Con Funk Shun

History

The band began in 1969 as Project Soul, formed by Louis A. McCall Sr. (drums/percussion/vocals) and Michael Cooper (rhythm guitar/lead vocals), both high school students in Vallejo, California. By 1971, the lineup included bassist Cedric Martin, keyboardist Danny "Sweet Man" Thomas, trumpeter Karl Fuller, and woodwinds player Paul "Maceo" Harrell. The classic lineup was completed when lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Felton Pilate joined. Project Soul released a lone single in 1972.

In the mid-1970s, the seven musicians formed a new band called "Con-Funk-Shun," after a song by the Nite-Liters. They relocated to Memphis, Tennessee in 1973 to back Stax Records artists the Soul Children, catching the attention of Estelle Axton, who signed them to her Fretone Records label. Their debut album, Organized Con Funk Shun, was recorded in 1973 but remained unreleased until 1978. In 1975, the band's name was changed to "Con Funk Shun" by Louis’ wife Linda Lou McCall, who also handled marketing and public relations.

They performed in Japan in 1975. In 1976, Con Funk Shun signed to Mercury Records and released eleven albums over ten years. Their 1977 album Secrets was certified gold, as were Loveshine (1978), Candy (1979), and Spirit of Love (1980). They scored top ten hits on the Billboard black singles chart, including "Ffun" (No. 1 in 1978), "Shake and Dance with Me" (No. 5 in 1978), "Chase Me" (No. 4 in 1979), "Got to Be Enough" (No. 8 in 1980), "Too Tight" (No. 8 in 1981), "Baby, I'm Hooked (Right into Your Love)" (No. 5 in 1983), and "Electric Lady" (No. 4 in 1985).

Only "Ffun" (#23) and "Too Tight" (#40) crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100 top 40. Tensions built over the 1980s, and the band's final album, Burning Love, was recorded without Felton Pilate. After disappointing sales, Mercury dropped the band. Michael Cooper moved on to a solo run with Warner Bros., having an R&B hit with "To Prove My Love" in 1987. The remaining original members tried to continue but ceased performing and recording as Con Funk Shun in 1987.

Later years

Felton Pilate became the in-house record producer and songwriter for M.C. Hammer and his label Bust It Records, working on Hammer's Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em album and the bulk of Special Generation's 1990 debut album, Take It to the Floor. Michael Cooper embarked on a solo career, releasing his debut album Love Is Such a Funny Game on Warner Bros. Records in 1987, followed by Just What I Like (1989) and Get Closer (1992) on Reprise Records. In 1997, Louis McCall was shot and killed in a home invasion robbery at age 45.

As recently as 2013, the band's eleven Mercury albums, along with their Greatest Hits and Best of Con Funk Shun albums, continued to be remastered and released digitally. In 2015, the album More Than Love was released. Three original members—Michael Cooper, Felton Pilate, and Karl Fuller—currently tour as Con Funk Shun. In March 2017, they celebrated their 45th anniversary with four sold-out shows at Yoshi's in Oakland, California.

Legacy

Louis A. McCall Sr., born in Alameda, California, had his name chosen in April 2014 by the Alameda City Planning Board for a street in the proposed residential community Alameda Landing. On September 21, 2014, the seven band members were honored by the National R&B Music Society with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a black tie dinner in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1996, the R&B group Dru Hill covered Con Funk Shun's "Love's Train" for their debut album. The song was also covered in February 2022 by R&B duo Silk Sonic, and Bruno Mars released a cover of "Love's Train" in 2022.