The Electric Spanking of War Babies
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| The Electric Spanking of War Babies | |||||
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| File:TheElectricSpankingOfWarBabies.jpg | |||||
| Studio album by Funkadelic | |||||
| Released | April 14, 1981 | ||||
| Genre | Funk | ||||
| Length | 44:10 | ||||
| Label | Warner Bros. | ||||
| Producer | George Clinton | ||||
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| Alternative cover | |||||
| Original, uncensored cover
Original, uncensored cover
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The Electric Spanking of War Babies is the twelfth studio album by the American funk band Funkadelic, released in 1981 on Warner Bros. Records. The title is an allusion to the Vietnam War and baby boomers. It includes many relative newcomers to P-Funk, many of whom remained employed by George Clinton on future releases under his own name or under the name George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars. Sly Stone is a collaborator on this album. Clinton originally planned on this being a double album, but the idea was quashed by Warner Brothers. Some of the deleted tracks appeared on later P-Funk releases, most notably the 1982 hit single "Atomic Dog" which appeared on the first George Clinton solo album, Computer Games. Of all the original group members only George Clinton, Ray Davis, and Eddie Hazel appears on Funkadelic's debut until this album. Junie Morrison plays all the instruments on the title track except the guitar solo which was played by Michael Hampton. This was the last Album to feature Eddie Hazel, Ray Davis, Garry Shider, Junie Morrison, Mallia Franklin, and Jessica Cleaves. Also this is the only Funkadelic album the late Roger Troutman appears on as well.
Track listing
1. The Electric Spanking of War Babies - 8:40
(Bob Bishop, George Clinton, Junie Morrison)
2. Electro-Cuties - 6:12
(Jimmy Ali, Clinton, Ron Ford)
3. Funk Gets Stronger, Part 1 - 6:41
(Clinton, Michael Hampton)
4. Brettino's Bounce - 3:40
(Larry Fratangelo)
5. Funk Gets Stronger (Killer Millimeter Longer Version) - 4:43
(Clinton, Sylvester Stewart)
6. Shockwaves - 5:08
(Ron Dunbar, DeWayne McKnight)
7. Oh, I - 4:54
(Clinton, Rodney Curtis, Garry Shider)
8. Icka Prick - 4:08
(Clinton, Shider)
4 produced by George Clinton. All others co-produced by Clinton with:
1 - Junie Morrison; 2 - Ron Ford; 3 - Bootsy Collins and Sly Stone; 5 - Sly Stone; 6 - Ron Dunbar; 7,8 - Garry Shider. [1]
5 contains an interpolation from She Loves You by the Beatles.
Personnel
- George Clinton - lead vocals (on #1-3,5,8)
- Junie Morrison - bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards and drums (1)
- Roger Troutman - rhythm guitar, bass and Moog synthesizer (3)
- Michael Hampton (1-3,7,8), Jerome Ali (2,7), Eddie Hazel (5) - lead guitar
- DeWayne McKnight - guitar (6)
- Gordon Carlton (2,7), Garry Shider (7,8) - rhythm guitar
- Jimmy Ali (2), Lige Curry (3,6,8), Rodney Curtis (7) - bass
- Kenny Colton (2,6), Tyrone Lampkin (3,7) - drums
- Larry Fratangelo - percussion (3,4,6), drums (4)
- Muruga Booker - electric talking drum (3)
- Marion Saulsby - keyboards (7)
- David Lee Chong - Moog synthesizer and keyboards (8)
- Pat Rizzo (3,5), Michael Brecker (7) - saxophone
- Cynthia Robinson - trumpet (3,5)
- Bootsy Collins - vocals (3)
- Donnie Sterling - lead vocals (6)
- Garry Shider - lead vocals (7), rhythm guitar (8)
- Sly Stone - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards and drums (5)
Critical response
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Blender |  [3] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[4] |
| New York Times | (mixed)[5] |
| Rolling Stone | [6] |
| Uppity Music | (favorable)[7] |
- "Whether or not one cares to examine its hidden political messages, Electric Spanking is an above-average party album."
- "George Clinton reaches into the disgusting depths of his drug-addled mind and comes up with the solidest, weirdest chunk of P-Funk since one nation gathered under a groove."
