Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/03/16/do-the-funky-robot-1973.html
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1973 - Which means that while James Eearl Jones was hosting this show, George Lucas was writing the first draft of the Star Wars screenplay. Less than a year before this, December 1972, the Apollo 17 crew were the last men on the moon. And the Vietnam war would not be over for another two years.
Edit to add: And Richard Nixon was still the President, and would remain in office for another year.
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Oh hells yes!
Micheal goes full on robot at @ 01:15
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I’ve been doing it! You don’t pay ANY ATTENTION TO ME!!
[rapid footsteps]
[muffled door slam]
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“What is the secret of funk?”
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A heavy sprinkle of the JB Spice
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Magical.
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I’m feeling good right now.
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Hell yeah. Now FREEZE!
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I feel like Rufus Thomas, the crown prince of dance
-AdRock, The Maestro
In recapitulating his list of famous dance moves, Thomas mentions the funky penguin, which he promoted via his song “Do The Funky Penguin.” Due to the favored format for singles being a 45 rpm 7", with a huge hole and label taking up most of it, only about 4 or 5 minutes of material could fit on a side. For extended jams meant for dancing, often the tune would be split into part one and part two over both sides of the disc. Which means that while “Do The Funky Penguin” officially started with some piano notes and grunts over the rhythm, part 2 started with several bars of just drums. Those drums are sort of famous, and in fact might be the most prominent feature of Thomas’ musical legacy–for better or worse–at this time.
However, Thomas was a cornerstone of the Memphis soul scene from way back before these types of tunes. The version of “Night Time is the Right Time” he and his daughter, Carla, did back in '64 really cooks.
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Disappointed that Jones did not join in. 
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Do the “Funky Robot”
No.
I’m funking as hard as I can, I can’t funk any harder
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The pained look of the kid in his mom’s lap about 40 seconds is is priceless.
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What is to be pained about?
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He put all the other robotting people to shame.
It’s the clothes, man.
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and roughly 40 years later…
evolution of dance.
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You mean like this?
