Editing Uncle Jam Wants You

{{redirect|Uncle Jam|the record label|Uncle Jam Records}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Uncle Jam Wants You
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Funkadelic]]
| cover        = UncleJamWantsYou.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = September 21, 1979
| recorded     = 
| venue        = 
| studio       = [[United Sound Systems]], [[Detroit, Michigan]]
| genre        = {{Flatlist|
* [[Funk]] 
* [[disco]]
* [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]
* [[pop music|pop]]
}}
| length       = 41:43
| label        = [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]
| producer     = [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]]
| prev_title   = [[One Nation Under a Groove]]
| prev_year    = 1978
| next_title   = [[Connections & Disconnections]]
| next_year    = 1980
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name = Uncle Jam Wants You
 | type = studio
 | single1 = [[(Not Just) Knee Deep]]
 | single1date = August 21, 1979
 | single2 = Uncle Jam
 | single2date = 1979
}}
}}
'''''Uncle Jam Wants You''''' is a concept album by American [[funk rock]] band [[Funkadelic]].<ref name=NY/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Price |first1=Emmett George |title=Encyclopedia of African American Music |date=2010 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=345}}</ref> It was released by [[Warner Bros. Records]] on September 21, 1979,<ref>{{cite web |title=Happy 45th Anniversary to Funkadelic’s eleventh studio album Uncle Jam Wants You, originally released September 21, 1979 |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DAMJFk0TE30/?img_index=1 |website=Instagram |access-date=21 September 2024}}</ref> and was later reissued on CD by [[Priority Records]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Tony |title=Funk Watch |work=St. Petersburg Times |date=27 Nov 1993 |page=7B}}</ref> It was produced by [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]] under the alias [[Dr. Funkenstein]]. It is the first Funkadelic album since ''[[America Eats Its Young]]'' in 1972 not to sport a cover illustrated by Funkadelic artist [[Pedro Bell]], though Bell did provide artwork for the album’s back cover and interior. ''Uncle Jam Wants You'' was the second Funkadelic album to be certified gold. The album peaked at No. 18 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and No. 2 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]] chart.<ref>{{cite web |title=Funkadelic |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/funkadelic/ |website=Billboard |access-date=30 January 2024}}</ref>

==Significance==
''Uncle Jam Wants You'' (a reference to the "[[Uncle Sam]] wants you!" [[US Army]] recruitment posters) may be a more militant sequel to the band's previous album, ''[[One Nation Under a Groove]]'', with the band waging war against the rise of disco.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shapiro |first1=Peter |title=Turn the Beat Around: The Secret History of Disco |date=2015 |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux}}</ref>  Its purpose is also (as the cover claims) to "rescue [[dance music]] from the blahs."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Reynolds |first1=Simon |title=Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture |date=2013 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |page=24}}</ref>

The cover art depicts [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]] in a [[Huey Newton]]-[[Black Panthers]] pose.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Vincent |first1=Rickey |title=Funk: The Music, the People, and the Rhythm of the One |date=1996 |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |page=52}}</ref> The album features the band's last big hit single, "[[(Not Just) Knee Deep]]", an edited version of which went to number one on the ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' Soul singles charts. The album title was adopted by the DJ organization known as [[Uncle Jamm's Army]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Matos |first1=Michaelangelo |title=Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year |date=2020 |publisher=Hachette Books}}</ref>

Samples of the 15-minute cut "(Not Just) Knee Deep" can be heard on [[Digital Underground]]'s "[[Kiss You Back]]"; the track has also been used by [[De La Soul]] for their song "[[Me Myself and I (De La Soul song)|Me Myself and I]]".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rabaka |first1=Reiland |title=The Hip Hop Movement: From R&B and the Civil Rights Movement to Rap and the Hip Hop Generation |date=2013 |publisher=Lexington Books |page=262}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Rough Guide to Rock |date=2003 |publisher=Rough Guides |page=405 |edition=3rd}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name=AM>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/uncle-jam-wants-you-r7895|title=Funkadelic - Uncle Jam Wants You|author=Raggett, Ned|publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[Bay State Banner]]''
|rev2score = C+<ref name="BS">{{cite news |last1=Freedberg |first1=Mike |title=Soul Dog |work=Bay State Banner |issue=7 |date=13 Dec 1979 |page=13}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/back-catalogue/55206/uncle-jam-wants-you.html |title=Uncle Jam Wants You - Blender|author=[[Robert Christgau|Christgau, Robert]]|access-date=2009-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090915175739/http://www.blender.com/guide/back-catalogue/55206/uncle-jam-wants-you.html |archive-date=2009-09-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|rev4 = ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|Christgau's Record Guide]]''
|rev4Score = B+<ref>{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: F|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=F&bk=70|access-date=February 24, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com|title-link=Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies}}</ref>
|rev5 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide]]''
|rev5score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="MH">{{cite book |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1996 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=148}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Record Mirror]]''
| rev6Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name=RecordMirror>{{cite magazine|title= Funkadelic 'Uncle Jam Wants You'|author=Sexton, Paul|date=November 17, 1979|page=15|magazine=[[Record Mirror]] }}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev8Score ={{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac | url-access=registration | page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/316 316] |title = ((The New)) Rolling Stone Album Guide| publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn = 9780743201698|last1 = Brackett|first1 = Nathan|last2 = Hoard|first2 = Christian David|year = 2004}}</ref>
|rev9 = ''[[Spin Alternative Record Guide]]''
|rev9score = 5/10<ref name="SP">{{cite book |title=Spin Alternative Record Guide |date=1995 |publisher=Vintage Books |page=296}}</ref>
|rev10 = ''[[Colin Larkin|The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul]]''
|rev10score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul |date=1998 |publisher=Virgin |pages=129, 130}}</ref>
}}
With a 4 out of 5 star rating, Paul Sexton of ''[[Record Mirror]]'' wrote: "Last year the Funkadelic battle campaign was based on the idea of having one nation under a groove. This year the plan is to ''Rescue Dance Music from the Blahs''. No, I don't understand either, but once again this is marvellously enjoyable comic book funk."<ref name=RecordMirror /> The ''[[Bay State Banner]]'' concluded that, "on Side Two and 'Freak of the Week', we find the sort of directionless noise that sometimes ruins Funkadelic concerts—rhythmic anarchy and vocal chipmunk-ism instead of the clean and nasty, low-register funk and howling, inconsolable guitar solos."<ref name=BS/> The ''[[Globe and Mail]]'' determined that "the cover is misleading; one expects a record jammed with disco tracks and instead receives sensitive, even contemplative rhythm and blues."<ref>{{cite news |last1=McGrath |first1=Paul |title=Uncle Jam Wants You Funkadelic |work=The Globe and Mail |date=15 Dec 1979 |page=F4}}</ref>

