Funk

In February 1965 James Brown walked into a Charlotte studio and cut a record where the emphasis landed on the first beat instead of the backbeat, and where almost nothing changed harmonically for three minutes. Everything here comes from that rearrangement. Funk gave the world the break that hip hop was built on, the bassline that house and techno borrowed, and the drum pattern that jungle chopped into a genre; the seven seconds of an obscure 1969 B-side may be the most reused music ever recorded, and the drummer who played it died homeless. This archive follows the music by strain rather than by decade: the Godfather and his band, the P-Funk mythology, Sly, the horn bands, New Orleans, jazz players playing funk, Fela and Afrobeat, the DC go-go pocket, both Brazils, the talk-box early eighties, the West Coast rebuild, and the analogue revival that carried it to now. It is deliberately not only American, because funk stopped being only American almost immediately.

A chronological documentary of 1,626 moments spanning 1940–2026 on Loreline.

Curated by Olivier · last updated 2026-09-20

  1. - The Ransome-Kuti family in Abeokuta, Nigeria, around 1940, including the young Fela
  2. - Floyd Smith and Dick Wilson at the Howard Theater in Washington DC. The Howard Theater was the centre of Black musical life in Washington and later a go-go venue.
  3. - Brazilian singer Anisio Silva on the Programa Paulo Gracindo. Brazilian television carried the singers who preceded and shaped the Black Rio soul movement.
  4. - Ike and Tina Turner in Cash Box magazine, 1962. Ike & Tina Turner featured on the cover of Cash Box magazine, 30 June 1962.
  5. - (Side A) - JAMES BROWN & THE FAMOUS FLAMES - Live at the apollo 1962 - sonet records vinyl. Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.
  6. - Lost Someone (Live At The Apollo Theater, 1962). Footage dated 1962. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  7. - I'll Go Crazy (Live At The Apollo Theater, 1962). Footage dated 1962. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  8. - Donald Byrd, 1964. Donald Byrd au "Blue Note", Bruxelles, 1964.
  9. - Brazilian singer Wilson Simonal in 1964
  10. - James Brown & The Famous Flames, live on the T.A.M.I show 1964. Footage dated 1964. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  11. - James Brown & The Famous Flames The TAMI Show October 28, 1964 (Colored). Footage dated 1964. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  12. - Curtis Mayfield with the Impressions. The Impressions, 1964: Sam Gooden, Curtis Mayfield, and Fred Cash.
  13. - James Brown Night Train Live 1965. Footage dated 1965. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  14. - ORLANDO JULIUS & HIS MODERN ACES Super Afro Soul [Full Album]. Orlando Julius and His Modern Aces' Super Afro Soul, an early Nigerian soul record.
  15. - Booker T. and the MGs in a 1967 press photo. Trade ad for Booker T. & the M.G.'s single "Hip Hug Her".
  16. - Bar-Kays - Soul Finger ( Original Footage 1967 Laser-disc Rip Stereo Remastered ). Footage dated 1967. Part of the archive's coverage of the Australian brumby and the Kosciuszko cull.
  17. - The Equals fan club photograph, 1967. The Equals singing Hold me closer and I won't be there during recordings of the Dutch TV programme Fanclub , 27 May 1967.
  18. - The Bar Kays - Soul Finger. Released 14th April 1967.. Footage dated 1967. Part of the archive's coverage of the Australian brumby and the Kosciuszko cull.
  19. - James Brown - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - Live in Paris, 1967. Footage dated 1967. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  20. - James Brown averting a riot onstage. Live at the Boston Garden. April 5, 1968.. Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  21. - James Brown takes control as fans rush the stage Live at the Boston Garden April 5, 1968. Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  22. - James Brown. Effect of Live at the Boston Garden. April 5, 1968.. Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  23. - James Brown - Full Show (Live at the Boston Garden, April 5, 1968). Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  24. - James Brown pays respect to Martin Luther King, Jr. Live at the Boston Garden. April 5, 1968.. Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  25. - Sly & The Family Stone - TV Appearances Volume 1 (1968 - 1971). Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the American mustang.
  26. - Sly & The Family Stone • “Dance To The Music” • 1968 [Reelin' In The Years Archive]. Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the American mustang.
  27. - The Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968, whose rhythm playing fed directly into funk guitar
  28. - Sly & The Family Stone - Dance to the Music (Live at the Fillmore East 1968 - Audio). Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the American mustang.
  29. - The Equals on the Dutch teen programme Moef Ga Ga, 1968. Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Tienerprogramma Moef Ga Ga; The Equals ( (Engese beatgroep ) Annotatie : Geheel rechts: Eddy Grant Datum : 23 januari 1968 Trefwoorden : groepsportretten, muziek, popgroepen, televisie Fotograaf : Nijs, Jac. de / Anefo Auteursrechthebbende : Nationaal Archief Materiaalsoort : Negatief (zwart/wit) Nummer archi.
