George Clinton Celebrates 67 Funky Years With Chili Peppers, Sly Stone

Last night George Clinton proved you don't have to be young to have fun in Hollywood. The Parliament-Funkadelic legend celebrated 67 colorful years on Planet Funk at Zune in L.A. with a bevy of babes in the house and celebrity well-wishers, including Sly Stone, Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante, Lili Haydn and others.

"This party right here is my best birthday present all day," said Clinton of his birthday bash/early release party for his new album, George Clinton and Some Gansters of Love, out October 7th on Shanachie Records and featuring covers/classics with the help of Sly Stone, Carlos Santana, the RZA, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, El DeBarge, and, of course, the P-Funk All-Stars. Clinton and his usual cast of characters nibbled on mini burgers, cheese balls, and later white birthday cake, and ran through a set of classics such as "We got the Funk" and "One Nation Under a Groove."

Frusciante, who with his fellow Peppers and rapper RZA played on "Let the Good Times Roll" on Clinton's new album, told Rolling Stone that he was honored to play with the legendary musician. "George is the real God of Rock," he declares.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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