Funkadelic‘s self-titled debut album was released on Westbound records in early 1970 and featured Eddie’s playing on songs such as “I’ll Bet Ya” and “Qualify & Satisfy”. Self-taught, by age twelve, he was winning guitar contests in Plainfield. Like all true greats the level of ambition and invention in his playing had varied results. Also discover more detailed information about Current Net worth as well as Monthly/Year Salary, Expense, Income Reports! However, he did release a solo album,Game, Dames & Guitar Thangs, in ’78 on Atlantic records that featured the entire P-Funk Mob. Hazel occupied himself from a young age by playing a guitar, given to him as a Christmas present by his older brother. Eddie’s influence began to dwindle form this point within Funkadelic due to excessive drug and alcohol problems and financial disputes with Clinton. Playing with that level of intensity produced moments of pure untouchable genius at the same time some music perfectionists are sometimes turned off by the ‘bum’ notes of all the greats like Jimi and Eddie. Though born in Brooklyn on April 10, 1950, Eddie Hazel grew up outside the city in Plainfield, NJ, since his mother, Grace Cook, didn't want her son growing up in a negative, drug-littered environment (though, ironically, Plainfield wasn't much better in regards to drugs). However, it was the 1971 album Maggot Brain which proved to be Eddie’s tour de force. Eddie Hazel was born into a good home. Convincing Hazel’s mother, Grace Cook, to allow her 17 year old son to join up with the wild antics associated with Clinton’s group was no easy task. Eddie Hazel was born April 10, 1950 in Brooklyn, New York. Clinton recruited a backing band for a tour, hiring Billy "Bass" Nelson. It was very uncanny that our styles were alike, but that is what I was hearing inside. [17], Nick Cave named him one of his favorite guitarists. [7][11] He was completely absent from One Nation Under a Groove (1978), Funkadelic's most commercially successful album. This story is true of so many truly brilliant performers such as Jimi himself, SRV, Jim Morrison and so many more. While his mother commuted back and forth to Brooklyn to work as a silk presser, the young Eddie spent most of his time playing the guitar his … Clinton noted, though, that it didn't matter what Hazel played--"it could be a Kay or anything--he could make it sound the same". [4] His typical setup included a Marshall 100-watt amplifier,[20] MXR Phase 90 phaser, Echoplex, Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone, and a Dunlop Cry Baby wah, and in his later days with P-funk a Music Man HD-130 amplifier. Eddie Hazel (April 10, 1950 – December 23, 1992) was a pioneering and influential guitarist in early funk music in the United States, most famous for his lead guitar work with George Clinton and Funkadelic. [3] His ten-minute guitar solo in the Funkadelic song "Maggot Brain" is hailed as "one of the greatest solos of all time on any instrument". Grace Cook is Eddie Hazel's mother. I've heard both. Other sources say the title is a reference to band … Though born in Brooklyn on April 10, 1950, Eddie Hazel grew up outside the city in Plainfield, NJ, since his mother, Grace Cook, didn't want her son growing up in a negative, drug-littered environment (though, ironically, Plainfield wasn't much better in regard to drugs). The very first single released by Funkadelic features Billy Nelson on bass, drummer Brad Innis, saxophonist Herbert J. Sparkman, and Eddie Hazel on lead guitar. Rolling Stone, in their entry for Eddie Hazel in their 100 Greatest Guitarists list said this: Legend has it that funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain,” the 10-minute solo that turned the late Eddie Hazel into an instant guitar icon, was born when George Clinton told him to imagine hearing his mother just died – and then learning that she was, in fact, alive. Scroll below and check our most recent updates about Eddie Hazel Net Worth, Salary, Biography, Age, Career, Wiki. Despite the environment he grew up in, it is my belief that like many true people gifted with true genius Eddie’s personality contained an element of self-destruction. Billy encouraged Eddie to join Funkadelic in 1969 eventually getting Funkadelic leader George Clinton to persuade Eddie’s mother to allow him to join the group and tour. His mother, Grace Cook, moved to Plainfield, New Jersey, in order to raise him in a safe, drug-free environment. The title track features Eddie in wicked form that is continued throughout the album. Perhaps what these people fail to realize is that playing on the edge is what sets these people apart. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Writer(s): George Clinton, Eddie Hazel. More than any other song in the P-Funk arsenal, the stirring minor-key anthem will forever be associated with Eddie Hazel. He used much reverb and was a "razor sharp" rhythm player, besides an exceptional soloist[4] with "fuzz-drenched leads". Music critic Greg Tate described the song as Funkadelic's A Love Supreme; the song is #60 on the Rolling Stone list of 100 Greatest Guitar Songs. I wanted to make the guitar an extension of my singing. Eddie used the name of his mother for some writing credits on several P.Funk records, due to some financial problems. Penniless and homeless the last year of his life, Eddie moved back to his mother’s Plainfield home. He had been suffering from chronic stomach problems for years, and finally he succumbed to internal bleeding and liver failure on December 23, 1992. Though born in Brooklyn on April 10, 1950, Eddie Hazel grew up outside the city in Plainfield, NJ, since his mother, Grace Cook, didn't want her son growing up in a negative, drug-littered environment (though, ironically, Plainfield wasn't much better in regard to drugs). Personnel. album: "Maggot Brain" (1971) Maggot Brain. [1][2] Hazel was a posthumous inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. Edit Lyrics. While