Episode 67: Mayer Hawthorne on Parliament’s “The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein” (1976)

Episode notes

The Album: Parliament: The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein (1976)

In the 1970s, no single artist was as influential in transforming the sound of funk as George Clinton. If the funk of the late ’60s was embodied in the sparse, frenetic rhythms of James Brown, Clinton filled out and polished the sound across the ’70s, with beefy banks of horns and raucous guitars. By the time The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein came out in the mid 1970s, the P-Funk sound was in full flower and that’s when a young DJ from outside Detroit crossed paths with The P.

Mayer Hawthorne, back when, was still known as DJ Haircut but a move to Los Angeles in the 2000s lead to a transformation into the smooth crooner we know of him today.  Besides the four solo studio albums he’s recorded, he’s also one-half of the retro boogie team known Tuxedo (alongside Jake One) as well as half of the post-punk n’ funk duo, Jaded Incorporated, (alongside 14KT). Fun fact: Jaded Inc’s 2014 album The Big Knock was released by Casablanca Records, long-long time home to Parliament’s recordings, including The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein.

More on Mayer Hawthorne

• “Tuxedo’s Mayer Hawthorne & Jake One Play ‘Elegant Funk’ and Dress the Part No Matter What” (Billboard)
• Hawthorne Radio (Soundcloud)
• Website | Twitter |Facebook

More on The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein

• “Masters of the Form” (Popmatters)
• Clones entry from “P-Funk Albums From Worst to Best” (Stereogum)
• Album review (Drowned In Sound)

Show Tracklisting (all songs from The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein unless indicated otherwise):

• Prelude
• Parliament: Body Language
• Digital Underground: The Humpty Dance
• Dr. Funkenstein
• Ice Cube: Steady Mobbin
• Parliament: P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up
• NWA: 1-900-2-COMPTON – Interlude
• Disco D: Ghettotronics
• Funkin For Fun
• OutKast: Funky Ride
• OutKast: Liberation
• The Parliaments: All Your Goodies Are Gone
• Parliament: All Your Goodies Are Gone
• Rose Williams and George Clinton: Whatever Makes My Baby Feel Good
• Parliament: Whatever Makes Baby Feel Good
• Gamin on Ya
• Dr. Funkenstein
• The Ohio Players: Funky Worm
• Mayer Hawthorne: Lingerie and Candlewax
• Do That Stuff
• Yo-Yo: Mackstress
• I’ve Been Watching You (Move Your Sexy Body)
• Getten to Know You
• Children of Production
• Funkin for Fun

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there

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