King Funk

King Records of Cincinnati was one of the most influential record labels in the history of music.

They recorded jump blues, rockabilly, vocal groups, rock'n'roll, country and excelled in all those areas. Names such as Hank Ballard, the Five RoyalEs, Billy Ward and the Dominoes and Little Willie John stare out from the labels and titles like Fever, Honky Tonk and The Twist all made their debut on Syd Nathan's mammoth independent. It was in the mid-60s that the label made its most influential stamp on the music world. Its then #1 star unleashed a record that was defined by its unchanging solid groove rather than its melody. James Brown's Papa's Got A Brand New Bag may not have been the first funk record - check Gene Ammons Ca'Purange from his Bad! Bossa Nova album on Prestige - but it put it in an accessible context. For King, it meant that its next ten years were dominated by either James Brown productions or attempts to recreate that success with other producers.