Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on comments from selected YouTube discussion threads about the song "Uptown Funk!" and two other Funk records - the Gap Band's "Oops Upside Your Head" and The Time's "Jungle Love".
Part I provides information about the Gap Band about their record "Oops Upside Your Head". Information about the record "Uptown Funk" is also given in this post. One sound file and one video of "Oops Upside Your Head" and one video of "Uptown Funk" are also featured in this post.
Part I also provides selected comments about "Uptown Funk" from two YouTube discussion threads of the Gap Band's late 1979/early 1980 record "Oops Upside Your Head". Most these featured comments address the subject of "Uptown Funk" 'ripping off' (using the hook of) that Gap Band's song. However, some of these selected comments include memories of and comments about "Oops Upside Your Head" and/or comments about other Funk records.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/02/comments-about-uptown-funk-from-two.html for Part II of this series. Part II provides selected comments about "Uptown Funk" from two YouTube discussion thread of The Time's 1984 record "Jungle Love". Two Youtube examples of "Jungle Love and a video of "Uptown Funk" are also included in that post.
Neither of these pancocojams posts include any comments from the featured YouTube discussion thread for the video "Uptown Funk".
The content of this post is presented for cultural and aesthetic purposes.
I believe that some YouTube discussion thread comments should be preserved, studied, and shared for educational and folkloric purposes alone or along with the YouTube sound files or videos that prompted them.
Most of the comments in this post are about Uptown Funk's use of aspect/s of the Gap Band's "Oops Upside Your Head" song. Other comments are included about the Gap Band, and other 1970s-1980s Funk music. I'm particularly interested in documenting and sharing the use of African American Vernacular English that may be found in any of these comments.
I recognize that other compilations of these YouTube discussion threads would probably be different than the one that I'm compiling and sharing.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who were associated with the performances of both the videos showcased in this post. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these video on YouTube.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE GAP BAND
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gap_Band
"The Gap Band was an American R&B and funk band which rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. With the nucleus consisting of brothers Charlie, Ronnie, and Robert Wilson, the band first formed as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band in 1967, in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The group shortened its name to The Gap Band in 1973. After 43 years together, they retired in 2010."...
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE GAP BAND's RECORD "OOPS UPSIDE YOUR HEAD"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oops_Up_Side_Your_Head
"I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!)", (re-titled "Oops Up Side Your Head" on the single as well as being known by other titles such as "Oops Upside Your Head"), is a 1979 funk anthem recorded by the R&B group The Gap Band. Released off their fourth studio album, The Gap Band II, the song and its parent album both achieved commercial success...
The single became an international hit for the group upon its late 1979 release, though it failed to reach the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at number-one on its Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart), the song hit the top ten on the US R&B and disco charts and became a big-seller overseas where it peaked at number six in the UK in 1980 and number six in the Netherlands....
Origin
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Genres
Electro-funk, electro, funk, R&B, soul, quiet storm
Instruments
Guitar, Synthesizer, Drums, Horns
Years active
1967–2010"
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Click http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/gapband/oopsupsideyourhead.html for the lyrics for the Gap Band's song "Oops Upside Your Head".
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INFORMATION ABOUT "UPTOWN FUNK"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uptown_Funk
"Uptown Funk" (stylised as "UpTown Funk!")[6][7] is a song recorded by British producer Mark Ronson, with vocals from American singer Bruno Mars, for Ronson's fourth studio album, Uptown Special (2015). RCA Records released the song as the album's lead single on 10 November 2014...
The single received widespread critical acclaim from music critics, receiving two Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The song was also a global commercial success, spending fourteen consecutive weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, seven non-consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart, and topped the charts in several other countries including Australia, Canada, France, Ireland and New Zealand.
In 2015, "Uptown Funk" won Ronson the Brit Award for British Single of the Year.[11] The video for "Uptown Funk" was also nominated for five MTV Video Music Awards in 2015, winning Best Male Video...
The song features heavy inspiration from the Minneapolis sound of 1980s-era funk music, having a spirit akin to works by Prince as well as Morris Day and The Time.[4] Copyright controversies about "Uptown Funk" have dogged Ronson and Mars, with The Gap Band's three core members being added on as songwriters as part of a mutually settled agreement given the inspiration given to the track by "Oops! Upside Your Head"...
