The first time I dropped Bowie’s ‘fame’ at my Saturday funk and soul residency in 1975, two things happened. First, a steady stream of people asking who the new killer track was by. Second, a stream of disbelieving people heading back to the dance floor thinking I was jiving them 🙂

As this was a few months before Wild Cherry laid down their famous meme for funky white boys everywhere, this was truly a shock to a lot of my funk fans, but still they danced. There’s no keeping feet still to good music.

And these were not just copying black musicians, among the blue-eyed soul and funky white boys are ones who’ve shaped R&B music, such as Rod Temperton of Heatwave who wrote major hits for Michael Jackson, Rock With You, Off The Wall and Thriller, all from one of the landmark R&B albums of all times.

So, for Funky Friday this week, Hong Kong Beat presents a few tracks by funky white boys – and girls – that, you know, make it funky.