Working For George Clinton

Tom Battista talks about touring with George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.
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George Clinton
Parliament-Funkadelic
The Mothership
Tom Battista

[@MichaelWilliams-xk8vq]

I worked a George Clinton show n got to watch from stage right... EPIC! My 24 yr old son passed away before that show and for me pouring myself into work & music helped me to heal & press on... the guitar work on MAGGOT BRAIN cut so deeply into my broken self, it was trancendental! I was so moved it was as if my feet weren't even on the ground! Got to say thank you to the guitar player... he handed me the pick he just played with... just a plain grey grippy piick with the ttip broken off! One of my prized guitar picks! Thank you Otis... love the storytelling!

[@ardenevox]

So sorry about the loss of your son. So great that George Clinton's vision and that guitar player were able to lift you up.

[@buzzbabyjesus]

In the early '80's, I got to meet George and hang out for a couple hours. He was really cool. Today I'm going to say: "Take Your Dead Ass Home" is a favorite.

[@otisgibbs]

I think I misspoke when I said Tom was the tour manager on this tour. I'm not sure what his actual title was, but I don't think it was tour manager. All apologies.

[@sspbrazil]

Sounds like he was a rigger.

[@onewheelson9956]

Great interview! Awesome to hear about the Mothership setup. Actual titles don't really exist in P-Funk lol. It's whatever the party calls for. The Mothership comes in digital form now too; there's a video game in progress. #Funkprobosci

[@thomasminarchickjr.7355]

P-Funk are seriously the top of my favorite groups. He was with them at the peak of it blowing up. I’d love to pick his brain about Eddie Hazel and much more.

[@dcchitown6892]

I was fortunate to see funkadelic in the 1970s and was blown away with the total show and the theatrics amazing 👏 Maggot 🧠 🤯 😆

[@nathanwalsh3028]

As a white boy who was born in 1972 who loved Kiss this was completely awesome. It was like the disco/funk version of kiss. Not music wise but just presentation and visuals because just like Kiss the members of P funk could have been comic book heroes. On the other hand the music was just mesmerizing. It's AMAZING to this day. On the 1!! I'm that one white boy who knows HIS FUNK!!! #ItsDarkOutLetMePutMySunglassesOn

[@joemckibben7757]

When I was GM at a hotel George Clinton was a guest. I could never catch him when he was in the room to get an autograph. I regret not keeping his registration card that had his signature. The housekeeper said his room had a funk about it.

[@otisgibbs]

What's your favorite Parliament-Funkadelic song? Did you ever see them live?

[@WillieDuitt1]

Saw them live a few times, great times......Can You Get To That.

[@davedecker1725]

I love that George would let his band be his opener. 45 minutes later The band would break into Zappa's "I'm the slime" as he strolled on stage.

[@BeeBwakka]

Hard to pick a favorite but Into You, The Motor-Booty Affair, Swing Down Sweet Chariot are all up there. I saw them live for the first time last September!

[@jeffmorris8528]

From 1994-2020. 32 times. 30 of them front and center touching the stage.

[@raymurray9688]

Thanks for all the insight! Saw them a few times back in the day! Very interesting to know the workings behind the Mothership! Seeing the small Mothership flying towards the stage, then seeing the large Mothership transition was BRILLIANT! My favorites are many, but Cosmic Slop and Standing on the Verge raises my speaker volume EVERY TIME!!!! Thanks Otis.....New sub here....;)

[@vacantjosh]

I’ve been fortunate enough to see p-funk twice. Once at world’s fair park in Knoxville in like 95 (I was a junior in high school) and once back when Nashville still did free concerts every Thursday at riverfront! Amazing shows both times. Favorite song….either MAGGOT BRAIN or BOP GUN !!!

[@mitchmatthews6713]

A co-worker from years ago, his mother was a seamstress for George. Whenever his tour came to Detroit, her house was a crazy house for sewing the month before. Stay safe, Otis!

[@otisgibbs]

Thank you for helping make this channel possible. www.patreon.com/otisgibbs

[@TheGeniuschrist]

Man, Tom's been everywhere.

[@oopsydaizi3s824]

WHY MUST I FEEL LIKE THAT!

[@curtishatem6739]

Must be the dog in me

[@ardenevox]

I can't wait to watch this. I just love your channel Otis. If I were a little more flush I'd join your patreon.

[@kdnavy6716]

My favorite songs; Parliament---Dr Funkenstein. Funkadelic---Cosmic Slop. And a 50 way tie for second.

[@EastCoastDave]

I remember seeing George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars when I was still in Buffalo.... '96 or '97, I think. Someone who had won a pair of tickets couldn't go and gave them to me. By the time I found someone else to go with, we ended up arriving about an hour or more late. The show was in full swing. They played for another 2 and a half hours after we got there. It was an amazing experience and a great show!

[@kevindonohue8918]

I believe I saw Clinton and Funk in Lawrence Kansas.... needless yto say....I don't remember the show

[@joekellysux]

Got to see them in the early 2000's on Halloween. One of the best shows I have ever been to.

[@btventura9570]

I got the Mothership Connection 8-track (was born in 1966). So fortunate to see them in the early 90's all around southern California - House of Blues, The Palace, Ventura Theater. They weren't landing the Mothership anymore, but what a joy to see them; George, Gary Shider in his terrycloth diaper, guys in wedding dresses, Overton Loyd was doodling out cartoons on big pieces of paper and throwing them out to the crowd. Both Parliament and Funkadelic tunes, it was the best.

