Funky Friday – Episode 91: Count Funkula
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Airdate: 10.30.26 - 9 AM Pacific Time on KDOG & 9 PM Pacific Time on KCSM HD2
Funky Friday – Episode 91: Count Funkula
Last week, we brought our American funk city tour home to Oakland.
This week, we're taking a detour.
Somewhere with fewer streetlights.
More fog.
And a suspicious amount of bass coming from the castle.
Welcome to Episode 91 of Funky Friday.
Welcome to Count Funkula.
This Halloween special started somewhere I wasn't expecting; in my African American Cinema class.
We were watching Blacula, the 1972 film whose opening finds Prince Mamuwalde visiting Count Dracula to seek support for ending the slave trade. Instead, Dracula reveals his racism, his cruelty, and his desire to possess Mamuwalde's wife, Luva.
It's an unsettling beginning; one that gives the horror a foundation in enslavement, power, and loss.
But somewhere in our discussion afterward, my imagination took a ridiculous turn.
What if Dracula had been played by Rick James?
And then came the line.
“Give it to me, Luva!”
That was it.
Count Funkula had arrived.
Suddenly, I could picture the whole thing; the jeweled braids, the velvet cape, the fangs. A vampire with a bass guitar and an entirely different reason for keeping everyone awake until dawn.
Dracula came for blood. Count Funkula came for the one.
Once that character appeared, the music started falling into place.
Funk already has a wonderfully strange imagination. Parliament's Dr. Funkenstein and Bootsy's Bootzilla hardly needed an invitation to this party. The monsters were already in the music; we just had to open the door.
And the deeper I went, the more interesting the episode became.
Gene Page's Blacula soundtrack brings us back to the film that sparked the idea. Walter “Wolfman” Washington brings a groove that made me want to stop assembling the playlist and just listen. Stevie Wonder's “Skeletons,” a song I'd never heard before building this episode, became one of those discoveries that makes producing Funky Friday so rewarding.
Then there are the familiar visitors.
The uneasy feeling of “Somebody's Watching Me.”
The emergency call of “Ghostbusters.”
And “Thriller,” waiting at the end of the night.
What ties it together is the sound; prowling bass lines, sharp horn accents, eerie keyboards, and rhythms that keep moving even when something is lurking just outside the light.
We're having some fun with the presentation, too. A creaking door here. A distant howl there. For one week, the studio might sound a little more like Count Funkula's castle.
That's the pleasure of an episode like this. A classroom discussion becomes a joke; the joke becomes a character; the character sends us looking through the records with a different set of ears.
Along the way, we find music we know, music we'd forgotten, and music we didn't know we needed.
I'm Noah McDonough.
The castle doors are open.
Welcome to Count Funkula.
Signal Discovery
The Wolfman has something to say.
And he brought his guitar.
This week's Signal Discovery introduces Walter “Wolfman” Washington through a conversation that becomes a guitar lesson, a storytelling session, and a glimpse into the mind of a musician who hears more than a collection of notes.
Early in the video, he demonstrates how he plays rhythm and lead together; changing the way a chord sounds by choosing which notes to bring forward.
Then he gets to the question behind the technique.
What do you want to say?
For Washington, knowing the notes is only part of playing. The phrasing, the feeling, and the reason for choosing a particular sound come from the person holding the instrument.
The guitar needs someone to give it a voice.
And watching him demonstrate, you can see how naturally that conversation happens. He plays a phrase, explains an idea, laughs with his interviewer, and reaches for another sound.
Later, he describes carrying his guitar everywhere; even keeping it in bed. Eventually, he realized just how much the instrument had become part of him.
After hearing “Wolf Funk,” that's a wonderful way to meet the musician behind the groove.
The Halloween connection brought the Wolfman into Count Funkula's castle.
His playing earned him a place at the table.
Meet the Wolfman. Hear what his guitar has to say.
Funky Friday – Episode 91: Count Funkula
🔥 SETLIST + RENEGADE NOTES
Gene Page: “Blacula (The Stalkwalk)”
Personnel: Gene Page, composer and soundtrack artist. Original album Blacula (Music from the Original Soundtrack), released in 1972.
Renegade Note: We open the castle doors with the film that inspired this entire episode. Gene Page’s “Blacula (The Stalkwalk)” brings a cinematic presence to Count Funkula’s arrival; a reminder that a horror soundtrack can make you move while setting the scene. Listen to the instrumental accents and the way the arrangement builds its atmosphere around the rhythm. Before Rick James gets his imaginary fangs, we’re giving the original Blacula its place at the entrance.
