Best funk song intro

[destinytot]

[Stevebol]

Thank You gets my vote for best funk tune ever. Intro? Shaft.
Evelyn!!
It's disco but disco doesn't suck.

[mrcee]

Another funkateer in a cowboy hat. Bobby Womack, composer of Breezin'.

[MarkRhodes]

"Lowrider" is funkier. Plus: cowbell!

[unknownguitarplayer]

Sticking to intros, I've got 2 nominations. Perhaps not exactly what the OP meant by funk, but without Jamerson there would be no funk:

Stevie nails it from his very first note:

Studio master without vocals; guitar-centric intro:

[MarkRhodes]

"Bobby, I don't know, but what's'ever I play, it's got to be funky!"

[Doctor Jeff]

The weird thing about funk is how it grabs you from the first 2 measures--there's usually no buildup, it just hits you. And if the groove isn't great, the song will suck too.

I mean, that usually doesn't happen with other genres including jazz. And some genres such as folk or country can even have crappy instrumentals, out of tune, out of time, you name it, and the song can still be great. Look at Johnny Cash for instance--Luther Perkins could barely play when he started. He's still an icon.

I don't mind disco and even like some of it--the more funk-oriented stuff of course--but don't care for most dance music since the 80's. But man, put on a funky song like the above, and I am moving in my seat or dancing in the kitchen. It's just elemental.

And that's what we need more of right now in my opinion.

[Stevebol]

Elvis Blackmon;

[MarkRhodes]

This is more soul than funk but it works

[Stevebol]

[MarkRhodes]

Always loved this.
Carol Kaye says there was no chart for this---at least for her bass part. She said Quincy Jones just told her to play E minor....

[alltunes]

[MarkRhodes]

Love the Meters. First saw them on the 4th of July, 1975, opening for the Rolling Stones (and several other acts) at a stadium in Memphis. (I think it was called "Memphis Memorial" then but has changed names since.)

[Doctor Jeff]

As far as jazz goes, Herbie is the king of funk. He had a string of albums beginning with Headhunters that explored every facet of funk. Headhunters is of course iconic, as is Future Shock, but there are some great albums in there that I have not really listened to much.

Thrust and Man-child for instance are just off-the-charts funky and great.

Not crazy about the more disco-y stuff, but hey, even an icon hits a few wrong notes every now and then.

[grahambop]

I love the other one Sly did (Thankyou for talking to me Africa):

[Stevebol]

Herbie is definitely funky even in a stripped down commercial sense sometimes. I'm trying to think of acts the Soul Train dancers were most responsive too. They weren't easy to please.
James Brown.
Sly and the Family Stone
Davis Bowie
On the line dance- Rick James
Teena Marie

Curtis Mayfield. he would just come out by himself.

These were some of the tops;

[MarkRhodes]

Curtis Mayfield

[grahambop]

As far as jazz goes, Herbie is the king of funk. He had a string of albums beginning with Headhunters that explored every facet of funk. Headhunters is of course iconic, as is Future Shock, but there are some great albums in there that I have not really listened to much.

Thrust and Man-child for instance are just off-the-charts funky and great.

Not crazy about the more disco-y stuff, but hey, even an icon hits a few wrong notes every now and then.

yeah there's some great stuff on 'Thrust':

[MarkRhodes]

If you count the "Get down, get down" refrain after the opening gong as the the intro, this qualifies.
If you don't, well, it's still a great funk song.

[MarkRhodes]

Little gospel flavor ain't no stranger to funk----

[AlsoRan]

For me, the following had great intros, although only a couple have guitar included. Most of the funk I can think of had bass and or keyboard dominated intros.

[keith]

Here's a group I haven't seen yet-

[cosmic gumbo]

some average funk...

[MarkRhodes]

Has this been added yet?

[grahambop]

Haven't heard this for years - Crusaders - Stomp'n'Buck Dance: