Play That Funky Music
Encyclopedia
"Play That Funky Music" is a funk
song written by Robert Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry
. The performers on the classic recording included the members of the band at the time: lead singer Parissi, guitarist Bryan Bassett
, bassist Allen Wentz, and drummer Ron Beitle, with session horn players Chuck Berginc, Jack Brndiar, Joe Eckert, and Rick Singer hired to play the horn riff that runs throughout the track's verses. The single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100
on September 18, 1976 and was also number one on the Hot Soul Singles
chart. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
for shipments of over two million records. The song was also the basis of a top five U.S. hit for Vanilla Ice
in 1990.
, but disco
was popular, and some of the group's loyal followers were asking for more dance songs. While taking a break between sets, Beitle uttered, "play some funky music, white boy". Parissi decided they should, and he wrote down the phrase on a bar order pad. They later recorded it in Cleveland with a funk sound.
Originally, it was planned that the song should be released on the B-side of Wild Cherry's cover of the Commodores
' "I Feel Sanctified"; however, when the owners of Sweet City Records heard the song, they suggested that the B-side become the A-side. (Epic Records
picked up the record for worldwide distribution.) The song sold over two million copies; it was Wild Cherry's only hit.
The song listed at #73 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All Time.
Parissi said he often wrote songs in a similar style as a song he'd pick out from each new week of the Top 40. After writing songs in this manner for some time, one of the songs he wrote was Funky Music. The song that served as inspiration for the hit was Fire
by Ohio Players
, which features a similar bass line and rhythm guitar part.
later released a song featuring an interpretation of "Play That Funky Music". Songwriter Robert Parissi was not credited. Parissi was later awarded $500,000 in a copyright infringement lawsuit.
Although it did not initially catch on, its B-side
, "Ice Ice Baby
", gained more success when a disc jockey
played that track instead of the single's A-side.
Following the success of "Ice Ice Baby", "Play That Funky Music" was reissued as its own single (with new lyrics), and peaked at #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
and #10 in the UK.
Chart performance
(2001), The New Guy
(2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
(2004). A rap version is played in the film Malibu's Most Wanted
(2003), while an instrumental version of the song is played on bagpipes by Matt Stifler in the direct-to-video movie, American Pie: Band Camp
(2005).
The song appears in the video games Guitar Hero 5
, DJ Hero
(as a playable track), Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2
(a cover version), Don King Presents: Prizefigher and Shaun White Snowboarding
.
In the sitcom Friends
, Phoebe, who wants Ross to play his own compositions on his keyboard, encourages him by saying, "Play that funky music, white boy!". The song appeared in "Patch Boomhauer
", an episode of the animated TV series King of the Hill
. The song is also heard in a Season 3 episode of the US TV sitcom The Office
.
Robin Williams
has used the song title, delivered in a bad Lawrence Welk
impression, as a one-liner
.
Intel used the song as part of a 1997 television advertising campaign for their Pentium MMX line of processors.
Duracell
used the song during a 1999 television commercial for their batteries. The character's car has a mechanical breakdown and is stranded on the side of the road. Installing batteries into his cell phone, he calls a tow truck
company for assistance. The music on hold is Play That Funky Music and the character dances to the music in the middle of the road. As the caller on the phone returns, the character asks to be put back on hold (to listen to more of the song).
On an episode of The Oblongs
, Bob Oblong sings the tune " Play that funky music, white boy. 'Till you die!"
In the last episode of Home Improvement (Backstage Pass), there is a montage of the Taylor family dancing to "Play That Funky Music."
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...
song written by Robert Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry
Wild Cherry (band)
Wild Cherry was a funk/rock band best known for their funk song "Play That Funky Music".-History:Rob Parissi was raised in the steel mill town of Mingo Junction, Ohio. Parissi graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. Rob formed the band Wild Cherry in 1970 in Steubenville, Ohio, one mile north of...
