Instant Funk were an American 1970s and 1980s disco band, best known for their disco classic, "I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl)".[2]
Instant Funk | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Trenton, New Jersey |
| Genres | Soul, disco, funk, post-disco, electro |
| Years active | 1975–1985 |
| Labels | Philadelphia International Salsoul Records |
| Past members | Raymond Earl Scotty Miller Kim Miller |
History
editInstant Funk came out of Trenton, New Jersey consisting of Raymond Earl, drummer Scotty Miller and guitarist Kim Miller.[2] The group was then called The Music Machine and they were very successful as a back-up band for The Manhattans, Bunny Sigler and also the TNJs. Throughout their careers, Instant Funk would be the back-up band for many stars, including Lou Rawls, Loleatta Holloway, The O'Jays, MFSB, Curtis Mayfield and Evelyn Champagne King (they are the backing band on the hit single, "Shame").[2]
The group relocated to Philadelphia in 1976 to release its first album, Get Down With the Philly Jump, as they started to formulate their own sound. The group followed this album up with a release for former MFSB guitarist Norman Harris' new record label Gold Mind, with front man Bunny Sigler entitled "Let Me Party With You".
The Gold Mind label folded, and Instant Funk's new cut "I Got My Mind Made Up" was transferred to the Salsoul label, which pushed the record heavily to all of the disco clubs. The remix of this song by club DJ Larry Levan and engineer Bob Blank quickly became the talk of Manhattan. "I Got My Mind Made Up" hit #1 on both the R&B and disco charts and #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1979.[3] The group's eponymous first album on Salsoul was also a hit, reaching #1 R&B and being certified gold disc status.
Scotty Miller (born Steven Scott Miller on August 22, 1951 in Trenton, New Jersey) died on April 11, 2017, at the age of 65.[4]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Record label | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [3] |
US R&B [3] |
CAN [5] | ||||||||||||
| 1976 | Get Down with the Philly Jump | — | — | — | TSOP | |||||||||
| 1979 | Instant Funk | 12 | 1 | 14 |
|
Salsoul | ||||||||
| Witch Doctor | 129 | 23 | — | |||||||||||
| 1980 | The Funk Is On | 130 | 62 | — | ||||||||||
| 1982 | Looks So Fine | 147 | 43 | — | ||||||||||
| 1983 | Instant Funk V | — | 38 | — | ||||||||||
| Kinky | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Compilation albums
edit- Greatest Hits (1996, The Right Stuff/Salsoul)
- The Best of Instant Funk (1997, Charly UK)
- The Anthology (2006, Salsoul)
- I Got My Mind Made Up: The Best of Instant Funk (2006, Koch Records)
- Greatest Hits (2008, JDC)
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [3] |
US R&B [3] |
US Dan [3] |
BEL [7] |
CAN [5] |
NLD [8] |
UK [9] | ||||||||
| 1975 | "Float Like a Butterfly, Part I" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1976 | "Philly Jump" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "It Ain't Reggae (But It's Funky)" | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1978 | "I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl)" | 20 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 46 | ||||||
| 1979 | "Crying" | — | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Witch Doctor" | — | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| 1980 | "Bodyshine" | 103 | 41 | 28 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Slap, Slap, Lickedy Lap" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "The Funk Is On" | — | 87 | 22 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "Everybody" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| 1982 | "Why Don't You Think About Me" | — | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1983 | "No Stoppin' That Rockin'" | — | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Who Took Away the Funk" | — | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "(Just Because) You'll Be Mine" | — | 71 | 21 | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Dexter Wansel Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c Hogan, Ed. "Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "US Charts > Instant Funk". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "Steven Scott "Scotty" Miller". Legacy.com. The Trentonian. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
- ^ a b "CAN Charts > Instant Funk". RPM. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "US Certifications > Instant Funk". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "BEL Charts > Instant Funk". Top 30. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "NLD Charts > Instant Funk". MegaCharts. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
- ^ "UK Charts > Instant Funk". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 20, 2015.