Trouble Funk

Trouble Funk - Don't Touch That Radio (1985)
They were an influential and successful R&B and funk band from Washington, D.C. They helped to popularize the Washington, D.C. funk subgenre go-go. Among their well-known songs is the go-go anthem "Hey Fellas".

They released several studio albums including Drop the Bomb, In Times of Trouble, and Trouble Over Here, Trouble Over There, and two live albums, Trouble Funk - Straight Up Go-Go Style and Saturday Night Live.

In 1982 they released a single "So Early In The Morning" on D.E.T.T Records, later reissued on diverse labels as 2.13.61 & Tuff City. Trouble Funk sometimes shared the stage with hardcore punk bands of the day such as Minor Threat and the Big Boys. This decision was made by promoters. Unsuprisingly, go-go heads didn't shave down to mohawks and thus ended the failed marriage of the two scenes.

Their song "Pump Me Up" has been sampled by many other artists and is featured in Style Wars and the fictional R&B radio station Wildstyle in the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Their song "Pump Me Up" was sampled in Dimple D's one hit wonder "Sucker DJ" which went to #1 in Australia. Keyboard player Robert "Syke Dyke" Reed passed away aged 50, on April 13, 2008 from pancreatic cancer. Trouble Funk continue to remain a figure on the Washington DC area live music scene, and hold a weekly Friday night spot at Alexandria, VA's Holiday Inn - Wikipedia

Class Band

Class Band - The Go-Go Beat (1987)
Go-go is a subgenre of funk that originated in the Washington, D.C., area during the mid- to late-1970s. A handful of bands contributed to the early evolution of the genre, but singer-guitarist Chuck Brown is credited with having developed most of the hallmarks of the style.

In technical terms, "Go-go's essential beat is characterized by a syncopated, dotted rhythm that consists of a series of quarter and eighth notes (quarter, eighth, quarter, (space/held briefly), quarter, eighth, quarter)… which is underscored most dramatically by the bass drum and snare drum, and the hi-hat… [and] is ornamented by the other percussion instruments, especially by the conga drums, timbale, and hand-held cowbells." A swing rhythm is often implied (if not explicitly stated).

Another important attribute in go-go is call-and-response with the crowd in concert.
With few exceptions, go-go bands have seen little success outside of the Washington, D.C., metro area (Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland), yet the style lives on and continues to evolve.

Chuck Brown

Chuck Brown & Soul Searchers - The Message

I'm a big fan of the Washington dc 'Go-Go' sound and will upload lots of great footage for us few fans. The is the same song as Grandmaster Flash & Crew did but jazzed-up nicely. Live music is all about getting the audiance going and this is what Chuck does well.

Chuck Brown (born 1934) is an African-American jazz guitarist and singer who is affectionately called "The Godfather of Go-Go". Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed in and around Washington, D.C. in the mid- and late 1970s. While its musical classification, influences, and origins are debated, Brown is regarded as the fundamental force behind the creation of go-go music.


Brown's musical career began in the 1960s playing guitar with Jerry Butler and The Earls of Rhythm, joining Los Latinos in 1965. He still performs music today and is commonly known in the Washington, DC area. Brown's early hits include "I Need Some Money" and "Bustin' Loose". "Bustin' Loose" has been adopted by the Washington Nationals baseball team as its home run celebration song. Brown also recorded go-go covers of early jazz and blues songs, such as "Go-Go Swing" Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing If Ain't Got That Swing", "Moody's Mood for Love", Johnny Mercer's "Midnight Sun", Louis Jordan's "Run Joe", and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday".

He has influenced other go-go bands such as Big G and The Backyard Band, Rare Essence, Experience Unlimited (EU), Little Benny and the Masters, and Trouble Funk.
The song "Ashley's Roachclip" from the Soul Searchers' 1974 album Salt of the Earth contains a famous drum break.

Brown is considered a local legend in Washington, D.C., and has appeared in television advertisements for the Washington Post and other area companies. The D.C. Lottery's "Rolling Cash 5" ad campaign features Chuck Brown singing his 2007 song "The Party Roll" in front of various D.C. city landmarks such as Ben's Chili Bowl.
Brown resides in Waldorf, Maryland. His son, Nekos Brown, is a sophomore defensive end for the 2007 Virginia Tech football team.