Ruth Copeland
Encyclopedia
Ruth Copeland is an English singer known for her involvement with George Clinton
and Parliament-Funkadelic
.
, County Durham
, in the north-east of England
. She initially pursued her music career as a blues
and folk singer
, however she gained her first break after her marriage to Motown
producer Jeffrey Bowen
. When Holland, Dozier and Holland
created the new Invictus Records
, Bowen began producing records for the label, and Copeland became one of the label's first white performers, as a member of the newly signed group 'New Play'. Copeland was involved in writing material for the group, however New Play was not successful, and soon disbanded.
was also signed to the label. She became involved with work on the group's debut album, Osmium
, co-producing the record with Clinton and writing two of the album's tracks: 'Little Old Country Boy' and 'The Silent Boatman'. These tracks are unusual in Parliament-Funkadelic
's catalogue, and show the influence of Copeland's interest in country
and British folk music.
Following the release of Osmium in 1970, Copeland continued to collaborate with Clinton, co-writing a further two singles for Parliament, 'Come In Out of the Rain' and 'Breakdown', which were released between 1971-1972.
The year 1972 also saw Copeland contribute to the self-titled album released by The Politicians featuring McKinley Jackson. She co-wrote the album's opening track, 'Psycha-Soula-Funkadelic', a track subsequently sampled by Brighton-based band The Go! Team
, on their 2007 album Proof of Youth
.
was released by Invictus in October 1970. The album featured contributions not only from George Clinton, but from a range of other Parliament-Funkadelic musicians, including Bernie Worrell
, Eddie Hazel
, Tawl Ross
, Billy Bass Nelson
and Tiki Fulwood
.
A second album, I Am What I Am was released in July 1971, again featuring a range of P-Funk
musicians, including several (such as Hazel and Nelson) who had recently left Funkadelic
due to financial concerns. These former Funkadelic musicians remained with Copeland as her backing band when she toured to promote her album.
Copeland was unable to sustain the success of her initial albums and tours. Despite releasing a third album entitled Take Me To Baltimore on RCA Records
in 1976, she failed to repeat the popularity of her initial releases.
Albums (all on Invictus Records
George Clinton (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 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...
.
Early career
Copeland was born in ConsettConsett
Consett is a town in the northwest of County Durham, England, about southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is home to 27,394 .Consett sits high on the edge of the Pennines. In 1841, it was a village community of only 145, but it was about to become a boom town: below the ground was coking coal and...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, in the north-east of England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. She initially pursued her music career as a blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and folk singer
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, however she gained her first break after her marriage to Motown
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
producer Jeffrey Bowen
Jeffrey Bowen
Jeffrey Bowen was a songwriter and record producer, notable for his work at both Motown Records and Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus and Hot Wax labels. He is best known for his work with the Detroit male vocal groups Chairmen of the Board and The Temptations...
. When Holland, Dozier and Holland
Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
created the new Invictus Records
Invictus Records
Invictus Records was an American record label based in Detroit, Michigan created by Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland...
, Bowen began producing records for the label, and Copeland became one of the label's first white performers, as a member of the newly signed group 'New Play'. Copeland was involved in writing material for the group, however New Play was not successful, and soon disbanded.
Work with George Clinton
At the same time as Copeland's involvement with Invictus, George Clinton's ParliamentParliament (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:...
was also signed to the label. She became involved with work on the group's debut album, Osmium
Osmium (album)
Osmium is the debut album of American funk band Parliament, led by George Clinton. The album has a psychedelic soul sound with a spirit of experimentation that is more similar to early Funkadelic than the later R&B-inspired Parliament albums. It was originally released in July 1970 on Invictus...
, co-producing the record with Clinton and writing two of the album's tracks: 'Little Old Country Boy' and 'The Silent Boatman'. These tracks are unusual in 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...
's catalogue, and show the influence of Copeland's interest in country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and British folk music.
Following the release of Osmium in 1970, Copeland continued to collaborate with Clinton, co-writing a further two singles for Parliament, 'Come In Out of the Rain' and 'Breakdown', which were released between 1971-1972.
The year 1972 also saw Copeland contribute to the self-titled album released by The Politicians featuring McKinley Jackson. She co-wrote the album's opening track, 'Psycha-Soula-Funkadelic', a track subsequently sampled by Brighton-based band The Go! Team
The Go! Team
The Go! Team are a six-piece band from Brighton, England. They combine indie rock and garage rock with a mixture of blaxploitation and Bollywood soundtracks, double dutch chants, old school hip hop and distorted guitars similar to the style of Sonic Youth. Their songs are a mix of live...
, on their 2007 album Proof of Youth
Proof of Youth
Proof of Youth is the second studio album by Brighton band The Go! Team. It was released on September 10, 2007 in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States.-History:...
.
Solo career
Alongside her work on Parliament's debut, Copeland also began working on solo material, and her first album Self PortraitSelf Portrait (Ruth Copeland album)
Self Portrait is the 1970 debut album by English singer Ruth Copeland. The album was released by Invictus Records in 1970 and produced by Ruth Copeland, though it is widely believed that the actual producer of the album was her then husband Jeffrey Bowen working under an alias...
was released by Invictus in October 1970. The album featured contributions not only from George Clinton, but from a range of other Parliament-Funkadelic musicians, including 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...
, Eddie Hazel
Eddie Hazel
Edward Earl "Eddie" Hazel was a guitarist in early funk music in the United States who played lead guitar with Parliament-Funkadelic...
, Tawl Ross
Tawl Ross
Lucius "Tawl" Ross was the rhythm guitarist for Funkadelic from 1968 to 1971 and played on their first three albums. He left the band in 1971 soon after a debilitating experience with LSD. He moved back to North Carolina and dropped out of the music scene, but resurfaced in 1995 after a nearly...
, Billy Bass Nelson
Billy Bass Nelson
William "Billy Bass" Nelson is a U.S. musician, who was the original bassist for Funkadelic. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic....
and Tiki Fulwood
Tiki Fulwood
Ramon "Tiki" Fulwood was a drummer for the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic...
.
A second album, I Am What I Am was released in July 1971, again featuring a range of P-Funk
P-Funk
P-Funk is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and the distinctive style of funk music they performed...
musicians, including several (such as Hazel and Nelson) who had recently left 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:...
due to financial concerns. These former Funkadelic musicians remained with Copeland as her backing band when she toured to promote her album.
Copeland was unable to sustain the success of her initial albums and tours. Despite releasing a third album entitled Take Me To Baltimore on RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
in 1976, she failed to repeat the popularity of her initial releases.
Singles
- "The Music Box" / "A Gift Of Me" (as New Play) (1969)
- "Hare Krishna" / "No Commitment" (1970)
- "Gimme ShelterGimme Shelter"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling...
" / "No Commitment" (1971)
Albums (all on Invictus RecordsInvictus RecordsInvictus Records was an American record label based in Detroit, Michigan created by Edward Holland, Jr., Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland...
, except where noted)
- Self PortraitSelf Portrait (Ruth Copeland album)Self Portrait is the 1970 debut album by English singer Ruth Copeland. The album was released by Invictus Records in 1970 and produced by Ruth Copeland, though it is widely believed that the actual producer of the album was her then husband Jeffrey Bowen working under an alias...
(1970) - I Am What I Am (1971)
- Take Me to Baltimore (1976) (RCA RecordsRCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
)
External links
- [ Allmusic ]