The video received its billionth view on YouTube on 15 September 2015 (UTC), becoming the ninth video on YouTube to receive over 1 billion views"...
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INFORMATION ABOUT "OOPS UPSIDE YOUR HEAD" AND THE "UPTOWN FUNK!" RECORD
From http://www.stereogum.com/1798435/the-gap-band-awarded-a-writing-credit-on-uptown-funk/news/, The Gap Band Awarded Writing Credit On “Uptown Funk!” Tom Breihan, April 30, 2015
"After the verdict in the “Blurred Lines” lawsuit, nobody is playing around when it comes to those pesky “hey, this song sounds like this other song” complaints. When Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars hit huge with their strutting pastiche “Uptown Funk!,” people played a lot of spot-the-influence, and the consensus was that the song got its swagger from Morris Day & The Time. But another old-school funk group is getting paid. Music Week reports that Gap Band members Lonnie Simmons, Ronnie Wilson, Charles Wilson, Robert Wilson, and Rudolph Taylor have all been given co-writer credits because of the similarities between “Uptown Funk!” and their 1979 hit “Oops Up Side Your Head.” They join the Ronson, Mars, and the song’s four other credited co-writers (including Nicholaus Williams and Devon Gallaspy, who are in there because of the way “Uptown Funk!” interpolates Trinidad James’ “All Gold Everything”*). Given that “Uptown Funk!” spent 14 weeks atop the Billboard charts, this is going to mean a whole lot of money for the Gap Band. This is all a bit surprising, considering that “Uptown Funk!” and “Oops Up Side Your Head” don’t actually sound all that much like each other. Listen for similarities below. [both videos are embedded in that article]"
-snip-
Trinidad James’ “All Gold Everything" contains explicit language and "the n word" throughout the entire Hip Hop bragging record. The line "Don't believe me just watch" that is repeated in "Uptown Funk!" are from that Hip Hop record.
According to http://radio.com/2015/03/11/8-artists-that-could-sue-uptown-funk-on-the-same-grounds-as-blurred-lines/ "8 Artists That Could Sue "Uptown Funk" On The Same Grounds As "Blurred Lines'"*, the "All God Everything" record "is the only song “Uptown Funk” specifically credits."
*Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blurred_Lines for information about the "Blurred Lines" record and lawsuit.
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YOUTUBE VIDEO OF "UPTOWN FUNK!"
Editor's Note: I'm featuring this video first because comments in the discussion threads for the other YouTube examples refer to it.
Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars
MarkRonsonVEVO, Published on Nov 19, 2014
Mark Ronson's official music video for 'Uptown Funk' ft. Bruno Mars.
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Mark Ronson is the chief writer and producer of this song. Bruno Mars is the lead singer. He's shown in the pink jacket in this video.
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This same video and information is provided in Part I and Part II of this pancocojams series.
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YOUTUBE EXAMPLES OF THE GAP BAND'S "OOPS UPSIDE YOUR HEAD" SONG
Example #1: Gap Band - Oops Upside Your Head (1980)
smokalot187, Uploaded on Aug 19, 2009
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Selected comments from this sound file's discussion thread:
These comments are given in chronological order with the oldest comments given first. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order. I've assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only.
2014
1. blondiern561 year ago
"Classic "funk" Bruno Mars is taking a page out of this classic book!!! Woo-Hoo!"
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2. sazhawk
"I dont want to hear anything about bruno mars or whatever they or you call him. This is strictly old school. Take your new shit somewhere else. Preferably where I dont have to hear or read it.
May the funk be with you!"
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G86
3. "Uptown funk you up
I said Uptown funk you up"
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4. git sp00k3d m80
"Why are you singing that song.
That song stole the tune to this song.
The original is the best."
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2015
5. [Editor: The following comment was written in response to a profanity filled comment that lambasted the blogger for mentioning the Gap Band in reference to Bruno Mars’ song “Uptown Funk”]
GRANDMASTERKANE
"+Victor H the gap band gets 17% of royalties from the song "uptown funk" so i think the gap band is ok with bruno mars, that being said music today has less talent than music of the past, but i believe its just temporary, give it 10-20 years, good music will be back. music is [profanity deleted] atm because of people like you who have no musical talent and think everything is good. re-evaluate your mentality son."