Parliament: “Dr. Funkenstein”
Personnel: Parliament, performing ensemble; George Clinton, producer. Written by George Clinton, William “Bootsy” Collins, and Bernie Worrell. Original album The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein, released in 1976.
Renegade Note: Count Funkula needs a resident mad scientist, and Parliament already has someone qualified. “Dr. Funkenstein” brings the theatrical imagination of P-Funk into the castle, where outrageous characters and serious musicianship occupy the same laboratory. Listen to how the voices and instrumental responses work together; the personality is part of the arrangement. The humor gives us a character to follow, while the groove keeps the experiment alive. This doctor’s specialty is getting everybody moving.
Cameo: “Rigor Mortis”
Personnel: Cameo, performing ensemble. Written by Larry Blackmon, Nathan Leftenant, and Arnett Leftenant. Original album Cardiac Arrest, released in 1977.
Renegade Note: The title suggests things have stopped moving. Cameo has other plans. “Rigor Mortis” takes us back to the band’s early recording years, with a muscular ensemble sound that fits comfortably inside our monster gathering. Listen for the rhythmic accents and the spaces between them; those short openings help the next hit land harder. It’s a welcome chance to revisit an earlier incarnation of Cameo while giving Count Funkula’s guests a compelling reason to get up.
Rick James: “Give It to Me Baby”
Personnel: Rick James, lead vocals, songwriter, and producer. Originally released on Street Songs in 1981; this playlist uses a recording included on 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Rick James.
Renegade Note: Here he is; our imaginary Count Funkula. This episode began when a discussion of Blacula inspired the question of what might happen if Rick James played Dracula. “Give it to me, Luva!” supplied the answer, and suddenly we had a Halloween special. We’re playing the original song, of course, with all the swagger that made the casting joke work in the first place. Listen to the insistent bass figure and the way James pushes his vocal against the rhythm. The cape and fangs are our invention; the attitude comes with the record.
The Brides of Funkenstein: “Disco to Go”
Personnel: Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva, vocals. Written and produced by George Clinton and William “Bootsy” Collins. Original album Funk or Walk, released in 1978.
Renegade Note: The Brides of Funkenstein have arrived, and they’ve brought their own dance floor. Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva give this P-Funk offshoot its vocal identity, carrying the energy of the larger musical family into a record with plenty of personality of its own. Listen to how their voices ride the rhythm and reinforce its momentum. With Dr. Funkenstein already inside, their invitation practically wrote itself. “Disco to Go” keeps the castle party moving before our next creature makes his entrance.
Bootsy’s Rubber Band: “Bootzilla”
Personnel: Bootsy Collins, featured vocalist and bassist; Bootsy’s Rubber Band, performing ensemble. Written and produced by George Clinton and Bootsy Collins. Original album Bootsy? Player of the Year, released in 1978.
Renegade Note: Every monster gathering needs someone who makes an entrance, and Bootzilla comes fully equipped. Bootsy Collins turns the record into a character performance, using his voice, musical personality, and wonderfully excessive imagination to pull us into his world. Listen to the relationship between the bass and the surrounding rhythmic parts; the groove has room to breathe even with so much happening around it. Count Funkula may own the castle, but Bootzilla sounds entirely capable of taking over the party.
Walter “Wolfman” Washington & the Roadmasters: “Wolf Funk”
Personnel: Walter “Wolfman” Washington, guitarist and bandleader; the Roadmasters, performing ensemble. Songwriting credited to Edward Washington in the playlist metadata. Original album Funk Is in the House, released in 1998.
Renegade Note: The Wolfman earns his invitation with nearly seven minutes of groove. “Wolf Funk” became one of the records I most wanted to protect while fitting this episode into an hour; sometimes a performance makes a convincing argument for giving it room. Listen to the guitar phrasing and the way the ensemble sustains the rhythm around it. There’s time here to settle into the performance and notice its details. The name fits our Halloween gathering perfectly, but the music is what made this one essential.
Stevie Wonder: “Skeletons”
Personnel: Stevie Wonder, lead vocals and songwriter. Originally released on Characters in 1987; this playlist uses the version included on Number 1’s.
