Funky Friday – Episode 66: Funkin' Mother's Day
- Noah McDonough
- 1 day 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: 5.8.26 - 9 AM Pacific Time on KDOG & 9 PM Pacific Time on KCSM HD2
Happy Funky Friday, Renegades of Funk!
Funky Friday – Episode 66: Funkin' Mother's Day
Funky Friday Episode 66 drifts in through the kitchen radio after dark.
A warm light over the stove. Vinyl sleeves stacked near the table. The sound of dishes settling into the sink while soul music fills the room. Before playlists and algorithms, there was the station playing softly in the background while life unfolded around it.
This episode leans into that memory.
“I’m Every Woman” opens with confidence and motion. A groove built on presence. “Best of My Love” and “Forget Me Nots” keep the room bright, balancing precision and warmth without losing momentum. These are records designed to move people while still feeling personal.
As the set settles deeper into the evening, the tone shifts. “Family Affair” lowers the lights and slows the pulse. “Mother’s Son” follows with reflection and inheritance, carrying the emotional center of the episode without forcing it. Soul music becomes memory. The soundtrack of home.
The second half rebuilds the energy gradually. “Ain’t Nobody” and “Square Biz” bring movement back into the room with confidence and personality. The grooves tighten. The atmosphere stays intimate. “Inside My Love” softens the pace again without stopping the flow.
Near the end of the set, the signal turns personal.
“The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” arrives as a dedication for my wife’s birthday, which falls the day after Mother’s Day. A quiet moment inside a larger transmission. “As” stretches outward from there, turning love into something timeless and universal.
“We Are Family” closes the episode the way the best evenings end. Together. The lights lower. The music still playing somewhere in the house long after the room goes quiet.
Funky Friday Episode 66 stays close to home.
Warmth. Memory. Rhythm.
The soundtrack of home.
Funky Friday – Episode 66: Funkin' Mother's Day
🔥 SETLIST + RENEGADE NOTES
Chaka Khan — “I’m Every Woman” (1978)
Personnel: Chaka Khan (vocals), Ray Parker Jr. (guitar), David “Hawk” Wolinski (keyboards), Rufus ensemble.
Renegade Note: The kitchen lights come on. The episode opens with confidence, warmth, and unmistakable presence.
The Emotions — “Best of My Love” (1977)
Personnel: Wanda Vaughn, Sheila Hutchinson, Jeanette Hawes (vocals), Maurice White (producer), Earth, Wind & Fire studio ensemble.
Renegade Note: Joy enters the room. Harmony and movement settle naturally into the space.
Patrice Rushen — “Forget Me Nots” (1982)
Personnel: Patrice Rushen (vocals, keyboards), Freddie Washington (bass), Paul Jackson Jr. (guitar), Ndugu Chancler (drums).
Renegade Note: Sophisticated groove. The signal sharpens without losing its warmth.
Sly & The Family Stone — “Family Affair” (1971)
Personnel: Sly Stone (vocals, keyboards), Larry Graham (bass), Cynthia Robinson (trumpet), Family Stone ensemble.
Renegade Note: Reflection settles in. The groove becomes intimate, human, and lived-in.
Curtis Mayfield — “Mother’s Son” (1974)
Personnel: Curtis Mayfield (vocals, guitar), Rich Tufo (arrangements), Curtom studio musicians.
Renegade Note: The emotional center of the set. Soul music becomes memory and inheritance.
Rufus & Chaka Khan — “Ain’t Nobody” (1983)
Personnel: Chaka Khan (vocals), David “Hawk” Wolinski (synthesizer), Rufus ensemble.
Renegade Note: Momentum returns. The room brightens as the groove pushes forward again.
Teena Marie — “Square Biz” (1981)
Personnel: Teena Marie (vocals, bass, keyboards), Rick James (producer collaboration), Motown session musicians.
Renegade Note: Personality takes over. Funk and confidence collide with playful precision.
Minnie Riperton — “Inside My Love” (1975)
Personnel: Minnie Riperton (vocals), Richard Rudolph (songwriter, producer), Leon Ware (co-writer), studio ensemble.
Renegade Note: The pace softens. Intimacy and vulnerability enter the signal without breaking the flow.
Prince — “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World” (1994)
Personnel: Prince (vocals, instruments, production).
Renegade Note: Personal dedication. A quiet spotlight turns toward love, beauty, and gratitude close to home.
Stevie Wonder — “As” (1976)
Personnel: Stevie Wonder (vocals, keyboards, harmonica, drums), Wonderlove ensemble.
Renegade Note: Timeless optimism. The groove stretches beyond romance into something universal and enduring.
Sister Sledge — “We Are Family” (1979)
Personnel: Debbie, Joni, Kim, and Kathy Sledge (vocals), Nile Rodgers (guitar, production), Bernard Edwards (bass), Chic organization.
Renegade Note: Closing embrace. The episode ends where it began — home, togetherness, and the shared rhythm that holds everything together.
🔗 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
🔥 Chaka Khan — “I’m Every Woman”
Built around a syncopated disco-funk groove, the track balances rhythmic precision with vocal freedom. The groove stays grounded while the arrangement expands outward through layered percussion and harmony.
💛 The Emotions — “Best of My Love”
Driven by a buoyant rhythm section, the groove creates lift through tight bass and steady percussion. Vocal harmonies function as rhythmic elements as much as melodic ones.
📻 Patrice Rushen — “Forget Me Nots”
Centered on an elastic bassline, the groove relies on clarity and space. Each instrument occupies a precise rhythmic role, creating movement through balance rather than density.
🏠 Sly & The Family Stone — “Family Affair”
A minimal drum-machine groove anchors the track while electric piano and layered vocals soften the edges. The rhythm remains understated, allowing atmosphere to carry the momentum.
🕯️ Curtis Mayfield — “Mother’s Son”
Built on restrained rhythm guitar and subtle percussion, the groove prioritizes emotional tone over intensity. Space between phrases allows the arrangement to breathe naturally.
🌃 Rufus & Chaka Khan — “Ain’t Nobody”
A synthesized groove driven by drum machine precision and melodic bass movement. Repetition creates stability while Chaka Khan’s vocals introduce dynamic lift above the pocket.
🎤 Teena Marie — “Square Biz”
Combines funk rhythm with rapid vocal phrasing and layered instrumentation. The groove remains tightly controlled even as the arrangement becomes increasingly energetic.
🌹 Minnie Riperton — “Inside My Love”
A slow-burning groove built on restrained percussion and warm electric piano textures. The rhythm section maintains softness without losing forward motion.
💜 Prince — “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World”
Built around a relaxed mid-tempo groove, the track uses layered keyboards and understated percussion to support the vocal melody. The arrangement prioritizes atmosphere and intimacy.
☀️ Stevie Wonder — “As”
A continuously evolving groove that blends syncopated rhythm guitar, layered keyboards, and steady percussion. The arrangement builds momentum gradually without abandoning its core pulse.
👨👩👧👧 Sister Sledge — “We Are Family”
Driven by Nile Rodgers’ rhythmic guitar and Bernard Edwards’ fluid bassline, the groove operates through tight interlocking patterns. Repetition reinforces unity and collective momentum.
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