The Gap Band burn rubber to the top of the R&B charts

The Gap Band : Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) 

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On February13, 1981 Tulsa Oklahoma's  Gap Band had the #1 R&B song in America, "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)". The infectious and funky dance floor filler also peaked at UK#22 but never got higher than #84 on the Hot 100.

Actor Nick Offerman told NME this is the song that always wants to make him dance :

“I like to dance a lot more than you might think to look at me. I was the right age to be swept away by breakdance. My cousin and I were in a breakdance duo, in fact. We grew up on a farm and we’d listen to late night radio to discover R&B songs we could dance to.”

Here's Charlie Wilson singing and dancing with his brothers on Top of the Pops in 1981. It is one of the high points of his career. At 68, he's doing well these days but he spent the early 90's living on the streets of Hollywood Boulevard.

“The drugs, they were my downfall,” he told Essence magazine in 2010. “It’s how I landed on the streets. I did a lot of moving during the night; during the day I’d disappear. I didn’t want people seeing me. I’d eat where I could and sometimes shower using random sprinkler systems around town. I didn’t want to ask for help, but the people that I did reach out to, they turned their backs on me. I felt like I didn’t have anyone on my team.”

 

10 funkiest songs of 1980

A few very famous funk anthems lead this list but  stick around. If I turn you on to Defunkt and Junie Morrison my work here is done.

1
Zapp : More Bounce To The Ounce

Dayton Ohio's Zapp recorded the funkiest song of the year, a #2 hit on the R+B charts.

2
The Gap Band: I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance 

Oops Upside Your head! Inspired by his cousin Bootsy Collins (ding!), The Gap Band's Charlie Wilson pays tribute to the P-Funk sound with an unforgettable anthem.

3 

Prince : Head

Prince's song about oral sex just might be the funkiest song he ever recorded.

4 
Defunkt : Strangling Me With You Love

Funk meet jazz with a side order of punk. Partially responsible for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

5 
Fatback: Gotta Get My Hands On Some Money

A #6 R+B hit for this NYC funk outfit. Even features some old skool rap.

6
Cameo : Throw It Down

Aaron Mills's pulsating bass gets the lead off track from Feel Me on he list. 

7

Sweat Band : Freak to Freak

When Bootsy Collins (ding!) lost the name Rubber Band in a lawsuit, he changed the band's name to Sweat and invited all of his P-Funk friends to the party.

9

Bootsy Collins : Fat Cat

The Sweat Band sessions also lead to Ultra Wave, Bootsy's ( ding!) solo album.

9
Con Funk Shun : Got To Be Enough

This #8 R +B hit also got a lot of play at the disco for obvious reasons. It makes the list for the bass line by Cedric Martin. 

10
Junie Morrison : Love Has Taken Me Over (Be My Baby)

The musical director of P-Funk recorded this Bread Alone track in 1980. De La Soul sampled the solo on "Me Myself and I".