Funk All Time Top 100. (1-10)

1. Ray Frazier & The Shades Of Madness - I Who Have Nothing (Stanson)

This incredible piece of West Coast funk just edges it for me as the Number One funk tune of all time. Meaningful lyrics meet insistent groove and rhythm. The production has just the right amount of sophistication of raw grit, coupled with a perfect vocal.

2. Beau Dollar - Who Knows (1970 King)

My pick of the many killer James Brown productions is this intricate slice of funk. One of the rarest JB productions which just happens IMO to be the best.

3. Frankie Beverly's Raw Soul - Color Blind (1971 Gregar)

A far cry from his later mellow hits with mega-group Maze, is this impassioned anti-racism plea from Frankie Beverly.

4. The Believers - Across The Track (1971 BrownStone)

Slick, jazzy James Brown produced funk - written & arranged by JB's musical director Dave Mathews.

5. Herman Hitson - Ain't No Other Way (1972 Sweet Rose)

Raw, energetic funk with hypnotic bass and driving horns.

6. Billy Sha-Rae - Let's Do It Again (Triple "B" Records)

Tough, no-nonsense Detroit funk.

7. Franciene Thomas - I'll Be There (Tragar)

Uptempo diva-funk from the Tragar label out of Atlanta, GA.

8. Pearl Dowell - Good Things (Saadia)

Heavy slice of soulful Miami diva-funk.

9. James Brown and the Famous Flames - There Was A Time (1967 King)

Early James Brown track that laid down the framework for funk in general.

10. James Lewis Fields - How Long Shall I Wait (1973 Top Pop)

Sophisticated small-label funk out of Brooklyn, NY.

Funk All Time Top 100. (51-75)

51. Billy Wade And The 3rd Degrees - Tear It Up (1968 ABC)

Super-fast funk stomper on the borderline of the UK Northern Soul sound.

52. Alvin Cash & The Registers - Stone Thing (1970 Westbound)

Rare groove classic with phenomenal drum break.

53. United 8 - Getting Uptown (To Get Down)

Well produced piece of East Coast funk by King & Douglass of later Kleeer fame.

54. Barbara & Gwen - Right On (New Chicago Sound)

Diva funk with a social message out of Chicago.

55. Billy "Sugar Billy" Garner - Your Wasting My Time (1971 New Day)

Frenetic piece of hard-hitting midwest funk.

56. Bobby Byrd - I Know You Got Soul (1971 King)

Relentless James Brown produced rare groove classic.

57. Black Haze Express - Won't Nobody Listen (1971 Clintone)

Heavy funk out of Birmingham, Alabama with dramatic intro.

58. Little Beaver - Everybody Has Some Dues To Pay (1973 Saadia)

Mid-tempo southern funk with Tony Allen style drums.

59. Preston Love - Cissy Popcorn (Hudson)

Rare West Coast funk - written by Wilton Felder of The Crusaders.

60. Maceo And The Macks - Soul Power 74 (1974 People)

Classic late-era James Brown produced rare-groove.

61. Mary Love - Born To Live With Heartache (Elco)

Wah-wah driven diva-funk from the West Coast.

62. Pam Kellum - What You See, you Can't Get (1972)

Classy laid-back diva-funk out of Long Beach, California.

63. Mickey and The Soul Generation - Iron Leg (1969 Maxwell)

Jazzy piece of organ-led Texan funk. A rare-groove classic.

64. Lee Dorsey - Give It Up (1969)

Another piece of low down New Orleans funk - backed by The Meters.

65. Charles Mintz - Give A Man A Break (UpLook)

Fast-paced B-Boy classic out of Philadelphia.

66. Bobby Byrd - I Need Help (1973 Brownstone)

Fast-paced rare groove classic produced by James Brown.

67. Eldridge Holmes - Pop, Popcorn Children (1969 Atco)

Hard hitting vocal funk from the Sehorn-Toussaint production team.

68. Gus "The Groove" Lewis - Let The Groove Move You (1968 Tou-Sea)

Hard hitting New Orleans funk with classic drum break intro.

69. Bobby Williams - Funky Superfly (1973 Duplex)

Rare-groove classic southern-funk.

70. Chris Jones - I'm The Man (1970 Goodie Train)

Assertive, stripped down small label vocal funk.

