Mothership Connection – Parliament
5/11/202653 min
Could Parliament be the most important band of the 1970s? Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin break down Parliament's 1975 masterpiece Mothership Connection track-by-track: Bootsy Collins bass lines that launched a thousand samples, grooves that lock you in and won't let go, and the New Orleans connection that George Clinton says started the whole thing. Plus: isolated bass and drums stems.
You'll never hear Parliament the same way again.
Chapters Legend:
🎧 Listening to a track 🎹 Music theory breakdown 🎵 Live studio jam
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About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
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00:00 Parliament's Mothership Connection (1975)
01:07 MASTERCLASS In Funk
02:44 Who Is Parliament?
07:59 🎧 "Mothership Connection"
10:15 🎧 BEST Moment of 1975
14:48 Isolated Stems On "Mothership Connection"
18:34 Influence Of Mothership Connection
20:15 🎧 "Unfunky UFO"
23:10 🎧 "Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication"
27:23 Mysticism and Meaning of Parliament
33:48 🎧 "Handcuffs"
35:54 🎧 "Give Up the Funk"
44:13 🎧 "Night Of the Thumpasorus Peoples"
46:44 Categories: Desert Island Tracks, Apex Moments, Spotify Playlist
48:13 Is This the Most Important Band Of the 70s
51:05 What to Listen to Next
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsPeter Martin· Host0:00
George Clinton had just imagined a young Barack Obama- [coughs] ... in the White House- [coughs] Pete ... with his album Chocolate City in April- [coughs] Excuse me ... 1975. Now, just a few minutes later- Pete, Peter. What?
Adam Maness· Host0:10
Barack, yeah.
Peter Martin· Host0:10
What? We don't- I'm setting it up, man. I know we usually do that, but we don't need a bespoke intro for this show.
Adam Maness· Host0:16
We, we absolutely need an... We always do an introduction.
Peter Martin· Host0:18
This album comes with an introduction.
George Clinton· Soundbite0:20
[funky music] Good evening. Do not attempt to adjust your radio. There is nothing wrong. We have taken control as to bring you this special show, and we will return it to you as soon as you are grooving. Welcome to station W-E-F-U-N-K, better known as WE FUNK, or deeper still, the Mothership Connection, home of the extraterrestrial brothers, dealers of funky music, P-Funk, uncut funk, the bomb.
Speaker 4· Soundbite0:49
Coming to you directly from the mothership, top of the chocolate Milky Way, 500,000 kilowatts of P-Funk power. So kick back, dig, while we do it to you in your eardrums. For me, I'm known as Lollipop Man, alias The Long-Haired Sucker. My motto is: P-Funk.
Speaker 5· Soundbite1:06
P-Funk.
Adam Maness· Host1:07
I'm Adam Maness.
Peter Martin· Host1:08
And I'm Peter Martin.
Adam Maness· Host1:09
And you're listening to the You'll Hear It podcast.
Peter Martin· Host1:11
Music Explorer.
Adam Maness· Host1:13
Explorer, brought to you by Open Studio. Go to openstudiojazz.com for all- Ooh ... your jazz lesson needs.
Peter Martin· Host1:20
Now, that was an introduction.
Adam Maness· Host1:22
Peter, our, I feel like our faces are gonna hurt today.
Peter Martin· Host1:26
Yeah, stank face.
Adam Maness· Host1:26
[laughs] From both the stankness of the faces and