Parliament (band)

The bands Parliament and Funkadelic are intrinsically linked and can not be easily separated. This article focuses on Parliament, see P Funk, for more comprehensive history of the groups.

Parliament was originally The Parliaments, a doo-wop group based out of George Clinton's Plainfield, New Jersey barber shop. The name was soon abandoned due to legal issues with Revilot and Atlantic Records, and most of the same people recorded under the name Funkadelic, which consisted of The Parliaments' backing musicians, most importantly Billy Bass Nelson. Soon, Parliament was created in addition to Funkadelic and the two bands consisted of essentially the same people (see List of P Funk members), though both released albums under their respective names.

The legal problems with the name "The Parliaments" were resolved in 1970, and Clinton signed all of Funkadelic to Invictus Records under the name Parliament, releasing Osmium ("The Breakdown" reached #30 on the R&B charts in 1971) but the name Parliament was then abandoned for some time, as Funkadelic was much more successful.

In the early 1970s, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins and Catfish Collins joined Funkadelic, which released five albums by 1974. With only moderate success, the Funkadelic signed with Casablanca Records as Parliament, releasing "Up for the Down Stroke" (off the album of the same name) which reached #10 on the R&B charts but peaked at #63 Pop. The song was the biggest hit of P Funk's career. 1975 saw the release of Chocolate City, which also enjoyed moderate success; the titular track reached #24.

With the ensuing albums, Parliament became one of the most respected bands on the 1970s, and are now recognized as one of the forefathers of funk music. Of particular interest are the spacy themes of Starchild, Sir Nose and other recurring characters from multiple albums. See P Funk mythology.


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See P Funk mythology. 1992, (as The Collection) ON records, RABCD1
1996, ( as The Hits) Gallo, CDRED 602. Of particular interest are the spacy themes of Starchild, Sir Nose and other recurring characters from multiple albums. Release information:
. With the ensuing albums, Parliament became one of the most respected bands on the 1970s, and are now recognized as one of the forefathers of funk music. A Love You Song (Faure) [1:43] - from the EP single 'Morning Light' (1977)
. 1975 saw the release of Chocolate City, which also enjoyed moderate success; the titular track reached #24. Rabin) [1:21] - b-side of 'Morning Light' single (1977)
22.

The song was the biggest hit of P Funk's career. arr. In the early 1970s, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins and Catfish Collins joined Funkadelic, which released five albums by 1974. With only moderate success, the Funkadelic signed with Casablanca Records as Parliament, releasing "Up for the Down Stroke" (off the album of the same name) which reached #10 on the R&B charts but peaked at #63 Pop. Auld Lang Syne Rock (Trad. The legal problems with the name "The Parliaments" were resolved in 1970, and Clinton signed all of Funkadelic to Invictus Records under the name Parliament, releasing Osmium ("The Breakdown" reached #30 on the R&B charts in 1971) but the name Parliament was then abandoned for some time, as Funkadelic was much more successful. Getting Through To You (Faure) [4:07] - from the album Rock Rabbitt
21. Soon, Parliament was created in addition to Funkadelic and the two bands consisted of essentially the same people (see List of P Funk members), though both released albums under their respective names. Savage (Rabin) [4:43] - from the album Boys Will Be Boys!
20.

The name was soon abandoned due to legal issues with Revilot and Atlantic Records, and most of the same people recorded under the name Funkadelic, which consisted of The Parliaments' backing musicians, most importantly Billy Bass Nelson. Everybody's Cheating (Rabin/van Blerk) [4:08] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
19. Parliament was originally The Parliaments, a doo-wop group based out of George Clinton's Plainfield, New Jersey barber shop. I Was Eleven (Faure) listed on cover as When I Was Eleven [3:10] - from the EP single '1972-1978' (1978)
18. Lifeline (Rabin/van Blerk) [5:31] - from the album Boys Will Be Boys!
17. Take It Easy (Rabin) [3:40] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
16.

Hold On To love (Rabin/van Blerk) [4:04] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
15. Rabin) [0:24] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
14. arr. Schumann (Trad.

Morning Light (Faure/Rabin) [3:12] - from the EP single 'Morning Light' (1977)
13. A Croak And A Grunt In The Night (Rabin/van Blerk) [2:37] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
12. I Sleep Alone (Rabin) [2:52] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
11. Rabin in D-minor (Rabin) [0:24] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
10.

