Next Stop, The ‘80s: Lipps Inc.: “Funkytown”

The 1980 robo-soul hit, “Funkytown” represents that transitional period after the height of disco in the late ‘70s and before the commercial-new-wave MTV of the early ‘80s. Disco had unfortunately worn out its welcome; once Ethel Merman and many rock stars released disco-inspired records, there were many who wanted disco to hustle out of dodge. To where would music be heading and what would it sound like? According to the group, Lipps Inc. (Lip Sync), it was a, “Town to keep me movin’/Keep me groovin’ with some energy.” That place was known as Funkytown. Its writer and producer, Steven Greenberg sure had insight (“Talk about movin’/Gotta move on”).

“Funkytown” nursed those intoxicating sounds of the ‘70s: a percolating percussion cowbell; soulful vocals by the lead singer, Cynthia Johnson; Chic-inspired guitar riffs; violins; sax. The song even managed to draw inspiration from the sounds of the sci-fi-heavy late ‘70s/early ‘80s (think “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” and “Battlestar Galactica” on the tube), incorporating computerized vocal modulations, even at one point sounding as if Cylons were laying down vocals. Laser-blaster effects and bouncy electro-keyboard blips seemed to reflect the earnest urge to usher in a “futuristic” sound for the new decade.

To their credit, the group’s heart was in the right place; the track wasn’t “The Hustle,” instead inspiring disco-deprived dancers to embrace “The Robot,” which was later combined with Poppin’ in the mid-‘80s. Even the computerized modulations could be seen as precursors to Auto-Tune of the late ‘90s and beyond. Maybe Lipps Inc. was on to something in 1980, solidifying their foresight as to what music would sound like way in the future. Unfortunately for the group, it would actually be another one-hit wonder, Gary Numan, to take the wheel, steering away from Funkytown and driving straight into Synth City. His “Cars” became somewhat representative of what the first part of the MTV ‘80s would really sound like, with Devo (“Whip It”), Duran Duran (“Planet Earth”) and The Human League (“Don’t You Want Me”), to name a few, contributing accordingly. Thankfully, you’re never too far from “Funkytown.”