The black rock & roll of Cameo

More than just Word Up!

“George Clinton, George Clinton, George Clinton,” he grumbled. “When I do interviews in England, that’s all they talk about. If they knew anything about Cameo’s music, they wouldn’t even make those references. George is coming from a different place with that music. It’s more traditional. His whole mentality is in a different place.”¹

Lots of people my age remember the red codpiece of Larry Blackmon in 1986 as Cameo had a massive worldwide hit with the incessantly cool Word Up. At the time, I knew nothing else about the band. I bought the album, also called Word Up, but I had no idea at the time that they had released 11 albums before this, having formed back in 1974.

Whilst by 1986 they had stripped down to a three piece supported by a range of backing musicians, the early band had featured between nine and eleven players, all contributing to Larry Blackmon’s funky vision.

“We play black rock ‘n’ roll,” Blackmon insisted in an exasperated tone that indicated he’d made this denial dozens …