In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was enacted to ensure legal equality for African Americans and to end segregation in the US. When Ripple released their eponymous debut album nine years later, it was by no means a simple matter of course for people of colour and white people to play together in a band. The seven musicians from Michigan had an eclectic understanding of funk. Their proto-disco music, a mix of soul, funk and rock with pop and jazzy undertones, was not so far removed from music by much more successful bands like Kool & The Gang, Parliament or Funkadelic.
The single »I Don’t Know What It Is, But It Sure Is Funky« was a hit in the American R&B charts and »A Funky Song« was a respectable success, but the debut album »Ripple« remained an insider secret until it was discovered by hip-hop and downbeat artists decades later. Its powerful funk groove and instrumentation, which includes flute, vibraphone and different percussion instruments, made it ideal for sampling by the likes of Geto Boys, MC Lyte, Black Eyed Peas, Childish Gambino, Dillinja and Thievery Corporation. Almost 30 years later, the soul-funk classic is back on vinyl.
Ripple (Remastered)
