Rantings Of A Mad Rodent

One of my favorite funk bands of all time is Funk Puddin'. They came out around the same time as bands like Slave, Pleasure, The Ohio Players, Parliament/Funkadelic, Heatwave, and The Commodores, so they were easily overlooked. Some say that they were the major influence of all of the more famous funk bands, and others will tell you that the more famous funk bands ripped them off. I was fortunate enough to catch up with Funk Puddin's bassist, guitarist, and co founders, Leonard "Thump" Thompson and John "Butter Licks" Mayfield. We talked about funk, today's music, and of course, "The Puddin".

Q: Thump Thompson and Butter Licks Mayfield! Man, you guys were my favorite band! What've you been up to?

Thump: Man, you know, just trying to keep the legacy of The Puddin' alive to let these youngins know where it came from.

Butter Licks: Just funkin', pretty much.

Q: I see y'all still rocking the funk boots.

Butter Licks: Wouldn't be funkin without 'em!

Q: I hear that! Listen, let's get right to it. Did you guys ever think about the big hits other bands got by pretty much ripping y'all off?

Thump:Man, them cats. You know what? If they would've, uh,... shit......, admitted what they did, I would've been cool wit it, ya' know? Funk is a family thing, share and share alike, dig? But when you turn "What's the Answer" into "Fancy Dancer", or "Funk Hurricane" into "Mary Jane", and don't give propers, then....

Butter Licks (interupting):Look here man, it's like this; them cats knowed they stole them grooves! They knowed they stole 'em! Check this out here; I come up to you, right? And I say, "Say man, I heard yo' cut 'Flashlight', and you don't mention our song "Ass is Right', you must be feelin' guilty 'bout somethin'! Am I lyin'?! Am I lyin'?

Q:So not one band, to this day, has given you guys credit?

Thump: Nope!

Q:Wow! You guys were from Salt Lake City? That's an odd city for a funk band.

Butter Licks:Yeah, they said the same thing about Minneapolis too! We went through there around, shit, '74 was it?

Thump: I think it was '76.

Butter Licks: You sho'? Okay, yeah it was '76. Anyway, we get there, and we had a friend that lived there, helluva keyboard player! So, he shows up with his kid, a real fluffy looking kid, ya' know? Nothin' against the gays, they buy records too, but you know, it was...strange. Now I ain't one to tell a brother how to raise his son, but letting yo' son wear boots and lace and shit, was way out there for me, dig? I seen't some shit in my day, but nothin' like that! Plus he had this hair. Shit, he was prettier than the broads we had sangin' background. Called hisself Kang or somethin'

Thump: Prince

Butterlicks: Yeah, that's it, Prince! Anyway, we do the gig, and the peoples wanted an encore. Well, we just fied everybody the week before over some shit about cocaine, so everybody in the band was new. We had this new cut we was workin' on, "Little Red Chevette", and since the the guys knew it, shit, we did that. The people were groovin' to it too! I remember that little sugary nigga going crazy.

Q: Is that where Prince got "Little Red Corvette" from?

Butter Licks:Hell you tell me! Same car company, same color.

Thump:Hell man, all them cats stole from us! Rick James, Dazz Band, Michael Jackson, all of 'em! The kid is not your son? How 'bout that ain't yo' bassline either! Dazz Band talkin' 'bout "Let It Whip", how 'bout I whip y'all's ass?!

Q:Hey man, is that necessary?

Thump:What's the matter, Woody, too real for ya'?

Q:It's not that. I know these guys, and....

Thump:Oh, you scared you won't get no more interviews! Sucker ass sucker!

Q:Was that called for?

Thump:Was what called for, you bein a bitch?

Q;(sigh) Moving right along. So, what do you think of today's funk?

Thump:Them bitches ain't funkin', they fakin!

Q:So what's next for Funk Puddin'?

Butter Licks:I hear funk's making a comeback, and the new album is ready to go.

Q:New album?!

Thump:It's called "Sit in my Lap". It's gonna let people know about the real Puddin'.

Butter Licks:Prepare to be funked! We got most of the original guys back too.

Thump: 'Cept Gary.

Butter Licks: Yeah, 'cept Gary. He dead. We also doing the Twitter!

Q:That's great to hear! So where can we get the new album?

Butter Licks:Man shit, it's on the innerwebs. My granddaughter know how to do it. Gimme yo number. I'll call you wit it.

Q:Okay. Thank you for taking time out for me today. I look forward to see y'all play again. anything you wanna say before we sign off?

Thump:Yeah, we know and y'all know y'all stole them grooves. Next time I see, I'ma have my pistol. I'm putting hot lead in y'all's asses! Get that new album. Go to, shit, what's that web thang again?