Playlist: Lettuce gives a history lesson in funk

The members of the funk collective Lettuce are grooving their way into a busy fall, with their new album "Elevate" out now and a North American tour stretching through December.

To celebrate, the band curated an eclectic playlist of favorites for USA TODAY. 

"Jupiter" – Earth, Wind and Fire

EWF has a whole bunch of super funk in their arsenal. “Jupiter” has to be in the top five. The lyrics allude to being visited by an alien named "Jupiter," which makes the song that much cooler.

"Step into a World" – KRS One

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Maybe the best-sounding drums in a hip-hop song of all time. The whole track is just hard drums and an organ melody. We as a band are very influenced by the raw quality of this era of golden-era boom bap-style hip-hop. 

Playlist: Lettuce, a playlist by usatoday on Spotify

"Ebony Jam" – Tower of Power

The raw power of TOP has had a lasting effect on all of us. They are accomplished musicians who have some jazz background playing the funkiest version of soul music that they possibly can. We still get an adrenaline rush from this song. The bass, drums, horns, organ and guitar fit like a puzzle.

“Make it Funky" – James Brown

This song pretty much solidified what the word "funk" meant. The tempo, the pocket, the horns, the bass line. The bridge is where the song really picks up and takes you home.

“Shake Everything You Got / Southwick" – Maceo Parker

This Maceo album ("Life on Planet Groove") came out while we were freshman in college and hit us like a brick to the head. The energy of the crowd is palpable on the recording and the sound of the record is as live as a funk record could possibly be. We became a band trying to emulate that feeling. 

"Africa" – The Meters

The Meters' album "Live on the Queen Mary" is a scorcher for live funk heads. George Porter Jr. and Zigaboo Modeliste lock in so hard on this record. This album will have you dancing around your house. New Orleans is the birthplace of all the music we love, and it’s embodied in this song.

"Do That Stuff" (Live at the Beverly Theater) – P Funk All Stars

There can't be a convo about funk music without mentioning George Clinton, Bootsy Collins and the rest of the P mob! We used to open up our shows with this one and the crowd would go berserk. George and Bootsy are still here on earth and we should celebrate them like the funk gods they are!

"Spider" – Herbie Hancock

Herbie always has the ultimate band with the ultimate concepts. During his early to mid-70s era, he made a bunch of amazing records that changed our lives once we checked them out. Lettuce has covered this song since we first started doing shows. Herbie’s use of analog synthesizers going wild over tight organic funk grooves is unmatched.