Hazel was in jail, Clinton recruited Michael Hampton as the new lead guitarist for Parliament-Funkadelic. His mother, Grace Cook, moved to Plainfield, New Jersey, in order to raise him in a safe, drug-free environment. [6] Hazel was in Newark, New Jersey, working with George Blackwell and could not be reached. Mother Earth is pregnant for the third time For y'all have knocked her up I have tasted the maggots in the mind of the universe I was not offended For I knew I had to rise above it all Hazel made another prominent appearance in "Man's Best Friend" on the George Clinton album Computer Games (1982),[7] as well as the track "Pumping It Up" from the P-Funk All Stars album Urban Dancefloor Guerillas. Eddie was in … Technical competence has little to do with emotion and fire when playing an instrument. Penniless and homeless the last year of his life, Eddie moved back to his mother’s Plainfield home. Innovation involves taking risks. The clothes change had started initially with the back-up musicians. He was sent to Lampoc Prison after a teeth assault on a plane where allegedly he bit an air hostess when he was high on Angel Dust. Music for My Mother (Clinton, Eddie Hazel, Billy Nelson) - 5:37; I Got a Thing, You Got a Thing, Everybody's Got a Thing (Clarence Haskins) - 3:52; Face B. Lyrics submitted by seventeen. The very definition of “Way Back Yonder Funk”, “Music For My Mother” tells the story of raw Funk emanating from “Keep Runnin’ Mississippi” and one individual’s journey guided by the sounds he encountered. Hazel also sang in church. Pictured: Eddie Hazel. The resulting one take, 10 minute long solo guitar piece is, in my opinion, the greatest piece of electric guitar ever recorded. Grace Cook, the cowriter on most cuts, is Eddie Hazel's mother. The musicians may or may not have been on Yellow Sunshine acid at the time. Nelson says “Eddie and I automatically had a sound together. Eddie is also heavily featured on Funkadelic’s 1971 album Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow. After Nelson returned from the tour, he tried to recruit Hazel. Eddie Hazel; Billy Bass Nelson; Tiki Fulwood; Bernie Worrell; Bootsy Collins; Buddy Miles; Jerome Brailey; Lynn Mabry; Dawn Silva; References [19], Eddie Hazel performing with the P-Funk All Stars at the Palladium in New York City on June 25, 1991. In 1977, Hazel recorded a "solo" album, Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs, with support from other members of Parliament-Funkadelic, including vocals from the Brides of Funkenstein. Eddie Hazel was born into a good home. He would occasionally write songs under her name for contractual purposes. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. [15] There is an image of Hazel on the back of Primal Scream's album Give Out But Don't Give Up. As he told Guitar Player magazine, “I listened to Jimi a lot. He died December 23, 1992 in Plainfield, New Jersey. The remaining ten minutes are given over to Hazel’s explosive solo. I can’t tell you how much it hurts that he’s not here anymore. [1], In 1967, the Parliaments, a Plainfield-based doo wop band headed by George Clinton, had a hit record with "(I Wanna) Testify." On six of those songs the songwriting credit was in the name of Grace Cook, Hazel's mother. [7] Hazel also had a significant presence as arranger and lead guitarist on the same year's Parliament album, Up For The Down Stroke. AZLyrics. [1][13] "Maggot Brain" was played at his funeral. It is almost like a denial of their own talents. Mother Earth is pregnant for the third time For y'all have knocked her up I have tasted the maggots in the mind of the universe I was not offended For I knew I had to rise above it all Or drown in my own shit Come on Maggot Brain Go on Maggot Brain Submit Corrections. Asked about effects, Clinton said, "Eddie started right out learning the pedals—the wah wah, the Big Muff, and phasers and shit. Clinton recruited a backing band for a tour, hiring Nelson as bassist, who in turn recommended Hazel as guitarist. [1] One song that featured Hazel's lead guitar is "Comin' Round the Mountain" on Hardcore Jollies (1976). At age 12, Hazel met Billy "Bass" Nelson, and the pair quickly became close friends and began performing, soon adding drummer Harvey McGee t… To Miss Nishiyama. We bought all the gadgets in the world". All three albums prominently featured Hazel's guitar work. Maggot Brain song meanings Add Your Thoughts 17 Comments. [2], The third album's title song, "Maggot Brain", consists of a ten-minute guitar solo by Hazel. Generally I think Hazel was at his best writing with his co-conspirators in Funkadelic, and while George Clinton does get a writing credit on two tracks here, the rest are credited to “Grace Cook.” This was both a tribute to Hazel’s mother and a legal way to evade some tax issues Eddie was having in the mid-70s. [7] Music critic Greg Tate described it as Funkadelic's A Love Supreme. Good Old Music (Clinton) - 7:59; Qualify and Satisfy (Clinton, Nelson, Hazel) - 6:15; What Is Soul (Clinton) - 7:40; Titres bonus de la réédition de 2005 [18], Hazel played in the vein of Jimi Hendrix and added "the aggressive rock and roll sound of Jimi Hendrix into the funky world of James Brown and Sly Stone". In 1967, The Parliaments (a Plainfield-based doo wop band headed by George Clinton) hit the charts with "I Wanna Testify". Now play a solo, Clinton said as the tape rolled. He co-wrote every song on the album (songwriter’s credits are given to his mother Grace Cook) and is in fine form on the guitar. [13] Bootsy Collins has also incorporated recordings of Hazel in some of his recent releases, for example, "Good Night Eddie" on Blasters of the Universe. It was a fitting farewell to a true guitar hero. Eddie’s unique fusion of blues, acid rock and funk is all over this album. They played “Maggot Brain” at Eddie Hazel’s funeral on New Years Eve 1992 in Plainfield, New Jersey. 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