Funky Stuff: The Black Groups of the 70s

There was a post-Motown, pre-disco period when several Black groups melded horns and strings, with funk, soul, and R&B to create some of the most infectious grooves on 70s radio. I was reminded of this when I caught the 2005 throwback movie, Roll Bounce. Set in a Chicago roller skating rink during the 70s, the songs that inspired a hundred Soul Train dance lines remain fresh.

Much like how the group Chicago blended hard rock guitars with horns, these groups added horns and other orchestral touches to funk, soul, and R&B, reinventing the genre. Yes, I know I’ve missed a few, but in the early to mid-70s, these groups in particular rightly ruled pop radio.

Can ya dig it?

Kool and the Gang

Starting as a jazz-based group from New Jersey, they gradually embraced a more R&B sound. Before 80s hits like “Joanna” and “Celebration” signaled a hard turn to the lighter and more commercial, Kool and the Gang had some of the most danceable grooves of the 70s. In 1973, they wrote “Jungle Boogie,” “Funky Stuff” and “Hollywood Swinging” (their first #1 R&B hit) in a single day.

 

The Ohio Players

They were almost as famous for the nearly nude models on their album covers as they were for their incredibly tight grooves. In the ’60s, they were a local Dayton group called The Ohio Untouchables; they changed the name to reflect their musical chops (with a nod as well to their romantic reputations).

Three albums. Honey, Skin Tight, and Fire each sold a million-plus copies. Their 1975 single, “Love Rollercoaster” also benefited from an urban legend that the scream of a woman being murdered at the recording studio was worked into the song.

 

Earth Wind and Fire

Session drummer Maurice White had a vision for a group that would combine a Vegas-style stage show with players who could blend jazz, funk, Afro-pop, Latin, soul, and sublime harmonies. Oh, and with a little astrology thrown in for good measure.

Sharing his dream with his then-boss Ramsey Lewis in the late 60s, Lewis told him he was nuts. White had the last laugh: Earth Wind and Fire went on to sell over 90 million records worldwide and has won six Grammys.  They’re also forever part of pop culture history for providing a memorable moment in Seinfeld with this 1975 hit.

The Maestros: Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield

These two geniuses elevated the 70s “blaxploitation” films with their fresh, unique soundtracks.

Isaac Hayes immediately captured the persona of New York detective John Shaft with his Grammy-winning soundtrack for 1971’s Shaft. The unmistakable “wocka-wocka” theme nabbed Hayes an Oscar for Best Original Song, making him the first black man to win that category.

 

The following year Curtis Mayfield created the inventive soundtrack for Super Fly which went Gold in just three months. It was widely lauded by critics for both its lyrical substance and deep grooves. It remains one of the definitive touchstones of the 70s sound.

 

-Cindy Grogan

Photo: Earth Wind and Fire (Chris Hakkens via Wikimedia Commons)