Lock Down Music: Early 80s Britfunk
Stephen Arnell
Broadcast/VoD Consultant for TV & Film, Writer/Producer (inc Bob Fosse, Alex Cox, Prince, Sinatra), Media/Culture Commentator & Author (novel The Great One published November 2022)
Back in the early 80s, the nascent Britfunk scene appeared to be on the verge of crossing over to international audiences.
But sadly the rise of Stock/Aitken/Waterman and manufactured pop-soul acts such Five Star put the kibbosh on the movement.
Other soulful UK acts emerged later, whilst elements of the sound were incorporated (or ripped off, according to your point of view) by white-funk acts such as Simply Red and...Jamiroquai.
In the USA, the Washington DC based Go-Go trend was even shorter-lived:
Although the influence of the distinctive beat is clear in songs such as Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm (Ian 'Lovejoy' McShane intros):
They even squeezed a movie out of Go Go, with the movie Good to Go starring Art Garfunkel, of all people. Not much sign of him in the trailer though...
Back in 1980, the NME interviewed the soul duo Linx: David Grand and bass player Sketch.
Danny Baker asked why he chose the name Sketch.
His reply?
"Sounds better than preliminary drawing'
Can't argue with that.
In no particular order: