“Pump Me Up” by Trouble Funk

“Go-go” music originated in the Washington DC are during mid 60’s. Artists like Black Heat, Experience United (E.U.), and Chuck Brown combined traditional horned R&B arrangements with various percussion instruments, like the rototoms, congas, and hand-held cowbells. In 1988 “Da Butt” was released by E.U. and stormed the Billboard charts. It was the first major hit for the group and helped expose Go-go to the rest of the country.

One group at the forefront of that musical movement was Trouble Funk. Formed in 1978 from the ashes of a top 40 cover band, they created an even more percussive sound and pushed the genre to its limit. They never had much Billboard success but were always the hottest ticket in the club.
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“Pump Me Up” was originally recorded by the group in 1980 and became a regional sensation. It was re-released two years later on the legendary Sugar Hill (Hip Hop) Record label and helped shape and influence the burgeoning Hip-Hop scenes in Philadelphia and NYC. I hope you all enjoy this track as much as I have over the years.