The Mothership Lands

George Clinton's musical career began 40 years ago when he literally stepped out of the barbershop with his doo-wop outfit, the Parliaments, and scored big with the hit "(I Wanna) Testify." Not bad for a teenager from North Carolina. Once the throbassonic mothership from planet Funkadelica landed in his brain...

By Abel Folgar

December 15, 2005

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George Clinton's musical career began 40 years ago when he literally stepped out of the barbershop with his doo-wop outfit, the Parliaments, and scored big with the hit "(I Wanna) Testify." Not bad for a teenager from North Carolina. Once the throbassonic mothership from planet Funkadelica landed in his brain in the late 1960s, Clinton really took off. With a band of swashbucklin' musicians trading off as Parliament (complex, orchestrated jams full of soul) and Funkadelic (excessive, psychedelic primal funk full of sex), Clinton and associates took the '70s by storm by redefining the mainstream notion of funk. Surrounded by extremely capable musicians (Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell, baby!), Clinton and the P-Funk camp emerged unscathed from the decade and made a good go during the Day-Glo '80s. He's been credited with designing the urban musical landscape, and a nation of musicians, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Outkast, constantly pay their respects. Reemerging in the '90s as a cult hero, Clinton's newest offering, the double-disc How Late Do U Have 2BB4UR Absent?, pairs him with the P-Funk All Stars. No doubt he'll continue his reign as a unique living legend on the American musical landscape.

George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars play at 11 p.m. Saturday, December 17, at Nocturnal, 50 NE 11th St., Miami. Tickets cost $20. Call 305-576-6996

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