Trouble Funk is an American R&B and funk band from Washington, D.C.[1] The group helped to popularize funk and the subgenre go-go in the Washington metropolitan area.[1] Among the band's well-known songs is the go-go anthem "Hey, Fellas". They released several studio albums including Drop the Bomb, In Times of Trouble, Live, and Trouble Over Here Trouble Over There (UK No. 54),[2] and two live albums, Trouble Funk: Straight Up Go-Go Style and Saturday Night Live. In 1982, they released a single "So Early in the Morning" on D.E.T.T Records, later reissued on diverse labels as 2.13.61 and Tuff City. Trouble Funk sometimes shared the stage with hardcore punk bands of the day such as Minor Threat and the Big Boys.

Trouble Funk
OriginWashington D.C., United States
Genres
Instruments
Years active1978–present
Labels
MembersTimothius "Tee-Bone" David
Big Tony Fisher
others
Past membersEmmett "EJ Roxx" Nixon
Mack Carey
Timothius "Tee-Bone" David
Chester "Boogie" Davis
Big Tony Fisher
James "Doc" Avery
Gerald Reed
Robert "Syke Dyke" Reed
Taylor "Monster Baby" Reed
David Rudd

Trouble Funk's song "Pump Me Up" was sampled by many other artists, including Dimples D.'s one-hit wonder "Sucker DJ", which went to No. 1 in Australia, Public Enemy's "Fight the Power", Kurtis Blow's song "If I Ruled the World" and M.A.R.R.S.'s song "Pump Up the Volume". The song is also featured in the film Style Wars and on the fictional old-school hip hop radio station Wildstyle in the game, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Keyboard player Robert "Syke Dyke" Reed died at the age of 50 on April 13, 2008, from pancreatic cancer.[3]

Trouble Funk remains active in the Washington, D.C. area live-music scene.

Discography

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Albums

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Charted songs

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Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
R&B

[4]
NL
[5]
UK
[6]
"E-Flat Boogie" 1980 72 Non-album single
"Hey Fellas" 1982 63 Drop the Bomb
"Trouble Funk Express" 1983 77 Non-album single
"Drop the Bomb" 1985 99 Say What?
"Still Smokin'" 80 79 Non-album singles
"Good to Go" 1986 66
"Woman of Principle" 1987 39 65 Trouble Over Here
"Trouble" 95
"Trouble Still Smoking" 99 Non-album single
"—" denotes a song that did not chart or was not released in that region.

References

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  1. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 346. ISBN 0-7535-0252-6.
  2. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 567. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ^ Sisario, Ben (April 23, 2008). "Robert Reed, Band Keyboard Player, Dies at 50". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart positions:
  5. ^ "Discografie Trouble Funk". Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  6. ^ "Trouble Funk". Official Charts. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
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