Friends, I’m happy to announce a new sporadic series here on thebrobots.com:

EPIC! TUESDAYS!

Because apparently Tuesday is pretty fucking epic.

Here’s how it works: Every Tuesday (maybe) I’ll post a track (if I can) that aurally slays dragons and rescues maidens and generally towers over the average song (unless I run out of qualifying material). Trust me, you’ll know what I mean when ya hear it. In exchange for this service, you agree to only listen at maximum volume. Again, trust me here… the effect is lost otherwise.

To kick off this poorly thought out series, I present to you: Ruth Copeland’s TRULY! EPIC! cover of the Rolling Stones classic “Play With Fire.”

I discovered Ms. Copeland while researching my Parliament post. Apparently she had a hand at producing their “Osmium” masterpiece, sang backups, etc. In return the Funkadelics backed her on her two solo outings - “Self Portrait” & “I Am What I Am.”

So basically this is Funkadelic covering the Rolling Stones with Ms. Copeland fronting.

In the immortal words of the legendary Gleaming Spires: IT MIGHT EXPLODE YOUR MIND*.

Artist: Ruth Copeland
Album: I Am What I Am
Year: 1971
Production: Ruth Copeland or Jeffrey Bowen
Label: Invictus

This reissue is probably your best bet… but it looks like it’s out of print. Honestly though, there are maybe one or two other decent cuts (“Don’t You Wish You Had” & “The Silent Boatman” come to mind) so don’t knock yrself out.

* Yes, I realize I’m the only person that will find this funny. People need to catch up.

When I was a young suburban teenager my uncle sat me down and told me: “P-Funk.” I nodded blankly… tried my best to absorb the wisdom.

“Cooooool”

I understood he knew THE WAY… but my head was just too messed up on Blues Traveler and Spin Doctors and (thank god I’m not posting this on the internet!) Pearl Jam *. It just didn’t cut through… or so I thought.

Turns out I had retained a tiny seed of that golden knowledge and it slowly took root and grew… Friends, this is the apple that did Adam in: Parliament’s debut album. Chew into it and never look back!

Soon after cutting this one, Clinton and crew morphed into the legendary Funkadelic (due to contractual issues of course - a soon-to-be-reoccurring theme). So this is really the 1st Funkadelic record. This version of “Red Hot Mama” comes as a bonus track on the now out of print Castle [UK] reissue from 2001. It does not appear on the original pressing though I’m pretty sure an edited version came out as a 45rpm. They also recut this little number 4 years later +/- for their “Standing on the Verge of Getting It On” album (just buy it fool). This version is better though… a RAW slab of soul and rock guaranteed to make you brown yrself MIGHTILY.

Artist: Parliament
Album: Osmium
Production: George Clinton & Ruth Copeland
Label: Invictus
Year: 1970

What is soul!?

Soul is… the immaterial part of a person…?

Hold on… the internet is busted again… stupid piece of crap!…

* In my defense, I also owned / loved Royal Trux’s “Cats & Dogs” as well as Pavement’s “Westing By Musket & Sextant”… chalk it up to the confusion of youth.