. The performers on the classic recording included the members of the band at the time: lead singer Parissi, guitarist Bryan Bassett
Bryan Bassett
Bryan Bassett is an American guitarist who has played with several notable bands but is probably best known as a member of Wild Cherry in the 1970s who had a huge hit with "Play That Funky Music."-Early career:...
, bassist Allen Wentz, and drummer Ron Beitle, with session horn players Chuck Berginc, Jack Brndiar, Joe Eckert, and Rick Singer hired to play the horn riff that runs throughout the track's verses. The single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
on September 18, 1976 and was also number one on the Hot Soul 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,...
chart. The single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for shipments of over two million records. The song was also the basis of a top five U.S. hit for Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
in 1990.
History and description
The autobiographical song was inspired by the times. The song's title (and chorus) came from drummer Ron Beitle's observation during a break between sets at the 2001 Club in Pittsburgh. The group performed mostly hard rockHard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, but disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
was popular, and some of the group's loyal followers were asking for more dance songs. While taking a break between sets, Beitle uttered, "play some funky music, white boy". Parissi decided they should, and he wrote down the phrase on a bar order pad. They later recorded it in Cleveland with a funk sound.
Originally, it was planned that the song should be released on the B-side of Wild Cherry's cover of the Commodores
Commodores
The Commodores are an American funk/soul band of the 1970s and 1980s. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for The Jackson 5 while on tour...
' "I Feel Sanctified"; however, when the owners of Sweet City Records heard the song, they suggested that the B-side become the A-side. (Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
picked up the record for worldwide distribution.) The song sold over two million copies; it was Wild Cherry's only hit.
The song listed at #73 on Billboard's Greatest Songs of All Time.
Parissi said he often wrote songs in a similar style as a song he'd pick out from each new week of the Top 40. After writing songs in this manner for some time, one of the songs he wrote was Funky Music. The song that served as inspiration for the hit was Fire
Fire (Ohio Players song)
"Fire" is a hit song by R&B/funk band The Ohio Players. The song was released in late 1974 and it is the opening track from the album of the same name and peaked at the top of both the pop and soul charts. It spent one week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and five weeks at the top of the...
by Ohio Players
Ohio Players
The Ohio Players were an American funk and R&B band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their double #1 hit songs "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster".- Biography :...
, which features a similar bass line and rhythm guitar part.
Vanilla Ice version
Vanilla IceVanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
later released a song featuring an interpretation of "Play That Funky Music". Songwriter Robert Parissi was not credited. Parissi was later awarded $500,000 in a copyright infringement lawsuit.
Although it did not initially catch on, its B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, "Ice Ice Baby
Ice Ice Baby
"Ice Ice Baby" is a hip hop song written by American rapper Vanilla Ice and DJ Earthquake. The song samples the bassline of "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, who did not initially receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit...
", gained more success when a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
played that track instead of the single's A-side.
Following the success of "Ice Ice Baby", "Play That Funky Music" was reissued as its own single (with new lyrics), and peaked at #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #10 in the UK.
Chart performance
| Chart (1990) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 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,... |
22 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Tracks Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
7 |
| End of year chart (1991) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 57 |
Other cover versions
- George Michael sang the song on several dates of his FAITH tour.
- A tribute version of the song was arranged and recorded by Gordon GoodwinGordon GoodwinGordon L. Goodwin is a Grammy award-winning American studio pianist, saxophonist, composer, arranger and conductor. He now lives in Southern California with his wife Lisa, daughter Madison and two sons, Trevor and Garrison.- Early years :...
and his Big Phat Band on their 2006 record The Phat PackThe Phat PackThe Phat Pack is the third studio album from Californian 18-piece jazz ensemble Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. The album was released June 13, 2006 under Silverline Records, and following the tradition of the group's previous two albums , a bonus DVD is included with the CD purchase...
. - A spoken wordSpoken wordSpoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
version of the song, deliberately done in an unflattering manner, was used in the early 1990s in a Pioneer Electronics commercial for their automobile audio products. - A cover version in 1988 by the pop-rock group Roxanne peaked at #63 on the American pop charts.
- Bubonique, a musical comedy side project of the Fatima Mansions and Sean HughesSean Hughes (comedian)Sean Hughes is a British-Irish stand-up comedian, writer and actor.-Career:Hughes was born in London, but spent most of his youth in Firhouse, Dublin...
, included a parody entitled "Play That Funky Music Irish Guy" on their 1993 album 20 Golden Showers. - UK punk-pop band Cranial ScrewtopCranial ScrewtopCranial Screwtop are an English punk-influenced rock band which plays 1980s pop songs in a punk style, the only specialist covers band of its type currently in the UK. The band's sound is distinguished by their use of kazoos...
recorded a cover of the song for the 2006 album "Too Fast for Technology". - Alexei SayleAlexei SayleAlexei David Sayle is a British stand-up comedian, actor and author. He was a central part of the alternative comedy circuit in the early 1980s. He was voted the 18th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-ups in 2007...
included a parody, "Play That Funky Music Jewish Boy", on his 1986 album Panic. - The Leningrad CowboysLeningrad CowboysThe Leningrad Cowboys is a Finnish rock band famous for humorously making rock and roll covers of popular songs, exaggerated pompadour hairstyles, long, pointy shoes, often featuring a Russian military band, the Alexandrov Ensemble.-Beginnings:...
issued a cover version on their 2006 album Zombies ParadiseZombies Paradise-Track listing:-Personnel:The Leningrad Cowboys:*Tipe Johnson – vocals*Sakke Järvenpää – vocals*Jay Kortehisto – Trombone, vocals*Marzi Nyman – Guitar, vocals *Pemo Ojala – trumpet, vocals...
. - Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered the song for their album Club Chipmunk: The Dance MixesClub Chipmunk: The Dance MixesClub Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes is a music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks and was released by Sony Wonder. The album was released on October 6, 1996 and contains cover versions of popular pop/dance songs, oldies and a Spanish version of "Macarena"...
. - Adam LambertAdam LambertAdam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
covered the song on March 31, 2009 on the TV show American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. - B*Witched covered the song in 2001 as a US-only release, but it failed to chart. It was their tenth and final single.
- ThunderThunder (band)Thunder were an English hard rock band, who originally formed in 1989 when the band Terraplane broke up, leaving lead singer Danny Bowes and guitarist/main songwriter Luke Morley to form a new group, namely Thunder...
's cover version appears on their 1999 album Giving The Game AwayGiving the Game AwayGiving The Game Away is the fifth studio album by English Rock band Thunder. It was released in 1999 on the Eagle Records label, three years after their previous album "The Thrill of It All, although the recording sessions for it had been completed almost a year earlier...
. - Paul Di'AnnoPaul Di'AnnoPaul Andrews , better known as Paul Di'Anno, is an English singer best known as the first vocalist to record with the iconic heavy metal band Iron Maiden, from 1978 to 1981....
covered this song on several albums, including Beyond The Maiden. - CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
SaxophonistSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
Warren HillWarren HillWarren Hill Warren Hill Warren Hill (born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is a Canadian smooth jazz and adult contemporary musician. A graduate of Berklee College in Boston, Massachusetts, Hill performed at his own graduation day in 1988, where he caught the attention of record producer Russ Titelman,...
covered the song on his 2005 album PopJazz. - James BrownJames BrownJames 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...
performed the song. - ExtremeExtreme (band)Extreme is an American rock band, headed by frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Among some of Extreme's musical influences are Queen and Van Halen...
performed it live. - American alternative band Three Penny Ride performed it for their song "R&B Triple Play" in 2010
Usage in other media
This song has been used in the films EvolutionEvolution (film)
Evolution is a 2001 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott, Julianne Moore and Ted Levine...
(2001), The New Guy
The New Guy
The New Guy is a 2002 American teen comedy directed by Ed Decter. The film tells the story of high school loser Dizzy Gillespie Harrison. Dizzy is an unpopular, high school band geek going through a hellish senior year...
