Play That Funky Music (4:57)
366,239 plays (111,561 listeners)
“Play That Funky Music” (also known as “Play That Funky Music, White Boy”) is a funk rock song written by Robert Parissi and recorded by the rock band Wild Cherry. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 18, 1976. It was also the basis of a top five U.S.A. hit for Vanilla Ice in 1990.
The song was inspired by a black audience member who shouted, “Play some funky music, white boy” while they were playing at the 2001 Club. Lead singer Robert Parissi decided they should, and wrote down the phrase on a bar order pad. They later recorded it in Cleveland with a Disco sound. Although the band was concerned about the lyrics, Parissi insisted on keeping them.
Originally, it was planned that the song should be released on the B-side of Wild Cherry’s cover of the Commodores’ “I Feel Sanctified;” however, when the owners of their record label heard the song, they suggested that the B-side become the A-side. The song sold over two million copies, but was Wild Cherry’s only hit.
Vanilla Ice later released a cover of “Play That Funky Music”, as the B-side of his single “Ice Ice Baby”, which catapulted him to stardom. Vanilla Ice did not credit Parissi for the piece, leading to a lawsuit that ended in a large settlement for Parissi. Vanilla Ice’s version hit #4 in the US, and was his second and last hit song.
The song was inspired by a black audience member who shouted, “Play some funky music, white boy” while they were playing at the 2001 Club. Lead singer Robert Parissi decided they should, and wrote down the phrase on a bar order pad. They later recorded it in Cleveland with a Disco sound. Although the band was concerned about the lyrics, Parissi insisted on keeping them.
Originally, it was planned that the song should be released on the B-side of Wild Cherry’s cover of the Commodores’ “I Feel Sanctified;” however, when the owners of their record label heard the song, they suggested that the B-side become the A-side. The song sold over two million copies, but was Wild Cherry’s only hit.
Vanilla Ice later released a cover of “Play That Funky Music”, as the B-side of his single “Ice Ice Baby”, which catapulted him to stardom. Vanilla Ice did not credit Parissi for the piece, leading to a lawsuit that ended in a large settlement for Parissi. Vanilla Ice’s version hit #4 in the US, and was his second and last hit song.
Video
Added by josejapa
Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music
Share Video
Related Tracks
-
Car Wash
Rose Royce -
Le Freak
Chic -
Celebration
Kool & The Gang -
You Sexy Thing
Hot Chocolate -
Superstition
Stevie Wonder -
Jungle Boogie
Kool & The Gang
Albums featuring this track
-
The Funkiest Album In The World
Various Artists Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Wild Cherry
Wild Cherry Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $8.99
- iTunes $8.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $2.93
- eBay Search
-
Sounds of the Seventies: 1976
Various Artists Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Shouts
-
ABM1708 wrote:
I used to play this live and what a groove! Love this song! What a wicked little lead break!
-
hollyjollybean wrote:
every time i hear this song, i lose my groove.
-
sapien82 wrote:
BEAST ! this track is insane and must be played at high volumes at every party , loads of ass shakin required ! listen to the funk ! You wouldnt believe it but average white band lay down the funk as well!
-
popstarthongboy wrote:
i feel it my duty to play this funky song, as i am the white boy who must lay down the boogie.
-
kapitan_katz wrote:
Best bassline ever. Simplicity rules.
-
queenofoverkill wrote:
The bass line on this song is timeless! Too bad the guys in this band were so deep into drugs -- over-the-top deep, even for the 70's -- that they burned out before they could make more music like this.
-
steamboat58 wrote:
Play that funky music white boy.
-
Vogeltje1618 wrote:
Yesyesyes, Love this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
mycyberturf wrote:
Still love it!
-
diamondave007 wrote:
Heyyyyyyyyyyyy! ! ! so much better,till ya die
-
licoricepizza wrote:
your disco/funk mix-tape is incomplete without this one!
-
samfast wrote:
sadly, most folks who play this song are just fakin' the funk.
-
Finnagen wrote:
One of the best disco songs!!!!!!!
-
LightAscension wrote:
Yeahhh...funk IS funk!
-
steamboat58 wrote:
I don't like too many rock songs, but I enjoy this one.
-
Marjo47 wrote:
very good!
-
letsgoawayfor wrote:
imagine if this was 'play that funky music, black boy' . . . jesus, the song would be banned, the writers flogged to death for race-hate, and WHITE people who listened to it would be legally shot
-
grtwyt wrote:
this is sorry
-
marythemoose wrote:
cllllllllllllllassic! superb :D
-
kissmylips22 wrote:
play that funky music!!!
Wild Cherry
Play That Funky Music
full track
Listeners
-
Revanace
Listening now
-
-Kripi-
Top Listener
-
sugarM3pills
Top Listener
-
JouniS
Top Listener
-
naot903
Top Listener
-
chorfskie
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
FrenzieSniper, Bill-Stum, Juvy75 and 5 other people loved Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music. yesterday evening
-
simonmac added Play That Funky Music to simonmac’s library. yesterday afternoon
-
ABM1708, FartingEmu, DEATHPROxt and 14 other people loved Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music. yesterday morning
-
pebbles_68 added Play That Funky Music to pebbles_68’s library. Sunday evening
-
lushlille and HickTrucker loved Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music. Sunday evening
-
riwler added Play That Funky Music to riwler’s library. Sunday afternoon
-
whitedeer11, TootnNannys and AS1LV3RN1NJA loved Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music. Sunday afternoon
-
margo_akma added Play That Funky Music to margo_akma’s library. Sunday afternoon
-
margo_akma added Play That Funky Music to the playlist oh ah. Sunday afternoon
-
bavrol, Handtoes, LOLZNINJA and 15 other people loved Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music. Sunday afternoon
Related Journals
-
Greatest 250 Songs 1950 - 2009
by Jimbobbins |
8 Aug 2009 | 22 comments
-
111 songs by 111 artists
by jpesce |
26 Jun 2009 | 3 comments
-
One Hit Wonders... V.2
by hdsander |
13 Feb 2009 | 55 comments
