Soul Strut 100: # 80 - Parliament - Osmium
RAJ
tenacious local 7,782 Posts
I will slowly be unveiling the Top 100 Soul Strut Related Records as Voted by the Strutters Themselves.
# 80 - Parliament - Osmium
Please discuss your reactions to this record. The thread will be archived later here.
About
Osmium is the debut album of American funk band Parliament, led by George Clinton. The album has a psychedelic soul sound with a spirit of experimentation that is more similar to early Funkadelic than the later R&B-inspired Parliament albums. It was originally released in July 1970 on Invictus Records.[5] The original vinyl release contained a glossy lyric sheet.
Since its re-release in 1990, Osmium has been distributed numerous times by various labels in the U.S., Europe and Japan, sometimes under alternate titles that have included Rhenium and First Thangs. A number of these reissues have featured material that was not included on the original album, such as unreleased tracks and singles that were recorded around the same time as Osmium.
The personnel for this album included the five Parliaments singers and the five backing musicians known as Funkadelic. The same personnel also recorded as Funkadelic, releasing that act's self-titled debut album also in 1970. After the release of Osmium, contractual difficulties prevented further recording under the name Parliament until 1974, when Clinton signed that act to Casablanca Records and positioned it as an R&B-inspired counterpoint to the more rock-oriented Funkadelic.
The yodeling that arguably uniquely identifies one of De La Soul's early hits, "Potholes in My Lawn" (which eventually appeared on De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising), comes from Osmium's "Little Ole Country Boy".[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmium_(album)
Related Threads
fave FUNKADELIC / clinton related record??
What Expensive Records were worth your money?
Media
# 80 - Parliament - Osmium
Please discuss your reactions to this record. The thread will be archived later here.
About
Osmium is the debut album of American funk band Parliament, led by George Clinton. The album has a psychedelic soul sound with a spirit of experimentation that is more similar to early Funkadelic than the later R&B-inspired Parliament albums. It was originally released in July 1970 on Invictus Records.[5] The original vinyl release contained a glossy lyric sheet.
Since its re-release in 1990, Osmium has been distributed numerous times by various labels in the U.S., Europe and Japan, sometimes under alternate titles that have included Rhenium and First Thangs. A number of these reissues have featured material that was not included on the original album, such as unreleased tracks and singles that were recorded around the same time as Osmium.
The personnel for this album included the five Parliaments singers and the five backing musicians known as Funkadelic. The same personnel also recorded as Funkadelic, releasing that act's self-titled debut album also in 1970. After the release of Osmium, contractual difficulties prevented further recording under the name Parliament until 1974, when Clinton signed that act to Casablanca Records and positioned it as an R&B-inspired counterpoint to the more rock-oriented Funkadelic.
The yodeling that arguably uniquely identifies one of De La Soul's early hits, "Potholes in My Lawn" (which eventually appeared on De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising), comes from Osmium's "Little Ole Country Boy".[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmium_(album)
Related Threads
fave FUNKADELIC / clinton related record??
What Expensive Records were worth your money?
Media
Comments
I remember once listening to a talk radio show where the topic under discussion was greatest rock bands of all time.
Somebody mentioned P-Funk and the bastard host just laughed it off. "Why, they're just a SOUL band, ha ha ha!"
i keep a copy of Rhenium filed tho (nice cover too)
b/w
'Come In Out Of The Rain' isn't on Osmium.
i once read a george clinton quote where he said "we were too white for soul audiences and too black for rock people" or something similar.
This album (or more specifically "Rhenium") is what made me a soul fan...my gateway record. Came to it being a rock fan and a buddy got it and made me a cassette. Blown away. It is this record's fault. Luckily got an OG for a few bucks about 6 years ago. Love this record. I honestly thought it would be higher in the rankings.
Such a great record, I don't listen to it enough, at least that's what I thInk every time I get around to pulling it out and playing it.
I think maybe a big reason this thread isn't getting as much action as other SSTOH discussions can be summed up in this ratio from Osmium's discogs page: "1 has this. 50 want this."
I have the Early Thangs CD on HDH, which I believe is the entire Osmium album plus a few non-LP singles. I don't believe this is in print anymore.
Nothing says "fearless" like a man willing to pose for an album cover outdoors, standing on hard gravel, buck nekkid and wearing nothing but an Indian headdress.
last time i listened to it i was having the same thought as most people in the thread..."why dont rock dudes recognize this more?"
Tough call. Have you heard the version on Rocky Mountain Shakedown?
Me too, it's much rawer!
:game_over:
Definitely more of a stadium rock feel, but completely over-the-top.
I have now. Great version, and it's just as good as you imply, but it was (a) live, and (b) unreleased at the time, which puts it on a whole nother plane.
Of course, I'm just geeking.
I prefer the Parliament version also, but the Funkadelic 45 version has some nice extra shredding on the Vital Juices B-side.
Honestly, not my PMG favorite Parliament LP, but it's got its place in the canon apart from all the fonkay shit.
I have the Get Back reissue, I think, that has "Come In Out Of The Rain" on it. That song fucking slays. Is it on 45?
Nope, that was included on Rhenium. The Get Back re-issue is an exact repro of Osmium. And yes, that song was 45 only originally.
yeah the 45 has drums and is hard as hell to find. ive been trying to upgrade my copy foreverr
i think theres a uk press too
i have a whole suitcase of em
This album is my jernt. There are some many good ones on here, but my favorite of all is "Moonshine Heather." I'm so glad this LP made the list!
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
That's how I first heard the album too, I think I had ordered mine from Midnight Records way back when.