Anthology

CON FUNK SHUN is one of the most popular R&B/funk bands to emerge from the 1970’s & 1980’s. Formed in Vallejo, California by Louis A. McCall Sr. and Michael Cooper, the group got their start as the back up band for the Soul Children. They were quickly picked up as staff songwriters for Stax Records.

After the Soul Children back-up gig the group adopted a new name inspired from a Nite-Liters song: ConFunkShun. After the newly re-named act attracted the attention of Mercury Records, they soon set funkateers around the world on fire with “Sho’ Feels Good To Me,” from their debut album. Their second LP, “Secrets”, exploded to Gold status. The LP featured the No. 1 Hit Single, “Ffun,” penned by the productive, prolific Cooper on a tour-coach ride between concerts.

By 1979, with charting albums “Loveshine” and “Candy”, Con Funk Shun were solid-Gold sellers, performing for sold-out shows like the prestigious Omni in Atlanta. The group began self-producing a year later, on the “Touch” LP. Alongside blistering dance workouts like “Chase Me” and “Ms. Got-The-Body” were their timeless slow-jams with pop flair – classic favorites such as, “Love’s Train”, “Straight From The Heart”, “(Let Me Put) Love On Your Mind” and “All Up To You”.

In 1986, the group broke up, but some members reunited in the 1990’s. In 1997, original founding member, Louis A. McCall Sr. was murdered in a robbery.

Con Funk Shun continues to receive airplay on US soul radio stations that play music of the 1970s and 1980s. Additionally, their back-beats have been repeatedly sampled by later artists in Hip Hop, R&B, and rap. Most recently, “Honey Wild”, (written by Louis McCall; his wife, Linda Lou McCall; and Danny Thomas), from their 1980 Spirit of Love album was sampled by Lil Wayne for his CD Tha Carter III – Deluxe Edition. In 1996, Dru Hill covered the song on their self-titled début album, which was produced by Keith Sweat.