I had the pleasure of speaking with Danny Thomas, famously known as an original member of Con Funk Shun -- even back when they called themselves Project Soul. We talked about so much! My favorite moments were listening to “Ebony,” his memories on Soul Train, memories performing (last minute) at the record breaking Wattstax concert in 1972 with Rufus Thomas, and when he shared his favorite CFS songs. A man full of wisdom, he expresses the importance of re-investing in your craft, advice to producers and musicians, and how he takes no credit for his success. We love connections over here, so it was also fascinating to hear about Con Funk Shun’s tie to the Bar-Kays and Sly &The Family Stone's influence as well. Danny also mentioned artists/groups: Jimmy Smith, George Duke, James Brown, Bruno Mars, The Soul Children, Bobby Womack, Emotions, The Staples Singers, Pointer Sisters, Taste Of Honey, David Crawford, Earth Wind & Fire's producer Skip Scarborough, and LTD's Jeffrey Osbourne. You'll see my live reactions in the second half of the interview because I figured out how work Zoom!

BTW! I got the release dates of the Summer of Soul doc and the Wattstax doc mixed up, I'm only 23 years old -- I wasn't there when Wattstax "first came out" lol!

Songs mentioned:
Ebony - Project Soul
We're Winners - The Impressions
Funky Chicken - Rufus Thomas
Too Tight (keyboard solo) - Con Funk Shun
I THINK (the bridge) - Tyler, the Creator
So Easy - Con Funk Shun
Indian Summer Love - Con Funk Shun
Ffun - Con Funk Shun
[Let Me Put] Love On Your Mind - Con Funk Shun
Love's Train - Con Funk Shun
Love's Train - Silk Sonic

"Love's Train" TikTok mentioned: http://bit.ly/3ZTZDJf

Recommended watching: Wattstax Documentary (1973)

-- DANNY'S LINKS --
Danny's website: https://dannyathomas.com/index.html
Danny's book: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Fun-Times...

-- SPECIAL THANKS TO --
Bryce Jordan for orchestrating this interview, I couldn't have done it without her!
Bryce Jordan - https://bit.ly/40SVXc2 - [email protected]

-- DIG SOUL SUGAR JOINT? --
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-- ABOUT SOUL SUGAR JOINT --
Connecting classic and modern R&B/Soul music.

This channel is dedicated to reviews, interviews, music curation, and all around love for connecting the old school (like Stevie Wonder) with the new school (like Tyler the Creator).

I'm Brooks, a 23 year old with the music taste of a 50 year old. I'm a HUGE fan of 70s-80s Funk, Soul, and R&B music. So much so that, in 2021, I created Soul Sugar Joint -- community of over 100K music heads and old souls on TikTok. This platform was made to share the lesser known facts about my favorite music and its connection to artists today. As we learn, we laugh and jam -- it's always a vibe at the Soul Sugar Joint.

Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
0:48 - Welcome
2:07 - Early Life
6:50 - Encouragement for Musicians/Producers
10:49 - The Bar-Kays + Con Funk Shun Connection
15:43 - Importance of Investing In Yourself
18:25 - Live Reaction to "Ebony"
21:32 - Sly & The Family Stone, the "local band"
23:11 - Magic of Funk Music
25:53 - Being a Keyboard Player in a Funk Band
27:31 - Disco's Dependence on Funk
29:29 - Naming "Con Funk Shun"
31:45 - Performing at Wattstax
42:38 - Touring in Japan with Carla Thomas
46:07 - Discussing "Too Tight" ** AUDIO ISSUE
48:14 - Producer Skip Scarborough (Earth Wind & Fire, LTD, The Emotions)
50:46 - Danny's Favorite Con Funk Shun Songs
52:25 - Performing on Soul Train
55:30 - Danny Thomas, the Author
59:44 - Characteristics of a Successful Musician
1:03:19 - Closing