Raised in Plainfield, NJ, Bernie Worrell was a classically
trained pianist at three years old. Throughout his
childhood he played with symphonies and orchestras, and even
wrote his own concerto at the age of eight. Slowly, he listened
to the radio and discovered sounds other than classical, and
when he went to college, he played with a number of bar bands,
including the Tavares (who were known as
Chubby & the Turnpikes back then). It was also around
this time that Worrell met George Clinton,
who was the vocalist for a Motown-influenced group called
the Parliaments. The Parliaments soon split
up and moved to Detroit, where Clinton re-formed them into
a new group, called Parliament. Clinton then
formed another side band, called Funkadelic,
several of whose members had been in Parliament but were now
performing under the new name due to contractual glitches.
Worrell joined Funkadelic in 1970, beginning
with their album Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will
Follow. He was an essential part of the P-Funk
mob and continued to play with them right up until
the early '80s. He then joined the Talking Heads
as a session man and went on tour with them throughout the
'80s, basically working with David Byrne
and the band right up to their split in early 1992. Besides
his solo career, Worrell continues to work with members of
the P-Funk, including Bootsy Collins. His
work on such songs as "Flashlight,"
"(Not Just) Knee Deep," and "Cosmic
Slop" influenced not only other R&B/soul
artists but also many rap groups, who continue to sample his
work in their own songs.--Bio Courtesy of allmusic.com
PARLIAMENT: Funkentelchy vs. The Placebo Syndrome
-- This is essential listening for anyone who owns
a moog synthesizer because the track
"Flashlight" is the funkeist moog bass line of all
time!! Bernie Worrell is knee deep in the funk all
though this album. -- Rodney Lee
FUNKADELIC: Let's Take It To The Stage --
The last track on this album, "Atmosphere",
features Bernie in one of his signature classic moments.
He has this uncanny ability to turn a composition that is based
on classical music harmonies into funk. Pure genious. -- Rodney
Lee
TALKING HEADS: Stop Making Sense - DVD--
Bernie Worrell toured with The Talking Heads throughout the
80's. This DVD is that band at it's finest, and Bernie
is killing. A must have!! -- Rodney Lee
STRANGER:
BERNIE WORRELL ON EARTH -- This is a documentary that
I came across while searching for info on Bernie Worrell. Go
to this site and view the trailer: strangermovie.com
It really looks like a great documentary, and I can't wait until
it is released.
Bernie
with P Funk
If
you are a Bernie Worrell fan then perhaps you will enjoy my CD as
well.
Innocent
Bystander is my alter ego of hardcore funky electronica.
Released in 2000, this CD was featured prominently in MTV
Road Rules.
The music infuses elements of Drum-n-Bass,
Techno, Reggae, and Funk
all with a unifying B-3 organ throughout.
Innocent Bystander transcends the space time continuum from
70's funk to the new millennium by perfectly melding the computerized
sounds of the new electronica with the raw human feel of old
school soul and funk.
It's as if Sly Stone and Jimmy Smith
were genetically combined with the Chemical Brothers
and Fat Boy Slim! There is even
a cover of Sly Stone's "Sing A Simple Song". The
result is music for your mind and your ass. It's Medeski,
Martin, and Wood on a futuristic tour around Jupiter.
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