A funk explosion was really happening because of the Brothers Johnson in the summertime of 1976. The sibling Los Angeles duo of George and Louis Johnson entered each the Billboard Scorching 100 and its Scorching Soul Singles charts on August 14 that 12 months with one in all their killer early dance tracks, “Get The Funk Out Ma Face.”
The brothers, who performed in Billy Preston’s band within the first half of the Nineteen Seventies, had emerged in their very own proper the 12 months earlier than. They have been the featured artists on grasp producer Quincy Jones’ Prime 20 R&B hit “Is It Love That We’re Missin’.” The connection with Quincy would show lengthy and fruitful.
Studio A-listers
Their very own debut album Look Out For #1, produced by Jones, spent all of June 1976 on the high of the R&B album chart. It was an outstanding instance of top-class musicianship, with George’s lead guitar, Louis’ bass, their shared lead vocals and the contributions of high gamers comparable to Dave Grusin, Billy Cobham, Harvey Mason, Ralph Macdonald, and Ernie Watts.
Take heed to uDiscover Music’s Brothers Johnson Greatest Of playlist.
Throughout that month-long reign, the album’s lead single “I’ll Be Good To You” hit No.1 R&B and have become a crossover smash, spending three weeks at No.3 on the Scorching 100. It was the Brothers Johnson’s biggest-ever pop success, larger even than the music that turned their largest UK anthem, 1980’s “Stomp!”
A flagship 12-inch
The second single from Look Out For #1 was the sensible funk exercise “Get The Funk Out Ma Face,” which rang out on R&B stations throughout America that summer time and was excellent for the brand new 12-inch single craze.
The observe went to No.4 R&B and No.30 pop, and though the brothers wouldn’t make their UK chart debut till 1977 with one other of their all-time greats, “Strawberry Letter 23,” the “Get The Funk Out Ma Face” single made nice waves among the many soul cognoscenti. As they sang, “funkin’ is a factor that each one of us launch.”
Purchase or stream “Get The Funk Out Ma Face” on Strawberry Letter 23, The Very Better of the Brothers Johnson.