Funk Ad(d)s Up 2 Do$$ars – Part VI: GAP Band vs. Commodores

Charlie Wilson is without a doubt one of the best return to music stories in R&B. I won’t call it a comeback, cause he’s been here for years, with one of the FUNKIEST bands in the ‘80s – The GAP Band. Lionel Richie was down with the Commodores before his solo success, and today they both have songs, backing major brands.

The GAP Band’s “You Dropped the Bomb on Me” is featured in a new Coca-Cola commercial. A Minute Maid “water enhancer,” the product comes in four flavors.

Lionel Richie’s song “Easy,” from the Commodores era is the theme to describe the smooth way Philadelphia’s whipped cream cheese, spreads on your bagels. His hit “All Night Long” really keeps it FUNKY, as it’s featured in a new spot for T.H.O.T. juice, a.k.a. Bud-Light’s flavored “Rita” cocktails. What? “but The Commodores ain’t really FUNK though,” you say, well I disagree. Before I knew that a Commodore was a Naval Officer, I knew of the band. Yeah, they were a Funk Band, before their R&B success and Richie’s “Pop Stardom.” Their first hit was “Machine Gun.” The Motown Sound needed them to garner greater appeal. They were the fourth all male group on the Motown label that I came to love after The Jackson Five, The Four Tops and The Temptations.