Funky Friday – Episode 61: Funky Bunny
- Noah McDonough
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
🎧 Quick Links:
🎧 Listen live on KDOG 9 AM Pacific Time→ Here
🎧 Listen live on KCSM HD2 9 PM Pacific Time→ Here (On mobile, scroll down to the KCSM HD2 player)
📆 Add to Calendar — Funky Friday (Weekly):
• 9 AM KDOG
Add to Google Calendar
• 9 PM KCSM HD2
Add to Google Calendar
🎶 Catch the Replay → Here
📖 Full Episode Recaps + Setlists → Here
📂 Renegade Radio Site → Here
Airdate: 4.3.26 - 9 AM Pacific Time on KDOG & 9 PM Pacific Time on KCSM HD2
Happy Funky Friday, Renegades of Funk!
Funky Friday – Episode61: Funky Bunny
Funky Friday Episode 61 will air on April 3rd with a different kind of energy guiding the hour.
This one does not build slowly.
It starts with the groove already in motion.The opening stretch establishes that immediately.
The first track does not introduce the scene. It drops the listener into it. The bassline leads. The rhythm follows. There is no hesitation. The movement is already underway.
This is where the tone is set.
From there, the world expands.
The next sequence leans into groove and glide. Rhythm sections stay forward, but the edges soften. Melody begins to carry more weight. The energy does not fall off. It spreads out. The room becomes wider. More open. Still in motion, but with space to move.
Then the shift happens.
The center of the hour pulls inward.
Arrangements slow slightly. Not in tempo, but in feel. The groove becomes more deliberate. Textures deepen. Records in this stretch are less about movement and more about presence. The atmosphere changes. The listener is no longer moving through the scene. They are inside it.
That moment holds.
The groove does not break. It settles.
The rhythm stays steady. The mood carries the weight.
Episode 61 explores the space between bounce and restraint.
Funky Friday – Episode 61: Funky Bunny
🔥 SETLIST + RENEGADE NOTES
Zapp — “More Bounce to the Ounce” (1980)
Personnel: Roger Troutman (vocals, talk box, guitar), Lester Troutman (drums), Zapp ensemble.
Renegade Note: Opening statement. The groove does not introduce itself. It arrives fully formed. The bassline defines the space immediately, and everything else follows.
Slave — “Just a Touch of Love” (1979)
Personnel: Steve Washington (bass), Mark Adams (vocals), Slave ensemble.
Renegade Note: Continued motion. The rhythm stays forward, but the edges begin to open. The groove expands without losing its center.
The Brothers Johnson — “Strawberry Letter 23” (1977)
Personnel: Louis Johnson (bass), George Johnson (guitar, vocals), Quincy Jones (producer), Brothers Johnson ensemble.
Renegade Note: Shift in tone. The groove remains present, but color takes over. Texture and phrasing begin to define the movement as much as rhythm.
Dazz Band — “Let It Whip” (1982)
Personnel: Bobby Harris (vocals), Dazz Band ensemble.
Renegade Note: Rhythm forward. The groove settles into repetition, allowing the pocket to carry the energy without needing variation.
Roy Ayers Ubiquity — “Running Away” (1977)
Personnel: Roy Ayers (vibraphone, vocals), Ubiquity ensemble.
Renegade Note: Transition into glide. Melody begins to share the weight with rhythm. The movement continues, but with more space to breathe.
The Blackbyrds — “Walking in Rhythm” (1975)
Personnel: Donald Byrd (producer), Blackbyrds ensemble.
Renegade Note: Smooth forward motion. The groove remains steady while the arrangement softens around it, shifting focus from drive to flow.
The Stylistics — “People Make the World Go Round” (1971)
Personnel: Russell Thompkins Jr. (vocals), Thom Bell (producer, arranger), The Stylistics ensemble.
Renegade Note: Atmosphere through restraint. The groove stays soft and controlled, allowing tone and phrasing to carry the weight of the movement.
Leon Haywood — “I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You” (1975)
Personnel: Leon Haywood (vocals, keyboards), session ensemble.
Renegade Note: Minimal structure. Space defines the groove. What is not played becomes as important as what is.
The Isley Brothers — “Between the Sheets” (1983)
Personnel: Isley Brothers ensemble.
Renegade Note: Late-night resolution. The groove settles fully into atmosphere, allowing tone and pacing to carry the moment.
Rick James — “Give It to Me Baby” (1981)
Personnel: Rick James (vocals, production), Stone City Band.
Renegade Note: Energy returns. The groove steps forward again with intent. The movement is no longer implied. It is direct.
Ohio Players — “Love Rollercoaster” (1975)
Personnel: Ohio Players ensemble.
Renegade Note: Lift and motion. The rhythm builds naturally, creating momentum without forcing acceleration.
🔗 Quick Links:
🎧 Listen live on KDOG 9 AM Pacific Time→ Here
🎧 Listen live on KCSM HD2 9 PM Pacific Time→ Here (On mobile, scroll down to the KCSM HD2 player)
📆 Add to Calendar — Funky Friday (Weekly):
• 9 AM KDOG
Add to Google Calendar
• 9 PM KCSM HD2
Add to Google Calendar
🎶 Catch the Replay → Here
📖 Full Episode Recaps + Setlists → Here
📂 Renegade Radio Site → Here
Funk Facts
🔥 Parliament — Synth Funk as Foundation
“Flash Light” introduced a new kind of funk through Bernie Worrell’s synth bassline. Instead of supporting the groove, the bass becomes the groove, reshaping how rhythm functions in the track.
✨ The Isley Brothers — Late-Night Tone
“Between the Sheets” moves with restraint, letting pacing and tone define its impact. The groove does not push forward. It settles in.
⚡ Rick James — Presence in the Groove
“Give It to Me Baby” is driven as much by attitude as rhythm. The track holds its shape, but the energy comes from how it is delivered.
🐰 Zapp — The Talk Box Voice
“More Bounce to the Ounce” helped define the talk box as a lead voice in funk. The sound blends mechanical texture with human phrasing, creating something entirely its own.
🎚️ Slave — Pocket as Structure
“Just a Touch of Love” builds momentum through consistency. The groove stays centered, allowing repetition to carry the track forward.
🎸 The Brothers Johnson — Precision Groove
“Stomp!” reflects a level of tightness where every element locks in. The result is a groove that feels controlled, but never rigid.
🥁 Dazz Band — Rhythm Leads
“Let It Whip” places rhythm at the center. The arrangement supports it, but the groove itself carries the movement.
🎶 Roy Ayers — Melody Inside Motion
“Running Away” blends melodic phrasing with steady rhythm. The track moves forward without urgency, allowing tone to develop alongside the groove.
🌊 The Blackbyrds — Smooth Transition
“Walking in Rhythm” shows how funk can soften without losing its foundation. The groove remains steady while the edges open up.
🕶️ Leon Haywood — Space Defines the Groove
“I Want’a Do Something Freaky to You” strips the arrangement down, allowing space to shape the rhythm as much as sound.
🎢 Ohio Players — Lift Through Repetition
“Love Rollercoaster” builds energy gradually. The groove evolves through motion rather than dramatic change.
🕺 Kool & The Gang — Groove as Invitation
“Get Down on It” turns rhythm into something shared. The groove extends outward, inviting participation rather than observation.
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