Rock and Roll; Interview with Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell [Part 3 of 3]

Oh. Yeah. You. Know. You know like I say I was just. I was just glad that I was there thinking about what the heck I don't want. You know it was just. It was just like I didn't know I was just glad to be there. You know. It's just always kind of carry that one you know and that one been my dad you know just glad to be there you know because you know to be George planned to be with James Brown you know to be with Barney I mean you know. You know I'm right off the street looking real crazy you know. So are not kept those things like those are the things that keep me motivated. Freya Wesley

Macy Oh I mean you know that kind of you know those are like the cats you know. So that kept me motivated. You know. Probably almost all of it. Oh Larry Graham. Yeah Larry Graham go out to his house very much you know and just jam with you know San Francisco and I mean everybody kind of try to take the credit but. I was Larry Graham. It was definitely Larry Graham. He was done with the base at that particular time but nobody else was even thinking about you know and poppin and you know. You know they kind of plug in style. I mean I would say I would have to say he was the first one I heard Don't you know and I would have to even go as far as he was probably the only one doing it you know. So between him his life like I was doing a

little bit but Larry was even you know he was. You know. So yeah I would I would have to get out until A Yeah definitely. At that time. At that time I think. Lewis probably came about the same time I was coming up. Lewis Johnson of the Brothers Johnson and they were kind of toying with us so. I would have to give it to Larry because Larry was the first one you know. And all of us that came up after that was like you know deal with it what we did with it. But I have to give it to Larry I mean those were bad to look. Like I was the one lair was the first one you know. So I would have to get out of their truck came you know after that. Thought it was cool. I mean it was a space for that. I mean you know

if it were what we you know everybody kind of had a space at that time and I think it all played a major role. You know the whole every day. You know I mean you know like you know just because we with your stuff don't mean nothing. You know space you know we just knew that what we were doing you know that you know because we loved our space you know gave us there's you know. Oh yeah. Yeah well you know they were they were from Cincinnati. And also Jimi Hendrix also played. Right right right. Yeah. Related and they as you said we call it over

again. You know that's probably when I first ran into on that and. I don't know it was just they saw I mean you know and you know even today I would think that he's probably. The one of the major ones of that old school. This deal got his I mean he got it almost just so. Yeah yeah. Because he's. Yeah yeah. You know when they just left. Do you know what all of you know the family you know it was like Yeah they were really close like they were right there and I was like.

They played this club. And you know we were just coming on the scene. All our players were like I mean it wasn't even like. We noodle. Before they start getting records and before the people say they were happy we know them when they were really OK and this was when they would come to this and all the bands from around. For get I mean you know there's like the normal people now the front rows were lined with the musicians. OK. Sitting there doing this. Chicken chicken you know check initial cause the board was so bad so bad had Marshall Plan a base. Oh whoops Wow. Marshall was plan A base like that and they were all styling. You know as a matter of fact I forgot about my I'm sorry Marshall. I'm sorry brother Marshall was another. I got a good idea. Like us I mean the way they used to stand. Washington standing he would take his basin.

I mean you know we stand and they would play he would play like this and I mean it was like man you know and it's your head is that you know the cast was so stylish you know and in Dutch Roberson he was like this I mean you know I mean this was before the record see the people never get to see him the way. It was so bad but when they get their records you know start getting in but I can understand why they would have known what the records but the people never get the chance to see the real players because the players they had everybody like. Can believe them and they were right next to James Brown. They were. They were the ones they would want. To win he said. You know because it's been a lot of time with me you know because you know when you're coming. Here you know and my brother you know

you know everybody when you're young and you try you really you know but to me more determined you know and the ones that I could lacking and I'm like sure before he would drag me commits example you know I say thanks man I really you know the difference. All we all know. Was starch out was actually George came up with that. When you. Yeah you know. The starch out I guess. Yeah yeah. Yeah. And. She's well starch I think

from. You know me wearing glasses in company and with this in you know one thing led to another I think start evolve from there. You know and. Yeah. Yeah. You mean why you kept hearing the story of him. Oh I know it's a comedy. Yeah yeah yeah. You know after we left Yeah yeah yeah. After we had left James you know we really didn't know what the heck we were gonna do because like after two weeks you know we ran out of money and was like OK Mr boots on and everything what we're doing now.

So we were looking pretty crazy. Then we start. Doing Gates and you know and you know going to different towns town and you know the house you know formally ban you know by excited cause with they knew we were in and heard about and we were fresh key is you know so I was like Yeah yeah so everybody would give us a chat you know but they would always give us the door cause nobody want to. Actually pay as you know so we would take to you know looking good looking groovy and the people were getting blown away cause we werent stuff that we found out you know Ive been over in Europe with James we kind of brought back like hired hands and fur chains and you know and you know we didn't figure nobody was doing this in the States because we didn't know we had we don't know that about Funkadelic you know and then we started doing rogue and we just kept hearing his dying about.