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The “son” at the end is a putdown that probably comes from African American Vernacular culture. It seems to me that this putdown is only used by adult males for another adult male. Calling a man “son” indirectly says the man being addressed is less mature (doesn’t know as much) as the man speaking. The man called “son” needs to be “schooled” (corrected & put in his place). I believe “daughter” is used this same way. In comparable circumstances, the woman might be called “girl”.
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James Roache
6. "amen"
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7. jacqueline broughton
"I agree. Wish these youngsters could come hill with some original stuff no talent"
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Dougie D
8. "+GRANDMASTERKANE Keep your preachy fence-sitting to yourself. Honestly. Surely the only explanation for the state of today's music (i.e. a somewhat lesser quantity of good music being made) is that we are seeing the best of the past, while we see the good and the bad of today's music."
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9. "MaxodeX3 weeks ago
+GRANDMASTERKANE be thankful someone in the pop industry is trying to revive the 70s and 80d in a sea of overly produced generic pop music. bruno mars is definitely something else."
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10. G86
"I don't like when artists try to pass something off as original when they have clearly ripped it off something else. They should always be punished for doing that."
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11. Dom Harker
+G86 The Gap Band have now been added to the credits of Uptown Funk, well said +g86G86!
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12. Ironhammer123
"that this song is homage of both 70's and early 80's?? whats the problem..."
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13. Tom Clay-Michael
"+Ironhammer123 there was a lawsuit regarding copyright
i agree that mark ronson was trying to impersonate the 70's but he should have given credit or at least asked for the gap bands permission on this one."
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14. clue104
"+G86 ronson gave the gap band and it's writers credit for uptown funk."
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15. Hawkeye45
"+G86 Uptown Funk is now in a lawsuit against The Gap"
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16. clue104
"+Hawkeye45 no. there is no lawsuit. ronson and mars gave the gap band credit in order to avoid going to court."
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17. 172Break
"+clue104 He gave them 17% apparently."
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18. Na Re1
"+Ironhammer123
uptown funk is a hommage to the 70s not 80s"
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19. Ironhammer123
"Yah sorry my mistake 70s and early 80s"
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20. javvieh
"+Na Re Don't discount the obvious homage to The Time and Prince's Minneapolis funk movement."
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21. themightykhan84
"+G86 You mean like how The Gap Band rips off Humpty Dumpty in this song?"
-snip-
"Humpty Dumpty refers to the character in the nursery rhyme.
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22. Tipratpom30
"+themightykhan84 lol very good 😂"
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24. Jon Betts
"I presume the similarity to Kool & The Gang's "Get Down On It" has been noted"
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25. Max Jerome
"Bruno Mars brought me here, I knew that hook sounded familiar."
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26. Reply
"tam ara
Me too"
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27. Bed Spilling
"Mark Ronson donated lots of money to The Gap Band."
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Example #2: Oops Upside Your Head - The Gap Band (1979)
1mistaGROOVE, Uploaded on Aug 3, 2011
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Selected comments from this sound file's discussion thread:
These comments are given in chronological order with the oldest comments given first. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order. I've assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only.
2015
1. Larry Roberts
"James Brown, Sly and the family Stone, Parliament-Funkadelic-Bootsy, Kool &the Gang, The Brothers Johnson, Ohio Players, Midnight Star, the Gap Band, Chuck Brown and the Soul Seachers, Lakeside, Heatwave, Slave, Jimmy Castor and the Fatback Band, Ray Parker and Raydio, Manu Dibango, War, LTD, Dyke & the Blazers, Rick James,the SOS Band ,EW&F, the Bar_Kays, Brick, Chic, whew! Johnny Guitar Watson, Atlantic Starr, you want pure funk, I'm not even done yet"
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2. faka wot
"please throw out more :)"
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3. Zach Ryan
"let me help u out mr. Roberts with a perosnal fav. of mine, Rufus and Chaka Khan, my wife
-snip-
Regarding the comment "Chaka Khan, my wife": male fans of a female celebrity sometimes facetiously refer to that celebrity as "my wife" or "my future wife". Female fans may also facetiously refer to a male celebrity as "my husband" or "my future husband".
