Some musicians are truly one-of-a-kind.
It’s a quality that makes it easy for them to shine in any crowd. Boosty Collins was definitely one of those artists, and he paved the way for other funk artists with his group Parliament-Funkadelics. Their success made him a household name recognized by music lovers everywhere. His eccentric live performances also set him apart from the rest—like this 1976 live show of one of his most famous songs that will bring chills to your spine.
This is funk music at its best!
Bootsy Collins and his band performed “Id Rather Be With You” in 1976 and left a crowd full of funk-lovers entranced.
Born William Earl Collins, Collins rose to fame with his band The Pacemakers, who James Brown hired as his backing band before changing their name to The J.B.’s. His stage name “Bootsy” was given to him as a child by his mother and has stuck with him on and off the stage ever since.
In this powerful performance, Collins and his Rubber Band played live at The Sumit in Houston, Texas in October of 1976.
In the beginning of the video, you can hear Bootsy addressing the crowd while one of his bongo players poses perfectly still like a mannequin.
When the band begins to play, the song’s famous is instantly recognizable before Bootsy comes in with his magnetic voice.
Bootsy was not just a terrific singer—his skills on his star-shaped bass guitar were remarkable as well. His voice is like no other out there, and the high notes he’s able to hit are simply unexplainable.
With his Rubber Band singing backup vocals, they jam out together and deliver a performance that captivates the souls of every fan in the crowd.
Bootsy was quite the ladies’ man.
He was known for his smooth-talking asides that he would deliver on stage right in the middle of his songs. In this performance, he takes a break from the song to serenade the ladies in the audience with his deep and sensual voice.
Between playing, Bootsy gave the crowd a message:
“Let me just take my time baby, and show you how much I love you. I’d like to just play for you on my space bass, is it alright? Okay, in order to do that, ya’ll got to give me the funk in order to give you the funk.”
The show they put on is nothing less than extraordinary.
When he goes into a solo on his bass guitar, it’s absolutely mesmerizing! Bootsy plays one of the coolest bass guitars we’ve ever seen, and the way he manipulates the sounds on the strings show exactly why he’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He’s definitely going down in history as one of the leaders of funk music!
Even all these years later, people on the internet went crazy for the rare footage of Bootsy Collins and his Rubber Band.
Like many other rock stars, Bootsy struggled with drug addiction before taking his life back and being empowered by his ability to do so.
Since the video was posted, it has been viewed over 2.7 million times with 32,000 likes and thousands of comments.
Without a doubt, Bootsy Collins is one of the greatest musicians out there.
His brilliant sound combined with his demanding stage presence sucks you in and sticks with you in the best way possible.
To see this outstanding performance, watch the video below:
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