T.C. Pollyman (Rabin) [2:22] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
9. Baby's Leaving (Rabin) [2:23] - from the album Boys Will Be Boys!
8. Locomotive Breath (Ian Anderson) [3:35] - from the album Boys Will Be Boys!
7.

Dingley's Bookshop (Faure) [2:11] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
6. Searching (Rabin) [4:09] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
5. Lonely Loner Too (Faure) [3:34] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
4. Charlie (Rabin/van Blerk) [2:47] - from the album Boys Will Be Boys!
3.

Hard Ride (Rabin) [4:10] - from the album Boys Will Be Boys!
2. 1. Tracks:
. 1987, PVB Music, PVBR 1007A.

Release information:
. Tribal Fence (MacKay) [3.51] featuring Margaret Singana - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
. Hold On To love (Rabin/van Blerk) [4:04] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
15. Everybody's Cheating (Rabin/van Blerk) [4:08]- from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
14.

A Croak And A Grunt In The Night (Rabin/van Blerk) [2:37] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
13. Brand New Love (Rabin) [3.30] - from the EP single 'Morning Light' (1977)
12. Morning Light (Faure/Rabin) [3:12] - from the EP single 'Morning Light' (1977)
11. Charlie (Rabin/van Blerk) [2:47] - from the album Boys Will Be Boys!
10.

I Sleep Alone (Rabin) [2:52] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
9. Rabin in D-minor
(Rabin) [0:24] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
8. T.C. Searching (Rabin) [4:09] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
7.

Lifeline (Rabin/van Blerk) [5:31] - from the album Boys Will Be Boys!
6. Hard Ride (Rabin) 4:10 - from the album Boys Will Be Boys!
5. Getting Through To You (Faure) [4:07] - from the album Rock Rabbitt
4. Gift Of Love (Rabin/van Blerk/Robot) [3.44] - from the album A Croak And A Grunt In The Night
3.

Locomotive Breath (Ian Anderson) [3:35] - from the album Boys Will Be Boys!
2. 1. Tracks:
. 1978, JoBurg Records, TJC(X)13025.

Release information:
. Musicians:
. Goodbye And So-Long
. Hello And Welcome Home
10.

Without Her Love
9. I've Been Aware
8. Getting Thru To You
7. Rock 'N' Roll Part I & II
6.

Within These Words
5. Love In My Heart
4. Muso

3. Mr.

Rush Hour Scores
2. 1. Tracks:
. 1977, Jo'Burg Records, TJL 13014
1977, Capricorn (USA/Canada), CP 0190.

Release information:
.
. Musicians:
. A Love You Song (Faure) [1.46]
.

Take It Easy (Rabin) [3.40]
17. Lonely Loner Too (Faure) [3.35]
16. Gift Of Love (Rabin/van Blerk/Robot) [3.44]
15. Tribal Fence (MacKay) [3.51] featuring Margaret Singana
14.

Never Gonna Ruin My Life (Rabin) [0.56]
13. Dingley's Bookshop (Faure) [2.10] theme from a TV series
12. Hold On To Love (Rabin/van Blerk) [4.06]
11. Rabin) [0.21]
10.

arr. Schumann (Trad. Pollyman (Rabin) [2.23]
9. Working For The People (Rabin/Robot/Faure/Cloud) [4.21]
8.

Searching (Rabin) [4.13]
7. Sugar Pie (Rabin) [3.22]
6. Everybody's Cheating (Rabin/van Blerk) [4.10]
5. A Croak And A Grunt In The Night (Rabin/van Blerk) [2.37]
4.

I Sleep Alone (Rabin) [2.52]
3. Rabin In D-Minor
(Rabin) [0.24]
2. T.C. 1.

Tracks:
. (CD)
USA: 1989, Jet Records, 900859 (CD)
. South Africa: 1975, Jo'Burg Records, TJL 13008
USA: 1975, Jet Records, 2310463
West Germany: 1989, Line Music GmbH. Release information:
.


. Musicians:
. Charlie (Rabin/Van Blerk) [2.35]
. Death Of Tulio (Rabin) [0.22]
10.

