Bootsy Collins’ run of success leading Bootsy’s Rubber Band in the late 1970s established him as an all-time great bassist and a first-class front man in his own unique way. That uniqueness was evident in the music, especially Side B of 1977’s Ahh…the name is Bootsy, Baby!, which consists of three long slow grooves and a quick outro.
Bootsy had explored the slow jam theme with great success on Stretchin’ Out In Bootsy’s Rubber Band thanks to the timeless “I’d Rather Be With You” and emboldened by the success of that song, he decided to pursue that avenue further.
“What’s A Telephone Bill?” starts off the second side of the album as sort of a continuation of “I’d Rather,” as Boosty picks up the phone and begins to talk dirty after dark in hopes that the target of his affection will give him the consent to make sweet love. The title tells you how serious Bootsy was because in the days before mobile phones, staying on the line too long could have serious financial consequences.
“Munchies For Your Love” is a nine-and-a-half-minute masterclass that features Bootsy’s rubbery Space Bass, acoustic guitar and a drum beat that doesn’t intrude on the message of the moment, which is self-explanatory in the title. It’s a song that belongs in the canon of all-time great P-Funk affiliated songs and is a worthy challenger to “I’d Rather” as the top slow jam in the P-Funk catalog. Mudbone Cooper and P-Nut Johnson’s incredible harmonies at the bridge and the end of the song provide a sweet addition to Bootsy’s salty and silly monologue.
“Can’t Stay Away” closes out the suite with a lighthearted, slightly more upbeat song that once again says it all in the title – after pleading over the phone and sampling the goods/coming back for more, Boosty’s Rubber Band sums up the themes of attraction, affection and desire in an easy-going way. Released as the second single following the dance floor jam “The Pinocchio Theory,” it topped out at Number 19 on the Black Singles charts.
Boosted by these songs, Ahh…The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! was Billboard’s Number One R&B album for the week of April 23, 1977, the first such album for the P-Funk collective to reach that milestone and proof that Funkin’ Around can be fun and pleasurable.
