Comments on: Popcorn, but not Hot Butter

Question: Popcorn, but not Hot Butter

furtive — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 14:35:10 -0800

Why do so many funk songs reference popcorn?

So many funk songs reference popcorn, but depending on the song it seems to allude to anything from booty to sex to drinking, to just plain old freaking out. So what's the deal? Any do you know of any other songs besides the following?

Off the top of my head I can think of:

James Brown - Mother Popcorn
The Soul Generals - Grandma's Funky Popcorn
RDM Band - Butter that Popcorn
Eldrige Holmes - Pop Popcorn
Big Daddy Graham Trio - Tightening Your Popcorn
Doc Oliver - Soul Popcorn
The Poets of Rythm - Hotpie's Popcorn
The Supremes - Buttered Popcorn

By: kindall

kindall — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 14:36:50 -0800

Do any of these songs musically reference "Popcorn" (the synth novelty hit)?

By: The Jesse Helms

The Jesse Helms — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 14:59:27 -0800

It's hot, it's buttered, and it explodes.

By: furtive

furtive — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 15:23:01 -0800

Kindall: Nope, and they all predate it by about twenty years. The title of this post on the other hand...

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 15:41:41 -0800

Nope, and they all predate it by about twenty years.

Gershon Kingsley's Popcorn that I think kindall is referring to was 1972. Most of these are contemporaries.

I would think it evokes energetic dancing.

By: furiousxgeorge

furiousxgeorge — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 15:47:06 -0800

Not really funk, but in 'Pass the Popcorn' by The Roots popcorn refers to the microphone.

By: atom128

atom128 — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 15:47:39 -0800

I believe popcorn is the name of the drum break. Try reading this though.

By: atom128

atom128 — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 15:59:13 -0800

I take it back, I think im wrong. But that thing is still a good read.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 16:14:48 -0800

Aerosmith - Mother Popcorn
Crazy Frog - Popcorn
New Edition - Popcorn Love
The Roots - Popcorn Revisited (I think)
The Roots - Pass The Popcorn
Edwin McCain - Popcorn Box

I always thought it was a dance.

By: geoff.

geoff. — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 16:17:07 -0800

I don't think it has anything to do with microphones. I've heard the term "popcorn funk" and 'popcorn guitar rythmns" referring to funk of the era. Does it have to do with the chaotic guitar sounds that mimic that of popcorn popping?

By: geoff.

geoff. — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 16:17:59 -0800

I should correct myself, in the Roots song it definitely refers to a microphone, but when referring to funk of the Jackson 5/James Brown era -- and a certain type of funk I believe the reference is something different.

By: StopMakingSense

StopMakingSense — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 17:22:32 -0800

In both A Tribe Called Quest's "If The Papes Come" and The Beastie Boys' "Shadrach," there's the line:

"We like the hot butter on what (say what?) the popcorn"

For whatever it's worth.

By: Miko

Miko — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 19:24:18 -0800

You know, I recommend that folks stop guessing and start researching. There's something going on here, but all I can discover so far are quick mentions of something called "popcorn music" or "popcorn style". Here's one quote:

The sound of Latin teenagers in and around New York during the mid- to late-'60s, Boogaloo was an Anglicized form of Latin music incorporating R&B, mambo, and rock & roll, among other forms. Often known as popcorn music or shing-a-ling, the style is also quite similar to Latin soul. In 1963, two Top 20 breakout hits -- "Watermelon Man" by Mongo Santamaria and "El Watusi" by Ray Barretto -- helped birth the boogaloo. ..."

Another:
"The Belgian "popcorn" style began in 1968 in Oostende (where Marvin Gaye lived). There is a nightclub that was called 'The Groove". The first notes of music came from this nightclub wich was called at that time "Soul Music".I never heard such beautiful music. I'm still crazy about that type of music, "The Oldies Popcorn" as we call this music in Belgium.

So, you're onto some interesting music history here, and I look forward to learning more about it when people begin finding things to share.

By: Miko

Miko — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 19:27:33 -0800

The Belgian Popcorn Oldies page

By: furtive

furtive — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 19:35:21 -0800

atom128's link seems to provide the most insight.

Brown started doing a little dance to "Bringing Up The Guitar" on stage, and it caught on. He called the dance the Popcorn, and in late August, 1968, the band re-recorded the instrumental as "The Popcorn" (credited to James Brown Plays & Directs). In fact, he wasn't playing, though he can be heard yelping a little;

So it started off as a dance, then was pushed as a concept/theme/meme and others who were doing the same style of music picked up on it. I guess not having been at the shows/clubs then and never seen a video of funk music besides JB on the Ed Sullivan show it's hard to pick up this sort of thing.

By: Miko

Miko — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 19:37:30 -0800

...except, furtive, that something called 'popcorn' was apparently happening earlier in Hispanic musics. I'd suspect a fusion.

By: Miko

Miko — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 19:42:39 -0800

This cached page, which lists fad dances of the 60s, has James Brown poularizing something called "The Mashed Potato Popcorn" in 1966.

I just want to find out how it got to him from Puerto Rican teenagers in New York.

By: Miko

Miko — Sat, 08 Oct 2005 19:54:52 -0800

Finally, Wikipedia is the source for many of the other sites I'm finding.

By: Miko

Miko — Sun, 09 Oct 2005 09:04:37 -0800

Cool question, I learned a few things. Thanks!