Con Funk Shun - History

History

The band was formed by a pair of high school students in Vallejo, California, drummer Louis A. McCall Sr. and singer/guitarist Michael Cooper. The two put together a group that included bassist Cedric Martin, keyboardist Danny "Sweet Man" Thomas, trumpeter Karl Fuller, and woodwinds player Paul "Maceo" Harrell. Soon thereafter, this fledgling group's classic lineup became complete when singer/multi-instrumentalist Felton Pilate came on board. The band got their start as a backup group for the Soul Children under the name Project Soul. They began working with Stax Records staff songwriters, and while recording at Audio Dimensions, a Memphis, Tennessee sound studio, producer Ted Sturges both named the group (after an instrumental recording by The Nite-Liters) and produced their first album, Organized Con Funk Shun.

In 1976, Con Funk Shun signed to Mercury Records, releasing eleven albums over a span of ten years. The group's 1977 LP, Secrets, was certified gold in the US, as were 1978's Loveshine, 1979's Candy, and 1980's Spirit of Love. They scored a string of top ten hits on the US Billboard black singles chart, including 1977's "Ffun" (#1), 1978's "Shake and Dance with Me" (#5), 1979's "Chase Me" (#4), 1980s "Got to Be Enough" (#8), and "Too Tight" (#8). Tensions from within the group built over the 1980s, and the group's last album, Burning Love, was recorded without songwriter and vocalist Felton Pilate. After leaving Mercury, the band broke up in 1986, but some members of the group reunited alongside touring musicians for concerts in the 1990s.

In 1994, Eric "EQ" Young joined Con Funk Shun. Eric “EQ” Young, a bass player, is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and a veteran of the stage. EQ’s a former Quincy Jones recording artist and has played for Con-Funk-Shun for the past 16 years. Other alliances include the Dazz Band, and Radiance. EQ has toured the US extensively and worked abroad for over twenty years and recently traveled to Iraq to play for our troops. EQ is not just your average musician, but a true entertainer. You might catch him in Japan or in the Caribbean or maybe at a local jam session. “I was born to do this” that’s what EQ always tell his friends and fans around the world. EQ’s TV credits include HBO, Soul Train, Motown Live & Sinbad. He’s also been featured in Japan’s Bass Magazine along with idols Larry Graham and Stanley Clark.

In May, 2008, ConFunkShun celebrated 35 years together with a special anniversary cruise with many of their biggest fans.