The Lumpen was the Black Panther Party's official revolutionary band. It was a short-lived funk, R&B band, and performed between 1970-1971 in a ten-month span. They played current hits but changed the lyrics to express the revolutionary message of the Party.
They put a single out with the titles "Free Bobby Now" on one side and "No More" on the other side. It was produced by Seize the Time. There's also a live recording of a show at Merritt College in North Oakland, from November 10, 1970.
Links and References
- Party music : the inside story of the Black Panthers' band and how black power transformed soul music by Rickey Vincent
- The Lumpen: Black Panther Party Revolutionary Singing Group It's About Time
- All You Need is a Loaded Gun: Black Panther Party Funk Band podcast on studio360.org
- The Black Panther Party Had a Funk Band Called ‘The Lumpen’ ColorLines
- The Lumpen: Music on the Front Lines of the Black Revolution by Frederick Lewis Vincent. Diss. University of California, Berkeley, 2008.
- A Trojan Horse of Funk and Soul: The Story of the Black Panthers House Band KQED
