About

Instant Funk is an original funk, R&B & disco band, best known for their #1 hit "I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl)". The group started in Trenton, New Jersey with the lineup of bassist Raymond Earl, drummer Scotty Miller and guitarist Kim Miller. It later expanded to include keyboardist Dennis Richardson; lead singer James Carmichael, horn players Larry Davis, Eric Huff, Johnny Onderlinde, and percussionist Charles Williams. In 1968, they played with the Trenton vocal group The NJs, and the group’s manager Jackie Ellis christened the band “Instant Funk" because they could come up with funky grooves spontaneously.  

In the 70's Philly soul producer/songwriter Bunny Sigler invited Instant Funk to begin backing him, and they became successful as a back-up band for The Manhattans, many other stars, including Lou Rawls, Loleatta Holloway, The O'Jays, MFSB, Curtis Mayfield and Evelyn Champagne King (they are the backing band on the hit single, “Shame”). Archie Bell &the Dells "Let's Groove,""The Soul City Walk," and "Strategy", South Shore Commission's "Free Man," "A Train Called Freedom", the O'Jays "Let Me Make Love to You," "I Swear I Love No One but You", Lou Rawls "From Now On," "When You Get Home", Gabor Szabo's “Keep Smilin''), and Jean Carn, as well as for their mentor Bunny Sigler, and his cover of "Love Train," “Keep Smilin', "Sweeter Than the Berry," and "Only You," a duet with Loleatta Holloway with Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records, Bunny Sigler used Instant Funk on his albums "That's How Long I'll Be Loving You", "Keep Smilin"', and "My Music". Instant Funk released a single on PIR’s TOP imprint, "Float Like a Butterfly".  

The group relocated to Philadelphia in 1976 to release its first album, Get Down With the Philly Jump, as they started to formulate their own sound. with title track and "It Aint Reggae (But It Sho Is Funky)" they followed this album with a release for former MFSB guitarist Norman Harris's record label Gold Mind, with front man Bunny Sigler entitled "Let Me Party With You".

The Gold Mind label folded, and Instant Funk's new cut "I Got My Mind Made Up" was transferred to the Salsoul label, which pushed the record heavily to all of the disco clubs. The remix of this song by club DJ Larry Levan and engineer Bob Blank hit #1 on both the R&B and disco charts and #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1979.[ The group's eponymous first album  on Salsoul was also a hit, reaching #1 R&B and being certified Gold Record status.