Bar-Kays – Black Rock 1971

 Back in the early Seventies, the Bar-Kays pioneered what was then called “black rock,” a style now known simply as “funk.” Dressed eccentrically (singer Larry Dodson even wore a live boa around his neck), the seven-man unit played louder than other soul bands, added heavy doses of rock guitar, and featured exaggerated vocal pronunciations by Dodson. Their self-contained style had a lot in common with sounds that would later be popularized by groups like the Ohio Players and the Commodores.