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Originally released in the UK in 2002 under the title The Funkiest Man, this compilation came out in the U.S. in 2003 with the slightly different title Funkiest Man Alive. The tracks, song sequence, and liner notes on each release were identical, though the cover art was different. It gathers 18 of Rufus Thomas' funk-oriented songs from 1967-1975, though only a few '60s sides are here. His biggest funk hit of all, "Do the Funky Chicken," is not here, and though the liners point out that the song is available on other Stax compilations, why not put it on here anyway? In its favor, there's little overlap between this anthology and the Stax CD Funky Chicken, a reissue of his 1969 LP Do the Funky Chicken with seven bonus tracks from his 1968-1974 singles. This also has his three big followup hits to "Do the Funky Chicken": "(Do The) Push and Pull (Part 1)," "Do the Funky Penguin (Part 1)," and "The Breakdown (Part 1)." To its detriment, however, the novelty dance funk grooves just get unimaginative, even monotonous, in such a concentrated dose, getting into spin-offs like "Funky Robot (Part 1)," "Do the Double Bump," "The Funky Bird," "Funky Mississippi," and so forth. Rufus Thomas is cool, but he's not James Brown (though the scratchy guitar and jerky rhythms of 1972's "Itch and Scratch (Part 1)" certainly owe a lot to Brown), nor are the backup musicians. When it stretches back as far as 1967 for "Sophisticated Cissy," there's a refreshing injection of more soul-grounded chops, female backup vocals, and horns. Two of the songs, "I'm Getting Better" and "Memphis Train '75," were previously unreleased in the US.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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Raymond Jackson, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Nixon, Producer, Remixer, Recording Engineer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel - Rufus Thomas, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Marvell Thomas, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - William Brown, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Willie Hall, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Marion, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ronnie Hudson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Daryl Williams, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Donald E. Dortch, ComposerLyricist - Dave Purple, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - South Memphis Horns, Brass Band, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1973 Stax Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Rufus Thomas, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2003 Fantasy, Inc.
Rufus Thomas, Jr., Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Irving King, ComposerLyricist - Tom Nixon, Producer - Andrew Love, FeaturedArtist - Isaac Hayes, ComposerLyricist - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist - Andrew Lowe, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Fantasy, Inc.
Tom Nixon, Producer - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Al Bell, Producer
℗ 1970 Fantasy, Inc.
Steve Cropper, Producer - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2006 Fantasy, Inc.
Rufus Thomas, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2003 Fantasy, Inc.
Mack Rice, ComposerLyricist - Isaac Hayes, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist - David Porter, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Joe Shamwell, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1967 Atlantic Recording Corp.
Steve Cropper, Producer - Eddie Floyd, ComposerLyricist - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist
℗ 1968 Fantasy, Inc.
Tom Nixon, Producer - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1973 Stax Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Terry Johnson, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Mack Rice, ComposerLyricist - Carl Hampton, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Josephine Bridges, ComposerLyricist - Tom Nixon, ComposerLyricist - Cornell Dupree, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gordon Edwards, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Rufus Thomas, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - The Memphis Horns, Brass Band, AssociatedPerformer - Charles Brown, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - William Brown, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Al Bell, Producer, Recording Producer - Willie Hall, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Ronnie Hudson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Harold Beane, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ray Griffin, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Eli Fountain, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1971 Stax Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Tom Nixon, Producer - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Al Bell, Producer
℗ 1970 Fantasy, Inc.
Mack Rice, ComposerLyricist - Tom Nixon, Producer, Recording Engineer, Remix Engineer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Rufus Thomas, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Marvell Thomas, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Lester Snell, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Willie Hall, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Marion, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Jo Bridges, ComposerLyricist - Charles "Skip" Pitts, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Daryl Williams, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Movement, Ensemble - William C. Brown III, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dave Purple, Remix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - South Memphis Horns, Brass Band, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Fantasy, Inc.
Tom Nixon, Producer - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1975 Fantasy, Inc.
Rufus Thomas, Jr., Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Nixon, Producer - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Donald E. Dortch, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1973 Concord Music Group, Inc
Mack Rice, ComposerLyricist - Steve Cropper, Producer - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Willie Sparks, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2006 Fantasy, Inc.
Al Jackson, Jr., Producer - Tom Nixon, Producer - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist - Fleecie Moore, ComposerLyricist - Sam Theard, ComposerLyricist - Al Bell, Producer
℗ 1970 Fantasy, Inc.
Tom Nixon, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist - Jo Bridges, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1973 Stax Records, a division of Concord Music Group, Inc.
Tom Nixon, ComposerLyricist - Rufus Thomas, MainArtist - Jo Bridges, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2003 Fantasy, Inc.
Album review
Originally released in the UK in 2002 under the title The Funkiest Man, this compilation came out in the U.S. in 2003 with the slightly different title Funkiest Man Alive. The tracks, song sequence, and liner notes on each release were identical, though the cover art was different. It gathers 18 of Rufus Thomas' funk-oriented songs from 1967-1975, though only a few '60s sides are here. His biggest funk hit of all, "Do the Funky Chicken," is not here, and though the liners point out that the song is available on other Stax compilations, why not put it on here anyway? In its favor, there's little overlap between this anthology and the Stax CD Funky Chicken, a reissue of his 1969 LP Do the Funky Chicken with seven bonus tracks from his 1968-1974 singles. This also has his three big followup hits to "Do the Funky Chicken": "(Do The) Push and Pull (Part 1)," "Do the Funky Penguin (Part 1)," and "The Breakdown (Part 1)." To its detriment, however, the novelty dance funk grooves just get unimaginative, even monotonous, in such a concentrated dose, getting into spin-offs like "Funky Robot (Part 1)," "Do the Double Bump," "The Funky Bird," "Funky Mississippi," and so forth. Rufus Thomas is cool, but he's not James Brown (though the scratchy guitar and jerky rhythms of 1972's "Itch and Scratch (Part 1)" certainly owe a lot to Brown), nor are the backup musicians. When it stretches back as far as 1967 for "Sophisticated Cissy," there's a refreshing injection of more soul-grounded chops, female backup vocals, and horns. Two of the songs, "I'm Getting Better" and "Memphis Train '75," were previously unreleased in the US.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 18 track(s)
- Total length: 01:13:18
- Main artists: Rufus Thomas
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Stax
- Genre: Blues/Country/Folk Blues
© 2003 Fantasy, Inc. ℗ 2003 Fantasy, Inc.
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