Renegade Note: This was a discovery for me. I’d never heard “Skeletons” before assembling Count Funkula, and it quickly became a reason to keep digging beyond the most familiar Halloween choices. Stevie brings a tense electronic groove to a song whose title points toward secrets and exposure. Listen to the clipped rhythmic figures and the urgency of his delivery. Even with an artist whose music has been part of our lives for decades, there are still recordings waiting to surprise us. This one earned its place immediately.
Rockwell: “Somebody’s Watching Me”
Personnel: Rockwell, lead vocals and songwriter; Michael Jackson and Jermaine Jackson, backing vocals. Original album Somebody’s Watching Me, released in 1984.
Renegade Note: By this point in our gathering, a little paranoia seems reasonable. Rockwell turns the feeling of being watched into a theatrical synth-driven performance, with a chorus that makes the unease remarkably easy to sing along with. Michael Jackson’s unmistakable backing vocal also gives us an early connection to the artist waiting at the end of the episode. Listen to the contrast between Rockwell’s anxious storytelling and the expansive chorus. Something is definitely happening in this castle; nobody seems quite sure who’s responsible.
Ray Parker Jr.: “Ghostbusters”
Personnel: Ray Parker Jr., lead vocals, songwriter, and producer. Originally released for Ghostbusters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) in 1984.
Renegade Note: With vampires, a mad scientist, Bootzilla, and the Wolfman under one roof, somebody was eventually going to make the call. Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” brings a familiar movie connection, but its rhythmic foundation makes it a natural guest on Funky Friday. Listen past the famous refrain to the instrumental pattern holding everything together. The playful delivery gives our monster gathering a burst of comedy before the finale. Whether the Ghostbusters can actually clear this particular dance floor remains an open question.
Michael Jackson: “Thriller”
Personnel: Michael Jackson, lead vocals; Vincent Price, spoken-word performance; Greg Phillinganes, Rod Temperton, and Brian Banks, synthesizers; David Williams, guitar. Written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. Original album Thriller, released in 1982.
Renegade Note: We close Count Funkula with the record that brings the creatures, the atmosphere, and the dance floor together. Beneath its horror imagery, “Thriller” is a carefully arranged rhythmic performance, with layered keyboards, sharp instrumental accents, and Jackson’s vocal carrying us through the scene. Then Vincent Price arrives to give our gathering an appropriately sinister finish. Listen to how the sound effects and spoken passage become part of the record’s dramatic shape. The host has signed off; the monsters get the final word.
🔗 Quick Links:
🎧 Listen live on KDOG 9 AM Pacific Time→ Here
🎧 Listen live on KCSM HD2 9 PM Pacific Time→ Here
📆 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
GENE PAGE: Blacula (The Stalkwalk)
Built around a bass-driven rhythm section, orchestral textures, and sharp instrumental accents. “Blacula (The Stalkwalk)” demonstrates how a film theme can establish atmosphere while maintaining a danceable groove. Listen to the contrast between the repeating rhythmic foundation and the more dramatic phrases above it. The rhythm gives the music forward motion, while changes in texture suggest suspense and approaching danger. Follow the low instrumental line first, then shift your attention to the accents surrounding it. The arrangement gives our Halloween special a cinematic entrance without leaving the groove behind.
PARLIAMENT: Dr. Funkenstein
Built around bass, drums, rhythmic guitar, keyboards, horns, and layered vocals. “Dr. Funkenstein” demonstrates how character voices and vocal exchanges can become part of a funk arrangement. Listen to the contrast between the low vocal delivery and the brighter group responses. Those differences in register give the performance depth while reinforcing its theatrical personality. The instrumental parts leave openings for the voices, then answer with accents of their own. Try following a backing-vocal phrase through its repetitions; its placement helps hold the groove together just as an instrumental riff would.
CAMEO: Rigor Mortis
Built around electric bass, drums, rhythmic guitar, keyboards, horns, and group vocals. “Rigor Mortis” showcases the ensemble-driven sound of early Cameo. Listen to the way short instrumental phrases connect with the bass and drums, creating movement through coordinated accents. The arrangement gains much of its impact from the spaces between those hits; each pause makes the next entrance more noticeable. Follow the guitar’s rhythmic contribution beneath the more prominent parts, then listen to how the voices join the pattern. The groove depends on musicians making room for one another while maintaining a collective rhythmic attack.
RICK JAMES: Give It to Me Baby
Built around a prominent bass figure, drums, rhythmic guitar, keyboards, horns, and Rick James’s lead and backing vocals. “Give It to Me Baby” demonstrates how a repeating instrumental hook can support a highly animated vocal performance. Listen to the bass line as it cycles beneath James’s changing delivery. Its consistency gives him room to stretch phrases, emphasize particular words, and build toward the chorus. The horn accents add punctuation without crowding that foundation. Try following the bass through the transition from verse to chorus; the surrounding arrangement changes the energy while preserving the groove’s identity.
THE BRIDES OF FUNKENSTEIN: Disco to Go
Built around bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, horns, and the vocals of Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva. “Disco to Go” combines a steady dance pulse with the layered rhythmic activity of P-Funk. Listen to how the vocal phrases stretch across the beat while shorter instrumental accents keep the arrangement busy underneath. That contrast gives the performance both flow and rhythmic bite. Follow the transitions between individual vocal lines and blended responses, then notice how the instruments support those changes. The singers contribute to the momentum through the timing and shape of their delivery.
BOOTSY’S RUBBER BAND: Bootzilla
Built around prominent bass, drums, rhythmic guitar, keyboards, and character-driven vocals. “Bootzilla” demonstrates how instrumental tone can help define a musical personality. Listen to the bass sound as well as the notes themselves; the rounded low end and sharper, more elastic accents give the groove its distinctive character. The vocal interjections add another rhythmic layer, appearing around the instrumental figures rather than following a continuous melodic line. Try separating the steady underlying pulse from the more playful sounds above it. That dependable foundation allows the performance to become increasingly outrageous without losing its footing.
WALTER “WOLFMAN” WASHINGTON & THE ROADMASTERS: Wolf Funk
Built around electric guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and horn textures. “Wolf Funk” demonstrates how an extended groove can sustain interest through phrasing and ensemble interaction. Listen to Washington’s guitar as it moves between shorter rhythmic figures and more expansive lead phrases. The rhythm section provides continuity, giving those changes room to register. Rather than listening only for the busiest passages, notice where the guitar leaves space and how the band fills the surrounding sound. Follow a phrase from its entrance through its resolution; its timing and shape can be as expressive as the number of notes it contains.
STEVIE WONDER: Skeletons
Built around electronic keyboards, a repeating low-register figure, a tightly controlled drum pattern, and Stevie Wonder’s lead and layered vocals. “Skeletons” demonstrates how electronic textures can generate a forceful funk groove. Listen to the clipped instrumental attacks and the spaces separating them; the arrangement creates tension through precise repetition. Wonder’s vocal adds urgency, pushing against that controlled foundation with changing emphasis and phrasing. Try following the low figure beneath the chorus, then shift your attention to the higher keyboard accents. Their contrasting registers help keep the layers distinct while maintaining the song’s insistent momentum.
ROCKWELL: Somebody’s Watching Me
Built around synthesizers, a repeating bass pattern, drums, Rockwell’s lead vocal, and backing vocals from Michael and Jermaine Jackson. “Somebody’s Watching Me” creates much of its drama through contrasting vocal approaches. Listen to Rockwell’s conversational, anxious delivery in the verses, then notice how the chorus opens into a broader melodic statement. The repeating instrumental foundation connects those different moods. Follow the higher keyboard figures and the way they add an unsettled atmosphere around the beat. The production turns a feeling of suspicion into something rhythmic, memorable, and remarkably easy to sing along with.
RAY PARKER JR.: Ghostbusters
Built around a repeating bass figure, drums, rhythmic guitar, bright keyboard textures, and call-and-response vocals. “Ghostbusters” demonstrates how a simple response can become the organizing hook of an entire arrangement. Listen to the space Parker leaves before the group answers; the timing makes the response feel almost inevitable. Beneath it, the instrumental pattern maintains a steady foundation that works even without the familiar words. Try concentrating on the rhythm section through one complete verse, then bring the vocals back into focus. The interplay between repetition and anticipation gives the song much of its enduring appeal.
MICHAEL JACKSON: Thriller
Built around a repeating low-register synthesizer figure, drums, guitar, layered keyboards, horns, Michael Jackson’s vocals, and Vincent Price’s spoken performance. “Thriller” demonstrates how sound design can become part of a musical arrangement. Listen to the atmospheric opening, then notice how decisively the rhythm establishes the song’s dance-floor foundation. Short instrumental accents sharpen the groove while Jackson’s layered vocals build its dramatic intensity. Price’s entrance introduces a contrasting voice and pacing, extending the storytelling within the track. Follow the underlying rhythm through that passage; its continuity helps unite the theatrical effects, spoken words, and music into one performance.
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