  30. - Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People (Official Video). Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the American mustang.
  31. - The Equals 1968. The Equals in Amsterdam (29 April 1968).
  32. - SLY & THE FAMILY STONE : Ohio 1968. Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the American mustang.
  33. - The Equals on the Dutch television programme Moef Ga Ga, 1968. Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : TV programma Moef Ga Ga ; The Equals (Engelse beatgroep ) Annotatie : 2e van links Eddy Grant Datum : 23 januari 1968 Trefwoorden : groepsportretten, muziek, popgroepen, televisie Fotograaf : Nijs, Jac. de / Anefo Auteursrechthebbende : Nationaal Archief Materiaalsoort : Dia (kleur) Nummer archiefinventaris :.
  34. - Sly and the Family Stone (1968 publicity photo). Publicity photo of the American band Sly and the Family Stone in 1968. From left to right: Freddie Stone , Sly Stone , Rose Stone , Larry Graham , Cynthia Robinson , Jerry Martini , Greg Errico .
  35. - The Equals photographed in 1968. The Equals in Amsterdam (29 April 1968).
  36. - The Equals in the Netherlands, 1968. The Equals in het Nederlandse tienerprogramma Moef Ga Ga in 1968.
  37. - James Brown - Speech (Live at the Boston Garden, April 5th 1968). James Brown giving a speech during his concert at the Boston Garden, on April 5, 1968. The concert became a thing of legend. Only 24 hours earlier civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King had been assassinated resulting in widespread violence across the United States.
  38. - James Brown - I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me) (Live at the Boston Garden, Apr 5, 1968). James Brown performing "I Can't Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)" live at the Boston Garden, on April 5, 1968. The concert became a thing of legend. Only 24 hours earlier civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King had been assassinated resulting in widespread violence across the United States.
  39. - Tom Atkins - Speech (Live at the Boston Garden, April 5th 1968). Tom Atkins giving a speech during James Brown's concert at the Boston Garden, on April 5, 1968. The concert became a thing of legend. Only 24 hours earlier civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King had been assassinated resulting in widespread violence across the United States.
  40. - Kevin White - Speech (Live at the Boston Garden, April 5th 1968). Kevin White giving a speech during James Brown's concert at the Boston Garden, on April 5, 1968. The concert became a thing of legend. Only 24 hours earlier civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King had been assassinated resulting in widespread violence across the United States.
  41. - James Brown Live Paris 1968. Footage dated 1968. Part of the archive's coverage of the origins of the horse and its return to the Americas.
  42. - James Brown - Get It Together / There Was A Time / I Got The Feelin' (Boston Garden, Apr 5, 1968). James Brown performing "Get It Together", "There Was A Time" & "I Got The Feelin'" live at the Boston Garden, on April 5, 1968. The concert became a thing of legend. Only 24 hours earlier civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King had been assassinated resulting in widespread violence across the United States.
  43. - James Brown - That's Life / Kansas City (Live at the Boston Garden, Apr 5, 1968). James Brown performing "That's Life" and "Kansas City" live at the Boston Garden, on April 5, 1968. The concert became a thing of legend. Only 24 hours earlier civil rights activist Dr Martin Luther King had been assassinated resulting in widespread violence across the United States.
  44. - 1968 HITS ARCHIVE: Say It Loud--I’m Black And I’m Proud (Part 1) - James Brown (mono). Pop Chart Peaks: Record World 9, Billboard 10, Cash Box 17 - R&B Peak: 1 45 single issued on King 6137 - Say It Loud--I’m Black And I’m Proud (Part 1) (Brown) by James Brown .
  45. - The Meters - Look Ka Py Py - 1969 - Complete LP. Footage dated 1969. Part of the archive's coverage of the free-roaming herds of the world.
  46. - Sly & The Family Stone - Love City / Higher - Woodstock 1969 (EXTENDED & IMPROVED). Footage dated 1969. Part of the archive's coverage of the American mustang.
  47. - NEW * Sly & The Family Stone - Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) {4K-Stereo} 1969. Footage dated 1969. Part of the archive's coverage of the American mustang.
  48. - Booker T. and the MGs, 1969. Photo of Booker T & The MG's, used in the 05/03/1969 issue of Billboard.
  49. - NEW * Hot Fun In The Summertime - Sly & The Family Stone "Live" {Stereo} 1969. Footage dated 1969. Part of the archive's coverage of the American mustang.
  50. - Sly & the Family Stone - Stand! (Live). Footage dated 1969. Part of the archive's coverage of the American mustang.

…and 1,576 more moments.

Full text archive: /loreline-text/funk.md

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