur. He began his professional music career as a member of the band the Modern Lovers, before becoming keyboardist and guitarist for ...

, Charlie Midnight) 4:26 #"Volunteered Slavery/Bern's Blues/Outer Spaceways" (

/Worrell/

) 4:45 #"At Mos' Spheres" (Worrell) 3:55 #"Real Life Dreams On" (Worrell, David Nyce) 1:39

Personnel

*Sing *Synthesizer, Organ, Synth Bass, Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell *Drums:

Steve Ferrone Stephen A. Ferrone (born 25 April 1950) is an English drummer. He is known as a member of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from 1994 to 2017, replacing original drummer Stan Lynch, and as part of the "classic lineup" of the Aver ...

*Guitar:

Jimmy Ripp Jimmy Rippetoe (born March 13, 1956), better known by his stage name Jimmy Rip, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, who is known for his work with Jerry Lee Lewis, Mick Jagger, Debbie Harry, Paul Collins & the Beat, Micha ...

*Electric Sitar: Jimmy Ripp *Percussion: Larry Fratangelo *Background Vocals:

, Gary Cooper, Sheila Washington *B.W. Jam *Clavinet, Synthesizer, Synth Bass, Percussion: Bernie Worrell *Drum Programming, Synth Horns, Samples, Sequencing: Joe Polanco, Gary Cooper *Horns: Uptown Horns *Background Vocals: Bernie Worrell, Gary Cooper, Sheila Washington, Steve Washington, Jenny Douglas-Foote *Funk-A-Hall-Licks *Clavinet, Synthesizer, Organ, Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell *Bass:

*Drums: Steve Jordan *Keyboard:

*Guitar:

, Jimmy Ripp, Bootsy Collins *Saxophone:

*Background Vocals: Gary Cooper, Sheila Washington, Jody Bell, Doug Duffey *Ain't She Sweet *Arrangement: Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins *Piano, Synth Bass: Bernie Worrell *Bass, Drum Programming: Bootsy Collins *Synthesizer: Bernie Worrell, Herbie Hancock *Percussion: Larry Fratangelo *Banjo: Jimmy Ripp *Vocals: Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, Gary Cooper *Y-Spy *Clavinet, Synthesizer, Organ, Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell *Drums: Steve Jordan *Bass, Snare, Lap Steel Guitar:

*Guitar: Keith Richards, Steve Jordan *Percussion: Steve Jordan, Charley Drayton *Vocals: Steve Jordan, Gary Cooper, Loren Qualls *Real Life Dreams *Organ, Clavinet, Synthesizer, Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell *Drums:

Sly Dunbar Lowell Fillmore "Sly" Dunbar (born 10 May 1952, Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican drummer, best known as one half of the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and reggae production duo Sly and Robbie. Biography Dunbar began playing at 15 in a ba ...

*Bass:

Robbie Shakespeare Robert Warren Dale Shakespeare (27 September 1953 – 8 December 2021) was a Jamaican bass guitarist and record producer, best known as half of the reggae rhythm section and production duo Sly and Robbie, with drummer Sly Dunbar. Regarded as on ...

*Guitar: Jimmy Ripp, Steve Jordan *Percussion: Larry Fratangelo, Gary Cooper *Background Vocals: Sheila Washington, Jody Bell *Beware of Dog *Clavinet, Organ, Synthesizer: Bernie Worrell *Guitar:

*Drums: Doug Bowne *Bass: Jimmy Hawkes *Saxophone: Maceo Parker *Straight Ahead *Clavinet, Synthesizer, Synth Bass, Lead Vocals: Bernie Worrell *Drums:

*Guitar: Jimmy Ripp *Bass: Warren McRae *Background Vocals: Gary Cooper, Sheila Washington, Patty Maloney, John Denicola, Michael Camacho, Doug Duffey *Don't Piss Me Off *Synthesizer, Synth Bass, Samples: Bernie Worrell *Lead Vocals: Phoebe Snow, Gary Cooper *Organ:

*Drums: Dennis Chambers *Volunteered Slavery *Producer:

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, wo ...

*Organ, Electric Piano: Bernie Worrell *Vocals: Bernie Worrell, Gary Cooper *Chatan, Conga, Tambourine, Bells:

Aïyb Dieng Aïyb Dieng is a Senegalese drummer and percussionist specializing in hand drums. He has recorded two solo album, including '' Rhythmagick'' (1995), and has worked with a wide range of musicians, including as a regular collaborator of bassist/pr ...

*At Mos' Spheres *Producer: Bill Laswell *Organ: Bernie Worrell *Real Life Dreams On *Organ, Clavinet, Synthesizer: Bernie Worrell *Drums: Sly Dunbar *Bass: Robbie Shakespeare *Guitar: Jimmy Ripp, Steve Jordan *Percussion: Larry Fratangelo, Gary Cooper

References

{{Authority control Bernie Worrell albums 1990 albums Gramavision Records albums Albums produced by Bill Laswell