71. Manuel B. Holcolm - I Stayed Away Too Long (1970 Diamond Jim)

Well-produced vocal funk with killer drums.

72. Freddy Wilson - Promise Land (1972 Eastbound)

Unashamedly James Brown influenced funk.

73. Michael Kirkland - The Prophet (1972 Zay)

Upbeat funk from West Coast singer Mike James Kirkland.

74. James Brown - Licking Stick, Licking Stick (1968 King)

Classic James Brown from April 1968.

75. The Meters - Cissy Strut (1969 Josie)

Classic New Orleans minimal funk.

Funk All Time Top 100. 76-100

76. Weston Prim and Backlash - Spider Web (Memphis Express)

Oddball, mid-tempo funk out of Florida.

77. Bobby Byrd - Hot Pants, I'm Coming, I'm Coming (1971 Brownstone)

Classic rare-groove produced by James Brown for his off-shoot label Brownstone.

78. Eugene Blacknell and His New Breed - The Trip (Boola-Boola)

Big sounding funk out of Oakland, California.

79. Larry Ellis and The Black Hammer - Funky Thing (Al King)

Organ led instrumental featuring one of the best intro's in funk.

80. James Brown - Super Bad (1970 King)

Uptempo, classic era-Brown from summer 1970.

81. Renaldo Domino - Let Me Come Within (1970 Twinight)

Stripped down, mid-tempo vocal funk on the Twinight label out of Chicago.

82. The Mighty Hannibal - Get In The Groove (1968 Loma)

My pick of Hannibal's late sixties funk singles for Loma.

83. Smokey Johnson & Company - The Funkie Moon (1969 Intrepid)

Huge sounding horn and organ led instrumental funk.

84. Shelley Fisher - I'll Leave You (Girl) (1970 Kapp)

Dark, moody funk with phenomenal drums.

85. Lou Courtney - Hot Butter N'All (1968 Hurdy-Gurdy)

Hard hitting small label funk from future soul singer Courtney.

86. Angela Davis & The Mighty Chevelles - My Love (Is So Strong) (Flying Arrow)

Driving, afro-beat like funk.

87. Dyke And The Blazers - Let A Woman Be A Woman (1969 Original Sound)

My pick of the singles recorded by Dyke & The Blazers for LA label Original Sound. Well-known for it's classic B-Boy break.

88. Dymanic Walter-B And The New Breed Band - Before I Fall In Love (New Breed)

Small label, southern-soul style funk out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

89. Kool & The Gang - Chocolate Buttermilk (1969 De-Lite)

Another expertly arranged piece of jazz-tinged funk from Kool & The Gang.

90. Dynamic Corvettes - Funky Music Is The Thing (1975 Abet)

Late-era funk classic primarily known for it's huge break. A B-Boy fave.

91. Lee Fields and The Devil's Personal Band - The Bull Is Coming (1974 Angle 3)

Instrumental 'party' funk from the "Little JB" Lee Fields.

92. Leroy And The Drivers - The Sad Chicken (1969 Duo)

Tight, stripped down instrumental funk led by Maceo style sax.

93. Sammy Gordon And The Hiphuggers - Upstairs On Boston Road (1972 Archives)

Large ensemble instrumental 'party' funk from Brooklyn, NY.

94. The Tenth Dymentions - The Bushman (Sapphire)

Large production energetic funk out of Chicago, replete with jungle sound effects!

95. Myra Barnes (Vicki Anderson) - Message From The Soul Sisters (1970 King)

Feminist message funk produced by James Brown. Initial pressings credited to Myra Barnes.

96/ The 2nd Amendment Band - Backtalk (1973 Monet)

Large ensemble band funk out of Washington D.C.

97. The Eddy Jacobs Exchange - Pull My Coat (1969 Columbia)

Jazz maestro Harry Whitaker's take on the Pee Wee Ellis/David Mathews arrangements for James Brown.

98. Ripple - I Don't Know What It Is, But It Sure Is Funky (1973 GRC)

Flip-side to A Funky Song and a rare groove classic in it's own right.

99. Eric And The Vikings - Get Off The Streets Y'All (1970 Soulhawk)

Piano & rhythm guitar driven instrumental out of Detroit. Produced by Richard "Popcorn" Wylie.

100. Levert Allison - "Sugar Daddy" (1970 Elbejay)

Small label big-hitter out of Nashville, Tennessee.