Looking For The Man (Rabin/Van Blerk) [4.00]
9. Eventides (Rabin) [2.34]
8. Baby's Leaving (Rabin) [2.20]
7. Hard Ride (Rabin) [4.05]
6.

Locomotive Breath (Ian Anderson) [3.35]
5. Lifeline (Rabin/Van Blerk) [6.00]
4. Savage (Rabin) [4.43]
3. Something's Going Wrong With My Baby (Rabin) [4.45]
2.

1. Tracks:
. In 1978 Rabbitt disintegrates. On 16 June 1976, Rabbitt made it to the top of the South African charts with their hit song Charlie.

Trevor Rabin, Neil Cloud, Ronnie Robot and Duncan Faure were the first real pop stars South Africa had ever had. Rabbitt a South African rock band in the mid 70s was spawned from a band called Conglomeration. Gettin' Thru To You (Teenage Love) / Hello And Welcome Home. Morning Light / Auld Lang Syne Rock.

Hold On To Love / Working For The People. Everybody's Cheating / Gift Of Love. Eventides / Charlie. Sugar Pie / Dingley's Bookshop.

Hold On To Love / Working For The People. Hard Ride / Baby's Leaving. Charlie / Looking For The Man. Yesterday's Papers / B-side unknown.

Hallelujah Sunrise / Hidden Feelings. Backdoor Of My Heart / Share The Loving Things. Fransua Roos) / And The Planets Danced. Patric van Blerk, arr.

Locomotive Breath [3.00] (Ian Anderson, prod. 1972-1978 Limited Souvenir Edition (4-track EP, 1978) JoBurg Records, TJM73. Morning Light (4-track EP, 1977) JoBurg Records, TJS57. Rock 'n' Roll, Volume 2 (4-track EP, 1977) Capricorn, 2206 201 (Brazil).

Neil Cloud: Drums
. Ronnie Robot: Bass
. Duncan Faure: Vocals, guitars, keyboards
. Peter Thwaites and Greg Cutler: Engineers.

Julian Laxton: Remix engineer. Patric van Blerk: Producer. Margaret Singana: Guest vocals on 'Tribal Fence'. Ronnie Robot: Bass.

Duncan Faure: Vocals, rhythm guitar, organ, piano. Neil Cloud: Drums, percussion. Trevor Rabin: Vocals, guitars, piano, electric piano, harmonica, tubular bells, string arrangements, producer. Solo violin on 'Hard Ride' by Godfrey Rabin (Trevor's father).

Strings by Pro Arte, led by Bram Verhoef. Julian Laxton: Producer, engineer. Patric van Blerk: Producer. Ronnie Robot: Bass.

Duncan Faure: Keyboards, lead vocals on 'Hard Ride'. Neil Cloud: Drums, percussion. Trevor Rabin: Vocals, guitars, keyboards, producer, arranger. 1978 As a trio, Rabbitt records one more album, Rock Rabbitt, but disbands shortly after their tour.

Trevor leaves Rabbitt and heads for London. Plans for the tour fall through, outside pressures take their toll on the band. Plans are made for a tour of the United States and Great Britain. It is the first time any South African album has achieved gold status immediately upon its release.

1977 Rabbitt's second album, A Croak And A Grunt In The Night is released. Rabbitt wins a Sarie award, the South African equivalent of a Grammy award, for Best Contemporary Pop Music. Album becomes a gold record faster than any other South African record. 1976 Rabbitt releases its first album, Boys Will Be Boys .

1975 Rabbitt does a nine-month residency - five nights a week and one matinee - at a run-down club called the Take It Easy club. 1974 Rabbitt regroups and begins playing various clubs around South Africa. 1973 Rabbitt dissolves. 1972 Rabbitt recorded their first single, a cover of Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath It was an instant hit and stayed on the charts for 14 weeks!.

1971 Despite winning the South Africa Battle Of The Bands, The Conglomeration dissolves. 1968 The Conglomeration is formed with Trevor on guitar, Allen Rosenberg on guitar, Ronnie on bass, and Neil Cloud on drums. Neil Cloud (born 3 September 1955): Drums. Ronnie Robot (Ronald Friedman) (born 5 October 1954): Bass guitar.

Duncan Faure (born 16 December 1957): Vocals, guitars, keyboards. Trevor Rabin (born 13 January 1954): Vocals, lead guitar, keyboards.