The Funk Anthology

The Best of the Funk Years from the Original Gangster of Love

Johnny "Guitar" Watson was a key figure in blues, R&B, soul and funk. From his first records in 1952 to his last in 1994, Watson won the admiration of everyone from Lightnin' Hopkins to Jimi Hendrix to Prince, his influence pervading five decades of American music. At a time when giants roamed the earth, Johnny stood as tall as any of them.

The two-CD set The Funk Anthology is the first collection to pay proper tribute to his groundbreaking funk recordings, many of which have been sampled numerous times by some of the top names in hip-hop. The Funk Anthology is the first release in Shout! Factory's reissue campaign of Johnny "Guitar" Watson's funk albums; 8 individual albums will be reissued in 2005-06, along with a new album consisting of previously unreleased material.

This 2-CD set contains tracks from all of his out-of-print late-'70s and early-'80s funk albums, plus two tracks from his Grammy-nominated 1994 comeback album, Bow Wow. Includes "Superman Lover," "Ain't That a Bitch," and other funk classics that have been sampled by Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Redman, Montell Jordan, and many others. Also features six previously unreleased cuts and deluxe packaging, including a 32-page booklet.  more