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| Osmium | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1970 | |||
| Recorded | 1969–1970 | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic soul[1] | |||
| Length | 45:53 | |||
| Label | Invictus | |||
| Producer | George Clinton,Ruth Copeland | |||
| Parliament chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B[3] |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [4] |
Osmium is the debut album of Americanfunk bandParliament, led byGeorge Clinton. The album has apsychedelic soul sound with a spirit of experimentation that is more similar to earlyFunkadelic than the laterR&B-inspired Parliament albums. It was originally released in July 1970 onInvictus Records.[5] The original vinyl release contained a glossy lyric sheet.
Since its re-release in 1990,Osmium has been distributed numerous times by various labels in the U.S., Europe and Japan, sometimes under alternate titles that have includedRhenium andFirst Thangs. A number of these reissues have featured material that was not included on the original album, such as unreleased tracks and singles that were recorded around the same time asOsmium.
The personnel for this album included the five Parliaments singers and the five backing musicians known as Funkadelic. The same personnel also recorded as Funkadelic, releasing that act'sself-titled debut album also in 1970. After the release ofOsmium, contractual difficulties prevented further recording under the name Parliament until 1974, when Clinton signed that act toCasablanca Records and positioned it as an R&B-inspired counterpoint to the more rock-oriented Funkadelic.
Theyodeling that arguably uniquely identifies one ofDe La Soul's early hits, "Potholes in My Lawn" (which eventually appeared on De La Soul's3 Feet High and Rising), comes fromOsmium's "Little Ole Country Boy".[6]
This is the only Parliament album to be produced byRuth Copeland, and the only album to feature rhythm guitaristTawl Ross, before his 1971 departure from the group.
Invictus – ST-7302
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Call My Baby Pussycat" | George Clinton,Eddie Hazel,Billy Nelson | 3:50 |
| 2. | "Put Love in Your Life" | George Clinton, Vivian Lewis | 5:05 |
| 3. | "Little Ole Country Boy" | Ruth Copeland | 3:57 |
| 4. | "Moonshine Heather" | George Clinton | 4:04 |
| 5. | "Oh Lord, Why Lord/Prayer" | Phil Trim,Ruth Copeland | 4:59 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Automobile" | George Clinton,Clarence Haskins | 4:43 |
| 2. | "Nothing Before Me but Thang" | George Clinton, Bobby Harris,Eddie Hazel,Bernie Worrell | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Funky Woman" | George Clinton, Bernie Worrell | 2:54 |
| 4. | "Livin' the Life" | George Clinton,Billy Nelson, Bernie Worrell | 6:15 |
| 5. | "The Silent Boatman" | Ruth Copeland | 5:50 |
| Total length: | 45:32 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Breakdown" (Mono Single Version) | George Clinton,Ruth Copeland, Clyde Wilson | 2:30 |
| 12. | "Red Hot Mama" | George Clinton | 4:26 |
| 13. | "Come in out of the Rain" | Ruth Copeland, Clyde Wilson | 2:56 |
| 14. | "Loose Booty" | 10:18 | |
| 15. | "Fantasy Is Reality" | George Clinton,Bernie Worrell,Leon Ware | 3:56 |
| 16. | "Unfinished Instrumental" | 5:10 | |
| 17. | "Breakdown" (Stereo Unedited Version) | George Clinton, Ruth Copeland, Clyde Wilson | 3:50 |
| Total length: | 1:18:58 | ||
Note: Personnel as listed in the album credits. Note that some songs also featured session personnel.Garry Shider (guitar),Bernie Worrell (keyboards), andTyrone Lampkin (drums) also appeared on some non-album tracks that were included in later CD reissues of the album.Red Hot Mama, Loose Booty, I Call My Baby Pussycat, and Fantasy Is Reality would all be remade on later Parliament-Funkadelic albums.
