Standing on the Verge of Getting It On
Title of album:
Standing on the Verge of Getting It On
Artist: Funkadelic
Release date: 1974
Record label: Westbound
On this album, the lyrics generally take a backseat to the music and the jamming. It is one of the most popular Funkadelic albums among fans, and considered an essential Eddie Hazel-album. This is a much more cohesive album than the previous Funkadelic forays; it sticks with a musical style (hard-edged funk) throughout, instead of veering through genres.
Track Listing:
Personnel: (all the below is from the liner notes)
- Spaced Viking; Keyboards & Vocals: Bernie Worrell
- Tenor Vocals, Congas and Suave Personality: Calvin Simon
- A Prototype Werewolf; Berserker Octave Vocals: Fuzzy Haskins
- World's Only Black Leprechaun; Bass & Vocals: Boogie Mosson
- Maggoteer Lead/Solo Guitar & Vocals: Eddie 'Smedley Smorganoff' Hazel
- Rhythm/Lead Guitar, Doowop Vocals, Sinister Grin: Garry Shider
- Supreme Maggot Minister of Funkadelia; Vocals, Maniac Froth and Spit; Behaviour Illegal In Several States: George Clinton
- Percussion & Vocals; Equipped with stereo armpits: Tiki Fulwood
- Rhythm/Lead Guitar; polyester soul-powered token white devil: Ron Bykowski
- Registered and Licensed Genie; Vocals: 'Shady' Grady Thomas
- Subterranean Bass Vocals, Supercool and Stinky Fingers: Ray (Stingray) Davis
- Drums: Gary Bronson
- Bass: Jimmy Calhoun
- Piano: Leon Patillo
- Percussion: Ty Lampkin
Critical response:
- ?Standing on the Verge is a full-bodied, crazy mess in the best possible way, with heavy funk jams that still smoke today while making a lot of supposedly loud and dangerous rock sound anemic."
Other external links:
Title of song: Standing on the Verge of Getting It On
Artist: Funkadelic
Title of album: Standing on the Verge of Getting It On (see above)
Year of first release: 1974
Trivia:
Musically, Standing on the Verge of Getting It On is a hard rock song with audience-participating, chanting vocals.
Complete tabs at [external site with complete tabs]
Songwriters: George Clinton, Grace Cook (aka Eddie Hazel)
Memorable Lyrics:
- "Even if you don't admit it/The time for change is here and here we are/We're just for you"
- "Music is designed to free your funky mind/We have come to help you cope/Out into another reality/You will be/Through our music we bring you hope"
Complete lyrics at
the Motherpage
The singer exhorts the listener to get Funky with it. In contrast to several previous songs with a similar lyrical theme, "Standing on the Verge of Getting It On" shows tremendous growth in songwriting as the suggestion to get Funky also explicity includes a connection with social change and an awakening of the mind, and not just dancing. The definition of the Funk (as described in P Funk mythology) could be said to have started with this song.
Personnel:
Critical response: