SWING DOWN, SWEET CHARIOT, STOP, AND LET ME RIDE: The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture (opening 2015) has obtained the P-Funk Mothership for its permanent display.
Note that this Mothership was built in the '90s by a Japanese fan, and imported to the US for a proposed tour in '96 that was going to reunite George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell. They played a 4th of July concert in Central Park, but, as usual, George got shady with the money, and I don't think Bernie played any other dates on that tour. I'm not sure how many shows this Mothership actually got used for.
Just a couple of weeks ago, I was trying to find picutres of the '90s Mothership via Google, and couldn't find any (and could only find a couple of the '70s Mothership)
Exactly. I happen to think the '90s version is very cool - much shinier, all chrome and electronic disco lights. The '70s Mothership looks a bit more home-made.
I highly reccomend the P-Funk Mothership Article on Wiki,if just for the sentence "Powered by unknown means, presumably The Funk and simple <span>stagecraft</span>, the Mothership appeared over the <span>Planet Earth</span> many times during the second half of the Twentieth century, and was even seen to physically land at a number of live music venues in the United States during the 1970s in order to disgorge its Funk to the people."
That's kind of fantastic. Or funkadelic, if you like.
ReplyDeleteNote that this Mothership was built in the '90s by a Japanese fan, and imported to the US for a proposed tour in '96 that was going to reunite George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell. They played a 4th of July concert in Central Park, but, as usual, George got shady with the money, and I don't think Bernie played any other dates on that tour. I'm not sure how many shows this Mothership actually got used for.
ReplyDeleteJust a couple of weeks ago, I was trying to find picutres of the '90s Mothership via Google, and couldn't find any (and could only find a couple of the '70s Mothership)
Well the original is nowhere to be found, so ...
ReplyDeleteExactly. I happen to think the '90s version is very cool - much shinier, all chrome and electronic disco lights. The '70s Mothership looks a bit more home-made.
ReplyDeleteI highly reccomend the P-Funk Mothership Article on Wiki,if just for the sentence "Powered by unknown means, presumably The Funk and simple <span>stagecraft</span>, the Mothership appeared over the <span>Planet Earth</span> many times during the second half of the Twentieth century, and was even seen to physically land at a number of live music venues in the United States during the 1970s in order to disgorge its Funk to the people."
ReplyDeleteThe Motherpage is decended from a site I built/hosted back in 1994, in the days of NCSA Mosaic. (I'm listed as Funky Science Officer "DJ EJ".)
ReplyDeleteShouldn't it be in the National Air and Space Museum? Just saying.
ReplyDeleteWell, the real question is where to display the artifacts from the Old Negro Space Program:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/v/T6xJzAYYrX8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140
I'd like that just to hear Bootsy Collins say "Welcome to Udvar-Hazy, baby!"
ReplyDelete