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4. Tarius Shinobio
"Back in the day of this song! Brothers could chill in The Hood and there was no Drama!
The DJ Booth on Slauson & Western [Long Closed] was the spot!
And WhereHouse Records on La Brea & Rodeo was the chill spot. That whole plaza was filled with Black Businesses!
Now L.A. is a "Shadow of it's Former Self!"
-snip-
"no drama" = no fights or shooting at nightclubs
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5. greg brown
"This song is DA BOMB yeah buddy"
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6. Turnaround Threadz
"A classic that will keep on and on, unlike the rubbish around now. I use to work on radio and use to play this on the midnight show and the other funk.... Makes you feel good :) Bring back Funk...."
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7. paul potter
"used to dance to this in night club in Kingston upon thames , every one hands on some ones waist snaking in single file what a laugh , this was interactive music."
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8. Jamie Warrior Warlord McCallum
"classic jaming dance track 80's magic from the gap band love these."
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9. Kashmir Rhem
"How come this is a gap band song and it sounds like Kool and the gang " Get Down On it" You can hear it in the background....Just listen closely....."
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10. stacey bashford
"Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars have given The Gap Band a writing credit on their huge hit Uptown Funk, due to its similarities with their 1979 track Oops Up Side Your Head.
Uptown Funk, which topped the UK chart for seven weeks and the US chart for 14, originally had six songwriters.
The five writers of The Gap Band's hit were added earlier this week, according to RCA documents seen by Billboard.
It's said to have followed a claim from publisher Minder Music on their behalf. please tell me how these songs are similar ?"
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11. Chris Tifer
"You don't hear similarities in the chorus?"
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12. Bri Sugar
"Uptown funk you up, I said uptown funk you up. Uptown funk you up, said uptown funk you up!!"
Everything is the same except in Uptown Funk the beat is faster. Show it down, same song!!!"
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13. Patrick Ganley
"From what I can tell, their claim to Uptown Funk is a simple spoken-word pattern. Very simple. I'm fairly certain that these aren't the only two songs in the world to have this pattern. There is no way this should warrant a lawsuit. If we're gonna start seeing these obscure musicians from the past sueing modern musicians over similarities this vague, we're in for a lot of annoyance."
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14. Adrian Jamal
"It's not a new occurrence. It's been happening for years and should continue to happen. It will force new artists to be that much more creative. & Charlie Wilson is still performing to this day so I would hardly call him obscure."
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14.Dee Green
"+Adrian Jamal Amen! And he's still having hit songs."
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16. jamilyn bennett
"I do like that Bruno Mars brought back that old school funk with "uptown funk" I think more artist should follow in his shoes, since Funk is really so well liked."
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17. Justice Orjustus
"Ha ha - Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson had to pay these cats because of the similarity to 'Uptown Funk' - true story"
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18. suetreat
"Uptown Funk did a song with the same title and intro but different lyrics. It is a good rendition and a good way to bring funk music back."
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19. onTRAK merchant services
"they got a songwriter credit on Uptown Funk, there is a similarity."
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20. OriginalDrDeLeon
"They were biting Parliament so hard hahaha. It's alright though.
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This comment refers to the Gap Band. "Biting" is an African American Vernacular English word that means the same as "rippin of". That word is often given as "bitin [my] or [someone's] style."
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21. daz6546
"'Thumbs up' if you remember joining a long line of people sat down on the dance floor, forward, back, left (slap hand on floor) and right (slap hand on the floor)... Good times!"
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22. William Oliver
"OLD SOUL YA.LL!!!LOL 80'S BABY... YOUNG CATS DNT GET IT TWISTED OR IT WILL BE OOPS UPSIDE YA HEAD LOL"
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23. Love Peace and Music
"HA HA! That's what I'm sayin. LOL"
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Visitor comments are welcome.
I have to say I love Uptown Funk, they did a great job putting a modern twist on it
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Irina Jade.
DeleteI'll give you this: "Uptown Funk" is certainly a popular song.