[@mikesprovtsoffjr9609]

“Can You Get to That” is one of my favs. Mavis Staples plays a lovely cover of it, too. ✌️❤️

[@hughman2346]

I can't wait for the radio to catch up to the sounds they made.

[@mattkaustickomments]

This is incredible. If I saw that gentleman walking down the road and someone told me he was on P-Funk crew I’d be yeah right!!! Would love to hear more from roadies, techs, soundmen, riggers, stage designers, lighting crews etc. For instance, my neighbor’s company had the contract to prep the local arena with electrical for concerts and events. He was setting up for Tom Petty / HB in the arena and was appalled by the drugs backstage and Tom’s condition; he was already disturbed when either during setup or perhaps setting up for a hockey game or other concert, the big 4-sided jumbo screen/ scoreboard over the court FELL and crushed a co worker. He refused to work the arena ever again.

[@glendodge]

Maggot Brain is amazing, but it's less of a song and more like a virtuoso guitar solo, so I'd have to say my favorite Pfunk song is Standing on the Verge of Getting it On

[@bradlloyd6261]

Love Pfunk ! Knee Deep, Moonshine Heather, Funky Woman, Agony of Deefeet!, Field Maneuvers, Big Footin, Atomic Dog

[@amingusamongus]

If you hear any noise, it’s just me and the boys…

[@sspbrazil]

The Mothership! Great band/bands.

[@tomfitzsimmons6535]

Once again, best yet. Thank, Otis!

[@joeywynn442]

Flashlight

[@denniscoverband4369]

Great story! My favorite so far :)

[@otisgibbs]

Thanks, Dennis!

[@paulcoleman3081]

"...George would appear with a big cloud of smoke." Yup! That's what I figured.

[@Zepster77]

Parliament/ Funkadelic never got any records played on the radio….or very rarely anyway, where I lived in the deep South. Same with the Grateful Dead

[@michaelo061]

Today, I'll go with Funkadelic- "No Head No Backstage Pass"

[@ianinnocent1694]

amazing stories by the way...love your page Otis!

[@edcampbell6164]

I remember hearing two black girls in our high school talk about seeing Parliament/Funkadelic the night before and saying “When he stepped out of that spaceship in that white fur coat he looked so CLEAN!”

[@professorbonghair3111]

Man, there's a live version of Red Hot Mama, on KZbin. I think it's from The Capitol Theater '76. The guitarist is just mind-blowingly amazing. Technically perfect, next-level chops, and flowing like some open channel of grand design. I've seen it at least 50 times, and my jaw still hits the floor. I think his name is Mike Hampton. He has got to be some kind of wizard from another planet.

[@professorbonghair3111]

@Battlekitten 1967almost ashamed to admit that I didn't know who he was.

[@senatorjimdracula1603]

Favorite P-Funk record depends on my mood, but if I want to get happy and get my funk on, I usually reach for the Mothership Connection album.

[@BST501]

❤

[@stealthyBLK]

AQUA BOOGIE hands down my favorite in my top 5 list of their songs

[@ianinnocent1694]

The hat was called an apple jack back in the day! George stayed at the hotel I worked at in West Hollywood. Anytime we worked on that floor the weed was thick!

[@LeileeBaker805]

Yay P Funk!

[@DaveJacoby]

I want to say "Maggot Brain", but I can't lie. "Flashlight" all day everyday.

[@johnrosier1686]

I am not too familiar with P-Funk but about 20 years ago I was in a rock band and we did an instrumental of Cosmic Slop. That is the only song I can think of at the moment. Interesting interview though because P-Funk and it’s associated acts, musicians, and hanger-ons were definitely in a class all by themselves.

[@caseysmith544]

It has got to be Give Up the Funk, one of the early songs. Also, the song that gave the name to the style of music that was being created at the time that has the Funk sound.

[@robertb.2547]

Atomic Dog!

[@oopsydaizi3s824]

WHY MUST I CHASE THE CAT?

[@jeffmorris8528]

I've been a FUNKATEER since 1974 🤘🏿

[@davidmcrae8771]

Mothership Connection!!!

[@davidsingley9949]

P-Funk. Doin' to you in your ear drums.

[@ministerofdarkness]

Cosmic Slop!!

[@oopsydaizi3s824]

FLASHLIGHT

[@hollymartens8059]

Apple jack cap, my man!

[@hollymartens8059]

Haliburton case

[@my_tube9405]

This was a fun listen. Really enjoying hearing his adventures on the road. I love the story about when The Parliments (Before Parliment Funkadelic) meet the guys from Harvard from the original LSD experiments (Timothy Leary/Ram Dass). That was how early Clinton was introduced to LSD. Then the story about zombies. This is just 3:45 of pure gold. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJath3Z9oreeqac

[@PonziZombieKiller]

Man that would have been duh bomb ,!

[@joeurbanowski321]

Tom says…”…it was hidden behind a hat..”..!!!! Hahaha..! Like that’s the most normal thing in the world..!! I mean.. how big is a hat..? Right..??

[@otisgibbs]

Haha! : )

[@jimgroff6880]

Cosmic Slop

[@edcampbell6164]

Parliament/Funkadelic is the greatest rock band ever, not The Beatles or Stones

[@faborwick5887]

Flashlight