The hand. Market Deli. Yeah live life on the ballot. You play on a science data file and then they kept saying it to us like yeah ok where is funding that we want to get it you know we want to get those things done. You know who is funding it. So we kept hearing as you know when we play ya'll just missed it was here last week you know it's like we couldn't close a call so we can close it within a minute we will catch up with you know and then we will see who the real band so. Oh you did. Oh my God. Well it. All just sounds good. OK so you. Put them all 20 taking.

Place here. You know just MS I'm earning money I was seeing his coat fly out the door as we were coming here. Yeah we missed him again. So. You know some happen and we get up in Detroit. Because people were telling us to just go to Detroit from the dollar pretty much stay there you know and you get a chance to meet them and maybe up and hook up and record you know so we got excited about there. We go to Detroit. And you know couldn't phantom found nowhere. So somebody was telling us about going over to Motown records to see about getting a record deal. Talk to somebody about you know some so. You know we don't know nobody over there. You know all I knew is James and I want to meet him. You know so I was like OK so all of us crazy right. We go over to Motown.

We walk in and they get this doorway when you walk in to get a camera on you don't get let in unless you know somehow you come to see you got a point. We walk and say we don't know none of this. All we know is I want to meet James Jamison and we get an idea for rent. Right. So we walk in they say all right here is over the loud speaker we say nobody yet. You just then in this hallway and you get a camera on you know going back. So I say I want to see and then we look at each other like Jamieson you know. Yeah James I like to meet him because we got this record and as I was saying that and explain it to him. Security guys came out. Grabbed us and escorted us right there. If you don't get that OK. We were hurt. We were here maybe but at the same time I said thank you. Whatever's happening you know is for them.

So we just you know every time something like that happened to us we found there and they were trying the new stuff. It was like you know I had all the key is in there. So we want to play with the plane with a guide dog hopefully Funkadelic of it and we get a chance. You know so. No Funkadelic from the guy was too big for that. You know it was like because they were playing mycology and they were getting paid. And you know we weren't doing nothing. So it's a cat with us. So we played this clip hoping that the world would get around that we were there and and that maybe you can be around and say yeah well come on you know. You know we were hoping about that but nobody never showed up we start getting the wrap around Detroit Do you know house. But it's for the record as far as you know Funkadelic that in there. So we finally ran into

Frank. Yes yes she is the one I think that really set things rolling over because we start all of us in one way to get rid of you. So she let us stay with her and her mama. So we stayed there a few weeks. I gotta take you out to meet George Clooney you know very much. So say yes take me just like this. I got to meet this. So you know she took us and she joins us on what you call it.

He said he's probably home definitely not home. So I think I probably will. You know it was good because it was like love at first by the way. It was like yeah I know. I mean yeah I know I can do what I want to do and he'd seen it too. So I was like yeah. And then after we get a chance to meet Bernie you know and that was like. A psychedelic you know and that was love at first by so it was like. You know whatever we got to do this is it you know. So that's pretty much the way it works. Yeah. That's. Right. Yes.

What think that kind of started just in school. Anyway I always you know people were laughing at me and I think I grew up with amusement to the criticisms that. You know you should look like your ideals. You know I learned early. I'm going dressed the way I want to dress I'll get what you used to laugh almost I laugh and do you know so I learned early that it didn't matter what you thought the way I love because that's all I could afford. You know I mean I saw my mama get me you know. And if you laugh and then you know I mean you know I got you know I got in a few fights at first about it but after I learned that that was what was going to happen and it kind of stuck with me today you know straight. Yeah yeah. All is this a total defeat you know.

James was. Organized more disciplined. Yeah we were yeah yeah yeah it was two different one. You know one you know it was a variation of telling. Yeah. Yeah. You know I thought Dave I kind of welcomed it because I needed it because I came from only had my mama there and I needed a daddy figure you know a father figure and I knew it you know and I was going away with murder you know and I knew it you know. So when I got when I was kind of well whatever you had to discipline me on I was kind of welcoming that.

And but I was kind of you know because I knew I needed something I didn't know what it was OK. Help him. Yeah yeah. Yeah Stan you know you know and I don't know what there was there but I knew I needed whatever he was and whatever he was I needed because I didn't you know mamma did what he could do. But you know I needed that mantle. And this is a big difference you know. So when I got with that and all that help you know it helped you know I guess what he did. So you know you go. Play. OK. OK.

Let's think about Van think probably more of my personal you know where I was really yeah. And. At that time you know the generation that I was. Dealing with was where I was there and I loved it because what I was. You know it's just like any other you can relate to. You know I can change. You know it's just I don't know you pick up different things you know. You know it's just. It's kind of built in there. Yeah.

All this be. We are the two. I mean golly it's what we're here to illegal aliens. Yeah. The Melians. Oh my God. Yeah. Well. OK. Right. OK.

OK we got it right here. Yes. Why why. OK.