These artists appear to embody an illusory freedom which has always been a fantasy for a Black male generationally or geographically.
This illusion is most apparent when on the most raw and liberated platform-the stage, set, on the microphone or "in the act".
The work that most moved me centered around issues that involved and concerned the people, back in a time when people realized their power (whereas today power paralyzes the people).
The architect of the Mothership George Clinton calls out "Aye, Glen?" referring to the incredibly gifted artist Glen Goins.
Glen says "Yeah!" right in tune and sings,
"When you hear seats rumble/
you will feel your conscience grumble/
Hit me/
You gotta hit the band/........."
Glen is clad in his extraterrestrial regalia and gradually steps back in what will soon become a hypnotically transcendental exorcism in spirit.
During the break of "Mothership Connection", the groove transforms into "Swing Down".
Drummer Jerome “Big Foot” Brailey is pounding his foot into that bass pedal so hard he’s about to rip through the skin of the drum. He always kicked that bass and laid heavy “on the one” to make the downbeat mirror a heartbeat.
After the horns summon the ancestral invitation, George Clinton is seen waving his cloth invitationally then placing his hands in prayer position.
The doors have been opened but the ancients have yet to enter.
He begins the incantation "Swing down sweet chariot/stop and let me ride"
Background joins in various eurhythmic harmonies.
The mantra is followed by "We'll bring the Mothership in here….. and we shall funk together if y'all say…….."
"Show me Houston what y'all got....."
This means if I have don't have to show you, we can "get there" faster.
Then "we need that groove right together" and "everybody do your hands like this".
Here he conducts the audience to the tradition of the back-beat with a gospel tweak thrown on top.
This hereditary "soul clap" is a supplemental instrument and he employs the crowd to be an accessory to the groove also a backbeat to Brailey’s “foot”.
Listen to the “1-2”, clap-foot combination and tell me you don’t remember hearing this in any neighborhood chapel Sunday morning.
Exemplary of a Negro spiritual, the emancipation and willingness to break free and stay free is so evident here that any and all can draw inspiration from its universality and this was intentional, a moment bigger than its picture and Youtube user 898106 is solely to thank for sharing the magic to mortal eyes.
Clinton affirms his position to bring the outer elements into his realm. The realm is a mind state in how aural energy is processed and produced to transmit melodic messages to the soul and spirit of the people.
"Y'all stay right there, man. Stay right where you at!" he says so the drummer doesn't get lulled into the crowd's synchronized and thunderous“two”.
Listen to it. Hear Bernie Worrell wah-wahing, Stingray Davis’ baritone, The Brides Of Funkenstein making love consummate publicly.
The feeling captured here is a primordial state of rhythm and a genetic companion to the basis of African soul.
Now you'll hear keyboardist Bernie Worrell and Glen Goins equally exploring the spirit almost as if tuning into a transistor signal awaiting first contact from an alien.
The time has arrived and The Moment has come at 2:25 of the video.
Morphogenic resonance in the absolute.
This is where we want our world to be: unified and contributing to a hypnotic and universally orchestrated groove.
Pay attention to the bond of funkhood as the camera widens out fading into Clinton’s euphoric state signifying he is right where and what he wants to be.
Clinton says "Aye c'mere Glen, come on over, y'all keep your hands goin' now, keep your hands--don't slow down"
This is a call for the people to remain uniform.
"Let me know y'all ready, come on why don't y'all do this for me?"
Watch after Glen attempts to align himself properly "in the pocket", he initially doesn't connect righteously with what is happening. He steps backward and re-enters intercourse between himself, the audience, The Groove, and The Moment only after the feeling is alive.
Shortly afterward, "Put your hands together, y'all!!!!"
"Keep it steady back there…." urging Big Foot to stay “on the one” and as soon as Clinton says "Come on Glen!", Goins' riffs begin to respond increasing in volume.
You'll notice his feet stomp double time to Big Foot’s kick and instantly he's officially fastened.
Glen comes on so quietly and in such a euphoric state. Immediately, he displays an innate gift of which appears so simple and free-flowing it seems he's just toying with his abilities. What we see here is a genetic and cosmic alliance resulting in a natural gift to BECOME an instrument, becoming the tune ringing true through a listener’s ears.
There's no separation between Glen and the motions he makes with his fingers, neck movements, footsteps and riffs which are all one.
Now Starchild aka George Clinton walks slowly towards his wardrobe change and you’ll see him still clapping on the “2” but then he’ll switch to clenching his fist back “on the one”.
It’s deep like that.
Glen only looks at his guitar once quickly for tuning while beginning his approach and then glances at it twice later amorously as you would in appreciation of the one you unconditionally love.
This footage is unconditional and the capture in time is ultimately a "fantasy" we are watching.
Notice the background singers swaying and clapping like a choir in a Southern Methodist church. Suddenly, the performance transforms into a religious experience and spirituality takes the stage. There are remnants of country, folk, blues, funk still intact, hip-hop, and once Glen grabs the mike off of the stand, the mood transitions to gospel and he“takes it home”.
I get goosebumps throughout my entire body each time I watch it because I can see soul unified in an extrasensory awakening. If Glen began to levitate without the support of a harness or heavy wires, it would be no surprise.
He asks "You see, can y'all clap a little louder?"
He knows well and deals righteously within the power of morphogenic resonance. This is why you watch in amazement of a Parliament concert because at any given time you may count 25 people on stage singing and chanting for 20 uninterrupted minutes (the same can be said at a Fela Kuti or James Brown concert).
They are giving us a subliminal example of the strength of kinship in collective accord with the common goal to "tear the roof off the sucka".
Glen melodically sings, "I wanna ride".
This expression means many things.
Riding, as in "I'm a rider" is saying I am a fighter, a participant in combat, involved in The Struggle, an insurgent protector and defender of the people be it your relative or figurative family.
"I wanna ride" also means "I'd like to do my thing" and be left alone in my freedom untethered by restriction, repression, or restraint...... as in an "easy rider".
To exist in the entitlement and human right of unincarcerated solitude and personal liberation.
Next meaning is if there is a movement, an 'identified' flying object, any source of psychological teleportation made available to escape an oppressive environment, then "I wanna ride!!"
Swing Down is a funkafied version of a Negro spiritual written by former slave Wallis Willis called Swing Low Sweet Chariot. The song was inspired by the scripture of the prophet Elijah ascending to heaven in a chariot.
After Goins informs us of his intentions "to ride" he asks "do you believe in the Mothership comin'?"
Whether or not that even bears a response he follows the question with the statement "I believe that the Mothership's comin' and I wanna ride!!" and his belief is all the validation he needs.
He is in a state of holiness meaning he is exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
This also represents the exodus of Glen Goins as shortly some months later he departed at 24 years old of Hodgkin’s Disease.
I did speak earlier on this performance being a revival of religious and revolutionary proportion. Most certainly reversing and revising a Negro spiritual into a funky instrumental baptism is nothing short of indigenous African history accepting the position of being a vehicle of order in the cosmos.
This subconscientiousness is what inherently provokes young men today to end conversations or an encounter with the phrase "One"………..
Eventually you will see the Mothership fall from the heavens and descend to Earth.
Before you decide if you wanna ride, ask yourself first do you believe that's it's comin'…………….
Mr. Wone
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