ROCK Sex 'takes your mind beyond the dreams'.
Another musical relay race today, where one song changes hands and sounds and names.
Between 1970 and 1977, you couldn't go up against WAR.
This formidable Funk troop could take down all comers with their scary chops and continuous hits. Here's the abstractly anti-drug anthem, "Slippin' Into Darkness".
WAR -"Slippin' Into Darkness" (1972)
Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer spliced that riff into their spliff with this classic of their own:
THE WAILERS -"Get Up Stand Up" (1973)
Meanwhile the deluge of covers began. Here's a survey of the different slants everybody brought to the groove.
THE 19th WHOLE goes with vibraphones, organ, and peels of acid guitar:
THE 19th WHOLE -"Slipping Into Darkness" (1972)
Ohio grew great Funk like it was grass (Bootsy Collins, Ohio Players, Zapp). Here's THE DAYTON SIDEWINDERS putting some serious Meters-style hard kick into the song:
THE DAYTON SIDEWINDERS -"Slipping Into Darkness" (197_)
Now original groover RAMSEY LEWIS sasses some Jazz razzmatazz on it, with some slow slunk in the style of Sly And The Family Stone's There's A Riot Goin' On.
RAMSEY LEWIS -"Slipping Into Darkness" (1973)
CARL BRADNEY goes Marley one better by giving it the full-on Reggae treatment, with beautiful harmonies.
Naturally hardcore L.A. HipHop put a kit on it.
FUNKY AZTEKS, ft. 2PAC -"Slippin' Into Darkness" (1995)
The song is now a standard for every self-respecting Funk band.
LETTUCE -"Slipping Into Darkness" (2012)
The song has also been used in the films AMERICAN ME (1992) and SUICIDE SQUAD (2016).
There's a "War" touring around nowdays, but it's just one guy with a legal name-grab. Instead, go see THE LOW RIDER BAND, which has all the surviving members in great form!
© Tym Stevens
See Also:
• FUNK, The True History: 1970-1974, with 3 Music Players!
• SLICE TONES: Sly Stone & His Infinite Influence!, with 5 Music Players!
• "Indian Rope Man": Richie Havens > Julie Driscoll + Brian Auger > Bob Marley
• The Real History of Rock and Soul!: The Music Player Checklist
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