''[[The New York Times]]'' noted that "Holly Wants to Go to California" "is the sort of social satire that Frank Zappa and the Mothers used to do so well."<ref name="NY">{{cite news |last1=Palmer |first1=Robert |title=How Funk Grew Up |work=The New York Times |date=21 Oct 1979 |page=D26}}</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' opined that "the strongest material here—notably the first ten minutes or so of '(Not Just) Knee Deep', with its snazzy synthesizer fills, razor-sharp Michael Hampton guitar solo, raucous vocals, and hook upon hook—is state-of-the-art black pop music."<ref name=RollingStone>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/uncle-jam-wants-you-245777/|title=Funkadelic - Uncle Jam Wants You|author=Keepnews, Peter|date=November 29, 1979|publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref>

Ned Raggett of [[AllMusic]] stated that the album starts "out like a parody of patriotic recruitment ads before hitting its full, funky stride... It's still very much a disco effort, but one overtly spiking the brew even more than before with P-Funk's own particular recipe, mock drill instructors calling out dance commands and so forth."<ref name=AM />

==Track listing==

===Side one===
#"Freak of the Week" <small>([[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton, Jr.]], Pete Bishop<!-- ??? -->, [[Dewayne McKnight|DeWayne McKnight]])</small> – 5:34
#"[[(Not Just) Knee Deep]]" <small>(G. Clinton, Jr.)</small> – 15:23 (released as two-part single WBS 49040)

===Side two===
#"Uncle Jam" <small>(G. Clinton, Jr., [[Garry Shider]], [[Bernie Worrell]], [[Bootsy Collins]])</small> – 10:26 (released as two-part single WB 49117)
#"Field Maneuvers" <small>(Darryll Clinton, Donna Lynn Clinton)</small> – 2:25
#"Holly Wants to Go to California" <small>(G. Clinton, Jr., Worrell)</small> – 4:24
#"Foot Soldiers (Star-Spangled Funky)" <small>(G. Clinton., Jr., Jim Vitti)</small> – 3:31

==Personnel==
;Funkadelic Rescue Dance Band (as given in the liner notes)
*Axe Force:
** Fret Commanders [[Michael Hampton|Michael "Kidd Funkadelic" Hampton]], [[Garry Shider|Gary "DooWop" Shider]], [[Eddie Hazel|Eddie "Maggot Brain" Hazel]]
*Keyboard Battlecruisers:
** [[Bernie Worrell|Bernie (U.S.S. Woo!) Worrell]], [[Junie Morrison|J.S. Theracon]]
*Uncle Jam's Drums and Percussion:
** Tyrone "Speedfeet" Lampkin, Larry Fratangelo
*Bass Anti-Flam Units:
** Rodney "Skeet" Curtis, [[Boogie Mosson|Cordell "Boogie" Mosson]]
*Uncle Jam's Drumset, and funky beatz:
** Dennis Chambers
*Vocal Assault & Funkatition Team:
** [[George Clinton (funk musician)|Uncle Jam Clinton]], Gary "DooWop" Shider, Larry "Sir Nose" Heckstall, Sheila Horn, Ron "Prophet" Ford, [[Jeanette McGruder]], [[Dawn Silva]], [[Michael "Clip" Payne]], Greg Thomas, [[Stingray Davis|Ray "Stingray" Davis]]

;Additional musicians
*Guitars:
** [[Bootsy Collins|William Collins]], [[Dewayne McKnight]], [[Glenn Goins]]
*Bass:
** [[Billy Bass Nelson]], William Collins, Jeff Bunn
*Keyboards:
** [[Junie Morrison]], [[Gary Hudgins]], Gerome Rogers
*Drums:
** [[Tiki Fulwood]], William Collins, [[Dennis Chambers]], [[Jerome Brailey]]
*Background Vocals:
** Linda Brown, [[Jessica Cleaves]], [[Mallia Franklin]], [[Philippe Wynne]], Lige Curry, James Wesley, [[Greg Boyer (musician)|Greg Boyer]], Gerome Rogers

;Photography
*Diem Jones

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* ''[http://www.discogs.com/Funkadelic-Uncle-Jam-Wants-You/master/16280 Uncle Jam Wants You]'' at [[Discogs]]
* [http://mother.pfunkarchive.com/motherpage/albums_funkadelic/alb-unclejam.html the Motherpage]

{{P-Funk}}
{{Funkadelic}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Funkadelic albums]]
[[Category:1979 albums]]
[[Category:Warner Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums with cover art by Pedro Bell]]