(2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is a 2004 film, and sequel to 2002's Scooby-Doo based on the Hanna-Barbera series classic, Scooby-Doo. It is the second installment in the Scooby-Doo Live-Action film series. It was directed by Raja Gosnell, who also directed the first film, and was written by James...
(2004). A rap version is played in the film Malibu's Most Wanted
Malibu's Most Wanted
Malibu's Most Wanted is a 2003 comedic feature film written by and starring Jamie Kennedy and co-starring Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, and Regina Hall....
(2003), while an instrumental version of the song is played on bagpipes by Matt Stifler in the direct-to-video movie, American Pie: Band Camp
American Pie: Band Camp
#Andrew W.K. - "She Is Beautiful"#Breaking Benjamin - "Forget It"#Snow Patrol - "How To Be Dead"#Matt Nathanson - "Laid"#Treble Charger - "American Psycho"#Good Charlotte - "The Anthem"#Paul Locke - "Paul's Drums"#Jimmy Eat World - The Middle...
(2005).
The song appears in the video games Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
, DJ Hero
DJ Hero
DJ Hero is a music video game, developed by FreeStyleGames and published by Activision as a rhythm game spin-off of the Guitar Hero franchise. It was released on October 27, 2009 in North America and on October 29, 2009 in Europe...
(as a playable track), Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2 is the tenth home version of Dance Dance Revolution to be released in the United States. It was released by Konami on September 28, 2005 for the PlayStation 2 video game console...
(a cover version), Don King Presents: Prizefigher and Shaun White Snowboarding
Shaun White Snowboarding
Shaun White Snowboarding is a sports video game for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Nintendo DS, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Xbox 360 systems. It was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 14, 2008...
.
In the sitcom Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Phoebe, who wants Ross to play his own compositions on his keyboard, encourages him by saying, "Play that funky music, white boy!". The song appeared in "Patch Boomhauer
Patch Boomhauer
"Patch Boomhauer" is the 150th episode in the Fox animated comedy King of the Hill. It was broadcast as the eighth season premiere. This episode is rated TV-PG for graphic violence .-Plot:...
", an episode of the animated TV series King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
. The song is also heard in a Season 3 episode of the US TV sitcom The Office
The Office (US TV series)
The Office is an American comedy television series broadcast by NBC. An adaptation of the original BBC series of the same name, it depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company...
.
Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
has used the song title, delivered in a bad Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
impression, as a one-liner
One-liner
One-liner may refer to:*one-liner joke*one-liner program, textual input to the command-line of an operating system shell that performs some function in just one line of input...
.
Intel used the song as part of a 1997 television advertising campaign for their Pentium MMX line of processors.
Duracell
Duracell
Duracell is a brand of batteries manufactured by Procter & Gamble.Additionally, Duracell owns the Procell professional-use brand.-Products:Duracell manufactures alkaline batteries in many common sizes, such as AAA, AA, C, D, and 9V...
used the song during a 1999 television commercial for their batteries. The character's car has a mechanical breakdown and is stranded on the side of the road. Installing batteries into his cell phone, he calls a tow truck
Tow truck
A tow truck is a vehicle used to transport motor vehicles to another location , or to recover vehicles which are no longer on a drivable surface.Towing services are generally provided by an emergency road service operator...
company for assistance. The music on hold is Play That Funky Music and the character dances to the music in the middle of the road. As the caller on the phone returns, the character asks to be put back on hold (to listen to more of the song).
On an episode of The Oblongs
The Oblongs
The Oblongs is an American animated television program aimed at teenagers and adults. It is loosely based on a series of characters introduced in creator Angus Oblong's picture book entitled Creepy Susie and 13 Other Tragic Tales for Troubled Children...
, Bob Oblong sings the tune " Play that funky music, white boy. 'Till you die!"
In the last episode of Home Improvement (Backstage Pass), there is a montage of the Taylor family dancing to "Play That Funky Music."